I Dream of Weenie
If you've ever fantasised about eating a hotdog, then I Dream of Weenie is the place to live out that dream. In the 5 Points area, it's the place to munch down on a dog after a beer at any of the bars that are within walking distance. It's also in a Volkswagen bus with picnic tables provided to sit and enjoy your wiener and the kitschy decor. Coined as East Nashville's only "full-service wienery", and serving up hotdogs from $2.75-$3.75, you won't find a cheaper or better snack. You can get almost anything you can think of on a hotdog and there are tofu dogs for vegetarians.
• 113 South 11th Street, facebook.com/IDreamofWeenie. Mon-Thurs 11am-3pm, Fri 11am-3pm and 10pm-2am, Sat 10.30am-5pm and 10pm-2am, Sun 10.30am-3pm
Fond Object Records
Fond Object is not your typical record store. This "art collective" is home to new and used vinyl, books and magazines, custom-made clothing, and the only local petting zoo in East Nashville. It hosts bands in the backyard of the store and also has in-store performances during the winter. When the weather is nice, they show movies on an outside projector. Not only can you grab some tunes and listen to some tunes, you can also pet some barnyard animals at the same time. That's pretty cool.
• 1313 McGavock Pike, fondobjectrecords.com. Open Mon-Thurs 11am-8pm, Fri-Sat 11am-9pm, Sun midday-5pm
Mas Tacos Por Favor
Mas Tacos Por Favor started as a food truck when Teresa would park her old school RV outside the busy bars in East Nashville's 5 Points. It was a great way to feed hungry drunk people. The $3 tacos are so good that soon they were at every banging event in town. Now with a lo-fi restaurant – service is through a hatch, the interior has a rustic decor with chipped wood on the walls and a chalkboard menu – people come to Teresa. Her authentic Mexico City-style tacos have been featured on the Food Networks Diners, Drive-in's, and Dives show.
• 732 Mcferrin Avenue, facebook.com/mastacos. Open Mon-Thurs 11am-4pm, Fri 11am-8pm, Sat 10am-3pm
Jeni's Ice Cream
Jeni Britton Bauer started her ice-cream shop in Ohio, then set up a store in East Nashville just a few years ago. Though there are now two others in town, with flavours such as brambleberry crisp and goat cheese with red cherries, this is no chain store. For $4.50 you get two scoops in a cone or bowl and for $12 you can enjoy an entire pint. Bauer has a passion for freshness and sources her ingredients locally. The staff are friendly and patient: they will let you try every single flavour at the long counter before making your choice. There's plenty of seating inside, with bar tops and stools and two large church pews, and bright orange plastic chairs outside.
• 1892 Eastland Avenue, +1 615 262 8611, jenis.com/east-nashville. Open daily 11am-11pm
Shelby Park
Shelby Park was established in East Nashville in 1912. Since then it has grown to be one of the most visited parks in the city. It is in the Lockland Springs neighbourhood, and there are plenty of things to do there: there's a dog park, tennis courts, a community garden and a playground on one side of the park. The other side sits right on the Cumberland river where there's a golf course, baseball fields and a large duck pond. Another great amenity is the Greenway, which is a long stretch of paved trails for long-distance walking and running. The nature centre provides an array of activities from children's crafts to yoga and they lend bikes for free.
• friendsofshelby.org; Shelby Bottoms nature center, open Tues, Thurs, Sat 9am-4pm, Wed and Fri midday-4pm,
The East Nashville Running Club
Known as East Nasty, this club meets at 11th and Holly Street each Wednesday night and runs through the streets of East Nashville no matter the weather. It's a large group you can't miss because of the glow from the vests and reflectors. The runners all congregate at 3 Crow Bar afterwards to rehydrate and socialise. There are 12 different runs, so you can choose from three miles up to six. It's perfect for runners new to town or people who just want to make friends and get fit at the same time.
• eastnastyforlife.com
The Family Wash
When you pass by the bright turquoise building that is The Family Wash, you could be forgiven for thinking it's a laundromat. In fact, it's one of the coolest bars in East Nashville. This eccentric little dive specialises in shepherd's pie and for $10 you get a pie and a pint of beer. Also available are pot pies and the baked brie. They serve local Yazoo beer on tap, as well as many high-gravity bottled beers, including Hoptimus Prime Double IPA. If Pee Wee Herman owned a bar, it might look something like this – with random action figures littering the bar, there is always something to play with while you wait on your food. The walls are decorated with local artwork for sale and they have live music every night.
• 2038 Greenwood Avenue, +1 615 226 6070, familywash.com. Open Tues-Sat 5pm-midnight, full dinner menu served 6pm-10pm
The Idea Hatchery
This lovely set of eight shops describes itself as a "small-business-incubator concept". It's born and bred of local artists and entrepreneurs who created an environment to share their dreams in a collective space. You can find almost everything at this shopping stop: western boots, handmade leather wallets, fancy jeans, a press shop, art gallery, books, and oatmeal at Haulin' Oats. Prices vary but you can find anything from simple gifts starting at $5 to jeans for around $100. On the second Saturday of each month in the spring and summer, the row celebrates with its community by staying open late and offering significant discounts on the goodies.
• 1106 Woodland Street, theideahatchery.net
Village Pub
This isn't your typical East Nashville hipster bar (we have plenty of those). This is the bar you go to where the bartender asks your name and shakes your hand. Inside, its like a cosy log cabin, and the wraparound porch is perfect for enjoying a beer in the spring and summer. The southern craft beer choices include ales from Alabama's Good People Brewing, Tennessee's Calfkiller Brewery and Mayday Brewery. The pretzels are delicious and make the perfect sidekick to a cold beer. Mondays are hopping with the "Mule Day", featuring signature liquor drinks served in the coldest silver mugs in the world (goblets, they call them) – for half price.
• 1308 McGavock Pike, riversidevillagepub.com, Open Mon-Thurs 4pm-midnight, Fri-Sat 11.30am-1am, Sun 11.30am-midnight
Olive and Sinclair
Olive and Sinclair was started in 2009 by Scott Witherow, and his chocolate bars (from $6.99) can now be found in dozens of stores in Nashville. His new home is a retail store front in East Nashville where customers can tour the facility and see exactly how this artisan chocolate is made. The storefront is bright and welcoming with homemade hot chocolate and samples. In the back, hand-picked cacao beans are combined with robust flavours of the south, such as coffee bean, sea salt and Mexican style cinnamon-chili. It was voted "America's Best Chocolate" by Southern Living Magazine.
• 1628 Fatherland Street, oliveandsinclair.com. Open Thurs-Sat 10am-5pm
Lindsay Scott is a writer and photographer from East Nashville
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