Some of these restaurants may not have been around as long as some of the area’s sprawling plantations, but they have become historic classics in their own right. From ganache-filled crepes to deep-fried chocolate chip cookie dough egg rolls to real southern-fried chicken, get a taste of Nashville in this top 10 historic restaurants list.

1. Pancake Pantry: The Nashville breakfast and lunch tradition has been run by the same family since its 1961 opening. The menu offers almost any imaginable kind of pancake, including Caribbean Pancakes with bananas, pecans and coconut, and Chocolate Sin, chocolate ganache-filled crepes.
2. Sunset Grill: Hillsboro Village’s 20-year-old dining fixture was the area trend starter for late-night half-price menus. Try the voodoo pasta with its spicy chicken, shrimp and sausage, and frog legs. While in the lobby, check out the display of the oldest-known bottle of wine in the country, circa 1776.
3. Jackson’s Bar & Bistro: Adjacent to the Pancake Pantry in Hillsboro Village near Vanderbilt University’s campus, the bistro offers a variety of menu options, from paninis and pastas to pumpkin spice sangria. But the ultimate goal is to make it to the end with their signature dessert, the chocolate chip cookie dough egg roll topped with chocolate syrup and ice cream.
4. Stock-Yard Restaurant: This steak house has been ranked one of the best in the U.S. by the Int’l Resaurant & Hospitality Rating Bureau, and is the setting for the Blake Shelton video for “Hillbilly Bone,” featuring Trace Atkins.
5. Loveless Caf: The small caf, whose doors have been open for more than 50 years, features southern cooking that has attracted celebrities like Led Zeppelin’s Robert Plant. The Highway 100 caf’s signature dishes include country ham, red eye gravy and southern-fried chicken.
6. Valention’s Ristorante: This eatery, which has been around since 1991, has won various awards for its “rustic Italian” food and atmosphere, including the Wine Spectator Award of Excellence and the Tennessee Reader’s Choice Awards for Best Italian Restaurant.
7. The Mad Platter: The Platter has been serving the historic Germantown neighborhood for over 20 years in a brick Victorian with mismatched chairs, a well-worn wooden floor and exposed brick walls. Try the signature Pasta Mad Platter or try your hand at creating Craig’s Chicken Raphael from a recipe on their site.
8. Dalt’s Classic American Grill: The grill was founded over 25 years ago with the goal of offering the best milkshakes and malts in Music City. The restaurant’s hamburgers and thick, made to order milkshakes keep customers coming back for more.
9. Ellendale’s: The family-run, family namesake restaurant, housed in their own historic farmhouse, serves contemporary American cuisine with fresh produce from the family’s own garden with a southern twist. Stop by for their lunchtime buffet, a local favorite complete with a pasta station where a chef will create a customer’s own past dish.
10. Germantown Caf: Located in its historic namesake, the restaurant features a fusion menu blocks north from downtown. Try old standbys like crab cakes or their signature Plum Pork.

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