2 nights in Nashville

wandajune6

I'm heading to Nashville next month for work. I'll be in town for 2 nights with a coworker, leaving the first day of the CMA festival. I wouldn't know this but it made booking a hotel miserable and I imagine it will make the city a madhouse.

I'll be in meetings all day but I'd love recommendations of things to do/see and places to make dinner reservations. We'll be staying downtown and moving between client locations so we're open to anything that doesn't send us far out into the 'burbs. We won't have a ton of free time but I don't want to miss anything important.

My coworker is a serious beer aficionado so recommendations with that in mind is helpful. Also, the client is paying so it's can't be horribly expensive (though we know we'll need to put any booze on a separate tab). I'd love to check out the bars on the main drag downtown (which I can't remember the name of) but don't know much beyond that.

Thanks in advance!

ashley8918

I am no help as I have never been there (but hope to go soon!); I'm just here to say that I totally thought this thread was going to be about a porno. Like 1 night in Paris, hahahaha.

KatWAG

Go to Jackson's. Yummy food and its right across the street from Vanderbilt, so you could wander the campus

wandajune6

@ashley- I never thought of that!

@KatWAG- thanks! We'll be staying right over there so that will be perfect. Thanks! Should I try to make a reservation or do you think we'll be able to walk in?

littlemushroom

Disclaimer: I have no idea where anything is located relative to any place else in Nashville, so this may not be helpful.

We stopped in Nashville on our way to Florida and went to Prince's Hot Chicken Shack. It was the best fried chicken my DH and I have ever had. However, the wait is crazy long and we even got there at 10 pm. The neighborhood is also pretty bad. As in bars on all windows of homes and businesses, plus the locals flat out told us we were under no circumstances to stay at a hotel anywhere near there. It was almost midnight before we got our order, and they still told us to go back to the downtown area at least before finding a hotel.

That being said, we plan on stopping there again if we are ever in the area. The chicken was THAT good. If you have the time to wait, I recommend it. Prince's is on pretty much every national list for the best fried chicken in the country, for good reason.

twoleighs

Blackstone Restaurant and Brewery is pretty reasonably priced IMO and they have a very wide beer selection.  It's been excellent the times I've been.  It's right at 20th and Broadway (west end ave at that point), so near Vanderbilt as well.  CLICKY 

Mellow Mushroom isn't necessarily unique to Nashville, but it's near Vanderbilt also and is very, very tasty.  I think they have a pretty wide beer selection too.  

If you can make it to Pancake Pantry for breakfast, do.  It's amazing.  Also near Vanderbilt.  

Demos' is excellent. Family owned, really good, and very inexpensive.  (3rd and Commerce, so one block off Broadway)

As for the honky tonks on Broadway, I like Honky Tonk Central the best because it's 3 stories and has balconies so you can people watch while drinking.  And the people watching will be fabulous before/during CMA.  Most of the honky tonks are down near 2nd-5th avenue.  

There's also Margaritaville at 4th and Broadway.  Big Bang also right there is a dueling piano bar.  Tons of fun.  Tootsie's is pretty well known and has a great atmosphere.  Also right there between 4th and 5th.  

Have fun!!!

ETF: clarity

wandajune6

I love fried chicken. That sounds wonderful. Unfortunately, it's probably hard to justify doing that when we have such limited time. I'll keep the idea around though, just in case!

plainjane0415

Whiskey Kitchen is a great place for food.  It's off of West End, which is part of the downtown area. 

If you get a chance, I would highly recommend venturing out to the East Nashville area for restaurants.  The Pharmacy (burger joint) and Rosepepper are two of my absolute favorites! 

TNDancer

Yes, a beer lover! My favorite bar is Flying Saucer. It is beer heaven and not on a main drag.

wandajune6

Thank you for all of the recommendations! I've got them all written into my travel planning documents so we'll have a bunch of options to choose from.

Can't wait!

KatWAG

wandajune6 said:

@ashley- I never thought of that!

@KatWAG- thanks! We'll be staying right over there so that will be perfect. Thanks! Should I try to make a reservation or do you think we'll be able to walk in?

I have always just walked in.

SmileDamnit

plainjane0415 said:

Whiskey Kitchen is a great place for food.  It's off of West End, which is part of the downtown area. 

If you get a chance, I would highly recommend venturing out to the East Nashville area for restaurants.  The Pharmacy (burger joint) and Rosepepper are two of my absolute favorites! 

Ditto this. East Nashville has some great restaurants/bars (looooove Rosepepper!).

wandajune6

Thanks! Can't wait!