Music City Magnolia · Crieve Hall, Nashville
So You’re Staying at Magnolia…
Now What?
Your insider guide to the best food, bars, mornings, and moments near Nashville’s most charming residential neighborhood.
Magnolia
Crieve Hall · Nashville, TN
Crieve Hall Nashville: A Local Neighborhood Guide
You didn’t book a hotel on Lower Broadway. You booked a home — a real one, in a real Nashville neighborhood, on a tree-lined street where people actually live. That’s Crieve Hall. And once you spend a day here, you’ll understand why locals who move in rarely leave.
Crieve Hall is about six and a half miles south of downtown Nashville, tucked between the buzzy commercial corridors of Melrose and 8th Avenue South, with easy shots in any direction — Green Hills to the west, 12 South to the north, Berry Hill to the east. It’s a mid-century neighborhood of wide lots, mature shade trees, and brick ranch houses that haven’t been torn down and replaced with “tall-and-skinnies.” The neighborhood association is active, the streets are quiet after 10 p.m., and Crieve Hall Bagel Co. is practically walking distance. It’s classic Americana, but closer to a Thai restaurant with a James Beard nod than you’d expect.
What you won’t find here: a rooftop bar on every corner, a mechanical bull, a pedal tavern. What you will find: exceptional food within five minutes, a genuine local vibe, and neighbors who wave. This is the Nashville that Nashvillians actually choose. You landed in the good part.
Good to know: Crieve Hall is a residential neighborhood, which means you’ll want a car (or rideshare) for most outings. Parking is easy everywhere in this part of town. The nearest grocery is a short drive — Publix and Whole Foods in Green Hills are both under 10 minutes. Stock up when you arrive.
Who Magnolia Is Perfect For
If you’ve got a group of up to 9 people who actually want to spend time together — not just share a roof — Magnolia was built for you. It’s the rare rental where the hangout space is as considered as the bedrooms. Family reunions, friend trips, graduation weekends (Lipscomb University is just minutes away), couples traveling together, multi-generational visits — Magnolia handles all of it without anyone feeling like they drew the short straw on the pull-out couch.
There are four proper bedrooms: a queen pillowtop primary, an organic king guest room, a third queen, and a converted king fourth bedroom. Two bathrooms serve nine people surprisingly well when you’ve got a covered gazebo patio and a whole basement to spread out in.
Magnolia Nashville: Private Karaoke Bar & Lounge
Most vacation rentals give you a couch and a TV and call it a common area. Magnolia has The Lounge — a fully designed basement entertainment space that’s the reason groups keep booking this house year after year. When you don’t feel like going out, you genuinely don’t have to. Everything you need is already downstairs.
Bar fridge, glassware, the works. BYOB and set up properly.
Full karaoke setup, plus guitar, mics, tambourine, and bongos.
Extra-large sectional for movie nights, watching the game, or just hanging.
Because someone always wants a photo. Might as well make it a good one.
The ninth sleeping spot, doubles as a lounge sectional anchor.
Covered gazebo with outdoor speakers. Charcoal grill. Fenced yard.
The granite breakfast bar in the kitchen seats all nine of you, so nobody eats in shifts. Outside, the covered gazebo patio with outdoor speakers is the move when Nashville weather cooperates (which it often does, even in winter). The backyard is fenced — great for the dog, great for kids, great for keeping the party contained so the neighbors can sleep.
Best Restaurants Near Crieve Hall & Green Hills Nashville
Here’s the thing about eating near Crieve Hall: you are genuinely well-positioned. The Melrose corridor and 8th Avenue South run through some of Nashville’s best neighborhood restaurants — the kind that food writers know about but tourists don’t always find. You have options from legendary meat-and-three lunch counters to Michelin-starred chef’s counter tasting menus, often within a 10-minute drive of each other.
Neighborhood Pizza
You might actually be able to walk to this one. Yogi’s sits in the heart of Crieve Hall at 4825 Trousdale Drive — Neapolitan-inspired pizza from a local owner who lives in the neighborhood and opened this place during COVID because he believed in it. The ice cream is a non-negotiable second stop. Order both.
Healthy Southern
Nashville’s favorite healthy lunch spot, and one of those places you’ll discover and immediately think “why don’t we have this at home?” Rotisserie chicken, Caribbean-inflected salads, the famous Black Bean Salad, house-made dressings by the pint. It’s fast, filling, and genuinely good for you. The Thompson Lane location is closest to Magnolia.
