Nashville's gluten-free options run deeper than you'd expect, from hot chicken counters and whole-hog pits to East Nashville taco spots and a Printer's Alley steakhouse. This list covers Davidson County and the broader metro, priced for families and date nights alike. No restaurant paid to be here; every pick is ranked by the Insider Score.
Midtown Nashville $$
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Hattie B's popularized Nashville hot chicken for a national audience when it opened in 2012, and the Midtown counter remains the clearest entry point into the city's defining dish. The hot chicken sandwich and tenders are the order; the heat levels are genuine, so first-timers should start one notch below instinct. Counter service keeps things moving, the line builds fast by midday, and arriving early makes a real difference.
What to orderHot Chicken Sandwich, Hot Chicken and Waffles, Hot Chicken Tenders with Sides
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Peg Leg Porker runs Memphis-style dry-rub barbecue, and the ribs are the anchor of the menu. Order-at-the-counter, picnic-table seating, wet naps on the table: the room makes no pretense about what it is. The smoked green beans and barbecue beans hold up as sides. It is not a fancy build-out, but the barbecue is serious, and the pit work on the pulled pork and brisket earns the crowds this place draws consistently.
What to orderDry Rub Ribs, Smoked Pulled Pork, Hickory Smoked Brisket
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Monell's in Germantown has operated since 1995 out of a 1905 Victorian, and the family-style format, communal tables with bowls passed around the room, is the whole point. The fried chicken, country ham with red-eye gravy, and biscuits rotate through the spread. The midnight breakfast service draws its own following. It is one of the few places in Nashville where the format itself is the experience, not just a backdrop to the food.
What to orderFamily-Style Fried Chicken, Country Ham with Red-Eye Gravy, Biscuits and Sausage Gravy
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The Loveless Cafe has anchored Highway 100 since 1951, and the buttermilk biscuits with house preserves are still the reason to make the drive. Fried chicken and country ham round out a menu that does not overreach. The room runs as a full-service Southern breakfast and brunch institution with the kind of sustained reputation that survives decades of new openings. Families traveling through Nashville with a single morning stop should point the car west.
What to orderButtermilk Biscuits with House Preserves, Fried Chicken and Waffles, Country Ham with Red-Eye Gravy
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Milk & Honey runs breakfast and brunch service in Nashville with a New American lean. The Nashville Hot Skillet and chicken and waffles are the centerpiece dishes; the Burnt Sugar Latte has its own following. The room opens early, seats quickly on weekday mornings, and fills steadily through the weekend. Service draws consistent praise. For a brunch spot that works as well for a solo early meal as it does for a group, this one covers the range.
What to orderChicken and Waffles, Nashville Hot Skillet, Bourbon French Toast
№ 06
The Pharmacy
5.8Solid
$$
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The Pharmacy opened in East Nashville in 2011 with house-made buns, fresh-processed meat, and scratch sauces, and the burger program has not lost the plot in the years since. The Pharmacy Burger is the order; the beer garden fries and tater tots hold up as sides. The beer garden out back is a genuine Nashville asset in good weather. It is a walk-in room that turns tables at a reasonable pace, and the house-made root beer is worth ordering.
What to orderThe Pharmacy Burger, Loaded Beer Garden Fries, Crispy Chicken Sandwich
№ 07
Martin's Bar-B-Que Joint
5.8Solid
$$
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Martin's started in Nolensville in 2006 before expanding to downtown Nashville and beyond, and the whole-hog pulled pork remains the thing to order. The smoked brisket sandwich and hot wings with Alabama white sauce fill out a menu built around the pit. The downtown location runs at high volume and can get disorganized at the front, but the food arrives fresh and hot once orders are sorted. Third-time visitors keep coming back, which says enough about the barbecue.
