Nashville's 9 oldest restaurants that have stood the test of time
It’s a harsh truth restaurateurs know: The majority of new restaurants will close within a year.
Each closure comes with a basket of explanations, from location to service to food quality. Still, people keep trying, hoping to hit the right combination of all these elements, and maybe get a little lucky.
Sometimes they do.
Nashville’s culinary scene continues to welcome new restaurants into its fold at a sometimes dizzying pace, but more than a few have weathered the test of time — one for more than a century. The Tennessean is highlighting some of those success stories here.
Among them, there's a common theme, Nashville historian David Ewing points out: Nearly all of them are casual dining.
"The biggest culprit of why restaurants have closed in the last 10 or 20 years is just because of the rising costs of real estate," Ewing said. Operations that spend less on food and labor are better suited to withstand those rising costs.
Most also have a rustic atmosphere that feels authentic, Ewing said.
These are a handful of Nashville’s oldest restaurants that remain in operation, listed in the order they opened.
Varallo’s Restaurant
Opened in 1907
The oldest restaurant in Tennessee, the no-frills “chile parlor” Varallo’s Restaurant, was born out of an accident. The restaurant’s founder, Frank Varallo Sr., an Italian immigrant, made his way from New York to Nashville for the same reason thousands of others have since — hoping to make a career as a musician.
After he was injured in a hunting accident, he was forced to give up his passion for the violin and he devoted himself to a different passion: chili. Since then, Varallo’s has ingrained itself as an irreplaceable part of Nashville’s fabric thanks to its “three-way chili” — served on top of spaghetti and a tamale — burgers and all-day breakfast.
It’s changed locations a handful of times, now calling the historic Arcade building home. The Varallo family no longer owns the restaurant, but new proprietor Bob Peabody, who bought the restaurant in 2019, has said he feels an obligation to continue its legacy.
Location: 239 Fourth Ave. N.
Hours: 6 a.m.-1 p.m., Monday-Friday
Contact: 615-256-1907
Brown’s Diner
Opened in 1927
Coming in second on this list is Brown’s Diner. This greasy spoon has been continuously cooking old-fashioned hamburgers and pouring beers in Hillsborough Village since 1927, serving both “platinum selling recording artists and construction workers alike.”
Located inside an old trailer, Brown’s has a divey feel that guests say feels like a “flashback in time.” Brown’s has had just three owners throughout its nearly 100-year history, and owner Bret Tuck, who purchased the restaurant in late 2020, has left it much the same as it was before — including all the pictures on the wall.
Ewing praised Brown for its steadfastness and said the restaurant has found a niche and successfully stuck to it.
"There's no avocado toast at Brown's," Ewing said. "People like that."
Location: 2102 Blair Blvd.
Hours: 11 a.m.-9 p.m., Monday-Thursday; 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Friday; 9 a.m.-10 p.m. Saturday; 12-9 p.m. Sunday
Contact: 615-269-5509
Jimmy Kelly’s Steakhouse
Opened in 1934
The lone upscale establishment to buck the trend and wind up on this list is Jimmy Kelly's Steakhouse. When Jimmy Kelly opened his steakhouse in 1934, one year after passage of 21st Amendment repealing Prohibition, he made one promise, so the story goes: to serve great steak, a “generous portion of whiskey” and ensure attentive service.
But perhaps even more well known than Jimmy Kelly's steaks are its corncakes. How the cakes made their way to its restaurant itself a bit of a legend: As a 1987 Tennessean food critic reported, around the time he opened his steakhouse, Kelly lured away a cook from the old Maxwell House Hotel, where the cakes were served, and they’ve come with every meal since.
Location: 217 Louise Ave.
Hours: 4-10 p.m., Monday-Wednesday; 4-11 p.m., Thursday-Saturday
Contact: 615-329-4349
Elliston Place Soda Shop
Opened in 1939
In the heart of Midtown, Elliston Place Soda Shop has been a Nashville institution since 1939, when founder Lynn Chandler purchased the soda fountain of the Elliston Pharmacy. The restaurant is known for its milkshakes and meat-and-three.
It’s also been featured in a few productions from the music industry — on the cover of George Jones’ 1976 album “Alone Again” and in Margo Price’s music video for her 2017 song “A Little Pain.” The shop closed in 2019 after financial struggles, but developer Tony Giarratana reopened it in 2021 in a larger location next door to the original location, which longtime employees say has retained the original's atmosphere.
Location: 2105 Elliston Place
Hours: 7:30 a.m.-7:30 p.m., Monday-Saturday
Contact: 615-219-2704
Prince’s Hot Chicken Shack
Opened in 1945
While the Prince family has been serving hot chicken in Nashville for nearly 80 years, the rest of the country has only in recent years begun its love affair with it. The object of that love, though, was born out of revenge.
