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The Duke's crew opened this Korean spot in Riverside Village with an Atlanta chef in the kitchen. Sit-down dinner, good cocktails, a little more considered than the rest of the East Side.

Hours not listed · Walk-in; reservations help on busy nights.

Right across from Basement East. Good burger. Get there before the line.

Open until 10 PM · Walk-in; reservations help on busy nights.

The original Barista Parlor. Big space, good coffee. Grab a table and stretch the afternoon before the show.

Open until 6 PM · Walk-in coffee stop.

This is the hot chicken shop you're looking for. Just don't get it above medium on your first try. Trust us.

Open through dinner · Walk-in; reservations help on busy nights.

Deep bins, genuine opinions. A good browse here can eat a loose afternoon. That is the point.

Open until 8 PM · Check shop hours before heading over.

Memphis fried chicken on Dickerson. Get it spicy.

Lunch & dinner · Walk-in; reservations help on busy nights.

A food hall with several kitchens. Grab a burger at Hugh Baby's, a gyro at Music City Gyros, or Vietnamese at Vui's. Useful when the group needs dinner without turning it into a reservation project.

Open through dinner · Counter-service food hall.

Curly fries, chicken on a stick, crispy burgers, and milk shakes thick enough to turn upside down. Maybe get one of each?

Open through dinner · Walk-in counter service.

A slower pre-show dinner room for nights when the meal should have its own space. Lockeland Table is special because it has something for everyone, with every dish done with more care than anyone else.

Dinner, closed Monday · Call ahead on busy nights.

Mas Tacos is an East Side staple. Order a lot, leave happy.

Tue–Sun 11am–9pm · Walk-in counter service.

Mitchell's IS Riverside Village. Relaxed, caring, neighborly. Here at The Rounds, we love the French dip, but we can't advise against anything else.

Daytime · Walk-in; reservations help on busy nights.

Beachy cocktails and a loose patio, useful when the first stop should feel social without getting too loud. Enjoy the tropics for an hour or two.

Late afternoon through late night · Great for groups; call ahead if needed.

A Texas-inflected East Nashville institution. The crunch wrap reigns supreme. The margs will get your day well underway.

Open late · Walk-in unless the bar says otherwise.

Butcher counter and meat-and-three. A gem of the community. Roy will probably greet you himself, and will make you feel like you should move to the neighborhood.

Daytime · Walk-in; reservations help on busy nights.

A relative newcomer to the East Side, Schulman's already feels like part of its fabric. Classic rock blaring, greasy eats cooking, and a neon-lit, smoke-filled back patio. Good for a quick bite during the day or an extended--and we mean extended--hang at night.

Open through dinner · Walk-in friendly; call ahead for larger groups.

Take a walk along the Shelby Bottoms trailway. Get a little lost. Wander and wonder for a while.

Dawn to dusk · Walk-in.

Sandwiches and fried things from the Turkey and the Wolf crew, now in East Nashville. You'll like the lights and the decor. You'll want to hang for a while. Get the burger.

Daytime through early evening · Walk-in; reservations help on busy nights.

Ramen (try the tonkotsu!), izakaya snacks, and a deep Japanese whiskey list. Better for a seated dinner than a quick pre-show bite.

Dinner hours · Call ahead on busy nights.

A record shop and bar on Gallatin, best when the pre-show move can be a deliberate east side detour. Stay for a show, or jump across to Schulman's for another round.

Hours not listed · Walk-in.

Wilburn is the neighborhood bar in McFerrin. Have a whiskey, talk about a whole lotta love or a whole lot of nothing. Stay long enough, and you may get some extra tunes.

Open late · Walk-in unless the bar says otherwise.

No menu — tell them what you like, they figure it out. Worth the detour.

Sun–Thu 5pm–2am, Fri–Sat 4pm–2am · Walk-in unless the bar says otherwise.

A small bar on Dickerson that gets quieter and better the later it gets. Go late.

Open late · Walk-in unless the bar says otherwise.

The Coral Club feels like SoCal by way of Mars. The crowd looks the part. Their team makes good drinks, too.

Open late · Walk-in unless the bar says otherwise.

The best burger spot in Nashville. Grab a bacon cheeseburger, special sauce, animal style fries. You'll be back.

Open late · Walk-in bar food.

Duke's is the bar of bars, our favorite in the whole city. The drinks are cheap and stout. The DJs hit every time. The bartenders and owners embody the closeness and creativity of this big small town.

Open late · Walk-in bar.

Tiki bar, kitsch, good punch drinks. Strange and easy. Good after a show.

Open late · Walk-in unless the bar says otherwise.

Underneath Basement East. The after-show that requires no planning — you are already there.

Open late · Walk-in unless the bar says otherwise.

Dark. Glowing red. Great jukebox. Pool, darts. Smoky patio. Need we say more?

Open late · Walk-in bar.

Five Points cocktail bar. Good drinks, open late. End the night here.

Open late · Walk-in bar.

Riverside Village bar for one more stop without the debate about where to go.

Hours not listed · Walk-in unless the bar says otherwise.

Hang outside and have a beer. Take your time. Grab a pretzel, pet a dog. This is Riverside Village.

Open late · Walk-in unless the bar says otherwise.