Nashville restaurants open late? Try these 50 spots for late-night food

There's no place to eat late at night in Nashville, you say. At least nothing decent, unless you're willing to go to Waffle House.

As it turns out, that's a myth. There are dozens of Nashville restaurants worth your while if you're up and hungry late at night, including Sean Brock's Joyland.

Brock stops by his restaurant a couple of times a week for crust burgers, fried chicken or any number of the perfectly late-night appropriate dishes available at the fast-casual spot.

"I love being the place that people go to late at night," Brock said. "I work late hours, until midnight or 1 a.m., so it's just as much for me as for everyone else."

Joyland opened in 2020 in East Nashville, initially staying open only until 9 p.m. The restaurant added late-night service a year later, announcing the move on social media: "We are gonna give it a try tomorrow night and if y’all show up we will keep showing up as well."

"And the first one we did, we had the busiest night we ever had, and we thought, 'We should probably keep doing this,'" Brock said.

Now, Joyland is open until 10 p.m. on weekdays and until 2 a.m. on weekends, serving concertgoers, just-off-work servers and line cooks and other night owls.

Below, you'll find even more late-night eats. What's a late night to us? After 10:30 p.m., and bonus if hours stretch until after the bars get out.

We'll continue to update this list. Email senior dining reporter Mackensy Lunsford at mlunsford@tennessean.com with updates, hour changes and submissions for consideration.

Where to find late-night eats in East Nashville

Roy's Tavern: This fun tavern — part sports bar, part dive — serves food daily, including tavern-style pizzas, smash burgers, double-fried wings and loaded tots, until 2 a.m. at 3807 Gallatin Pike.

Golden Pony: The kitchen here is open daily until at least midnight daily, serving crispy chicken sandwiches, hot honey toast, a few assorted dips and other snacks. goldenponynashville.com, to 757 Douglas Ave.

Sweeza Super Quesadilla: This restaurant in the Wash is open until 11 p.m. Sundays-Wednesdays and until midnight Thursdays-Saturdays, serving giant Mission-style quesadillas, tostadas and salads. www.sweezasuperquesadilla.com, 1101 McKennie Ave.

Bad Idea: This Five Points restaurant serves wine and Asian-inspired late-night eats such as chicken katsu until 12:30 a.m. www.badideanashville.com, 1021 Russell St.

Dino's: This longtime Nashville haunt is open daily until 3 a.m., with last call for food around 30 minutes before close. Expect cheeseburgers, fried chicken sandwiches, chili, grilled cheese sandwiches and other menu items. www.dinosnashville.com, 411 Gallatin Ave.

Joyland: This casual Sean Brock offering serves until 10 p.m. on most nights, but stays open until 2 a.m. on weekends for all your crustburger, fried chicken sandwich and milkshake needs. www.eatjoyland.com, 901 Woodland St.

Five Points Pizza: Both the east and west locations are only open until 10 p.m. on weekdays, but on weekends, they're both open until 11 p.m. for all your hot pie needs. fivepointspizza.com

Hawkers: This Asian street food restaurant is open until 10 p.m. most nights, but stays open until 11 p.m. on Thursdays and midnight on weekends. order.eathawkers.com, 626A Main St.

Nobles: The late-night menu here, full of sliders, nachos, Southwestern-style egg rolls and other pub fare, is served until midnight on weekdays and until 2 a.m. on weekends. noblesbeerhall.com, 974 Main St.

Reunion: The entire menu at this Five Points bar is available until 10 p.m., but you can get nachos and fries daily until 1 a.m. www.reunionnashville.com, 105 S. 11th St.

Beyond the Edge: Get burgers, fries, wings, salads and sandwiches until 2 a.m. daily at this east-side sports bar. www.beyondtheedge.net, 112 S. 11th St.

Lakeside Lounge: This fun, no-frills bar serves pub food — think chicken sandwiches, wings, burgers and the like ― until 2:30 a.m. daily. www.lakesideloungebna.com, 921 Woodland St.

Spicy Boy's: A departure from the normal and somewhat widely available bar food on the east side, this spot serves excellent gumbo, po boys and debris fries almost daily until midnight, though they close up shop at 10 p.m. on Sundays and are closed Mondays. spicyboysnashville.com, 924 Mcferrin Ave.

5 Points Diner: The kitchen here is open until 1 a.m. on Fridays-Saturdays, serving pub fare like wings, burgers and chicken tenders. www.5pointsdiner.com, 1016 Woodland St.

