Belmont University territory: Pancake Pantry's morning line, Bongo Java's coffee, Proper Bagel on Belmont Boulevard. A college-town pace.
The Bishop family's Midtown hot chicken counter in Nashville opened in 2012 and is the tourist-friendliest gateway to the dish. Located in Hillsboro Village.
Signature: Hot chicken, Pimento mac and cheese
Order: Hot chicken at Hot level, pimento mac, banana pudding.
Tip: Lines run 60 minutes at peak. Hit a satellite location (West, Downtown) or go off-peak for a faster seat.
Bongo Java's Belmont Boulevard cafe in Nashville has been the city's college-town coffeehouse since 1993, an all-day breakfast and an upstairs music venue.
Signature drink: Drip coffee with breakfast
Tip: Order the breakfast sandwich on a biscuit; the upstairs Bongo After Hours room books regular comedy and folk acts.
Hillsboro Village's Pancake Pantry in Nashville has cooked scratch pancakes since 1961, with 23 varieties and a queue that wraps the block every weekend.
Signature drink: Coffee with pancake stack
Tip: Sweet potato pancakes are the unsung order. Weekday line is easier; tourists pile up Saturday and Sunday.
Proper Bagel on Belmont Boulevard in Nashville opened 2017 with New York-style hand-rolled, kettle-boiled bagels. Located in Hillsboro Village.
Tip: Everything bagel with whitefish is the order; second-best move is the lox platter with sliced Gaspe Nova.
Worth the queue: Everything bagel with whitefish salad
Bongo Java's Belmont Boulevard cafe and roastery in Nashville has been a college-town anchor since 1993, supplying beans to Bongo cafes across the city.
Tip: Order the breakfast sandwich on a biscuit, then take a bag of beans home. The Belmont students piles in around 10:00.
Sources from: Ethiopia, Sumatra, Brazil
How they serve: Espresso, Filter, Whole bean retail
The Bishop family's Midtown hot chicken counter in Nashville opened in 2012 and is the tourist-friendliest gateway to the dish. Located in Hillsboro Village.
Try: Hot chicken sandwich
Tip: Hot chicken at Hot level on white bread with pickles is the canonical order; pimento mac and cheese is the side to add.
Hillsboro Village's Pancake Pantry in Nashville has cooked scratch pancakes since 1961, with 23 varieties and a queue that wraps the block every weekend.
Order: Sweet potato pancakes
Tip: Weekday line is easier; tourists pile up Saturday and Sunday from 09:00. Sweet potato pancakes are unsung.
Proper Bagel on Belmont Boulevard in Nashville opened 2017 with New York-style hand-rolled, kettle-boiled bagels and a full appetising counter for weekend.
Order: Everything bagel with whitefish salad
Tip: Saturday line builds by 10:00; Sunday is quieter. The lox platter with sliced Gaspe Nova is the upgrade move.
The Bluebird Cafe on Hillsboro Pike in Nashville is the 90-seat songwriters' listening room that has launched Garth, Taylor Swift and Kathy Mattea since 1982.
Tip: Two shows nightly, In The Round Tue to Sat, Mondays open mic, Sundays writers' nights. Reservations open one week ahead and fill fast.
White Limozeen on the Graduate by Hilton rooftop in midtown Nashville is the pink Dolly Parton bar with a nine-foot Dolly bust, a pool deck and rhinestone booths.
Tip: Reserve via the hotel for the cabana pool deck. Cocktails like the Queen of the Rodeo run $16; the kitchen serves until 22:00.
Play Dance Bar on Church Street in midtown Nashville is the flagship gay nightclub with three-show drag nights and a dance floor that runs until 03:00 weekends.
Tip: Closed Mon-Tue. Shows at 21:00 and 23:00 Wed-Sun, plus a 01:00 set Fri-Sat. Cover varies by show; cash and card both work.
Brown's Diner on Blair Boulevard in Nashville is the trolley car pouring cheap beer with cheeseburgers since 1927, the city's oldest diner and dive in one room.
Tip: Cash and card both work. Cheeseburger and a tall PBR runs under $15; jukebox is the soundtrack, no cover any night.