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. Six heat levels, pickles included.
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. Family from New York; 45 years of baking heritage.
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 and online.
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. Six heat levels, pickles included.
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 brunch.
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.