Velvet Taco: We slipped this chain taco spot in here because it's open super late — until 4 a.m. on weekends at the East Nashville and Midtown locations. It's also open until 1 a.m. on Sundays, midnight Mondays-Wednesdays and 2 a.m. on Thursdays. www.velvettaco.com/locations

Schulman's: Order the pastrami dip and thank us later. Last call for that and other dishes, including vegan chicken sandwiches and cheeseburgers, is 1:30 a.m. daily. www.schulmansbar.com, 1201 Porter Road.

Tacos y Mariscos Lindo Mexico: This Madison taco spot is open until midnight most days, but stays open until 1 a.m. on weekends, serving classic street tacos and more Mexican favorites. 917B Gallatin Pike S.

Late-night eats in West Nashville

Midnight Oil: This west-side pizza restaurant is open until 11 p.m. most nights but until midnight on weekends. 1310 51st Ave. N.

The Centennial bar: This fun dive bar serves food past 11 p.m. most nights, though posted hours varied and no one answered the phone when we called. But we know we've eaten there late quite a bit, so there's that. 5115 Centennial Blvd.

Nations Bar and Grill: The kitchen is open until midnight daily, serving wings, sandwiches, salads and snacks. www.nationsbarandgrill.com, 705 51st Ave. N.

Neighbors Sylvan Park: This neighborhood bar serves wings, mozzarella sticks, chicken tenders and the like until 11 p.m. daily. neighborsnashville.com, 4425 Murphy Road.

M.L. Rose Sylvan Park: Craft Beer and burgers until close, which is 10 p.m. Sundays-Wednesdays and 1 a.m. Thursdays-Saturdays. mlrose.com, 2535 Eighth Ave. S.

Five Points Pizza: Both the east and west locations are only open until 10 p.m. on weekdays, but on weekends they're both open until 11 p.m. for all your hot pie needs. fivepointspizza.com

Where to eat late in Downtown and Midtown Nashville

Cross-Eyed Critters: This karaoke bar at the Graduate Hotel serves a menu of tacos, burgers and fries Wednesdays-Saturdays until 1:45 a.m. 101 20th Ave. N.

Broadway Brewpub and Grub: The kitchen stays open until at least 11 p.m. daily serving Cajun specialties, pub standards and a short but sweet vegetarian menu. www.broadwaybrewpub.com, 1900 Broadway.

Living Room and Proof at the W Nashville: This Gulch hotel pub serves chilled oysters, salt and pepper fries and snacks daily until midnight. On the roof, Proof serves oysters, burgers, flatbreads and more Sundays-Thursdays until midnight, and until 1 a.m. on weekends. www.marriott.com, 300 12th Ave. S.

Teddy's Tavern: The kitchen here stays open until midnight daily, serving cheeseburgers, sandwiches, salads, nachos and more. teddystaverntn.com, 104 Rep. John Lewis Way.

Assembly Food Hall: This central food hall with excellent options from a variety of local eateries usually closes at 10 p.m., but on weekends it stays open until midnight, making it a nice option for post-concert snacking. www.assemblyfoodhall.com, 5055 Broadway Place.

Skull's Rainbow Room: The kitchen at this classic Printer's Alley spot stays open until 11 p.m. nightly, serving sumptuous old-school entrees including prime rib, lobster bisque and shrimp cocktail. Reservations are recommended. www.skullsrainbowroom.com, 222 Printers Alley.

Four Walls: This cocktail bar at the Joseph Hotel serves light bites including cheddar farfalle crisps, curried marcona almonds and bulgogi beef jerky until closing at midnight. www.fourwallsnashville.com, 405 Fourth Ave. S.

Fleet Street Pub: The kitchen here is open until midnight, serving British pub favorites like bangers and mash, fish and chips and meat pies. www.fleetstreetpub.com, 207 Printers Alley.

Daddy's Dogs: Over-the-top hot dogs with toppings like elote, cream cheese and Sriracha, plus sides like loaded tots and mac and cheese, will fuel you up before or after a night of revelry. Serving daily until 2 a.m. at 201 Printers Alley. www.daddysdogs.com/printersalley

Robert's Western World: Cheeseburgers, fries and tots plus the famous Recession Special — a fried bologna sandwich, chips and a PBR for just $6 — until 1:30 a.m. in iconic Broadway digs. robertswesternworld.com

The Diner: There's a lot going on at this six-story restaurant, bar and venue, which is open until 11 p.m. on weekdays and until 2 a.m. on weekends. Late-night menus include fried chili shrimp, pasta, biscuits and gravy, sandwiches and more. www.thediner.com, 200 Third Ave. S.