Thai — Best in Nashville
Voted Best Thai in Nashville four years running by both the Tennessean and Nashville Scene, and the votes are correct. A small, family-owned spot on 8th Avenue South with pad thai that will ruin all other pad thai for you. It fills up fast at dinner — arrive early or expect a wait. Worth it either way.
Nashville Hot Chicken
If there’s one thing you have to eat in Nashville, it’s hot chicken — and Hattie B’s Melrose location on 8th Avenue South is the one locals actually go to. Go medium if you’re not sure about heat. Order the pimento mac and cheese, the seasoned fries, and the banana pudding. There’s usually a line. There’s always a reason.
Legendary Meat-and-Three
Arnold’s has been serving lunch on 8th Avenue South since 1983, won a James Beard American Classics Award in 2009, and earned a Michelin nod. It’s cafeteria-style — you choose your meat and three sides, you sit wherever there’s room, you eat food that tastes like someone’s grandmother made it. Expect a line down the block. Show up before 11:30 or reconcile yourself to the wait. It is absolutely, unconditionally worth it. Lunch only, and they sell out.
Sushi + Soft Serve
Chicago’s beloved sushi restaurant arrived in Nashville on 12th Avenue South, led by Master Sushi Chef Kaze Chan. Top-quality fish, binchotan-roasted meats, old-school hip-hop playing in the background. The walk-up soft serve window is a whole thing — Hokkaido vanilla, pineapple whip, dipped cones. Do not skip it. The soft serve window operates separately from the main restaurant, starting at 3 p.m. weekdays.
Tacos + Patio
The 12 South bartaco is a reliable crowd-pleaser for groups: street-style tacos, a long tequila list, rice bowls for the non-taco contingent, and a patio worth sitting on. The ordering model (scan and order from your phone) keeps large-group tabs simple. Go for lunch and skip the wait.
Local Burgers
Berry Hill’s best-kept burger secret, just minutes from Magnolia. Locally sourced, gourmet but not pretentious — the kind of place where the menu is genuinely good and the vibe is exactly right. The Jumpback Jack is the move. Outdoor patio, good beer list, easy parking.
Photo courtesy Hattie B’s Hot Chicken / hattieb.com
Special Occasion: Book the Catbird Seat Now
If your group has one night where you want to do something truly memorable, The Catbird Seat is Nashville’s most exciting dining experience and one of the best restaurants in the country right now. It’s a Michelin-starred, chef’s counter tasting menu — 13-plus courses at an open kitchen where you watch chefs Tiffani Ortiz and Andy Doubrava cook every dish. The restaurant sits atop the Bill Voorhees Building on 8th Avenue South, just up the road from you. Reservations open monthly and disappear immediately. Book it the moment you know your travel dates — don’t wait until you’re already in Nashville.
Courtyard Dining at RH Green Hills
If you want a lunch or dinner that feels aspirational without requiring a month’s advance notice, the RH Courtyard Restaurant at RH Nashville in Green Hills is a genuine stunner. It’s a courtyard restaurant tucked inside the 70,000-square-foot Restoration Hardware gallery — dining beneath a glass-and-steel atrium with fountains, heritage olive trees, and chandeliers. Timeless American menu, good wine list, and a room that photographs beautifully. It’s not on a rooftop, it’s not in the Gulch — it’s in a furniture showroom in Green Hills, which sounds strange until you walk in and immediately understand. About a 10-minute drive from Magnolia.
Best Bars Near Green Hills Nashville
Crieve Hall’s proximity to the Melrose / 8th Ave South corridor means you have excellent bar options that aren’t on every tourist’s radar. Add in a few downtown Nashville classics and you’ve got a week’s worth of nights out sorted before you even unpack.
Dive Bar Classic
Nashville’s most iconic dive bar has been running since 1944 — same underground spot on 8th Avenue South, same no-nonsense vibe. Pool, ping pong, shuffleboard, darts, cheap beer, and a place that’s managed to survive everything Nashville has thrown at it. It’s in the basement of a building with no signage. The lack of signs is the sign you found it.
Modern American Diner + Bar
Named after a Kevin Bacon movie and built on the site of a former bowling alley (the bar is literally made from a salvaged bowling lane), Fenwick’s is the neighborhood diner Nashville always needed. Great breakfast and lunch all week, dinner service Thursday through Saturday. The Bloody Mary at brunch is correct. Right next door to Melrose Billiards — make an afternoon of it.
Greenhouse Vibes
An actual greenhouse turned bar in Green Hills — plants everywhere, natural light, drinks that lean botanical and seasonal. It’s the kind of place that photographs beautifully and tastes even better. Brunch runs Wednesday through Sunday. If your group has anyone who doesn’t love dive bars, this is where you take them.
