Eat Drink Nashville: Nashville's busiest weekend starts now

Where to eat, what to do

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June 5, 2026 1:59pm EDT

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Eat Drink Nashville

NEWS FROM NASHVILLE'S DINING SCENE. CHEERS!

Fri Jun 5 2026

Mackensy Lunsford | Senior dining reporter / Southern Kitchen editor

@mackensy

Hello! Tennessean senior dining reporter Mackensy Lunsford here.

The CMA Music Festival has packed the city with country music fans hunting for cold drinks, air conditioning and the occasional meal that doesn't come out of a fryer basket.

CMA Fest runs June 4-7 and brings tens of thousands of fans to downtown Nashville every year, making your restaurant strategy almost as important as your concert schedule.

If you're heading into the madness this weekend, I've rounded up some of the best places to eat near the action, from quick bites to sit-down spots worth escaping Broadway for.

Planning on staying home? Our music team is providing coverage all weekend.

Here's more of this week's food news.

•	One of the world's top steakhouses is coming to Nashville. Stockholm restaurant AG, ranked among the world's best steakhouses, is in Nashville this week for a rare collaboration at Prime + Proper. The visit offers a different look at Scandinavian food culture, focused on fire and serious beef. Read more here.
•	Some of the city's most exciting meals aren't coming from brick-and-mortar restaurants. From fried fish and cobbler to grilled cheese and tacos, here's my guide to 12 food trucks worth chasing down. Read more here.
•	Review: Present Tense finds its footing. Wedgewood-Houston's Present Tense is evolving. My latest review looks at what's working, what's improved and why the restaurant now feels much closer to realizing its ambitions. Read more here.
•	Sally's Stay Awhile opens in Wedgewood Houston. Strategic Hospitality's newest neighborhood spot is officially open. Expect hot dogs, martinis, pizza, soft serve and a menu designed for lingering a little longer than you planned. Read more here.
•	Boka Restaurant Group makes its Nashville debut. The Chicago hospitality group behind some of that city's most acclaimed restaurants has officially arrived in Wedgewood-Houston. Momotaro and cocktail bar Middleman are now open, with Italian concept Alla Vita still to come. Read more here.
•	Monthly restaurant scores are here. From perfect scores to a few problem spots, here's a look at recent health inspection results from restaurants across Middle Tennessee. Read more here.

That's it for now! Reach me at [email protected].

From tacos to hot fish, 12 Nashville food trucks to know right now

Chef Dylan Field is photographed in front of his food truck Brave Idiot in East Nashville Thursday, June 4, 2026.

From late-night tacos to cult-favorite burgers, these Nashville food trucks are worth tracking down this summer.

READ MORE

Dry-aged American Wagyu at Prime + Proper.

One of the world's top steakhouses makes its US debut in Nashville

Stockholm restaurant AG makes its first U.S. appearance at Prime + Proper at a 3-night collab that includes vodka shots, burger among the world's best

READ MORE