Nashville has two cities inside it. The first is the one that shows up on every travel blog — Broadway, the honky-tonks, the bachelorette sashes, the cowboy hats. The second is the Nashville that people actually move here for. This guide is about the second one.
Locals will tell you the same things: the food scene in Germantown, the record shops in East Nashville, the craft breweries in the Nations. But the experience they're most proud of — and the one most tourists walk right past — is Nashville Barrel Company at 425 Church Street.
The Local Whiskey Experience
NBC is the distillery that Nashville's whiskey community is proud of. Tennessee Blender of the Year. Best in Class at the world's largest spirits competition. The kind of single barrel releases that trade among collectors and end up in whiskey media.
Most tourists walk past the Church Street tasting room on their way to Broadway without realizing it's there. Locals know it as one of the best walks-in you can do in the city — a proper guided whiskey tasting that takes 30–45 minutes and costs $35. The Blend Your Own and Barrel Pick experiences are what locals bring out-of-town guests for: you leave with something you made yourself.
What Locals Actually Eat
Germantown is Nashville's most serious food neighborhood. Rolf and Daughters for pasta (book ahead). Henrietta Red for oysters and seasonal American (James Beard nominated). Butcher & Bee for the best lunch sandwich you'll have in Nashville. The whole neighborhood has walkable character and none of the Broadway madness.
East Nashville is where Nashville's creative community lives and eats. Pharmacy Burger has the best burger in the city and a beer garden that's packed on weekends for a reason. Mitchell Deli is the locals' sandwich shop that's been there since before East Nashville was cool. Biscuit Love on 12 South started here — the brunch scene hasn't been the same since.
Where Locals Drink
The Nations is the neighborhood the tourist industry hasn't found yet. Bearded Iris Brewing has the best taproom in the city — huge, dog-friendly, always packed with actual Nashville people. Corsair Distillery (not NBC, but worth a visit too) is in the same stretch. A Saturday afternoon in the Nations feels like Nashville in 2012 before everything got expensive and crowded.
Bastion in the Gulch is the consensus best cocktail bar in Nashville and one of the best in the South. Von Elrod's in Germantown for a great patio. Rosemary & Beauty King in East Nashville for a neighborhood bar that's also really good at cocktails. None of them are on Broadway.
Local Music — Not on Broadway
- The 5 Spot (East Nashville) — Live original music every night, usually no cover. This is where Nashville musicians go to see each other.
- The Basement (8th Ave South) — One of Nashville's best small venues for touring indie and Americana acts. The original Basement East in East Nashville is the bigger sibling.
- Grimey's (8th Ave) — In-store performances at Nashville's best record shop. Check their calendar before you visit.
- Station Inn (The Gulch) — The most storied bluegrass venue in the city. No frills, great music, locals only energy.
- The Ryman Auditorium — Not local exactly, but locals go here for the real shows. 3 minutes from NBC Downtown.
Local Shopping
- Grimey's New & Pre-Loved Music — Best record shop in Nashville. In-store shows, knowledgeable staff, great selection.
- Fox's Gem Shop (Downtown) — Nashville's oldest jewelry store and a genuinely local institution since 1943.
- 12 South boutiques — The stretch on 12th Ave has Nashville's best independent retail: Judith Bright jewelry, Imogene + Willie denim, White's Mercantile.
- East Nashville vintage — The stretch around Gallatin Ave has Nashville's best vintage clothing stores, record shops, and independent booksellers.
The local Nashville experience doesn't start on Broadway. It starts one block off it, in a tasting room that most tourists walk right past.
The Local Experience at Nashville Barrel Company
425 Church Street — walk-in whiskey flights from $35. The experience Nashville locals bring their out-of-town guests for.
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