Big Jimmy's: You can grab a burger, a spicy chicken sandwich or a flatbread pizza until 1 a.m. on weekends, though the rest of the time the kitchen closes at 10 p.m. www.bigjimmysburgers.com, 109 Second Ave. N.

The Patterson House: This lovely cocktail bar serves food until midnight, Sundays-Thursdays and until 1 a.m. on weekends. You can find wings, loaded tots, spicy deviled eggs, a great smash burger and a variety of snacks. www.thepattersonnashville.com, 1711 Division St.

Hampton Social: This off-Broadway restaurant is only open until 10 p.m. Mondays-Wednesdays, but it stays open until midnight Thursdays and 1 a.m. Fridays and Saturdays, serving coastal food such as crabcakes and clam chowder, a raw bar and plenty of sharable starters. www.thehamptonsocial.com, 201 First Ave. S.

M.L. Rose: Craft Beer and burgers until close, which is 11 p.m. most weekdays and 1 a.m. on weekends. mlrose.com, 431 11th Ave. N.

Where to eat late in Germantown?

Mother's Ruin: Do these folks ever sleep? Everyone's favorite brunch spot is also a great late-night food hang, with all sorts of dishes, including chicken sandos, cheeseburgers, tacos and snacks upon snacks served until 1:30 a.m. mothersruinnashville.com, 1239 Sixth Ave. N.

Jack Brown's Beer and Burger Joint: Burgers, burgers and more burgers. Fries too, until 1:30 a.m. nightly. www.jackbrownsjoint.com, 1123 Third Ave. N.

Jonathan's Grille: This fun neighborhood bar has plenty of options for watching sports. It's also open late at night — midnight on weekdays and until 2 a.m. on weekends. The late-night menu is extensive and includes wings, salads, pizzas and plenty of snacks. www.jonathansgrille.com, 717 Third Ave. N.

Neighbors: This casual neighborhood bar serves onion rings, tots, Brussels sprouts, wings and more daily until 1 a.m. neighborsnashville.com, 313 Jefferson St.

The Goat: This morning to late-night spot is open until midnight on weekdays and 2 a.m. on weekends. The menu includes nachos, tots, pizza, big salads, and hearty sandwiches. www.lcgoat.com, 1220 Second Ave. N. #100.

Where to find late-night food in South Nashville

The Big Bar at Bastion: Nachos until midnight on weekends and until 11 p.m. Sundays-Thursdays. Super good cocktails, too. www.bastionnashville.com, 434 Houston St.

GoodTimes Full Service Bar: This bar from the folks behind Pearl Diver is open Sundays-Thursdays until 1 a.m. and Fridays-Saturdays until 2 a.m. A small but mighty menu includes burgers, wings and chicken sandwiches. 1529 Fourth Ave S.

M.L. Rose: Craft Beer and burgers until close, which is 11 p.m. most weekdays and 1 a.m. on weekends. mlrose.com, 2535 Eighth Ave. S.

El Tapatio: Tacos, burritos, sopas and other classic Mexican favorites are served until the wee hours; until 1 a.m. on weekdays and until 4 a.m. on weekends. ordereltapatiotn.com, 4801 Nolensville Pike.

Lucky's 3-Star Bar: Sandwiches, thin-crust pizzas, nachos, Frito Pie and a real deal Chicago dog (and other hot dogs) are part of the menu of this spot from the Pearl Diver folks. Lots of high balls and beer make up the majority of the drink menu. Open until 2 a.m. luckys3star.com, 1401 Fourth Ave. S.

The Goat: This morning to late-night spot is open until midnight on weekdays and 2 a.m. on weekends. The menu includes nachos, tots, pizza, big salads and hearty sandwiches. www.lcgoat.com, 211 Elm St.

Dolce Vita Pizza: This pizza place is open until the sun is almost up, which is good news for real night owls. You can also grab breadsticks, wings, pasta ― all sorts of things. Find it from 3 p.m.-5 a.m. daily at 2613 Eighth Ave. S., suite 101. www.dolcevita-pizza.com

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: 50 Nashville restaurants and bars open late, serving late-night food