Howdy Nash
Howdy Nash
The local's guide to Nashville coffee. Eight shops worth the trip, sorted by neighborhood and by what you actually need from a cup.
Nashville's coffee scene grew up alongside the music. Local roasters set the bar, and neighborhood cafes from East Nashville to Germantown now serve a city that takes its coffee seriously.
This guide covers eight coffee shops worth a stop, where each one is, the vibe to expect, and what to order. It also sorts them by neighborhood and by what you need that morning, whether that is a quiet laptop spot, a long catch-up, or a fast walk-up cup. Pair it with the Nashville brunch guide if you want a full breakfast with the coffee.
519B Gallatin Avenue, East Nashville. The most design-forward coffee shop in the city, set in a converted East Nashville building with an industrial, motorcycle-shop look, records on the turntable, and slow, careful pour-overs. It is a destination, not a grab-and-go.
1886 Eastland Avenue, East Nashville. The East Nashville neighborhood cafe since 2008. Laptops, regulars, and an unpretentious room that fills with locals from open to close. The opposite of a scene, in the best way.
15 Hermitage Avenue, SoBro. A serious coffee roaster on the edge of downtown, with a wooden patio that looks over the Cumberland River. It is the closest specialty coffee to Lower Broadway and a calm break from the noise of the strip.
2509 12th Avenue South, 12 South. The all-day cafe that helped define 12 South. Coffee in the morning, a full food menu through the day, beer and wine into the evening. A Nashville institution, with locations across the city.
2108 8th Avenue South. A local roaster on 8th Avenue South, with a warm, low-key room and beans roasted in town. The name comes from the street, and the focus is the coffee itself.
2007 Belmont Boulevard. Nashville's oldest coffee house, in a converted house next to Belmont University. College energy, a full breakfast menu, and a porch. It has been a neighborhood fixture for decades.
603 Taylor Street, Germantown. A modern specialty shop in Germantown, clean and bright, as known for its coffee soda as for its espresso. An easy stop on a walk through the neighborhood's restaurant row.
3431 Murphy Road, Sylvan Park. A neighborhood coffee and tea spot on Murphy Road in Sylvan Park, with a food menu and a steady local crowd. Off the tourist track, which is the point.
Pick the shop by what you need that morning, not just by what is closest.
| If you want | Go to |
|---|---|
| To get work done on a laptop | Ugly Mugs, East Nashville |
| To catch up with a friend | Frothy Monkey, 12 South |
| A serious pour-over | Barista Parlor, East Nashville |
| Breakfast with the coffee | Bongo Java, Belmont |
| A fast walk-up cup | 8th & Roast, 8th Avenue South |
| The latest hours and an evening option | Frothy Monkey, which serves into the evening |
Howdy Nash is the free Nashville travel app. Save the coffee shops near your hotel, get walking distances, and ask the AI concierge what is good nearby.
Most open by 6 or 7am and close around 6 or 7pm. Plan coffee for the morning or early afternoon. True late-night coffee is limited in Nashville. Frothy Monkey is the one on this list that stays open into the evening.
Ugly Mugs in East Nashville is the classic work spot, with room, a relaxed pace, and a regulars-with-laptops crowd. Crema and 8th & Roast also hold up for a focused hour.
Frothy Monkey and Bongo Java run full kitchens with breakfast and lunch. Barista Parlor and Dose have food menus as well. The roaster-focused shops, 8th & Roast and Steadfast, keep it to pastries and light bites.
Barista Parlor. The design, the records, and the careful coffee give you something to talk about. Crema's riverside patio is the runner-up in warm weather.
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