I had my first experience in Nashville, Tennessee for my friend’s bachelorette party earlier this year.  We went back in April and stayed for four days.  We were one of the many Nashville bachelorette parties that weekend as this is one of the new hot spots for group getaways.

Nashville Food Scene

• The best food experience we had was at The Southern downtown.  We went for brunch over the weekend and the service was excellent as well as every menu item we tried.  I’m a sucker for pimento cheese, so I went outside of my brunch standard of eggs benedict and ordered the Southern Burger.  We got pitchers of the blood orange mimosas (delish) and the server even gave us a sample of its infamous gumbo.  This place, as well as many popular downtown Nashville restaurants, fills up quickly, so make reservations well in advance.
• Another fun spot we went to was Puckett’s Grocery & Restaurant.  They are known for southern comfort food and play live music at night (but make sure you read the fine lines because there is a cover charge even if you get there before the band). I went all out and ordered the Piggy Mac,  pulled pork in an iron skillet covered with mac n’ cheese and a hotcake. The rest of the bachelorette party got shrimp n’ grits or chicken and waffles and had great things to say.

• We went to dinner at The Farm House on our first night.  The atmosphere is spot on for a calm, relaxed environment that reminds you of the south! We started with the mouth-watering pimento cheese beignets and pork-belly poptarts. I loved the creative takes on two of America’s favorite indulgences.  My friends all ordered the Hot [Fried] Chicken.  I made a mistake by trying to be healthy and ordering the fish – I wasn’t feeling it.  It was a literal fish with scales I had to eat around.
• A casual spot we went to for lunch right before we left on a Sunday was Acme Feed & Seed.  As you’ve probably noticed a trend by now – this was also Southern comfort food.  I got Rule the Roost, a fried chicken and cheese sandwich with aioli sauce. It was tasty!

Activities in Nashville

As a bachelorette party of 30 year-olds, we had to mix in some activities in addition to our bar experiences.

• The number one thing I recommend doing while in downtown Nashville is a pedal tavern.  These are also things you have to make sure you book well in advance.  We used Sip N’ Cycle and had a great experience, but there are a few other companies as well.  You get to pedal around downtown Nashville for a few hours and stop at fun different bars along the way.  We got to go to Coyote Ugly and dance on the bar just like the movie (in the middle of the day I might add)!

• In terms of bars on Main Street, my favorite was Honkey Tonk Central just by its vast size.  We also hit up the infamous Tootsies and Swinging Doors Saloon to name a few.
• We also went and did a tour of the Grand Ole Opry, which was gorgeous but miles away from downtown in a shopping mall complex.  I didn’t really find it worth the money, but I’ll admit I’m not a huge country fan. What I did love about the Opry was the dressing room tour.  They have 18 themed dressing rooms that are beautifully decorated.

If I Went Back to Nashville

Being from the large city of Chicago, although I had a really great visit to Nashville, I wouldn’t put it on the top of my list to go back.  It has a great culture but I felt like it was pretty small and since I’m not a huge country person, most places just weren’t my scene. However, if I did go back:

• In terms of food, I really wanted to check out Merchants, but we couldn’t get a reservation for our size party.
• I’m a huge wino, and I’ve heard great things about the Belle Meade Plantation and that would be one of the top things on my list if I went back.  I’m also a lover of Ancient Greece, so Nashville’s Parthenon would also be a great experience.
• Lastly, I did feel the downtown scene was quite young, touristy, and a little too wild for my taste nowadays.  I have heard there is a part of downtown that the young locals go that is really fun…I just have to find it!