Nashville Private Food Tour: 5+ Local Tastings in East Nashville

Five stops, five dishes that show how East Nashville rewrites Southern food.

A private food tour through East Nashville with a live English-speaking guide, stopping at five neighborhood spots to taste hush puppies, a Yemeni bee bite, Southern-style ribs, Nashville hot chicken, crispy catfish tacos and a secret final dish. The tour runs 3.5 hours and covers how the neighborhood blends its Southern roots with global influences. Contact the operator in advance if you have dietary restrictions, as the kitchen can accommodate some but not all.

Step-by-step itinerary

East Nashville Food Tastings

• Start tour at Hunter's Station
• Taste Hush Puppies
• Try Bee Bite pastry
• Eat southern style 2-bone rib
• Sample fiery hot chicken
• Enjoy crispy catfish taco
• Taste surprise Secret Bite

The experience

The tour starts at Hunter's Station, a former garage on Main Street now housing local businesses that embody East Nashville's reinvention. From there you move through five stops, each one a working restaurant or food counter, not a museum or a tasting room. You taste hush puppies first (a smooth entry into the local palate), then a Yemeni bee bite, a sweet-and-savory pastry stuffed with cream cheese and honey that signals the neighborhood's global turn. A Southern-style 2-bone rib comes next, the kind of thing that anchors the region's food identity.

Nashville hot chicken is the stop nobody skips, and this one is fiery and layered, sourced from a place that takes the heat seriously. Then comes a crispy catfish taco at a quiet anchor of the Five Points food scene. The final stop lands on a secret dish at a spot that was once a gritty rail hub and is now lined with early 20th-century storefronts. By the end, you leave with a clear sense of how East Nashville carries its Southern roots into something entirely its own. The whole outing takes 3.5 hours and involves a fair amount of walking, so comfortable shoes matter.

Your guide is live and speaks English throughout. If you have dietary restrictions, contact the operator before booking. The kitchen can work with some needs but not all, and the nature of a balanced gastronomy experience means certain diets may not fit the stops. Infants can ride in a stroller or sit on an adult's lap. The itinerary and menu can shift based on location availability, weather or other circumstances.

What’s included

• Southern-style 2-bone rib.
• hush puppies.
• crispy catfish taco.
• Yemeni bee bite with cream cheese and honey.
• Nashville hot chicken.
• a secret final dish.
• live English-speaking guide throughout the 3.5-hour tour.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDepartures at 11:30 and 13:30

Book up to4h before

AgesAdult (18 and older) · Youth (13 to 17 years) · Child (3 to 12 years) · Infant (under 3)

GroupPrivate

Live guideEnglish

Meeting point and pickupNo hotel pickup: you go to the meeting point. Ends at a different place from where it starts.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.It may be canceled due to bad weather or if the minimum number of travelers isn't reached. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

ConfirmationConfirmation within 48 h

Prices and times updated 9 days ago

Good to know

Low physical effortStroller-friendlyPublic transport nearbyNot recommended with heart problemsInfants must sit on laps

Operated by Secret Food Tours

Is this one for you?Book this private tour if you want to taste five serious neighborhood spots at your own pace, with a guide who knows which restaurants matter and handles the introductions. You'll experience everything from Hush Puppies and Yemeni pastries to properly sourced hot chicken without coordinating the stops yourself.

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Top questions

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Youth (13 to 17 years); Child (3 to 12 years); Infant (under 3).

What happens if it rains?

It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund. Free cancellation up to 24 h before the start.

What exactly is a Nashville hot chicken, and why is it such a big deal here?

Nashville hot chicken is a local specialty: fried chicken coated in a fiery spice blend and served on buttered bread. It originated in East Nashville decades ago and has become the city's signature dish. This tour includes a version from a spot that takes the heat and the technique seriously, and it's one of the five stops you'll make.

How much walking is involved in this tour?

The tour involves a fair amount of walking as you move between five stops across the East Nashville neighborhood. Comfortable shoes are recommended, and the whole outing takes 3.5 hours from start to finish.

Can the tour accommodate vegetarians or other dietary restrictions?

Some dietary needs can be accommodated, but not all: the nature of a balanced gastronomy experience means certain restrictions may not fit the stops. Contact the operator before you book to see if your specific needs can work with the menu.

What is the "secret dish" at the end of the tour?

The secret dish is a surprise final tasting that captures the heart of the city's cuisine, served at a spot once a gritty rail hub now lined with early 20th-century storefronts. The operator keeps the specifics under wraps until you arrive.

Does the tour include hotel pickup or transportation to the starting point?

Hotel pickup and drop-off are not included. The tour begins at Hunter's Station on Main Street in East Nashville. Public transportation options are available nearby if you need them.