The humble "Downtown" of East Nashville, Five Points has a ton of great things to see and do. For food there is; Five Points Pizza, Bartaco, Edley's Barbecue, Beyond the Edge, and Margot if you are feeling fancy. Don't be afraid to explore around here to find a meal that really speaks to you if these don't catch your interest. For drinks there is; the beautiful house bar Rosemary & Beauty Queen, the honky tonkin' Red Door Saloon, the subtly swanky Reunion Hotel bar, and if you feel like dancing go to the Five Spot for live music on most nights. Five Points also host the Tomato Arts Fest, which happened just the weekend before this wedding! Tomato Arts Fest is a local festival where all of East Nashville comes out to eat specialty foods, drink Bloody Marys, dress up in kooky costumes, and support local vendors up and down every street of Five Points. It's always a fun time to see the whole East Nashville community come out and get a little weird together.
While this adorable little coffee shop might be small, it has a strong following among locals. The gals at Matroyshka always have a fun new caffeinated drink they've concocted, like their BRAT green latte last summer, so just have fun with what you get here. Plus, they have an extremely strong merch game so don't be afraid to treat yourself in more ways than one.
Located just down the street from the engaged couple, this coffee house is a staple for great baked goods and a hot breakfast. Any coffee with their homemade salted whip cream is likely to be your next obsession. If you'd rather have breakfast tacos, Ladybird Tacos is right across the street. And for those who are REALLY hungry in the morning, the Breakfast Hot Bar at Mitchell Deli close by will let you pile your plate high with buttery scrambled eggs, bacon, biscuits and gravy, and their extremely elusive french toast.
A Nashville vinyl institution, Grimey's has tons of fantastic records to peruse and purchase. You can find anything from this two story store, like an interesting book in the basement or an autographed new release. There is also a great vintage clothing shop called Anaconda Vintage and a nice brewery/coffeeshop called Living Waters that share the same parking lot!
Located at a collection of local shops, Gift Horse has unique and authentic treasures to take home from your visit to Nashville. They sell everything from art, books, stationary, and a few t-shirts that won't make you look like a tourist. There is even their sister store, Ten Gallon Hat, located just behind the store at the Fatherland shops if you want something with a little more twang to it.
If you are looking for something free and country fried to do while in Nashville, then visiting this museum to the Duke's of Hazard is for you. Founded and owned by the actor who played Cooter on the original TV show, this treasure trove of memorabilia, props, and down home distractions is a free and easy way to spend an afternoon. Also, just across the street from this free museum is the Gaylord Opry Hotel and the historic Grand Ole Opry music venue.
Mitchell Deli and Little Hats Italian Market both have great sandwiches, but Bill's is for the true sandwich connoisseur. Originally a ghost kitchen in a different restaurant, Bill's Sandwich Palace has ascended to their own spot in the lovely Lockeland Springs neighborhood. Their weekly creations are no joke, ranging from delicious fried mushrooms and garlic and herb roast beef to tinga chicken and roasted pork shoulder. Bill's is also pretty popular for good reason, so do yourself a favor and order online ahead of time to save yourself the wait.
A strong contender in the "Looks-Like-An-Old-Dive-Bar-But-Just-Opened-A-Year-Ago" scene, this local spot makes you feel like you're drinking beer in your uncle's basement in 1982. But the REAL reason to come here is their double patty smash burger for $9 to perfectly compliment that light beer. The rest of the menu is well stacked with Rumaki, pickled eggs, Pastrami and Prime Rib sandwiches, ensuring this kitchen satisfies any time of day or night.
Hot Chicken has become the signature food of Music City, but don't be fooled by all the mediocre options out there. Cut through the unauthentic and grab yourself some Bolton's Hot Chicken OR Hot Fried Catfish. It's not the fanciest place in town and the sides aren't very special, but if you want Hot Chicken done right, this is the place to go. If a Hot Chicken place has signs on the wall saying you can't pick up a baby after eating their chicken because the residual spices will burn that baby, you've come to the right place. Friends don't let friend eat Hattie B's because that is airport food and not worth your time.
Go to Greece in the middle of Tennessee! Not only is this a nice little museum and faithful recreation of ancient history, but the Parthenon is also home to a lovely park if you want to get some fresh air.
Extremely important to both the bride and groom, this historic movie house is a great way to kill time in Nashville. The Belcourt always has wonderful programming from the latest arthouse hits to classic and cult films in 35mm. Plus you would be supporting a local cultural institution so really, everybody wins!
This social media famous store has anything cool and treasured. From collectible fast food cups and retro furniture to sitcom action figures and cool clothes, there is something nostalgic for everybody at Starland. It's worth going to Starland just to soak in the nostalgia and get a laugh at some of the wacky things they've got there.
Visit where it all started! Christie and Devin went here for their first date and even had their engagement shoot here! Inglewood Lounge is an extremely vibey bar with great tiki drinks and even live music most nights. They also have a fantastic kitchen which will be catering the wedding as well!
Nashville has had quite a few great wine bars open these past few years, but Bad Idea takes the crown for being the whole package. Not only are the high ceilings and moody lighting incredibly vibey, but they have a stellar food menu to compliment their impressive wine selection. Sure, this place might be fancy but it isn't afraid to fool around with a late night menu that once served a legendary corndog to go with your white wine. Our favorite treat is that if you buy a bottle of champagne, they give you some very fancy french fries to go with it.
Folks who know the wedding couple know they both love a theme, and Tiger Bar truly pulls out all of the stops to immerse you in their theme of a 1930's Gin Joint with Circus flair. Don't let the eccentric decor fool you, the drinks and food absolutely hold their own with elevated popcorn and several martinis to try. Tiger Bar truly lives up to it's "Come One, Come All" energy, though they do have a "No Shorts or Open Toed Shoes" dress code so use that as a reason to dress fancy! Our biggest recommendations would be to get there around 11pm, get a Tom Thumb $5 Martini shooter, spin the Wheel of Mystery cocktails since you can't go wrong with any of them, and stay until 12am for their nightly free Midnight Champagne Toast.
The best Barcade in the city! Open from 3pm to 3am, not only do they have tons of great drink specials and awesome games to play, but they even serve up a tasty slice of pizza for a late night bite. It's basically a very cool version of Chuck E. Cheese for adults! There's even a country western bar beneath Up-Down called Ernie's Boon Dock. This country western bar has huge beers with small prices and wall to wall wood panelling to make you feel like you've stepped back to Nashville's country roots.
If the neon glow of downtown Nash Vegas (nobody actually calls it that!) is pulling you in, then you have to go to the true honkey tonk of Robert's Western World. All of downtown Nashville has bars and restaurants playing live music, but only Robert's has the famous "Recession Special." Few things will make you feel more country.
The Mount Fuji Award is in reference to the old adage "If you don't visit Mt. Fuji when you are in Japan, you will return to Japan in your lifetime." Essentially meaning that if you don't see this beautiful, spiritual and cultural milestone then you will still be compelled to see it once in your life. Dino's is the Mt. Fuji of East Nashville, meaning that if you don't see this beautiful, spiritual and cultural milestone on your trip here then you will return to Nashville sometime in your future to check it out. That might sound like a lot of bravado to give an unassuming and dingy dive bar off the main strip, but Dino's is a staple of East Nashville and is historically the oldest Dive Bar in the city. It's full of local art, great bar food, and the kind of charm that makes you feel a part of the cool crowd. Be mindful of the "Wait Time" over the cash register, because a 60+ minute wait for a cheap burger might mean you need to return here on your next trip to Nashville.