Travelers come from across the country to sample Tennessee’s revered barbecue, hot chicken, Southern comfort specialties, signature sweets and other chef-made meals. Quite a few also journey here to experience firsthand what goes into crafting the state’s many famed local whiskeys.
For groups, a food and spirits tour of the state reads like a ready-made roadmap for sampling both big-city and small-town culinary delights. Truth be told, no matter where you roam across The Volunteer State, a good meal and a memorable cocktail are never too far away.
Tennessee Whiskey
Not just a hit song, the allure of Tennessee whiskey is, in fact, a source of true pride for the state. From globally known brands like Jack Daniel’s to dozens of prize-winning local distilleries, unique flavors abound along the Tennessee Whiskey Trail. Groups can choose to book tastings at any of roughly 30 official trail destinations, each pouring out its own unique take on Tennessee’s whiskey heritage.
Old Dominick Distillery in Memphis offers tastings and one-hour tours of its state-of-the-art, grain-to-glass distillery. Two brothers opened the distillery in 2017, relaunching an ancestor’s 150-year-old brand. In Nashville, a similar story is at play at Nelson’s Green Brier Distillery, where a pair of brothers have successfully revitalized their triple-great-grandfather’s time-honored whiskey brand.
At PostModern Spirits, housed in Knoxville’s historic Jackson Terminal building, tours dive deep into the science and craft behind the production of its whiskeys, vodka, gin and flavored liqueurs, offering insights for both whiskey novices and connoisseurs alike.
Roughly 40 miles away in Petros, Brushy Mountain Distillery is crafting whiskeys, vodka and moonshine in one of the state’s most unique settings: the historic Brushy Mountain State Penitentiary. Once a notorious maximum-security prison, the building now houses the distillery and an on-site restaurant and also offers group tours, paranormal investigations and events like concerts and car shows.
For groups more inclined to Tennessee’s other famous spirit, moonshine, Ole Smoky Moonshine Holler in Gatlinburg provides the perfect spot to sample a variety of different flavors and proofs. One-hour distillery tours are available.
Sweets
From scratch-made pies, cakes and cobblers to melt-in-your-mouth fudge, flavored popcorns and gourmet ice creams, there’s no shortage of Tennessee sweets to cap off a meal — or serve as a between-meal treat.
Few confections are as synonymous with the state as the Goo Goo Cluster, the perfectly blended caramel, marshmallow, peanut and chocolate delight that originated in Nashville in 1912. At Goo Goo Chocolate Co. on Nashville’s Third Avenue, visitors can stock up on the sweets, shop branded merchandise and even design their own custom candy bar at interactive kiosks — and then watch as on-site chocolatiers bring it to life. For an even more hands-on experience, groups can book one of several custom classes, including a make-your-own-candy session or a wine and bon bon pairing.
Explore the story of another famous Tennessee-born chocolate treat, the MoonPie, at the MoonPie General Store in Chattanooga. Sample the original chocolate, graham cracker and marshmallow confection or try one of the many new spin-off flavors. While there, make time to peruse the store’s eclectic collection of T-shirts, nostalgic toys, candles, gifts and more.
Who said sweets can’t make a meal? Certainly not the folks at Flapjack’s Pancake Cabin in Gatlinburg, where you can start the day right with a plate of cinnamon flapjack fritters, candied bacon twists and whipped cream-laden chocolate chip or sticky bun pancakes. For those with a less-active sweet tooth, there’s no shortage of savory breakfast options, too.
Southern Comfort Foods
Crispy fried chicken, ham-seasoned green beans, flaky corn bread and buttery mashed potatoes are all staples of a traditional Southern meal. When done right, these Southern comfort foods hearken back to the smells and tastes of grandma’s kitchen, evoking childhood memories of simpler days.
Across the state, groups can stop in at any number of tried-and-true local spots for a sure-to-please, all-you-can-eat buffet or a “meat and three,” a traditional Southern meal that includes a main meat dish plus three sides. Every Saturday night, T. B. Sutton General Store in Granville welcomes guests for a meat-and-three dinner alongside a live bluegrass music show.
In Jackson, Brooks Shaw’s Old Country Store & Restaurant — part of Casey Jones Village — has been dishing up its award-winning Southern staples for 60 years. Enjoy catfish or fried chicken plus filling sides like creamed spinach and baked cinnamon apples, or go lighter with a plate from the restaurant’s extensive salad bar.
Fried chicken, sugar-cured ham, country-fried steak, and chicken and dumplings are among the “Oldtime Farmhouse” specialties at the Applewood Farmhouse Restaurant & Grill in Sevierville, where every order comes with complimentary apple fritters and the restaurant’s signature apple butter.
If it’s made-from-scratch biscuits you’re after, The Loveless Cafe in Nashville has you covered. Along with country ham plates, fried chicken and more, the restaurant prepares its famed biscuits fresh daily, using the same trusted recipe since 1951. To the west, Soul Fish Cafe, with multiple locations in Memphis, has perfected Southern-style seafood. Stop in for a variety of hard-to-beat fried catfish or fried crawfish platters, plus shrimp, oyster or catfish po’boy sandwiches.
Barbecue
Barbecue is its own art form in Tennessee, with masters of the genre perfecting their techniques over years of low-and-slow cooking.
Memphis is home to more than 100 barbecue restaurants and a barbecue trail that showcases its signature style, which is renowned the world over and adopts a paprika-rich dry rub, rather than heavy saucing, to give pork ribs and pulled pork a signature, smoky flavor. A staple of the Memphis barbecue scene since 1948, Charlie Vergos’ Rendezvous restaurant helped create the dry-rub approach that put Memphis-style barbecue on the map. Across town, Central BBQ serves up its own award-winning version of Memphis dry ribs, along with smoked hot wings, loaded nachos, and pulled pork and chicken sandwiches.
Nashville also steps up for barbecue know-how, with both Martin’s Bar-B-Que Joint and Edley’s Bar-B-Que routinely ranking among the state’s best. Both restaurants offer multiple locations around the city, making it easy to sample their award-winning ribs, brisket, smoked turkey, pulled pork and pulled chicken platters.
Along the Tennessee-Virginia state line, the city of Bristol boasts its own beloved barbecue go-to: Delta Blues BBQ on historic State Street. Serving “Memphis-inspired” barbecue, Delta Blues also doubles as a music venue, with frequent concerts by some of the region’s top blues bands.
Hot Chicken
Nashville-style hot chicken, noteworthy for its cayenne pepper-induced heat, has gone mainstream in recent years, with chain locations specializing in the dish popping up across the country. But there’s no substitute for experiencing hot chicken at its source. And for that, you have to head to Prince’s in Nashville.
Opened by Thornton Prince in 1945, Prince’s Hot Chicken is known as the birthplace of Nashville’s namesake chicken dish. Today, the founder’s great-niece still serves the recipe he perfected, dishing up bold, spicy chicken that’s traditionally served on white bread with a side of pickle chips. At Prince’s Nashville locations on Nolensville Pike and in the Assembly Food Hall pavilion on Broadway, you can also choose from delicious Southern sides like seasoned fries, mac and cheese, or “get it girl” greens.
Founded in 2012 and, therefore, newer to the game, Hattie B’s Hot Chicken has found its own successful groove when it comes to perfecting the city’s signature dish. Now operating in multiple Nashville locations, including one across Broadway from the Bridgestone Arena, Hattie B’s offers its hot chicken as sandwich-style filets, as tenders or still on the bone. Temper the heat with a side of creamy coleslaw or black-eyed pea salad, or indulge in a boozy frozen lemonade punched up with a mix of Jack Daniel’s and Skyy vodka.
