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I woke up in Nashville on a breezy Saturday morning to unseasonably warm autumn weather, perfect for a bit of walking and a lot of snacking. Instead of jumping into my usual food-blogger mode, I had signed myself up for a walking food tour of East Nashville.
For 3.5 hours, I'd let someone else make the decisions. No reservations to chase, no internal debates about where the best bite might be hiding. Just me, a guide named Ben, and a small group ready to graze our way through one of the city's most eclectic neighborhoods.
Table of Contents
Nashville Food Tour
Donut Distillery
At 11:30 a.m., we met inside the Donut Distillery, a family-owned shop born from a food truck and known for pairing mini donuts with booze. The place is catnip for bachelorette parties recovering from a late night out.
Ben offered us a choice of a small mimosa, orange juice, or water. Still shaking off last night's cocktails, I played it safe with OJ.
Our first bites were a Tennessee whiskey donut and a Fruity Pebbles donut. The whiskey one was fine, but the Fruity Pebbles donut won me over with its neon colors and delicious crunch. A little cereal nostalgia never hurts.
Before we moved on, Ben painted a picture of East Nashville in the 80s and 90s, a place where crime rates climbed, rents dropped, and artists, musicians, and people on the creative outskirts found room to breathe.
Hipsters and gentrification followed, rents went up, and now East Nashville balances grit with charm. From the donut shop's parking lot, we could see Dino's, the district's first dive bar, and a spot I'd visited on my first few trips to Music City. Its cheeseburger has been pulling late-night crowds since the 70s.
Hugh-Baby's BBQ
We wandered through the 5 Points neighborhood bars, cafes, and tattoo shops. Our second stop on the East Nashville food tour was Hunters Station, a food hall that used to be a garage.
Inside, we sat at a few tables while Ben headed straight for Hugh-Baby's BBQ & Burger Shop, owned by the pitmaster behind Martin's Bar-B-Que (a joint I dined at on my last visit). That alone got my attention.
We each tried a pulled pork sandwich stacked on a potato bun with Nashville-style sauce and crunchy slaw. Mild heat, smoky flavor, and the kind of sandwich you finish before you realize it.
As we walked toward the next stop, we passed Attaboy, a familiar name for me since I've been to the original, one of New York City's best cocktail bars.
Ben told us about the EF3 tornado that ripped through East Nashville on March 3, 2020, causing significant damage. It didn't get much national coverage due to the emerging pandemic.
What it did get was neighbors stepping outside with chainsaws, ladders, and trash bags. That part stuck with me; you join a food tour for the bites, but the stories from the community can be even more impactful.
Joyland
Our third stop was Joyland, a fast-casual spot from James Beard Award-winning chef Sean Brock. I first learned about him through Chef's Table (Netflix) and Husk, a Southern restaurant he opened in Charleston, SC.
Chef Brock later expanded to Nashville, and I chose Husk as the first place to eat on my first trip to the city. So, it was news to me that he'd moved on from that project back in May 2019 to pursue a new Appalachia-inspired restaurant.
Joyland's branding is bright and cartoonish. We tried samples of the signature Crustburger, which leans into a smashburger's crispy edges.
Outside, we stopped at the red, white, and blue "I Believe in Nashville" mural, which somehow survived a direct hit from the tornado. In the photo Ben showed us, the wall on which the mural was painted had mostly been destroyed. Miraculously, the mural at the corner was untouched.
We wrapped around 5 Points again before heading toward something spicier.
Drifters Tennessee Barbeque (BBQ) Joint
Stop four: Drifters Tennessee Barbeque. Ben gave us a crash course on the origins of Nashville hot chicken before handing us a choice between naked wings and hot wings, with "hot" clocking in at level 4 out of 10.
Level 4 sounded manageable-famous last words. I went hot. Within seconds, my lips and tongue were tingling.
A minute later, I was reminded of late-night hot pot in Chengdu, China (to date, the spiciest food experience of my life). But it was flavorful and honestly a little exhilarating.
Ben also mentioned that the bar serves a frozen boozy milkshake called the Bushwacker, which looked like it was invented to soothe people who overestimated their heat tolerance.
Edley's Bar-B-Que
Our final stop of the East Nashville food tour was Edley's Bar-B-Que, and it was here that the tour pulled a plot twist.
We were served a fried catfish taco, something I didn't think to expect from a BBQ joint, and it turned out to be my favorite bite of the afternoon. The catfish was crisp, light, and nicely seasoned.
Dessert was banana pudding, thick and creamy without being overly sweet. A solid victory lap for a half-day spent wandering and snacking.
After tipping Ben and saying goodbye to the group, I grabbed a rideshare back to the Gaylord Opryland Resort to recharge before dinner at The Catbird Seat (one of Nashville's newly minted Michelin star restaurants).
Final Thoughts
Looking back, what I enjoyed most wasn't just the food, but the chance to explore East Nashville with someone who truly knows it. As a food blogger, I spend a lot of time curating the "best" or "must-eat" lists.
This Nashville food tour was a rare treat where the best thing I did was let someone else take the wheel. For a few hours, I traded control for curiosity, and East Nashville rewarded me.
Curious about taking this tour yourself or gifting it to someone who'd rather unwrap great food than another sweater? Viator makes it easy to give someone a tasty Nashville adventure.
Check out the tour details and booking info to learn more.
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Disclosure: I received this tour at no cost through my partnership with Viator. As always, the thoughts and impressions in this story are my own.
