The Field Guide · updated October 2026
Five Points,
properly done.
East Nashville is the Williamsburg–Bushwick of Nashville: the creative, slightly unruly side of the river. This is our living shortlist: what's essential, what's new, what's popping up, and exactly how to get to all of it. Use distances as a planning guide, not a promise: check your route, venue hours, and availability before heading out.
Eat
a shortlist for the east sideMas Tacos Por Favor
The legendary taco spot is on McFerrin, the same street as your front door. Cast-iron chicken tacos, fried avocado, elote, quart-size margaritas, Diners Drive-Ins & Dives famous. Saturday chilaquiles only happen on Saturday. Go early. Walking-route estimate checked September 20, 2026; confirm current routing.
Bad Idea
Chef David Breeden's wine-forward Southern / contemporary American kitchen in a converted church, and the east side's buzziest room. Michelin Recommended. Get the scallop crepe. Open until 1 AM, which matters more than you think it does right now.
Fatbelly Pretzel
Soft pretzels and snacks at 921 Gallatin. Worth the short ride up Gallatin when you want something salty and shareable.
Lockeland Table
Wood-fired, seasonal, warm. The neighborhood's special-occasion anchor for over a decade. Book ahead; bar seats for walk-ins.
Cafe Roze
The east side's most photographed room, and a Michelin Guide listee. Breakfast through dinner, seven days: savory oats with poached egg, a long marble bar, and the best people-watching before noon.
Mama Bread
1600 Woodland Street. Morning pastries, sourdough loaves, and sandwiches from a Tartine-trained baker. Open 8–4 daily.
Kisser
Shortlisted for the James Beard Best New Restaurant award. Tiny, walk-in only, lunch just four days a week. If you get a seat, you got lucky.
Lyra
Warm spices and pita pulled hot from a wood-burning bread oven. Dinner only, closed Sundays. One of the most exciting kitchens on the east side.
Peninsula
Small, intimate, seasonal menu that changes constantly. Special without being stuffy. Pricier, and worth it.
Butcher & Bee
Unassuming from the street, consistently excellent inside. Mezze-style small plates built for sharing, right on Main.
Hattie B's
The famous hot chicken finally landed on the east side. Their largest location yet, with a 1,400 sq ft patio and a 2,500 sq ft hangar space filled with games, TVs, and couches. Opened June 24, 2026 at 1206 Gallatin. The neighborhood hang you can actually bring the kids to.
The Pharmacy Burger Parlor
Scratch burgers, house sodas, and a tiered beer garden that hits capacity-for-a-reason by mid-afternoon on weekends.
Five Points Pizza
NY-style slice window open late. The great equalizer of the east side: musicians off stage, kitchen crews off shift, and you.
The Grilled Cheeserie
Back in East Nashville inside Hunters Station with melty classics plus rotating soft-serve. The food-hall setting means everyone in your group wins.
Black Dynasty Ramen
Currently a residency at Mitchell's Delicatessen until their 604 Gallatin brick-and-mortar opens. Rotating, not permanent yet.
Lost & Found
New open-air gathering spot stacked with food trucks and vendors (QBOP and rotating friends). The kind of place you go for one drink and stay for four hours.
Cone-cept
Seriously playful soft-serve: Lucky Charms and Cinnamon Toast Crunch toppings, milkshakes, sundaes. Eastwood Village, 1101 Chapel Ave Ste 114. About 35 min, not a from-the-door walk.
Veselka
New York Ukrainian restaurant (founded 1954, James Beard semifinalist 2023) opened its first location outside NYC inside Lakeside Lounge at 921 Woodland. Pierogi, borscht, kielbasa, chicken schnitzel. Kitchen Mon-Thu 3pm-2am, Fri-Sun 11am-2am. Next door to The Basement East, walkable from The Eighteen.
Folk
Neapolitan-ish sourdough pies that put Nashville pizza on the map. Small, walk-in friendly, always reliable.
Xiao Bao
Hand-pulled noodles and the cheeseburger bao everyone asks about. Fun, buzzy, and always-changing Asian fusion you can't find anywhere else.
