A visitor recently shared their Nashville anniversary food tour, hitting three spots: Loveless Cafe for fried chicken, Hattie B's for hot chicken, and Edley's Bar-B-Que for ribs. The post exploded with over 200 comments from locals sharing their honest thoughts – and boy, did they have opinions!
Edley's Bar-B-Que: The Clear Winner
This one absolutely dominated the comments! “Edley's is our favorite!” and “Edley's rules” came up again and again. One local in 5-Points told the visitor they “commended us for coming instead of one of the more city joints” – that's real insider approval right there.
“Edley's in 5-Points is the best Q in the city” and “Edley's won the best bbq contest held in Times Square last summer!” were typical responses. But here's what locals really love: the specific dishes.
“Go back and get the Burnt Ends and greens. Delicious!” suggested one regular. Another mentioned “Edley's fried ribs were amazing (manager suggested them to me – they weren't listed on the menu).” The banana pudding got special love: “Edleys is the only place I will eat banana pudding from!!”
One local who lives near their Donelson location said “Ribs just fall off the bone” and another praised their catfish: “I highly recommend the pimento mac n cheese at Hatti B's and the catfish at Edley's!”
But let's be honest – not everyone was impressed. One visitor said “If you think edley's is good bbq, you haven't had good bbq” and called it “the worst bbq I'd ever had.” Another said they “will not return to Edleys” and prefers Martin's instead.
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Read more →The Great Hot Chicken Debate
This is where things got spicy! The original visitor chose Hattie B's, but locals had strong feelings about that choice.
“Should of had Prince hot chicken. The original & the best” was the most common response. “Prince's Hot Chicken is the original Hot Chicken in Nashville” came up repeatedly, with locals emphasizing that Prince's “started it all” and is “the real Original hot chicken.”
One visitor who tried both reported back: “we did Princes Hot Chicken today. Their hot made me sweat but was good. We preferred Hattie B's as the burn had more flavor, but Princes fries were FANTASTIC.”
But the criticism of Hattie B's was harsh. “Hattie B's is definitely overrated,” “Princes puts Hattie B's to shame,” and even “Hattie B's markets well and is a tourist favorite” suggest locals see it as more hype than substance.
The most brutal take? “For the record…Hattie B's might good, but that is not Nashville Hot Chicken!” Ouch.
Alternative hot chicken spots got mentions too: “400 Degrees hot chicken. The Best” and “Helen's Hot Chicken is our favorite. We liked it better than HattieB's.”
Loveless Cafe: Love It or Leave It
The opinions on Loveless were all over the place. Longtime fans were passionate: “Loveless Cafe has been a great place even since my college days eating there over 60 years ago” and “We never leave Nashville without stopping at Loveless for breakfast!”
“My family absolutely loves the Loveless Cafe!! From the delious food to the wonderful Servers, the place is perfect” and “Can't go to Nashville without going to Loveless” show the emotional connection people have.
But the critics were just as vocal: “Loveless is overrated!” and “Loveless Cafe is for tourists. The food is mediocre at best.” One local complained “Lovelesscafe chicken has no flavor or seasoning what so ever.”
What Locals Really Recommend
Beyond the three original spots, locals pushed their own favorites hard:
Monell's
“You should plan to hit up Monell's in Germantown before you leave” came up constantly. “Monell's on 6th Avenue in Germantown has the BEST fried chicken and southern food in Nashville. A must for all visitors and locals alike!”
The family-style concept clearly resonates: “They have a sign on the door that says, Come in as strangers and leave as friends. You sit with your group of people and another group who you do not know, no cell phones during dining.”
Martin's BBQ
“All 3 great places but try Martin's BBQ! It's awesome!” was typical. Multiple locals said they prefer Martin's to other BBQ joints, with one noting “I'll take Martins over both” when comparing to Edley's and Peg Leg Porker.
Jack's BBQ
This old-school spot got serious love from longtime residents. “Jack's BBQ is my absolute favorite. Jack's has been here since the 80s” and “Jacks bbq is the best In Nashville” show the loyalty this place inspires.
One local explained the appeal: “Jack's has been here since the 80s and Whitts BBQ is one of my favs as well… they've been around since the 70s. Edley's is newer…they opened up I think around 2013 or so.”
Arnold's
“Arnold's for southern foods. Loveless is good but Arnold's is Nashville” – that's about as definitive as local advice gets. This meat-and-three institution clearly has deep roots with Nashville natives.
The Locals' Hidden Gems
Beyond the big names, locals shared their secret spots:
Wendell Smith's Restaurant got multiple passionate endorsements: “You should have gone across the street from Hattie B's… to Wendell Smith's Restaurant! It's a meat & 3 … it's the best” and “Fried chicken on Wednesday and Saturday! You can thank me later.”
Uncle Bud's for catfish: “You HAVE to try Uncle Buds catfish & frog legs..their chicken is good too,but the catfish is in its own zip code.”
Shotgun Willie's BBQ: “My son is a pitmaster there and he IS a master! Everything there is homemade and fantastic.”
The Honest Truth About Tourist vs. Local Spots
One local summed it up perfectly: “Real Nashvillians go to the original hot chicken joint: Prince's” while another noted “Native Nashvillians don't eat hot chicken. It was made a thing for tourists.”
But here's what matters most – locals genuinely appreciated that visitors were trying to find authentic experiences. “Glad you found Edley's. A place where locals eat” and “You definitely hit some of the best spots” show that even if they had other suggestions, they respected the effort to eat well.
The takeaway? Nashville has incredible food at every level, from tourist favorites to local legends. The key is knowing which places have earned their reputation with the people who eat there every day.
The BBQ at Edley’s is not good! I have never eaten anything good there other than their side items.
Helen’s Hot Chicken over by Fisk University is absolutely some of the best in town. We like their “Mild” which actually packs quite a bit of heat. The others are insanely hot, which is the real deal if you know your Nashville Hot Chicken. I would recommend calling in your order about 45 minutes to an hour in advance; the best takes longer to prepare.