Californian$$$the-gulchSun-Thu 17:00-21:00, Fri-Sat 17:00-22:00, Sat-Sun 9:30-14:00
Jonathan Waxman's Gulch room in Nashville cooks seasonal California-style food in a converted automotive garage. Located in The Gulch. Priced at $$$.
Signature: JW chicken, JW potatoes
Order: JW chicken with crispy potatoes, salsa verde on the side.
Tip: All-you-can-eat Sunday brunch buffet is the value play; carving station, smoked salmon, pastries.
New American$$$the-gulch
Maneet Chauhan's Gulch room in Nashville runs globally inflected American comfort food with strong cocktails, opened 2018 and steady at the top of the area.
Signature: Crispy pork shank, Fried chicken
Order: Crispy pork shank with chili crisp, plus the kale Caesar.
Tip: Happy hour is generous and easy to walk into; book ahead for the patio in warm weather.
New American$$$germantownDaily 17:00-22:00
Chef Philip Krajeck's Germantown Italian-American kitchen in Nashville opened in 2012 inside the Werthan factory and runs handmade pastas and wood-fired.
Signature: Squid ink chitarra, Wood-fired pork chop
Order: Squid ink chitarra with octopus and chickpea, plus the wood-fired pork.
Tip: Reservations open 30 days out on Resy; the bar takes walk-ins from 17:00 and serves the same menu.
Italian Southern$$$germantownMon-Thu 17:00-21:00, Fri-Sat 17:00-22:00, Sun 17:00-21:00
Chef Tandy Wilson's Germantown room in Nashville serves blue-collar Italian and Southern cooking since 2007. Kitchen leans italian southern.
Signature: Belly ham pizza, Catfish with chickpeas
Order: Belly ham pizza with mozzarella, oregano, chiles and pickled peppers.
Tip: Bradley Midgett took executive chef duties in March 2025; the menu stays Wilson's. Sunday Suppers are the easy seat.
Seafood$$$germantownTue-Sun, see site
Chef Julia Sullivan's Germantown seafood room in Nashville opened in 2017 with a raw bar, wood-grill program and a wine list built around growers.
Signature: Oyster tower, Wood-grilled fish
Order: Half-dozen oysters from the daily list, then the wood-grilled whole fish.
Tip: Brunch on Saturday is the easier seat. Happy hour 17:00-18:00 runs $1 oysters at the bar.
Seafood$$$germantownSun-Thu 17:00-22:00, Fri-Sat 16:30-23:00
Ford Fry's Atlanta-born seafood concept landed in Nashville's Germantown Hammer Mill in 2023, anchoring a seafood tower programme and Le Loup cocktail lounge.
Signature: Seafood tower, Oysters and grilled fish
Order: The opulent seafood tower for two, plus the wood-grilled fish of the day.
Tip: Skip the line by booking the bar; downstairs at Le Loup serves the same raw bar with cocktails.