In recent years, East Nashville’s Inglewood neighborhood has become a destination for swanky bars, enticing restaurants, and vintage shopping only a few miles outside Nashville’s city center. Whether you’re looking for a caffeine kick, craft cocktail, or some of Tennessee’s best BBQ, Inglewood is your one-stop shop. Here are some of our favorite ways to eat, drink, and shop your way through Inglewood.
Coffee
Start your visit with an energy boost from any of Inglewood’s coffee shops, most of which are located on or around Gallatin Pike (the Western border of the vibrant neighborhood).
Try Elegy Coffee, an East Nashville staple (that also recently opened its third location in Germantown), for a craft coffee. Try the Honey Brew, a mixture of cold brew, oat milk, burnt honey, cinnamon, and maple syrup. Or, visit Dose Coffee for breakfast alongside your morning joe. The menu includes a range of biscuit sandwiches, egg dishes, and a simply delicious avocado toast.
Travel back in time to Sip Cafe, a retro coffee shop and ice cream parlor serving up favorites — from mocha lattes to milkshakes. All regularly brewed coffee is French pressed using locally roasted Drew’s Brews hand-roasted beans.
Whether or not you’re vegan, we recommend the recently opened Yellow & Lavender, where you can snag coffee and pastries — both sweet and savory — that range from croissants and homemade focaccia to their ever-popular PB&J Pop-Tarts.
Finally, because it’s always 5 o’clock somewhere, Living Waters Brewing is a coffee shop-and-craft brewery hybrid focused on creating small-batch beer and coffee experiences. The menu rotates regularly, so keep coming back for the latest and greatest in all-day brews.
Restaurants
When it comes to dining in Inglewood, the options are endless. From food trucks to fine dining and globally inspired outposts, the East Nashville neighborhood has something to please every palate.
Italian
Take a trip around the world without ever leaving the South, as some of Inglewood’s can’t-miss eateries draw international influences. Try Nicoletto’s Italian Kitchen from brothers Ryan and Danny Nicoletto, which serves up scratch-made Italian cuisine. There’s limited seating, so we recommend takeout. You can also purchase scratch-made ingredients to whip up your own feast at home.
Mexican/Latin American
The jury is still out for Inglewood’s best Mexican and Latin American cuisine, but El Fuego is not to be missed. This vibrant cantina serves brunch (try the huevos rancheros!), lunch, and dinner daily, with an expansive cocktail menu ranging from daytime favorites like Bloody Marys and mimosas to flavored margaritas and Palomas.
You don’t even have to dine in at a brick-and-mortar to find mouthwatering Mexican food in Inglewood, as there are several food trucks. Our favorite? Taqueria Andrea 2 on the corner of Gallatin Pike and Haysboro Avenue.
Asian
Continue your international food tour at TKO, described as Chinese food-adjacent thanks to its dishes having a Southern-inspired twist. While the menu rotates, give @TKOtn a follow on Instagram for specials and updates that will give you a laugh. In the mood for sushi? Visit Bite a Bit Sushi & Thai for various sushi rolls, nigiri, and sashimi, as well as a full menu of Thai favorites.
American
From barbecue to seafood, casual delis to elegant fare, Inglewood has it all. One of the most noteworthy eateries in the area is Shotgun Willies, which serves up slow-smoked Texas BBQ Wednesday through Sunday. Be sure to get there early, though, because when it’s gone, it’s gone.
Looking for a more upscale experience? Head to lou, a restaurant and natural wine bar housed inside a renovated 1930s cottage. The rotating menus feature fresh in-season ingredients, and it’s a local brunch favorite on the weekends. If you’re looking for a spot to sip and enjoy, the team at lou has carefully curated a collection of natural wines free of sulfites, sugar, and other additives.
Craving a good, old-fashioned sandwich? Mitchell’s Delicatessen has you covered. Mitchell’s specializes in fresh artisan sandwiches using locally-sourced fresh ingredients. From the pastrami and Swiss to a traditional French Dip or the Asian Flank Steak with giardiniera, you can’t go wrong no matter what you choose.