Tennessee Spirits
Big Machine’s Berry Hill location on Bransford Avenue is the one to know for locals — Pickers Vodka, Borchetta Bourbon, Clayton James Tennessee Whiskey, and a full food menu with live music on weekends. Brunch seven days a week. The barrel room is available for private events if your group wants to get fancy about it.
Cocktail Bar — The Real Deal
An open-air tequila and taco bar in the Gulch with 14 varieties of margaritas, a 100-ounce paloma served in an upside-down cowboy hat, and a vibe that leans fun-and-festive rather than scene-y. The food at brunch is genuinely good — flan French toast, a monster breakfast torta, guajillo-maple pork belly. Day drinking here before a Titans game is a Nashville tradition worth adopting.
Speakeasy — Sophisticated
One of Nashville’s most celebrated cocktail bars, now perched on the fifth floor of the Bill Voorhees Building on 8th Avenue South. James Beard–recognized, Bon Appétit–approved, running since 2009. The menu is a novel of creative cocktails and the bartenders know what they’re doing. Limited reservations, primarily first-come first-served — go early or expect a wait on weekends. Valet available Wednesday through Saturday.
The Lounge Option
Worth saying plainly: some of the best nights at Magnolia happen without leaving the house. The Lounge has a full bar, a karaoke system, live instruments, surround sound, and an extra-large sectional. For groups who came to Nashville to actually hang out together — not just sleep in the same zip code — this is the setup you came for. BYOB from the nearest liquor store, fire up the karaoke, and let the night sort itself out.
Best Coffee & Breakfast Near Crieve Hall Nashville
Mornings at Magnolia tend to unfold slowly — the kitchen has a granite breakfast bar that seats everyone, so there’s no rush to find a cafe. But when the group is ready to venture out, you’ve got excellent options within a few minutes.
Neighborhood Staple
Sourdough bagels made from scratch, practically in your backyard. The original Crieve Hall location at 4825 Trousdale Drive opens at 6:30 a.m. seven days a week, which means you can have excellent bagels before Nashville has finished sleeping. This is where the neighborhood goes on Saturday mornings. Join them.
Diner Breakfast
The modern diner in Melrose opens at 7 a.m. on weekdays, 7 a.m. on weekends — a full American breakfast menu with Bongo Java coffee, a proper Bloody Mary, and a bar counter made from an actual salvaged bowling lane. It’s the kind of place you go once and then go back every morning. Fair warning.
Grocery tip: For a relaxed morning at the house, stock the kitchen before your trip starts. Publix at Hill Center and Whole Foods in Green Hills are both roughly 8–10 minutes from Magnolia. The Kroger on Nolensville Pike is even closer. Pick up coffee, eggs, and whatever else your group needs — the kitchen has everything you need to cook.
Music, Entertainment & What’s Nearby
Magnolia sits at the intersection of several of Nashville’s most interesting neighborhoods — you’re close enough to downtown that nothing requires a long commitment, but far enough removed that you’re not fighting tourist crowds every time you want lunch.
12 South
Nashville’s most walkable neighborhood district — boutiques, coffee shops, restaurants, and that mural everyone photographs. The 12 South strip is compact and genuinely pleasant to walk. Sushi San, bartaco, and the beloved Las Paletas popsicle shop are all here. A 10-minute drive north of Magnolia and always worth a wander.
Live Music
The legendary songwriter-in-the-round venue in Green Hills — closer to Magnolia than most tourists realize. Tickets go fast, so book ahead on their website. This is where Nashville’s real songwriting community performs, not the tourist-facing honky-tonks on Broadway. The room holds about 100 people. It’s always intimate, and the writing is always good.
Nature
A 1,368-acre state natural area just minutes from Magnolia — hiking trails through old-growth forest, a lake, wildlife (herons, deer, the occasional mink), and a genuine sense of quiet that’s rare this close to a major city. No bikes, no jogging on the inner loop trail. It’s a contemplative kind of park. Perfect for a morning walk before a long day of eating.
Graduation Weekend
Lipscomb’s campus is just minutes from Magnolia, which makes this house the natural graduation weekend base. Spring commencement at Allen Arena draws big families, and Magnolia’s four bedrooms and group-ready layout means no one is stuck in a hotel. Book Magnolia early for May graduation weekends — these dates fill quickly.
