Nashville tends to favor brunch over breakfast or lunch, which is very apparent for anyone that’s glanced through menus of the most popular eateries in town. The city comes alive just before noon each day, so when you precede that with late night honky-tonking, brunch is often the logical choice. Orange Juice and Milk are great, but a bloody mary at 11AM can relieve your hangover and ease you into another afternoon of libations.
Whatever area of town you find yourself in, you’re bound to have several brunch options to choose from. Down on lower Broadway, early risers can venture over to Puckett’s Grocery. They even have a weekend buffet for those in a hurry! Be sure to order the White Cheddar Weisenberger Grits (no polenta down here, y’all).
One block away in the basement of the Noelle Hotel, is Makeready L&L, which serves one of the best bloody marys in town (you can taste a hint of maple). For a hardier menu, head to The Southern Steak & Oyster on 3rd Avenue South for their shrimp and grits or steak and biscuit benedict! You can wash it down with their Blood Orange Mimosa!
If your day starts in the Gulch, Biscuit Love is a huge tourist spot. One of their signature items are “bonuts,” which is where donuts and biscuits meet (fried biscuit dough with lemon mascarpone). Of course, we can’t bring up biscuits without mentioning Milk & Honey. Their pillowy, buttermilk biscuits are the talk of the town, and their fig & prosciutto toast is divine out of this world. If you’re feeling cheeky, tackle brunch at The Pub and order “The Cure,” a wonderful breakfast sandwich made with pretzel bread, beer cheese, and hot onion straws! While you’re at it, you might as well savor a Nicholson’s Bloody Mary made with Guinness!
In the midtown area (closer to Vanderbilt), 1907 Urban Cookhouse is a great brunch spot (weekends only). Take advantage of their Build a Bowl option and mix things like avo and scrambled eggs! Nearby is The Row. If it’s a pretty day, sit out on their patio and sip on one of their specialty cocktails! The PB&J is a local favorite. It’s made with Pennington’s Strawberry Rye and Tailgate Peanut Butter Milk Stout. The Row also has unique starters and sides, like a pickle flight, deviled eggs 5 ways, Vidalia Biscuit Stuffin’, and Bourbon Sweet Potatoes!
12th South is another popular brunch area for Nashville. On Fridays and Saturdays, indulge in the Seafood and Charcuterie Bar at Urban Grub, but save room for some Apple Monkey Bread! Speaking of monkey, a hotspot called The Frothy Monkey is located a few doors down. In addition to great coffees, a full bar, and standard coffee shop offerings, this place has delicious brunch items like the Quinoa Bowl and Architect Omelet (build your own).
So get out of bed and seize the grub!