What to orderWhole Hog Pulled Pork Platter, Smoked Brisket Sandwich, Hot Wings with Alabama White Sauce
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Bartaco Nashville runs a taco-focused menu with street-style portions, and the duck carnitas and Baja fish tacos are the reliable orders. The tableside guacamole is worth adding. The room is casual and counter-paced, better suited to groups ordering across the menu than to anyone looking for a quiet table. Service has been a consistent strength at this location. For tacos with a wider menu and a lively room, it delivers on what the format promises.
What to orderDuck Carnitas Tacos, Baja Fish Tacos, Tableside Guacamole
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Five Points Pizza has held its spot in East Nashville since 2011, and the NY-style slices are the draw that keeps families and regulars coming back on a weekly basis. The margherita and pepperoni pizzas are the menu anchors. The room seats walk-ins, staff handle late arrivals well, and the format stays genuinely casual. Consistency can vary visit to visit, but the best version of this pizza is among the better NY-style pies Nashville has to offer.
What to orderMargherita Pizza, Pepperoni Pizza, Caesar Salad
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Mas Tacos Por Favor started as a converted Winnebago taco truck in 2008 before Teresa Mason moved it into a Five Points brick-and-mortar. The carnitas, carne asada, and al pastor tacos are the foundation; the house jalapeño salsa is the thing to add. The room runs counter service at a quick pace, the prices stay at the low end, and the line out the door on busy days moves faster than it looks. It is a genuine East Nashville institution.
What to orderCarnitas Tacos, Carne Asada Tacos, Al Pastor Tacos
12 South $$
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The Butter Milk Ranch runs weekend brunch and breakfast service in Nashville with buttermilk biscuits, sausage gravy, chicken and waffles, and a breakfast burrito as the core of the menu. The room draws consistent praise for both the food and the service, and the build-out has its own presence. Waits are real on busy mornings but the room works through them. For a Nashville brunch spot that functions well for families and small groups, this one earns its following.
What to orderButtermilk Biscuits with Sausage Gravy, Classic Chicken and Waffles, Breakfast Burrito with Hash Browns
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Skull's Rainbow Room sits in Nashville's historic Printer's Alley and runs as a steakhouse and jazz venue. The dry-aged ribeye is the reason to book a table; the lobster tail and Gulf Coast oysters round out the menu for a special occasion. The room runs full-service with live jazz, upscale pricing, and close table spacing that keeps the energy up. For a date-night room in Davidson County that has actual history behind it, Skull's holds the lane.
What to orderDry-Aged Ribeye, Lobster Tail, Gulf Coast Oysters
Frequently asked
How were these Nashville gluten-free restaurants chosen?
Every restaurant on this list is ranked by Top of Nashville's Insider Score, which weighs customer feedback volume and consistency. No restaurant pays to be listed or featured.
Where can I find gluten-free restaurants near me in the Nashville metro?
This guide covers Davidson County restaurants. Top of Nashville also publishes guides for the collar counties, including Williamson (Franklin, Brentwood), Sumner (Hendersonville, Gallatin), Rutherford (Smyrna), and Wilson (Mt. Juliet). Use the search tool on the site to filter by city and dietary need.
Do any of these spots work for families with mixed dietary needs?
Several do. Monell's family-style spread, Martin's barbecue counter, and The Loveless Cafe all run broad menus where one person with dietary restrictions can eat alongside a table with different orders. Check individual menus directly before visiting, as preparation practices vary.
Are these restaurants ranked by the Insider Score?
Yes. The Insider Score appears next to each restaurant name on the page and reflects the strength and volume of customer feedback. The order here follows that score. No restaurant pays for placement, and the editorial team has not been compensated by any listing on this guide.
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The data first, then the verdict
We start with the review record, not a press release. Every room here is a real kitchen with a strong rating across a meaningful number of reviews, ranked on our 10-point Insider Score. We weight consistency over time and the rooms locals return to, not the ones tourists pass through once. The list updates as the data does. How we work →
Mary Beth Tucker
Guides Editor
Mary Beth runs the dish-by-dish beat across Nashville, building best-of lists neighborhood by neighborhood that point you somewhere specific. Her rankings start with the reviews and end with a recommendation you can use tonight.
