What Is the Food Scene Like in Nashville Beyond Southern Food?

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It is broad, from immigrant-run counters to chef-driven tasting rooms. Wikipedia lists Nashville’s largest immigrant groups as Mexicans, Kurds, Vietnamese, Laotians, Arabs, and Somalis, and says the city has the largest Kurdish community in the United States (Wikipedia). The same article gives two sizes for that community, about 15,000 in its demographics section and about 11,000 in its neighborhoods list. The Michelin Guide’s Nashville selection shows the spread at the top end. Its 23 restaurants include cuisines labeled Indian, Uzbek, Thai, Japanese, Mexican, Sicilian, Spanish, and Mediterranean, alongside Southern (MICHELIN Guide). The everyday version is on roads like Nolensville Pike. The Infatuation’s guide to meals under $20 lists Salvadoran pupusas at 3003 Nolensville Pike and an Egyptian falafel truck at 3716 Nolensville Pike (The Infatuation).

Beyond Southern: Where to Eat by Cuisine

Cuisine Restaurant Address
Lao-inspired Bad Idea 1021 Russell St, East Nashville
Japanese Kisser 747 Douglas Ave
Japanese Present Tense 509 Houston St, Wedgewood-Houston
Indian, served as "First-Generation American Cuisine" Tailor 620 Taylor St, Germantown
Iberian Peninsula 1035 W Eastland Ave
Thai International Market; S.S. Gai see the Michelin listing
Uzbek Uzbegim see the Michelin listing
Mexican Maíz de la Vida see the Michelin listing
Salvadoran Pupuseria Reina La Bendición 3003 Nolensville Pike
Egyptian King Tut's 3716 Nolensville Pike
Vietnamese Kien Giang 5825 Charlotte Pike
Caribbean Riddim N Spice 2116 Meharry Blvd, North Nashville
Chinese Xiao Bao 830 Meridian St
Ukrainian Veselka inside Lakeside Lounge, East Nashville

Sources: cuisine labels from the MICHELIN Guide; addresses from Bad Idea, Tailor, Peninsula, the MICHELIN Guide (Kisser), The Infatuation’s guides to meals under $20 and burgers (Present Tense, Xiao Bao), and City Cast Nashville (Veselka).

Planning a Trip Around It

  1. Drive Nolensville Pike for lunch: the pupusas and the falafel truck are on the same road.
  2. Book ahead for the chef-driven rooms: Tailor, Peninsula, and Present Tense take reservations; details for several are in the best fine dining restaurants in Nashville.
  3. Go for Japanese food: sushi and omakase choices are in the best sushi in Nashville.
  4. Look for openings: Ukrainian, Japanese, and Italian rooms opened in 2026; see the best new restaurants in Nashville.

More meals under $20, from pupusas to bánh mì, are in the best cheap eat in Nashville.

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