Hillsboro Village
The charming strip near Belmont University with coffee shops, bookstores, and an old-school movie theater (the Belcourt). It’s quiet, neighborhood-y, and a nice afternoon when the group wants something lower-key. Pancake Pantry nearby for a classic Nashville breakfast experience — get there early, there’s always a line.
Green Hills Shopping
Nashville’s most upscale shopping district is less than 10 minutes away. The Mall at Green Hills has everything you’d expect, plus the RH Nashville gallery next door with that glass-atrium courtyard restaurant. If anyone in your group needs a nice dinner spot with no planning required, you can walk into RH and usually get a table.
Photo: Kaldari / Wikimedia Commons / CC0 Public Domain
Your Crieve Hall Nashville Weekend Itinerary
You don’t have to follow this. But if you’ve got three days and a group of people who want to see the Nashville locals actually know, here’s a flow that works.
Friday Evening — Arrive & Settle In
Get to Magnolia, unpack, fire up the patio. Pick up provisions at Whole Foods in Green Hills on the way in — beer, wine, snacks, coffee for tomorrow. Once everyone’s settled, head to Big Machine Distillery’s Berry Hill tavern for a round of Pickers Vodka cocktails and easy Southern food before calling it an early night. Or don’t — the karaoke system in The Lounge is right there, and someone in your group has been practicing.
Saturday Morning — Bagels and a Walk
Walk or drive to Crieve Hall Bagel Co. for fresh sourdough bagels. If the weather is cooperating, drive over to Radnor Lake for a morning walk — you’ll be back for lunch in under two hours.
Saturday Lunch — Arnold’s or Bust
Get to Arnold’s Country Kitchen by 11 a.m. if you can. Choose your meat, choose your three sides, find a seat, eat slowly, think about how much you underestimated Nashville’s lunch scene. Plan accordingly for the rest of the afternoon, because you’ll be full.
Saturday Afternoon — 12 South
Walk the 12 South strip — boutiques, people-watching, and then Sushi San’s soft serve window at 3 p.m. when it opens. A pineapple whip cone is the correct afternoon decision.
Saturday Evening — Hot Chicken, Then Cocktails
Dinner at Hattie B’s Melrose — go around 5:30 to beat the rush. After, walk next door or drive over to Melrose Billiards for a round of pool in the basement. Then, depending on your group’s stamina, either Patterson House for serious cocktails or The Lounge back at Magnolia for the after-party you packed yourself.
Sunday — A Slow Morning, Then RH
Breakfast at Fenwick’s 300 with coffee and a Bloody Mary. Spend the morning at RH Green Hills for a long lunch in the courtyard — the glass-and-steel atrium, the fountain, the chandeliers. It’s the kind of place that extends your mood past the point where you’d normally be ready to go home. Afterward, walk the four stories of the RH gallery and browse furniture you probably won’t buy but will absolutely photograph.
Sunday Evening — Fire Pit Send-Off
Pick up takeout from Smiling Elephant or Calypso, light the fire pit, turn on the outdoor speakers. Nashville evenings on this patio feel longer than they are. Good.
Magnolia Nashville Vacation Rental: What to Know
Getting Around
Crieve Hall is a residential neighborhood — you’ll want a car or rideshare access for most outings. The good news is that parking is free and easy almost everywhere in this part of Nashville. Melrose, Berry Hill, 12 South, and Green Hills all have street parking or surface lots. Downtown is a different story — use a rideshare if you’re going to the Gulch or Lower Broadway on a weekend night.
Groceries
Stock up when you arrive. The closest full grocery options are Publix at Hill Center (Green Hills) and Whole Foods in Green Hills, both about 8–10 minutes away. There’s also a Kroger on Nolensville Pike if you need something fast. For specialty items, the Turnip Truck in the Gulch carries local and organic products.
Noise and Neighbors
Magnolia is in a real residential neighborhood where real people live — and the fenced backyard and covered patio are the right move for outdoor hangouts. Nashville has noise ordinances, and the Magnolia team takes good neighbor relations seriously. The Lounge is downstairs for a reason. Keep the outdoor music at a reasonable level after 10 p.m. and you’ll have a perfect stay.
Pets
Magnolia is dog-friendly (with a pet fee). The backyard is fully fenced, which is genuinely excellent for dogs who don’t know they’re in a city. There’s a great dog-walking path nearby along the Ellington Agricultural Center trails, just a short drive away.
Washer/Dryer
Available for weekly stays. For shorter stays, the nearest laundromat is a quick drive. It’s not a dealbreaker — pack accordingly or plan a pit stop.
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