Turkey and the Wolf Icehouse
The legendary New Orleans sandwich spot opened an East Nashville outpost: bologna sandwiches and Icehouse vibes.
Koré
Korean/French tapas and cocktails at 97 Chapel Ave. Short ride from McFerrin when you want East that is not Five Points proper.
Party Fowl
East Nashville hot chicken at 1016 Woodland, an easy walk from Five Points. Confirm hours and wait times on the visit page before you go.
Radish Kitchen
Fast salads, bowls, and wraps at 900 Main. Useful when you want something lighter without leaving the east side.
Curry Boys BBQ
San Antonio's Thai-curry-meets-Texas-barbecue joint, up in Riverside Village. Smoked meats, curry and a small cocktail list. It can sell out, so go earlier rather than later.
Hearts
An all-day Australian-style cafe on Gallatin from the team behind Lakeside Lounge and Attaboy. Good for a long breakfast or a late lunch.
Bill's Sandwich Palace
Huge, inventive sandwiches from a menu that changes every week. Check the site before you go, because it isn't open every day.
Hawkers Asian Street Food
Shareable plates from across Asia, on Main Street. The kitchen reopened in May 2026 after time closed for fire repairs.
Two Ten Jack
The east side's Japanese-style pub since 2014: bowls of ramen, skewers off the grill, sake and cold beer.
El Fuego
A family-run Mexican spot up Gallatin Pike, known for margaritas made with fresh-squeezed lime. Farther out, so plan on a short drive or a ride.
Dreamburger
A smashburger trailer parked at Vinyl Tap, the bar and record shop on Greenwood. It keeps limited hours, so check its Instagram before you head over.
Brightside Bakeshop
Small-batch croissants and brioche on Porter Road, open mornings Wednesday through Sunday. The best pastries sell out early, so go early or preorder.
Drink
from no-menu cocktails to tiki patiosAttaboy
Next door. Adjacent to the building, at 8 McFerrin. Sister bar to the New York original and one of the best cocktail rooms in America. There's no menu: tell the bartender what you like and what kind of mood you're in. Trust them.
Pearl Diver
Working Man Ventures ownership as of Sep 2026, with a tropical barbecue menu and new chef John Humphries. The back patio is still the giant resort cabana with string lights. Peak East Nashville summer, refreshed.
Urban Cowboy Public House
Cocktails and wood-fired pizza in a converted Victorian, with the patio where the east side goes to be looked at. Locals outnumber hotel guests, which tells you everything.
The Pharmacy Beer Garden
The tiered garden out back is one of the best outdoor drinking spaces in the city, burgers optional.
Girlcrush Social House
Soft-opened Aug 2026 in the old Van Gogh's at 1112 Woodland. Social house, not a nightclub. Official: girlcrushnash.com.
Hot Ticket
New East Nashville nightspot at 311 Gallatin (old Donut Distillery): dance floor, light bites, late kitchen, local-artist nights. Easy Five Points bar-crawl add.
Barista Parlor
The original Barista Parlor, open since 2012 and now the company's only standalone shop. It roasts on site and keeps the menu short, built around hand-brewed coffee. Check hours before you go.
Dose Coffee & Tea
A neighborhood coffee shop on the corner of McGavock Pike and Riverside Drive in Riverside Village. A good stop if you are already heading up toward Inglewood. Check hours before you go.
Coral Club
A coastal-themed cocktail lounge tucked upstairs in a Gallatin Avenue strip center, with spritzes, small martinis, tinned fish and a patio.
Rosemary & Beauty Queen
A converted Victorian house in Lockeland Springs turned into a bar, with several rooms and a big backyard with fire pits. Late hours, happy hour every day, 21 and up.
La Perla at Paloma
A walk-up coffee window inside Galeria Paloma, a vintage shop up Gallatin Pike. Espresso and matcha drinks with house-made syrups. Opened in September 2026.
Hear, browse, wander
records, rooms, riversidesGrimey's New & Preloved Music
The famous record store lives in a former church: rooms of vinyl, rooms of books, and a Frothy Monkey coffee bar inside with a patio. Living Waters Brewing is next door. This is the coffee-in-the-music-shop you heard about, and it's better than the rumor.
