A decade ago, we lived in the city of fried chicken. Hattie B\u2019s, Prince\u2019s, Helen\u2019s, 400 Degrees and Party Foul, just to name a few chains, dominated the food scene. However, that is not all Music City has to offer these days. With the influx of people moving to Tennessee and tourism at its peak, new and veteran restaurants have consistently attracted attention as Nashville becomes a culinary capital.<\/p>\n
The countless options for eating out can make it difficult for students to find the perfect meal while also staying within their budget. Students might read a food article or see an ad on TV, but most get food recommendations from social media apps, including Instagram.\u00a0<\/p>\n
So, who is qualified enough to provide us with an accurate list of mouth-watering places that will satisfy anyone\u2019s palate? In my opinion, food influencers are.\u00a0<\/p>\n
No one understands Nashville\u2019s food scene like those whose job \u2014 or high-effort hobby \u2014 is quite literally to review restaurants that they like. To better comprehend how to maximize Nashville\u2019s plethora of food options for Vanderbilt students, I interviewed several of Nashville\u2019s most prominent food influencers: Hannah Ehrman (@hungryhannah23), Kat Kern (MBA \u201923) (@noshing_in_nashville) and Ari Richman (B.A. \u201918) (@nashville_eats).<\/p>\n
Dramatic change<\/p>\n
The food options in Nashville have rapidly expanded from just hot chicken, moon pies and goo goo clusters characteristic of the past decade. New restaurants serving dishes from various parts of the world, including Uzbekistan, Kurdistan, Colombia and Ukraine, have allowed locals and tourists to explore new cuisines. The city has also gained attention from international food review organizations, and in 2025, Bastion, Locust and The Catbird Seat became the first three restaurants in Tennessee to earn a Michelin star.<\/p>\n
Kern\u2019s account has amassed more than 10,000 followers on Instagram and almost 80,000 likes on Tik Tok. She mostly posts videos previewing her favorite spots and new openings, as well as roundups of her recent favorite bites. She said that since she moved to Nashville in 2021, she has noticed the growth of the city\u2019s culinary scene.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThe city has grown, and with that, our food scene has attracted more attention, new talent and so many interesting concepts,\u201d Kern said. \u201cIt\u2019s exciting to see Nashville getting more recognition as a culinary destination, including Michelin recognition, and to see chefs and restaurateurs bringing new ideas to the city.\u201d<\/p>\n
Chain restaurants have also established locations in Nashville in response to the surge of people moving to and visiting the city. These restaurants, such as Sushi San, Aba, Pasti\u2019s and Au Cheval have found success in other places and hope to attract customers in Music City. Many of these locales are parts of large restaurant groups, such as Lettuce Entertain You, which owns more than 120 restaurants across the country, including Sushi San and Aba.<\/p>\n
Richman manages @nashville_eats with Marisa Goldstein (B.S. \u201917). Since its creation in 2014, the account has racked up almost 200,000 followers and features Richman and Goldstein\u2019s favorite dishes from selected restaurants. Richman said it has been fascinating to see successful restaurants in other cities open up locations in Nashville. While she enjoys visiting these new restaurants, Richman said she still tries to go to local restaurants.<\/p>\n
\u201cMost notably, large restaurant groups have brought popular restaurants from NYC, Chicago and LA to Nashville,\u201d Richman said. \u201cIt\u2019s been wild to see how sophisticated the city has become, but we love to make sure we still support local as much as we can.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ehrman\u2019s account @hungryhannah23 has amassed almost 30,000 followers in a decade. Since starting the account as a hobby when she was a college student, Ehrman began to consistently post content after she moved to Nashville four and a half years ago. She said the food scene has transformed since she moved to Nashville and many local spots have closed.<\/p>\n
\u201cI feel like [the food scene] is completely different, even in the short amount of time I\u2019ve lived here,\u201d Ehrman said. \u201cI feel like there\u2019s new restaurants that are opening every single day, and it\u2019s almost hard to keep up with. It\u2019s also sad because there\u2019s been a lot of local ones that have closed, so it\u2019s kind of a balance of all that.\u201d<\/p>\n
Spotlighting local businesses<\/p>\n
