The Loveless Cafe

"Loveless Cafe is a Nashville institution. Tourists make the 30-minute pilgrimage out west to pay their respects to its legendary biscuits and eat them in the same diner where Dolly Parton and Taylor Swift once drew breath. It’s one of those iconic places you have to mark off your travel bingo car—like Times Square or the world’s largest ball of twine—and then never go back. Why? Because the food isn’t particularly good. The biscuits turn into a raw, uncomfortably doughy clump in your mouth and most of the meats seem to be shouldering through a particularly dry season. The grits and hashbrown casserole swoop in to save the day, but so many of the items leave you feeling like John Travolta in Pulp Fiction looking around a room in confusion. photo credit: Loveless Cafe photo credit: Loveless Cafe photo credit: Loveless Cafe photo credit: Loveless Cafe No matter when you show up, there’ll be a wait to get in. Fortunately for you, Loveless has turned the former motel spaces on the property into a gift shop and market where you can kill time and buy a branded mug that says, “Praise the lard and pass the biscuits.” Once you’re seated, the service is quick, efficient, and bubbling over with that infamous Southern hospitality and friendly charm. Unfortunately, one cannot live on Southern hospitality alone. Food Rundown photo credit: Loveless Cafe Biscuits If you like your biscuits small and so doughy that they stick to the roof of your mouth like a hazardous glob of peanut butter, this is your happy place. They come with both strawberry and peach jam, which are delicious but aren’t enough to save the biscuits. Country Ham Loveless does a thinly sliced version of country ham, which doesn’t do the dish any favors. Country ham already leans a bit dry and salty, but slicing it thin just exacerbates the effect, making it almost the consistency of jerky. Cheese Grits The cheese variation is superior to the plain version. And Loveless gets the consistency just right. It’s a thick porridge of cheese and hominy that deserves an upgrade from a cup to a bowl. photo credit: Loveless Cafe Hashbrown Casserole Another gold-star side dish, the hashbrown casserole has a perfectly crispy exterior that gives way to warm and cheesy shredded potatoes. It is the standard for hasbrown casseroles around the south. Pimento Cheese And Fried Green Tomato Biscuit The fried green tomato and pimento cheese here would make any Southerner proud. We’d happily eat them on their own, sans biscuit. Pulled Pork Loveless has its own barbecue pit on the property, but this pulled pork ain’t it. Sure, the portion is huge, but it’s so dry it poses a choking hazard. Also, the barbecue sauce on top looks like a jellied glaze. Hard pass." - Jackie Gutierrez-Jones

"The Loveless Cafe draws fans from far and wide to the southwest outskirts of Nashville for its famed country cooking and setting. After more than 65 years of buildup, a visit to the charming landmark itself is at least as important as what’s on the plate, if not more so. But obviously, you’ll want to dig into some of the renowned biscuits — simplify things with a biscuit sampler platter, including your choice of four highlights like fried chicken, country ham, and pulled pork, available all day starting at 8 a.m. during the week and at 7 a.m. on Saturdays and Sundays." - Jackie Gutierrez-Jones

"The Loveless Cafe is hosting a Valentine’s Day brunch benefiting the Friends of Metro Animal Care and Control (MACC) on February 11. The event costs $45 and includes a full breakfast buffet with a red velvet pancake and waffle station, a custom pancake bar, a Loveless Cafe biscuit station, and a hot chocolate and coffee bar." - Jackie Gutierrez-Jones

"This homey South Nashville hotspot is so popular it released its own recipe cookbook, so you can recreate their peach blueberry pie, sorghum pecan pie, and steeplechase pie at home. If you’re not feeling up to cooking, they make their pies daily from scratch, so stop by and nibble on a slice or pick one up to go." - Clara Wang, Eater Staff

"Pre-order Even though the Loveless Cafe’s traditional Thanksgiving meal packs are sold out, you can still order one of their whole fudge, apple, steeplechase, pumpkin, and chess pies for $22.99. Order online through November 10 for pickup until November 23. And, if you’re tapping into that early bird energy, you can already start reserving your 2024 Thanksgiving meal pack here. Dine-in The Loveless Cafe will be open from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Thanksgiving selling their usual menu of Southern classics. No reservations, though — it’s first come, first served." - Clara Wang