Nashville Food Tour: 5 Tastings in East Nashville & 12South

You taste the secret dish last, after five stops through neighborhoods that rebuilt themselves.

A guided food tour of Nashville's East Nashville or 12South neighborhoods with five local tastings and a local expert guide. The tour moves through historic streets shaped by reinvention—Five Points, East Edgefield, and the city's trendiest avenue—stopping at acclaimed spots for spicy hot chicken, pulled pork, crispy catfish tacos, whiskey-glazed donuts, and a signature final dish kept secret until you arrive. Choose between the East Nashville route through historic neighborhoods or the 12South tour past Dolly Parton's legendary studio and celebrity-frequented boutiques.

Step-by-step itinerary

Day 1 — East Nashville Food Tour

• Start at Hunter's Station
• Explore East Edgefield and Five Points
• Taste Double Cheese Burger
• Taste 2-Bone Southern Rib
• Taste Bee Bite honey pastries
• Taste Nashville hot chicken
• Taste crispy catfish taco
• Enjoy Secret Dish

Day 2 — 12South Neighborhood Food Tour

• Stroll 12South avenue
• Eat city-famous breakfast dish
• Visit Dolly Parton's former studio
• Taste award-winning Southern fare
• Taste local gourmet cookie
• Discover hidden gems and boutiques
• Spot possible celebrities
• Enjoy bold contemporary dish
• Enjoy Secret Dish

The Experience

You've got an afternoon free in Nashville, and the food here is rooted in Tennessee tradition but made by people who've always done things their own way. The tour starts at Hunter's Station, a former automotive garage on Main Street in East Nashville, and moves through blocks shaped by the same spirit of reinvention that rebuilt Five Points and Historic East Edgefield after the 1916 Great Fire. A local guide leads you through the streets, stopping at five different spots where the food tells the story: a double cheese burger, a 2-bone rib Southern-style, Yemeni honey pastries, Nashville hot chicken, a crispy catfish taco. The last stop is the secret dish—nobody tells you what it is until you're standing there.

You can choose between two neighborhoods. East Nashville takes you through the historic arts corridor and legendary music venues, hitting acclaimed spots led by award-winning chefs—a Food Hall favorite, a Netflix-featured dish, the whole arc of the city's culinary scene compressed into a morning or afternoon. The 12South route is the trendier avenue: tree-lined, full of vibrant murals and indie boutiques, with a city-famous breakfast dish at the start, a stop at the legendary studio Dolly Parton once used, award-winning Southern fare, a beloved local gourmet cookie, and maybe a celebrity sighting at a fashion boutique before the final dish. Both tours run about three hours and include water at the stops.

The guide is a local who knows the neighborhoods—not just the restaurants but the history of how these blocks came back. You walk the streets between tastings, so you're moving through the actual place, not sitting in one spot. The itinerary can shift based on what's available that day or the weather, so the stops might change, but the five tastings and the secret dish stay. Pets aren't allowed on the tour, and the operator notes it's not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health, though the pace is suitable for all fitness levels otherwise.

What’s included

• Five local food tastings including Nashville hot chicken, pulled pork, crispy catfish taco, and whiskey-glazed donut.
• a signature secret dish at the final stop.
• water at each tasting.
• a local expert guide leading the tour in English.
• access to historic neighborhoods and the city's trendiest avenue with stops at acclaimed restaurants and hidden culinary gems.

Good to know

Easy physical levelStroller friendlyPublic transport nearbyNot for heart conditionsInfants must sit on laps

Operated by Secret Food Tours

Is this one for you?Book the East Nashville route if you want the historic arts corridor and legendary music venues; choose 12South if you'd rather explore the trendiest avenue with indie boutiques and the studio where Dolly Parton recorded. Either way, the guide and the fixed stops mean you taste the neighborhood without planning which restaurant to hit next.

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Top questions

What neighborhoods does the Nashville food tour cover?

You can choose between East Nashville, which includes Five Points and Historic East Edgefield with their arts corridor and music venues, or 12South, the city's trendiest avenue with indie boutiques, murals, and the studio where Dolly Parton once recorded.

How many tastings are included on the tour?

Five tastings are included—double cheese burger, 2-bone rib, Yemeni honey pastries, Nashville hot chicken, and crispy catfish taco—plus a signature secret dish revealed at the final stop.

What's included in the price of the food tour?

All five tastings, water at the stops, and a local expert guide leading you through the neighborhood are included; hotel pickup and gratuities are not.

How long does the Nashville food tour take?

The tour runs about three hours, moving between five stops on foot through the neighborhood streets.

Can the itinerary change, or is it set?

The itinerary and menu can shift based on restaurant availability, weather, and other circumstances, so the specific stops might vary—but the five tastings and secret dish remain part of the tour.