Can you believe I was born and raised in Tennessee over 20 years, went back to visit multiple times a year for the next 15 years, and yet this was my first time to eat at the Loveless Cafe? It’s true! And it was worth the wait. But I won’t be waiting that long next time, and neither should you! Here is your guide to visiting, shopping, and eating well at the Loveless Cafe!

The Location

The Loveless is just to the southwest of Nashville, right on Highway 100. It’s about 35 minutes from the Nashville Airport (BNA), and about 30 minutes from Downtown Nashville. It all depends on traffic, but if you’re going from Nashville to the Loveless for breakfast, you’ll be going against the massive flow of traffic into town. You will need a car (or a friend with a car) to get here, though!

Read next: The Best FREE Things to Do in Nashville

The History

Lon and Annie Loveless started serving chicken and biscuits to people traveling on Highway 100 way back in 1951, and as their business grew, they started serving people out of their own home and even built a motel to host overnight travelers, too! Since then, the Loveless has been known for its biscuits and house-smoked country hams. Check out more about their story here.

Get a reservation around holidays and weekends, especially if you have a large group, because this Nashville icon feeds over half a million visitors a year! (And serves over 10,000 biscuits a day!) Check out their hall of fame to see the many actors, chefs, music stars (of multiple genres) who have all come to the Loveless for true Southern fare.

More here: Your Ultimate Guide to Solo Travel in Nashville

The Shops

You know you’re going to want to take a piece of the Loveless with you. They have three shops on the property where you’ll find everything from ham and bacon to jams and jellies, biscuit mix to locally-made jewelry, and tee shirts to pottery! Can’t take it with you? (Airlines have rules, you know.) They will also ship items to you, or you can simply order online!

Also helpful: The Top 5 Ways to Shop Local in Your Travels

The Food

This is what you came for. The Loveless serves breakfast, lunch, and supper, and all of it is accompanied by homemade biscuits and jam. We went for a late breakfast after I flew in from D.C., but the Loveless is also famous for its barbecue sandwiches, hash brown casserole, and banana puddin’! Check out their full menu here, and come hungry!

Read on: The Best Places to Eat in Nashville

What to Do Nearby

The Loveless Cafe is the perfect place for breakfast on your way to any point south or west of Nashville. It’s a great breakfast or lunch stop on your way west to Memphis, or on the way south to Franklin, Columbia, Lynchburg, or a road trip down into Alabama.

It’s also just a couple of miles from Cheekwood, which is a beautiful mansion and garden (correction: 13 gardens) that you can tour while you’re out that way as well. Belle Meade Mansion is another historic home and property nearby if that is one of your favorite things to do!

Read next: Your Guide to Cheekwood in Nashville, TN

Want more? Get all my best Nashville info on my dedicated United States Page!

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