All of the food influencers I spoke with stressed the importance of supporting local businesses. Kern said her work as an influencer has enabled her to foster deep connections with small business owners.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cGetting to know the people behind these businesses has been one of the best parts of this experience. Nashville has so many people putting their hearts into creating something unique, and I love being able to play a small part in helping more people discover what they\u2019re doing,\u201d Kern said in an email to The Hustler. \u201cFor me, it\u2019s about more than just making content; it\u2019s about building relationships and supporting the people who make this city such a fun place to live.\u201d<\/p>\n
Richman said one of the highlights of her work is being able to bring new customers and more business to her favorite spots.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cOur favorite part of [having] our platform is being able to make a difference for local hotels, bars and restaurants,\u201d Richman said. \u201cWe\u2019ve seen our [Instagram R]eels go viral for mom-and-pop operated businesses, and the owners go from steady traffic to lines out the door.\u201d<\/p>\n
Recommendations<\/p>\n
As far as local food suggestions go, none of the influencers held back.<\/p>\n
Everyone recommended branching out into East Nashville and trying restaurants such as Noko, Butcher & Bee and Red-Headed Stranger. Noko features Asian-inspired dishes and was included in Open Table\u2019s Top 100 Restaurants List this year. Butcher & Bee serves Mediterranean food; Kern recommends the avocado crispy rice and the whipped feta. Red-Headed Stranger is a casual taco shop that opened in 2019.<\/p>\n
Ehrman recommended her favorite local cafe, Surefire Coffee Co, and she said its welcoming staff have made her feel like part of the Surefire community.<\/p>\n
\u201cI go there every morning on my way to work,\u201d Ehrman said, \u201cThey know my order and sometimes have it ready, which is sweet, so it\u2019s fun to support a local business and they\u2019ve grown a ton.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Ehrman also recommended the pasta at Iggy\u2019s and Pelato. She also mentioned Thistle Farms, a casual breakfast and lunch spot that supports women recovering from sex trafficking and addiction.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Richman said she likes Rolf and Daughters, a hip Germantown locale with a rotating menu that includes creative pastas and delectable sourdough. She also had the idea to found her channel while in her freshman year over dinner at Fido, a popular studying and coffee spot for Commons residents.<\/p>\n
Kern highlighted Eat Bubbles, a boba and matcha shop in West Nashville\u2019s L&L Market and Cafe Babu located in Wedgewood Houston.<\/p>\n
Tips for students<\/p>\n
Although eating out can end up being very expensive, the Taste of Nashville program allows students to branch out into local sports near campus and in nearby neighborhoods to discover new restaurants.<\/p>\n
Richman said that while Nashville features various exciting restaurants, she also greatly appreciates some of the restaurants accessible to Vanderbilt students through the Taste of Nashville program.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s easy to get carried away living in a new city as exciting as Nashville with so many places to try steps away from campus,\u201d Richman said. \u201cThere are many local restaurants that won\u2019t break the bank \u2014 some of our favorites are even on the Commodore Card, like Biscuit Love, Little Rey and Meet Noodles.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ehrman said making dining a shareable experience can reduce costs. She also said attending happy hours can be a great opportunity to try new dishes at a bargain price.<\/p>\n
\u201cNashville has a ton of great happy hours, and I think that\u2019s really a good way to take advantage of a lot of local spots,\u201d Ehrman said. \u201cSome places run fun deals, like buy one burger, get one free, to where I feel like that\u2019s a good deal to share with friends.\u201d<\/p>\n
Nashville\u2019s emerging food scene is your oyster. No matter what cuisine you crave, there will likely be somewhere delicious serving it located less than a 20-minute drive away. A trip to a restaurant not only is a great way to be adventurous with your palate but also allows you to explore new areas of the city.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Next time you\u2019re looking for a Friday night dinner with friends, a quick bite at a local hole-in-the-wall or the most expensive restaurant that you can make your parents take you to, look no further than Instagram and the recommendations above.\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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