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Our main reason for visiting Nashville, Tennessee, celebrate our favorite YouTube travel vloggers Kara and Nate’s triumph in visiting 100 countries. Since watching Kara and Nate ignited our fire for food tours, we couldn’t pass up taking a Nashville food tour in their home city.
Appetites at the ready, bodies bundled against the frigid, January air, our stomachs gleefully anticipate a day of eating with Dabble Tour’s, Music City Bites and Sites Tour.
Jack’s BBQ
After apologizing for the glacial weather (it was in the 70’s only last week), our Nashville food tour guide, Elisabeth, leads us to our first destination.
It’s 10am, but Elisabeth assures that since Jack’s is one of the most famous BBQ places in Nashville, it’s best to arrive early to avoid the line that will soon wrap around the block.
At Jack’s, we choose three meats and one side (more detail about Jack’s in the We Eat A Lot of BBQ Post).
Everything is divine, but I’m most surprised by the smoked turkey. Being a food tour, I add the turkey to embrace something I never opt for at BBQ joints. The smokey, juicy turkey, is a flavorful delight.
Of course we have to try all of the sauces.
The experience makes me wish BBQ was an acceptable breakfast meal everywhere.
Cafe Lula at the Ryman
“Nashville Hot Chicken can be a three day experience.” – Anthony Bourdain
My digestive system likes to surprise me. One day I can eat something super spicy and be perfectly fine. On a different day, spicy food ignites a violent NASCAR race in my gut. It’s food roulette.
I assumed that a Nashville food tour had to include the eating of Hot Chicken. The thought makes my insides twinge.
Elisabeth brings the group to Cafe Lula at the Ryman. Cafe Lula makes what Elisabeht calls, “introductory Hot Chicken.”
Our Hot Chicken and waffle sliders are spicy, but not set-your-mouth-ablaze hot. I love the house-made pickle. I breath a sigh of relief for this tasty, enjoyable experience.
Someone in the tour group had the real deal at one of the famous places the night before. Our tour group must take several extra bathroom breaks for this person. I decide that my training-wheels Hot Chicken is enough of a taste adventure for me.
Learning about Nashville Music History
Half of our Nashville food tour focuses on food. The other half focuses on Nashville’s music scene past and present.
Elisabeth stops at key spots like Ryman Auditorium (aka the original Grand Ole Oprey),
Hatch Print Shop, Music City Walk of Fame,
and the Country Music Hall of Fame. Tales of performers, architecture, and famous Nashville characters are imparted to the group.
Broadway Brewhouse
If Hot Chicken is Nashville’s signature dish, the Bushwacker is the city’s signature drink.
This boozy, frozen, concoction, originated in St. Thomas, but has been embraced and adopted by Nashville. There are countless variations of the Bushwacker recipe, but it’s basically…
Bushwacker
1 ounce dark rum
1 ounce Kahlua coffee liqueur
1 ounce dark creme de cacao
2 ounces cream of coconut
2 ounces half-and-half
1 cup ice
Blend it all up
Broadway Brewhouse can be found on countless “best of” Bushwacker lists.
Bushwackers are a dangerous drink. Once blended up, you can’t taste the alcohol. It seems like a benign, frosty, indulgence. I imagine many a bachelorette falling prey to the too- many -cocktail- siren that is the Bushwacker.
Goo Goo Cluster
If you’ve followed me for any length of time, you know I’m not a traveler who gets all harumph-y about touristy things. I appreciate their quirk. So I’m elated the next stop on our Nashville food tour is the famous Goo Goo Cluster shop.
Elisabeth volunteers to take our picture in front of the photo op spot.
As part of the tour we get a choice between The Original Cluster (marshmallow nougat, caramel, and roasted peanuts, covered in chocolate) or Peanut Butter Cluster (trades out the nougat for peanut butter).
Since our Bushwackers were more dessert than drink, we take our Goo Goo Clusters to-go. I can attest that Peanut Butter Goo Goo Clusters make a tasty breakfasth.
Bourbon Street Blues and Boogie Bar
We’re not Country Music fans, so I’m thrilled to learn that Nashville also has a happening Blues scene.
For our final Nashville food tour stop, Elisabeth takes us to Bourbon Street Blues and Boogie Bar.
The bar is located along Nashville’s Printer’s Alley. It’s a cool street, filled with iconic hangouts. We vow to return later in our trip, but sadly run out of time.
Our group sips local beer and munches fried pickles, while a talented musician belts out blues favorites.
By blues musician law, he transitions into Pride and Joy (one of my favorites). I’m not sure what the punishment is for not having Pride and Joy in your blues repertoire, but it must be something horrific.
As soon Elisabeth says her good-byes, the rest of the group jets in a cloud of dust. We linger. Since the fried pickles were mostly untouched by the others, we try to do our part to lessen the waste. They are the best fried pickles we’ve had to date.
Usually fried pickles are made with dill pickles, but Bourbon Street Blues and Boogie Bar include bread and butter pickles. The sweetness of the pickles, paired with their delectable batter, makes an irresistible morsel. I yearn for more restaurants to include fried bread and butter pickles on their menus.
Our Nashville food tour with Dabble Tour’s Music City Bites and Sites ties with Juneau Food Tours for favorite food tour so far. The tour gave us a true sampling of local, Nashville, favorites. Elisabeth’s warm and easy-going vibe made us feel like we were on a tour with an old friend. Throughout the tour she gave us a plethora of other foodie and things-to-do suggestions. If you have a passion for food and music, it’s an ideal way to spend a Nashville day.
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