If you’re wondering where to eat in Nashville for food that tastes like the city, start with two things: hot chicken and a meat-and-three. Go to Prince’s for hot chicken, the family business tied to the dish’s origin story. For a meat-and-three, pick up a tray at Arnold’s Country Kitchen near The Gulch or Swett’s in North Nashville.
Both traditions are lunch-first, cash-register-and-tray kinds of places, not reservation-and-tasting-menu ones. That makes them easy to fit around sightseeing, but it also means timing matters more than you might expect.
This guide is organised by neighbourhood, and every place in it was checked against its own website or a recent listing before publication.
Key takeaways
- Nashville hot chicken traces back to Prince’s, which today lists locations on Nolensville Pike, in Assembly Food Hall downtown, at Tanger Outlets in Antioch and at the airport.
- A meat-and-three means one main plus three sides, often served cafeteria-style from a steam table.
- Arnold’s Country Kitchen serves weekday lunch plus a Saturday brunch, and its own site lists a 2009 James Beard America’s Classics award.
- Swett’s (North Nashville) and Wendell Smith’s (The Nations) are long-running neighbourhood meat-and-threes worth the short drive.
- Plan around lunch: many classic spots close in the mid-afternoon.
How Nashville eats: two dishes to know
Hot chicken
Hot chicken is fried chicken coated in a fiery spice paste and served on white bread with pickles. Visit Music City, the city’s official tourism site, credits Prince’s as the originator and repeats the local legend: Thornton Prince’s girlfriend served him an extra-spicy plate as payback, he loved it, and the recipe became a restaurant.
Meat-and-three
A meat-and-three is exactly what it sounds like: pick one protein, then three sides from a daily list. Fried chicken, meatloaf and pork chops are common mains. Greens, mac and cheese, squash casserole and fried corn are common sides, usually with cornbread and sweet tea.
Most of these places run a cafeteria line. You grab a tray, point, pay at the end and find a seat. The daily specials board is where the best dishes hide.
In Nashville the best meals come on a plastic tray, and they are usually gone by three o’clock.
Hot chicken, from the source
Prince’s Hot Chicken, South Nashville and downtown
Prince’s is the name everyone starts with. Its locations page lists the South shop at 5814 Nolensville Pike, a counter inside Assembly Food Hall downtown, a Tanger Outlets location in Antioch and a spot at Nashville International Airport, with a Jefferson Street location marked as coming soon.
The Nolensville Pike shop is the one to aim for if you want a neighbourhood feel. The Assembly Food Hall counter is easier if you’re staying near Broadway. Start one level milder than you think you need; the heat builds as you eat.
Hattie B’s, Midtown
Hattie B’s opened in 2012 and is now one of the city’s best-known names for hot chicken. Visit Music City’s hot chicken trail recommends it, and its website lists several Nashville locations, including Midtown, West Nashville, Lower Broad and Melrose. Expect a line at peak times, especially on weekends.
Meat-and-threes near downtown and The Gulch
Arnold’s Country Kitchen, 8th Avenue South
Arnold’s is the meat-and-three most visitors have heard of. Its own website lists the address as 605 8th Avenue South and describes a cafeteria-style steam table, with the family still running the place daily. It was founded in 1982 by Jack and Rose Arnold, and the site lists a James Beard America’s Classics award from 2009.
The site lists hours of 10:30 a.m. to 2:45 p.m. Monday to Friday, plus a Saturday brunch from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. It is a lunch spot, so arrive early for the widest choice. Arnold’s closed in early 2024 and later returned under the same family, so it’s worth a quick check of the site before you go.
What to order
- Whatever meat is chalked on the specials board that day.
- Turnip greens and fried green tomatoes as two of your three sides.
- A slice of pie if there’s room left on the tray.
North Nashville and The Nations
Swett’s, Clifton Avenue
Swett’s has been serving since 1954 from 2725 Clifton Avenue in North Nashville. The Infatuation’s Nashville meat-and-three guide, published in August 2025, rates it among the city’s best, and points diners to the baked and fried chicken, pork chops, squash casserole and cobbler. It works as a cafeteria line, so move briskly and decide on sides while you queue.
Silver Sands Cafe, Locklayer Street
Silver Sands, at 937 Locklayer Street, is a family-run soul food spot on the same guide, known for fried chicken, pork chops and salmon croquettes. It is a small, local room rather than a tourist stop, which is much of its appeal.
Wendell Smith’s, The Nations
Out west in The Nations, Wendell Smith’s at 407 53rd Avenue has been running for about seven decades. The Infatuation singles out the meatloaf, fried pork chop, fried corn and banana pudding. Pair it with a walk around the neighbourhood’s newer bars and coffee shops.
East Nashville and beyond
Bolton’s Spicy Chicken and Fish, Main Street
Bolton’s is East Nashville’s hot chicken institution and appears on Visit Music City’s hot chicken trail. It sits on Main Street, with a carry-out window and a small dining room, and serves a spicy whiting fish sandwich alongside the chicken. Order the fish if you want something most visitors miss.
City Cafe East, Lebanon Pike
City Cafe East, at 1455 Lebanon Pike, is listed both on Visit Music City’s meat-and-three page and in The Infatuation’s guide, which recommends the roast beef and deviled eggs. It is a weekday lunch spot, so plan it for a Monday to Friday.
Planning your eating day
The biggest mistake visitors make is treating these places like dinner restaurants. Several of the meat-and-threes in this guide are built around lunch and close by mid-afternoon.
| Stop | Neighbourhood | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Prince’s Hot Chicken (South) | Nolensville Pike, South Nashville | The original hot chicken name |
| Prince’s at Assembly Food Hall | Downtown | Hot chicken near Broadway |
| Hattie B’s | Midtown and other locations | A first taste of hot chicken |
| Bolton’s | East Nashville | Hot chicken and fish |
| Arnold’s Country Kitchen | 8th Avenue South | The classic meat-and-three |
| Swett’s | North Nashville | Cafeteria line since 1954 |
| Silver Sands Cafe | North Nashville | Soul food and croquettes |
| Wendell Smith’s | The Nations | Meatloaf and banana pudding |
| City Cafe East | Lebanon Pike | Weekday lunch |
- Make lunch the main event. Do a meat-and-three at midday and save hot chicken for later.
- Group by area. Pair Swett’s with a North Nashville wander, or Wendell Smith’s with The Nations.
- Check before you drive. Look at each restaurant’s own site or social page on the day for holiday closures.
Building a full weekend? Our Nashville trip ideas and live music bar picks cover the evenings, and there are more city guides for your next stop.
FAQ
Is Nashville hot chicken always extremely spicy?
No. Most shops offer several heat levels, from mild to very hot. Order a step below your usual tolerance on the first visit.
Do I need a reservation for a meat-and-three?
Generally not. The classic spots are walk-in and cafeteria-style, so you queue, choose and pay at the register.
What’s the best time to go?
Arrive close to opening for the fullest steam table and shortest lines. Many classic spots are lunch-focused and close by mid-afternoon.
Build your Nashville list
Pick one hot chicken stop and one meat-and-three, map them against where you’re staying, and check both restaurants’ own pages the morning you go. Then fill the rest of the trip from our restaurant directory.
Featured photo: Chicken Wings- It’s been a while. Baton Rouge LA 2026 by Paul Lowry, BY 4.0.