The Basement East
The east side's big room, known to everyone here as The Beast. Touring acts most nights of the week, a short walk from the door. Check the calendar before you book: the good ones sell out.
The 5 Spot
The neighborhood venue for live music and a dance floor. Check the current program and your walking route before setting out.
The Bookshop
Tiny, perfectly curated bookstore. The kind of place that cancels your afternoon plans for you.
WeWork at The Wabash
Need a real office day? WeWork runs three floors of The Wabash at 901 Woodland, one block from your door, with day passes available.
Shelby Park & The Greenway
Riverside trails for the morning run or dog walk. 361 acres of green space on the east side. Walking distance depends on the entrance and trailhead you choose.
East Nashville Antiques & Vintage
A large antique mall shared by many vendors, up Gallatin Pike: mid-century furniture, vintage clothing, records and odd treasures. A good rainy-afternoon dig.
Gift Horse
A stationery and gift shop in the Shoppes on Fatherland: greeting cards, art prints and pieces from independent makers. Closed Tuesdays.
Perfect Tenn
Tennessee and East Nashville designs printed locally in small batches, in the same Shoppes on Fatherland building as Gift Horse. Closed Tuesdays.
Markets & pop-ups
here today, line tomorrowEast Nashville Farmers Market
Tuesdays 3:30–6:30 PM (April through October; 3:30–6 PM Nov–Dec) at 511 Woodland Street. Produce, bread, meat, dairy, crafts, live music. Free onsite parking. Walk down with a tote, walk back with dinner for your full kitchen.
PopUp Bagels
The internet-famous “Grip, Rip & Dip” bagels landed in Nashville. Check the current location and hours, and allow for traffic if heading over from East Nashville.
The pop-up circuit
East Nashville runs on pop-ups: ramen counters, natural wine nights, vintage markets, supper clubs. They move fast and sell out faster. We track them in the Journal and the Dispatch so you don't have to scroll three apps.
Nashville Pumpkin Co. (East lot)
The fall pumpkin patch at the foot of Gallatin: carving pumpkins, gourds and mums for the porch. Seasonal only; the lots close for the year on November 1.
The Backstory
How this corner got interesting
Five Points is named for exactly what it is: a five-way intersection at the heart of Historic Edgefield, one of Nashville's oldest neighborhoods, where blocks of Victorian homes survive from the streetcar-suburb era of the late 1800s.
The neighborhood has been knocked down twice, by the tornado of April 1998, which tore through Edgefield and Lockeland Springs with $100M in damage, and again in March 2020. Both times East Nashville rebuilt itself weirder, tighter, and better than before.
That rebuild energy is why the east side became the city's creative engine: cheap-then rents drew the musicians and chefs, the revitalization of the early 2000s built the venues and kitchens around them, and the result is the neighborhood outside your door: murals over Victorian brick, James Beard nods next to dive bars.
The Eighteen sits at McFerrin & Main, on the walking line between Five Points and downtown. New building, old neighborhood, best corner of both.
The Practical Part
Getting around & getting fed
Delivery to your door
Uber Eats, DoorDash, and Grubhub all cover East Nashville densely. Most of the restaurants in this guide deliver to the building. Set your address to 18 McFerrin Ave and the east side comes to you.
Pro move: groceries via Instacart or Kroger delivery to stock that full kitchen for longer stays.
Rideshare
Rideshares connect the neighborhood with downtown and BNA. Travel times and prices vary with traffic, demand, and stadium events; check the app and allow extra time when you have a deadline.
Scooters & bikes
Check local rental apps for current scooter and bike availability, prices, and permitted riding areas. Follow posted rules and park clear of sidewalks, entrances, and accessible paths.
Parking & transit
Arrange on-site parking through Kasa’s Virtual Front Desk after booking. Confirm availability and vehicle fit; vans and trailers require explicit operator confirmation.
WeGo buses run straight shots between East Nashville and downtown if you'd rather skip rideshare.
Want this guide in your inbox monthly, with the pop-ups that haven't been announced yet? That's the Dispatch, below.