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Pictured: Barcelona
We’ve always known that Nashville is a brunching town—after all, who doesn’t love a lazy weekend and a bloody Mary bar? But, apparently, we’re coming around on breakfast, too, as a handful of new all-day, morning-only, and hotel breakfast spots are now catering to those who can actually get out the door in time for the most important meal of the day. Here, we break down the best of the bunch, from the light and simple to the weekend glutton-fest.
We’ve always known that Nashville is a brunching town—after all, who doesn’t love a lazy weekend and a bloody Mary bar? But, apparently, we’re coming around on breakfast, too, as a handful of new all-day, morning-only, and hotel breakfast spots are now catering to those who can actually get out the door in time for the most important meal of the day. Here, we break down the best of the bunch, from the light and simple to the weekend glutton-fest.
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Pictured: Gray & Dudley's
Healthy(ish)
Dishes that won’t kick your butt before the coffee’s kicked in.Wedgewood-Houston
Split Baguette with Scrambled Eggs from Dozen
When mornings beg for simplicity, an order of soft-scrambled eggs perched open-faced on the city’s best baguette (with a beautiful balance of crusty and chewy), is all you need. Unless you’d like it splashed with the house hot sauce. dozen-nashville.comSylvan Park
ABCs and 123s from EiO and The Hive
The primer for healthful powerhouse bowls holds a luscious churn of Acai, berries, banana, and almond milk surrounded by house-made sesame-nut granola, sliced seasonal fruit, and a touch of maple syrup. Plus, it’s organic, vegan, gluten-free, satisfying, and yes, delicious. eioandthehive.comSoBro
Avocado Toast from Little Mosko’s
Good avocado toasts abound, but this one—smashed avocado on multigrain, layered with arugula, fresh herbs, pickled red onions, two fried eggs, sometimes a drizzle of hot honey, sometimes fruity olive oil, and always a flick of red chili flake—rates as great. littlemoskos.comDowntown
Bankers Breakfast from Gray & Dudley
Bankers everywhere should thank Gray & Dudley for proving traditional doesn’t mean boring. Local eggs, house-made sausage, thick-slices of buttered toast, and flash fried potatoes tossed with herbs, shallots, olive oil, vinegar, and sea salt elevate a simple breakfast plate into something sublime. Kick up the heat a notch with a side of homemade hot sauce. grayanddudley.comEast Nashville
Fruit Tartine from Marché Artisan Foods
Make room after the avocado toast: Marché’s Fruit Tartine, with toasted buttermilk currant bread slathered with honey-whipped goat cheese and juicy plums, makes for a sweetly satisfying meal on its own—or a superb launching point for a more leisurely breakfast. marcheartisanfoods.comEast Nashville
Egg Bowl from Café Roze
Refreshingly light, this eye-opener starts with a base of bulger tossed with cucumber, feta, and a hit of preserved-lemon yogurt that’s all topped with an egg your way (go with the poached), plus small tufts of kale, avocado, a roasted tomato, and bits of pickled onion—it’s as easy on the eyes as it is on the belly. caferoze.comGermantown
Citrus Salmon and Everything Bialy from Henrietta Red
The bialy—airy-crisp cousin of the bagel—gets the full treatment: Rolled in “everything x93 (sesame, poppy, onion, garlic, salt), fresh-baked, then plated with gorgeous ripples of citrus-cured salmon, pickled red onions, capers, bitter greens, and crème fraiche. henriettared.comThe Gulch; Hillsboro Village
The Joule from Biscuit Love
A pile of arugula may not be on your breakfast radar, but reconsider with this composed salad of leafy greens, blackberries, aged cheese, and bits of granola, all lightly coated with a champagne vinaigrette. biscuitlovebrunch.com ×
Pictured: Homestead Manor
Filling
Ones to satiate—but won’t leave you looking for a nap.East Nashville
Hashbrown Waffle from Fort Louise
In lieu of sweet, go savory with this update on the classic waffle, in which the addictive batter is loaded with hash browns, and the pressed breakfast treat is topped with two poached eggs and a ladle-full of golden hollandaise sauce. facebook.com/fortlouiseEdgehill Village
Banana Crepes from Barcelona Wine Bar
With a generous selection of tapas that range from land to sea, and savory to sweet, Barcelona’s brunch is a feast—but be sure to save room for the banana crepes, in which bananas, crunchy walnuts, and smooth caramel come together for a perfect brunch-bite trifecta. barcelonawinebar.comBelmont
New York Leo from Proper Bagel
Leo stands for lox-eggs-onions, and Proper Bagel prepares it in proper New York fashion: salt-cured belly lox, grilled onions, and scrambled eggs on a crackly warm bagel, schmeared with scallion-dill cream cheese. properbagel.comSoBro
Breakfast Tacos from Pinewood Social
The genius of these handheld, daytime starters isn’t the cotija cheese hidden between the tortillas, or even the way the sunny-side-up egg bursts as you take your first bite. It’s the peppery mole that coats your mouth with each bite, as well as the dollop of crema that gently cools it. pinewoodsocial.comThe Gulch
