The Best Lunch Spots in Nashville (and Franklin) Are Just Around The Corner
Lunch in Nashville needs to match the occasion - business, birthday, catch-up, loud, quiet ... we have great options for all your needs!
Perhaps I think too much about where to take people to lunch. It is one of those things that sounds simple but actually matters quite a bit. Whether you are sitting across from a potential business partner, a longtime friend, or a colleague you are trying to impress, the restaurant sets the tone before a single word is spoken. I do believe the place you choose signals something about who you are and how you operate. So when people ask me where I take people for lunch in Nashville, I have a pretty short list. Each one earns a spot on it for different reasons, but they all share convenience, great food, and easy parking.
Here is the truth about lunch in the Nashville area: we have options that rival any major metropolitan area, but they are spread across neighborhoods, and knowing which one to reach for, and in which situation, is a skill worth developing.
etch (Downtown Nashville and Franklin)
Let me start with the one I reach for when I need to meet someone downtown. etch is the globally-inspired restaurant from award-winning Chef Deb Paquette. It’s complete with two private dining rooms, a full bar, and a chef’s bar with a view into the open kitchen. Deb is a legend, full stop. After graduating from the Culinary Institute of America, she became the first woman in Tennessee to qualify as a certified executive chef, and her food shows every bit of that depth. (Deb is also the chef behind etc, mentioned below.) The menu at etch is dynamic, changing seasonally, and it reflects Deb’s ongoing culinary explorations. You might find yourself in front of shrimp and grits, a gorgeous salad loaded with fennel and hazelnuts, or something you never expected to love but absolutely do. This is where I recently chose to meet my cousin, who was in town visiting, so it’s definitely not just a business lunch.
The Nashville location is open for lunch Monday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. If your client is coming from out of town, don’t make them drive for lunch; take them here. The private dining rooms are perfect for a working lunch that needs a little more privacy and polish for a group.
And the good news? Deb brought etch south. The Franklin location is at The Factory at Franklin, which means those of us living and working on the south side of Nashville no longer have to make the drive downtown for this level of food. It’s open for lunch Tuesday through Sunday, starting at 11 a.m. Unlike the downtown location, it does not close between lunch and dinner and is also open on Saturdays and for Sunday brunch starting at 10 a.m.
Make reservations here: etchrestaurant.com
etc. (Green Hills)
If etch is the downtown power lunch, then etc. is what you reach for when you want that same award-winning Deb Paquette energy in a warmer, more neighborhood-focused setting. The intimate venue offers 70 seats, a cocktail bar, and an outdoor patio, and the whole experience feels a little more relaxed. This is where I go for lunch with a friend I have not seen in a while, or make a reservation to celebrate a friend’s birthday, or meet for a working lunch with a colleague where the vibe needs to feel like a conversation, not a pitch meeting. It still feels “insider” to know to book this reservation.
The menu features Deb’s favorite spices, produce, and global recipes for an adventurous dining experience. The bread alone is worth the trip. It comes with a daily flavored butter that changes and tends to get talked about for the rest of the meal. Tucked into Bedford Commons in Green Hills, etc. is easy to get to from a lot of the city – you can enter into Green Hills from the Belle Meade side and never touch Hillsboro. Parking is not the ordeal that downtown sometimes is and there is a valet.
Make reservations here: etc.restaurant
Amerigo (West End + Brentwood)
There is a reason Amerigo has been a Nashville staple for three decades and has been the longest-standing restaurant on West End Avenue. Traditional Italian pastas, hand-made pizzas, fresh seafood, and hand-selected beef appeal to a wide range of tastes. They also offer a nice gluten-sensitive menu, not something many expect at an Italian restaurant.
What I love about Amerigo for a business lunch specifically is the energy. It is buzzy without being loud. It feels like a place where things happen, where deals get made and friends catch up over a bowl of pasta and a glass of something Italian. Private dining rooms are available for hosting meetings and celebrations, which makes it a smart pick when you are coordinating a larger group lunch that needs its own space.
And – this is big – the parking is free! Yes, they will validate your parking for up to three hours! This is true for the neighboring restaurant, Jaspers, as they share some parking. Midtown is convenient to many and somehow overlooked as a food destination. Amerigo makes it easy to remember to come back.
Expect all these same things at the Brentwood/Cool Springs location. However, the ability to park free there is expected, unlike Nashville!
Make reservations here: amerigo.net
Char (Green Hills, and Coming to Franklin)
Char is one of those places that feels like it was built specifically for the business lunch, but locals still love to meet there for dinner and brunch. But lunch? It just feels like where you go to get things done over a great meal. It is a Southern-style modern steakhouse offering USDA Prime and Choice cuts of meat, fresh seafood, home-style sides to share, weekday lunch specials, classic cocktails, and an extensive wine and bourbon selection.
The atmosphere strikes a note that is hard to find: warm enough to feel welcoming, polished enough that it reads as serious. If lunch lingers into evening, live piano music fills the bar area so you can easily move to the marble bar and continue over cocktails.
Blue Plate lunch specials are offered during the week, inviting business associates and friends alike to enjoy a hearty mid-day meal. The private dining room accommodates up to 40 guests for meetings, receptions, and seated lunch events.
Like Amerigo, they will also validate parking. It’s one of those hospitality moments that I celebrate whenever I see it.
For those of us south of the city: a Char location is opening in the Canteen mixed-use community in Franklin’s Cool Springs corridor, anchored by the same warm, stylish dining room the Green Hills location has built its reputation on.
Make reservations here: nashville.charrestaurant.com
Jasper’s (West End)
Not every lunch needs to be a formal affair. Sometimes you need somewhere that is genuinely fun, where the food is better than you expect, and the energy is easy. Jasper’s serves elevated bar fare in an open, lively atmosphere, with a menu built around creative renditions of crowd-pleasers like wings, flatbread pizzas, wraps, burgers, and hot chicken. Two game rooms add to the fun, and their outdoor patio provides ample space for dining al fresco.
This is the lunch spot for celebrating a win with your team – the portions are generous and the value is strong, which matters when you are feeding a group.
The whole experience at Jasper’s is fun. And sometimes that is exactly what a midday gathering needs. It’s not as quiet as the other locations, but you’re not going to Jasper’s for a deep, confidential conversation.
Make reservations here: jaspers.restaurant
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The big takeaway here is that great lunches in Nashville and Franklin do not require settling or scrambling. The key is just knowing which one fits the moment. Now you do.
Lastly, all of these are owned by the same restaurant group, 4 Top Hospitality. If you are looking for gift cards, they all work at any of their locations, giving a thoughtful gift with flexibility. Order gift cards online here: giftcards.4tophospitality.com
This article is sponsored by 4 Top Hospitality, but all opinions and experiences reflect those of the author.
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Liza Graves
As CEO of StyleBlueprint, Liza also regularly writes for SB. Most of her writing is now found in the recipe archives as cooking is her stress relief!