Additionally, relative newcomer Bill’s Sandwich Palace works out of the TKO kitchen on weekends, so be sure to hit up the pop-up for hearty sandwiches before it moves to its permanent location at the former Sweet 16 Bakery location nearby!
Get a dose of the sea in landlocked Tennessee at Inglewood’s Juicy Seafood. Choose from various sauces like garlic butter, lemon pepper, Cajun, or the Juicy Special to top crab legs, shrimp, crawfish, lobster, and more. Plus, Juicy Seafood offers fried favorites like shrimp, catfish, oysters, and even chicken tenders.
Watering Holes
All of that Inglewood adventuring calls for a happy hour or nightcap. Of course, there are plenty of options to choose from, all with wonderful ambiance and outstanding cocktails to boot.
With its rotating drink specials, the hip Inglewood Lounge is a natural place to start (or end) your evening. A complete menu of craft cocktails and bites is served until the bar closes at 1 a.m. (or sometimes later). Catch live music and special events periodically – check their Instagram (@InglewoodLounge) for updates. Oh, and you absolutely must order the Piri Piri chicken sandwich. You can thank us later!
Looking for an intimate, speakeasy-style lounge instead? Try the Fox Bar & Cocktail Club, a cozy haunt with a leather-bound menu packed with both innovative and traditional cocktails. To help guide your selection, the menu also includes a drink key explaining how cocktails are prepared and served.
The Henry James Bar is another great (and affordable) option, perfect for intimate ambiance and craft cocktails (or a cold beer over a game of pool). Enjoy timeless hits from the old-school jukebox while you sip — whether you opt for wine, an old fashioned, or an in-house special.
For a more lively, pub-like experience, check out the Village Pub & Beer Garden. Located in a 1940s-era home, the inside provides the perfect coziness on chilly or rainy days, and the outside features a large wrap-around patio for a beer garden feel. Hockey fans, this is the best place in Inglewood to cheer on the Preds.
For a night of lively music, head to Sid Gold’s Request Room. First, belly up to the semi-circle entryway bar and order any one of the delicious craft cocktails — which include favorites like the Penicillin (scotch, lemon, honey, ginger, simple syrup, and Islay float) and Strawberry Fields (rum, lime, pineapple, cinnamon, and strawberry). Then, follow the host behind the curtain to a dimly lit piano lounge with table service, where a pianist will play emcee for the evening, taking requests and accompanying karaoke performers. Audience members and servers often participate by singing along, so come prepared for a good time.
Shopping & Entertainment
While the coffee, food, and drinks are noteworthy enough to warrant a visit to Inglewood, the shopping is worth a trip, too. You can find unique antiques, purchase your favorite record, or shop for novelty items in just a few short miles.
Records
Inglewood is still in Music City, so a visit to Grimey’s Records is a must. This is where you’ll find all the best new and pre-loved music. The local favorite moved from its downtown home to East Nashville’s Trinity Lane in 2018, transforming the former House of Mercy church into the Inglewood(ish) staple it is today. Flip through a collection of vinyl, CDs, cassettes, and more in a laid-back setting. You never know when you’ll stumble on your favorite track of yesteryear!
Retail
The sign says OMG, and that’s just what you might hear patrons exclaim as they browse the selection of vintage clothing, throwback t-shirts, and eclectic accessories at Old Made Good. Stop by to find your new favorite print or accent piece. Keep the vintage vibes going at Anaconda Vintage, packed with clothing, sunglasses, shoes, jewelry, and home goods, or hit up High Class Hillbilly, a vintage boutique curated by singer-songwriter Nikki Lane.
Entertainment
Looking to have a little fun? There are plenty of music and entertainment venues in Inglewood and the surrounding area, but visiting Eastside Bowl will give you the nostalgia you’ve been searching for since the 70s. Formerly a K-Mart, the space is now a 16-lane bowling alley and entertainment destination that includes a live music venue, retro diner, and lounge space.
You can see Inglewood’s official outline on Google Maps, but we’ve fudged their definition slightly, as there were a few businesses we couldn’t bear to leave out.
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