Hot chicken’s origin story has been told enough that it’s likely well known by most readers, but it’s entertaining enough to merit retelling. As the legend goes, Thornton Prince had a “well-earned” reputation as a ladies man in Nashville — which unsurprisingly upset his steady girlfriend, who plotted a way to get back at him. She lured him in with fried chicken, which she conspicuously seasoned with a “devilish” amount of peppers and spices. To her dismay, he loved it; enough that he opened up his own restaurant to sell it. It’s remained in the Prince family ever since, earning awards and international acclaim along the way.
Locations: 5814 Nolensville Pike and stall 2268 in Assembly Food Hall, 5055 Broadway Place
Hours, Nolensville Pike location: 11 a.m.-10 p.m., Monday-Saturday
Hours, Assembly Food Hall location: 10:30 a.m.-10 p.m., Monday-Wednesday, open until 11 p.m. Thursday and Sunday, open until 1 a.m. Friday and Saturday
Contact: 615-810-9388
More: Nashville's classic restaurants over the years
Skull's Rainbow Room
Opened in 1948
If you’re looking to see a burlesque dance while you have a craft cocktail, Skull’s Rainbow Room on Printers Alley is for you. Founder David “Skull” Schulman opened the club after he returned from WWII, and it has seen performances from Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash and Etta James since.
But the story of Skull’s is also a tragic one. After Schulman was murdered onsite in 1998, the bar was shuttered for 17 years. Businessmen Phil Martin and David Wileman reopened the bar in 2015, and Icon Entertainment & Hospitality has owned and operated Skull's since 2017. The current iteration of Skull’s retains the trappings of its post-war years, still featuring burlesque shows three nights a week and frequent jazz performances.
Location: 222 Printers Alley
Hours: 5 p.m.-2 a.m., Monday-Saturday; 10 a.m.-2 p.m. and 5 p.m.-2 a.m. Sunday
Contact: 615-810-9631
Bobbie’s Dairy Dip
Opened in 1951
Since it opened in 1951, Bobbie’s Dairy Dip has retained that same ‘50s, Happy Days style appeal. Serving up pure Americana, Bobbie’s serves hamburgers, hot dogs and fries, but it’s better known for its milkshakes and soft serve.
The dairy dip first opened as Harper’s Dairy Dip before switching ownership to Bobbie McWright in 1986, who changed the name to Bobbie’s. It briefly closed in the late 1990s but reopened under new leadership in 2000. Located in a small lime green and pink shack off Charlotte Avenue, Bobbie’s doesn’t have any indoor seating but has several picnic tables for patrons.
Location: 5301 Charlotte Ave.
Hours: 11 a.m.-8:30 p.m., Monday-Thursday; 11 a.m.-9 p.m., Friday-Saturday; 12-5 p.m. Sunday
Contact: 615-864-5576
Wendell Smith’s Restaurant
Opened in 1952
Alabama-born Wendell Smith opened his restaurant in Sylvan Park just a year after Bobbie’s Dairy Dip opened right across the street and began serving casual breakfasts and lunches. But it wasn’t until ownership passed down to Smith’s son-in-law Jakie D Cook that the restaurant began serving up the soul food and meat and threes that it may be best known for.
The restaurant has remained in the family and is now run by Benji Cook of the family's third generation, according to the restaurant’s website. A lot has changed over the years, including the neighborhood, but management seems to be embracing it, stating on its website that “the new so called hipsters that are moving in are a great addition to the clientele we see daily in our little melting pot.”
Location: 407 53rd Ave. N.
Hours: 6 a.m.-7:15 p.m., Monday-Friday; 6 a.m.-7 p.m., Saturday
Contact: 615-383-7114
Swett’s Restaurant
Opened in 1954
In 1987, David Swett, Swett’s Restaurant owner and son of founder Walter Swett, told The Tennessean, “We’ve had the same menu for 33 years. I guess we’ll change it if it ever stops selling.” Rest assured, it has not.
Plenty of local celebrities, politicians and regular folks continue to visit Swett’s for its homestyle Southern cooking served cafeteria style, which the Swett family first started selling at Swett’s Dinette in 1954 at the intersection of 28th and Clifton avenues. While at the same location, Swett’s is not housed in the same building — a fire destroyed the original building in 1988, but a new one was quickly rebuilt.
The restaurant has remained in the Swett family for three generations and has been an important part of Nashville’s Black community since its opening. It was featured in the Green Book, the annual travel guide for African Americans that let them know which restaurants, filling stations, hotels and other establishments would serve them.
Location: 2725 Clifton Ave.
Hours: 11 a.m.-8 p.m.
Contact: 615-329-4418
A former version of this article did not have up-to-date information on the ownership of Skull's Rainbow Room.
Evan Mealins is the justice reporter for The Tennessean. Contact him at emealins@gannett.com or follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, @EvanMealins.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Nashville's 9 oldest restaurants include Varallo's, Brown's Diner
