Nashville Best Of 2026 · Best Diner
Elliston Place Soda Shop
Milkshakes from a real soda fountain, scratch-made meat-and-three plates, and homemade pie, all served at the same counter since 1939. The Soda Shop is our pick for the best diner in Nashville.
The Verdict
Why the Soda Shop Earns the Title
Nashville has plenty of diners, but only one has been serving the city from the same stretch of Elliston Place since 1939. Part classic soda fountain and part Southern meat-and-three, the Soda Shop serves breakfast all day, hearty plate lunches, and thick milkshakes that taste like they came straight out of another era.
Everything is cooked from scratch daily using time-tested recipes, from the fried chicken to the mashed sweet potatoes that reviewers call the best they’ve ever had. With 26 soda fountain flavors, homemade pies, and a staff that lives by the motto “Friends First, Customers Second,” it’s the kind of place that makes everyone feel like a regular.
1939
Serving Nashville Since
26
Soda Fountain Flavors
4
Generations Feeding Music Row
All Day
Breakfast Served
What to Order
Classics from the Counter
Pull up a stool and start with a plate lunch. Just be sure to save room for dessert.
The Meat-and-Three
Pick a meat like fried chicken, then add three scratch-made sides. Regulars swear by the mashed sweet potatoes, mac and cheese, and collard greens.
Milkshakes & Banana Splits
Thick, old-fashioned shakes and towering banana splits straight from the soda fountain, with 26 flavors to choose from. This is the heart of the Soda Shop.
Homemade Pie
Baked by Ms. Linda, the Soda Shop’s beloved pie lady. Grab a slice with your coffee, or take a whole pie home for later.
The Story
A Soda Fountain Since 1939
As a young man, Lynn Chandler pedaled from his family’s farm to work at Nashville pharmacies, learning the business from the ground up. The soda fountain was always his favorite part, and in 1939, at just 23 years old, he bought the soda fountain business of Elliston Pharmacy.
Chandler is credited with pioneering the three-vegetable plate that helped define Nashville’s meat-and-three tradition. His diner went on to feed Music Row’s songwriters, Vanderbilt students, and neighbors for four generations, and today the counter, the booths, and the scratch-made recipes still welcome guests just as they did in 1939.
“Friends First, Customers Second.”
The Soda Shop Motto
Plan Your Visit
A Seat at the Counter
The Soda Shop sits on Elliston Place in Midtown, near Vanderbilt and Centennial Park. It serves breakfast and lunch, with breakfast available all day.
Location
2105 Elliston Pl
Nashville, TN 37203
(615) 327-1090
In the heart of Midtown on Elliston Place.
Hours
Mon–Sat: 7:30 am – 4 pm
Sun: 9 am – 3 pm
Breakfast is served all day.
Good to Know
Celebrating something? The Soda Shop hosts birthdays and private events for groups of all sizes. A milkshake toast is highly recommended.
Save Room for Pie
Grab a booth for breakfast or lunch, or order online and take a taste of 1939 home.