Cast Iron Cinnamon Bun from Killebrew Coffee
Pastry chef extraordinaire Lisa White brings the magic to pastries, foremost her cinnamon bun, a soft, yeasty spin of dough, sugar, and spice, baked to grand size in cast-iron and drizzled in tangy Cruze buttermilk glaze. killecoffee.comThompson’s Station
Dutch Baby Pancake from Harvest at Homestead Manor
Tender enough to tear apart, and sweetened with a touch of syrup and fresh fruit, this classic version of the Dutch Baby will make you rethink pancakes for breakfast. homesteadmanor.comMidtown
Singapore Stir Fry from Tavern
For those in need of a quick cure to any lingering hangover, this plate of eggs, rice, and spice will do the trick: Topped with sunny-side-up eggs, and filled with bacon crumbles, it’ll help set you straight. mstreetnashville.comDowntown
Strawberry Tall Cakes from Wild Eggs
The buttermilk-based batter that makes up these fluffed-up and spongy layers will satisfy all of your weekend breakfast cravings, as will the pile of strawberries and whipped cream on top. wildeggs.comSoBro
The Basic Biscuit from Slow Hand Coffee
Neither basic nor an actual biscuit, this spicy cheddar scone is filled with smoked sausage, white cheddar, and custardy, quiche-like eggs—a delicious marriage of Audra Guidry’s skilled baking and husband Nick’s well-crafted ingredients. slowhandcoffee.comNorth Gulch
Lobster Dumplings and Dim Sum from Tànsuǒ
Of the many delectable, handcrafted bites on the Sunday Dim Sum cart, make this, a hunk of Maine lobster, scallions, and x/o sauce tucked in a neat wrap, your first indulgent pick. tansuonashville.comDowntown
Broken Egg Chicken and Biscuit Sandwich from Another Broken Egg
Grab a knife and fork for this biscuit bombshell: A fried chicken tender smothered with pepper-laden gravy is topped with an egg cooked your way and sandwiched between a hearty, sliced biscuit. Don’t forget the grits on the side. anotherbrokenegg.com ×
Pictured: Henley
Total Gluttony
Bring on the weekend slump.Downtown
House Smoked Brisket Hash from Kitchen Notes
If you’re going to have hash for breakfast, make it this one: a pile of smoky brisket cubes, tossed with potatoes and onions; topped with two sunny-side-up eggs, a pool of golden hollandaise, and a sprinkle of cayenne to warm your throat; and served alongside a fresh biscuit and a petite salad of greens. kitchennotesnashville.comMelrose
Bottomless Brunch (and Mimosas) from Sinema
Sinema’s weekend celebration of fabulous excess combines a la carte menu items and unlimited visits to compelling bars and stations—patisserie, fried chicken and biscuits, crepes, omelets, panini sandwiches, and salad—set up throughout the lavish Deco-styled restaurant. sinemanashville.comDowntown
Double H Benedict from Capitol Grille
Set atop two sturdy halves of a Wolferman’s English muffin, this rendition of the benedict gets its name from the slivers of Double H beef, collected from the restaurant’s ranch, that sit over a tuft of greens, but below the perfectly poached eggs. A tableside edition of hollandaise ties it all together. capitolgrillenashville.comMidtown
Duck Fat Donut, Rye Whiskey from Henley
This dense cake doughnut isn’t overly sweet, which makes the union between donut and plate full of boozy caramel all the merrier. Save the “hole x93 for last – it’s perfect for sopping up any bits of sauce that get left behind. henleynashville.comMelrose
Chicken and Waffles from The Sutler
Sure, you’ve had chicken and waffles, but The Sutler mixes things up with a savory cheddar-scallion cornbread waffle, topped with buttermilk-fried chicken that holds just a hint of sweetness. Cinnamon-bourbon syrup poured over the top, a bottomless mimosa on the side, and live bluegrass in the background takes it all to the next level. thesutler.comWest Nashville
Barbeque Pork Omelet from Loveless Cafe
Loaded with the Loveless Cafe’s famous house-smoked pulled pork, this three-egg beauty is chock-full of sautéed onions, cheddar, and a hearty drizzle of barbecue sauce. Biscuits are on the side—but you’ll want an order of the addictive hash-brown casserole, too. lovelesscafe.comSoBro
My Way from The Southern Steak and Oyster
Pasta for breakfast? We say yes to executive chef Matt Farley’s variation of spaghetti alla carbonara: brown butter linguini tumbled with pine nuts, crumbled chevre, and bacon lardons, crowned with two sunny eggs. thesouthernnashville.comMelrose
Hunka Hunka Bacon Love from Holler & Dash
A tribute to Elvis, and only to be found in Nashville, this pile of sweetness is more dessert than breakfast, with a halved biscuit topped with peanut-butter mousse, maple syrup, sugar bacon, banana slices, and popcorn. (Because why not?) holleranddash.comDowntown
Shrimp & Grits from Carter’s at Union Station Hotel
The right way to eat this version of the iconic Southern classic is to take your spoon and mix the shrimp-bacon-mushroom mixture right in with the cheddar-bound grits—there’s a hit of spice from chorizo oil, which ties the entire delicious mess together nicely. unionstationhotelnashville.com ×
Pictured: Gray & Dudley // Matchless Coffee Soda