If you’re like me, you spot new restaurants, businesses and buildings almost every time you drive around town. Ooo, what’s going there? What’s that going to be? Ooo, let’s remember to eat there on our next date night.
So whether it’s a night out with your significant other, a girls get together, or maybe a family dinner, here are the newest places in Nashville that are open now!
1. Johnny Cash’s Kitchen & Saloon
A new downtown venue with a country music superstar’s name on it but this one’s really unique. Johnny Cash’s Kitchen and Saloon is dedicated to the late Man in Black and is connected to the Johnny Cash Museum next door (that means 60,000 square feet of Cash on 3rd Ave). This two-story venue feels like walking into Johnny and June’s home and is loaded with a restaurant (with a food partnership with Swett’s!), three bars and two stages. You’ll find touches of Johnny Cash and the things he loved here.. from the chandeliers that are a recreation from his home in Hendersonville down to the rocking chairs on the front porch.
Johnny Cash’s Kitchen & Saloon | 3rd Avenue South  | Downtown
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2. The Eastern Peak Asian Cuisine – Gulch
This is the spot for Asian food in Nashville. The Eastern Peak specializes in modern Thai and sushi. This location, which just opened last month, is the third outpost with the other restaurants in Bellevue and on Thompson Lane. The growth shows you how much locals are lovin’ it. Some of the crowd favorites? Crab fried rice, lettuce wraps, and the cashew chicken stir fry. Check out the full menu here.
The Eastern Peak | 133 12th Avenue North | The Gulch
3. O-Ku Sushi
Sushi lovers, let me introduce you to your new favorite restaurant! O-Ku is the first sushi restaurant to open in the ever-popular and trendy Germantown neighborhood of Nashville. The menu is as cool as the location and atmosphere. Chef Eric Hill uses the freshest fish (from places like Norway, Hawaii and New Zealand) and combines it with locally-sourced ingredients to create unique dishes with a southern flair! O-Ku just opened at the end of June and you’ve goto to get over there asap to try their sushi rolls. Click here to check out the full menu.
O-Ku Sushi Nashville | 81 Van Buren Street | East Germantown
4. The Dive Motel + Swim Club
Hello, retro! The funkiest new spot in town is The Dive Motel + Swim. You’ll definitely feel like you’ve taken a step back in time.. the 70’s and 80’s vibes are strong here! The motel consists of 23 super cool and unique rooms (can we say staycation?) and the pool, bar and late-night kitchen are open to the public! The raddest place to hang.
The Dive Motel + Swim Club | 1414 Dickerson Pike | Nashville
5. B1281
You don’t have to fly 9+ hours to Hawaii to find those exotic surfside vibes.. just head down to 3rd Avenue in Nashville! B1281 is a patio bar and food truck that serve up delicious Hawaiian food and drinks in the growing Chestnut Hill area. Some of the most popular dishes to try.. Ahi poke, furikake-sprinkled sweet potato fries, Huli Huli chicken skewers, and the shishito peppers. Check out the full menu here.
B1281 | 1281 3rd Avenue South | Nashville
6. Mane & Rye Dinerant
There’s a new restaurant in the Hutton Hotel called Main & Rye Dinerant, which is replacing the restaurant, the West End (which replaced 1808 Grille). It’s upscale, casual and features a large menu of tasty southern dishes. They serve an all-day breakfast, lunch, dinner and happy hours. Check out the full menu here. Don’t eat and run though.. enjoy their old-school pinball machine, shuffleboard and live music.
Mane & Rye Dinerant | 1808 West End Avenue | Nashville
6. Never Never
Located literally right by a train track, you can have drinks while watching the trains go by! Never Never is a new cocktail bar in the Wedgewood-Houston area that has a very industrial feel.
Never Never | 413 Houston Street | Nashville