Strip malls are more than a simple capitalistic necessity, dotting the landscape across this great continent of ours. Amid their UPS Stores, Papa John’s outposts and vape outlets, strip malls also hold cultural portals — independent establishments, from barbershops and nail salons to buffets and takeout spots, that can transport us.
Upon his death in 2018, the great Los Angeles food critic Jonathan Gold was termed “the Sultan of Stripmalls” by fellow food writer Justin Bolois. This is because Gold — who got his start at an alternative-weekly newspaper much like the Scene, and later became the first food critic in history to win a Pulitzer Prize for Criticism — wrote more about strip mall eateries than any journalist ever had and likely ever will. Gold taught high-minded food snobs and everyday consumers alike that the best food in the world isn’t cooked solely at fine-dining, white-tablecloth establishments by chefs with degrees from the Culinary Institute of America. You just might eat some of the best meals of your life around the corner at the local strip mall.
In this week’s issue, our annual Food & Drink Issue, Scene staff and contributors have rounded up 35 of Nashville’s finest strip-mall-based restaurants. Some of them are run by first-generation immigrants. Some are run by lifelong Nashvillians. Some have earned recognition from the Michelin Guide, or are helmed by James Beard Award semifinalists. Some are cash-only. But from pho and barbecue to hot pot and tacos, they all have something special going on. Did we stretch the definition of strip mall ever so slightly on one or two entries? Possibly. Who cares. The lineup is strong.
Read on, and then go eat. —D. PATRICK RODGERS, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Alebrije
Alebrije
604 Gallatin Ave., No. 203
Alebrije chef Edgar Victoria describes his innovative Mexico City street food as “if Momofuku was Mexican.” Sitting at the small chef’s counter enjoying his presentations of beautifully plated small dishes, it’s not difficult to agree with that assertion. Victoria is especially proud of his masa, made from imported corn that he grinds and nixtamalizes himself. He’s also determined to introduce locals to masa-made products that aren’t just tortillas as part of a taco or a burrito. Huaraches are literally a type of Mexican sandal, but as a food dish, they are fried, oblong, thick-rolled slabs of delicious masa that allow the corn to become one of the stars of the dish, rather than just a vessel for taco toppings. Victoria tops his huarache with vibrant salsa verde, creamy queso fresco, cilantro and salsa macha, a smoky condiment made from dried chiles, crushed nuts and seeds, like a Mexican chili crisp. Take that, David Chang! CHRIS CHAMBERLAIN
Anatolia
Anatolia Turkish Restaurant
48 White Bridge Road
Since 2003, long before Trader Joe’s attracted hordes to the Lion’s Head Village parking lot, Anatolia has been a destination for diners. The menu is plentiful with Turkish-American favorites. The sampler platter — with stuffed grape leaves, hummus, phyllo dough rolls and rose-petal jam — is a good way to try a number of staples before digging into the shish kabob and seafood entrées. Anatolia’s other bonus? Affordable prices at a Belle Meade address. MARGARET LITTMAN
Back to Cuba
Back to Cuba Cafe
15568 Old Hickory Blvd.
Back to Cuba is back! After four years, this Nashville classic relocated from its small spot on Trousdale Drive to a strip in Nippers Corner, which has a lot more space. The classic Cubano is an enormous sandwich made on fresh Cuban-style bread baked in house by co-owner Alejandro Martinez. It’s got two kinds of thick-sliced ham, tender pulled pork and melty cheese, topped with a thin layer of pickles, mustard and mayo. Not feeling like a sandwich? The menu is robust, featuring Cuban classics like ropa vieja, lechón asado and full fish fillets. And not only is Back to Cuba back — they’re also reproducing dishes from Mamma Mia, the defunct Italian spot that neighbored the old iteration and was owned by the same team. Thursdays feature a rotating cast of dishes from Mamma Mia’s Italian menu. ELIZABETH JONES
Bagelshop
2708 Donelson Pike
bagelshopnashville.com/donelson
We can debate which bagels are Nashville’s best. (And heaven knows we like to debate that.) But I love Bagelshop not just for its bagels. I also love it for the kind community vibe that permeates the strip mall. I love the true mixed-use vibe of Donelson Plaza, the different chef collabs that owners Max and Kayla Palmer cultivate and the fact that I can go there for a delicious lunch sandwich on a bagel — not just a bagel. The turkey arugula on a rosemary-and-sea-salt bagel at a corner table? A workday afternoon delight. MARGARET LITTMAN
Bejing Hot Pot
Beijing Hotpot
2000 Mallory Lane, No. 310, Franklin
Hot pot is, of course, the star of the show at this colorful Franklin restaurant, nestled in the corner of a collection of big box stores. If you can’t decide on a broth — or you’re dining with folks who are wimpy about spice — order a split pot to get new flavors out of your lineup of vegetables, noodles and proteins. Beijing Hotpot also offers an extensive menu of Chinese takeout staples and has added a dim sum menu (complete with classics like shumai and chicken feet) since opening roughly a year ago. ALEJANDRO RAMIREZ
Cledis Burgers
Cledis Burgers & Beer (Bellevue)
7648 Highway 70 S.
Burgers do not typically occupy my mind, but the Oklahoma Smash Burger at Cledis sure does. It’s priced at $8.99, and I wouldn’t change a thing about the simple masterpiece — topped with onion, cheese, pickle and Cledis sauce. And while people may not visit strip malls in search of ambience, Cledis’ Bellevue location defies that classification. I feel at home among the ’80s and ’90s pop-culture memorabilia, which provides endless fodder for conversation — not to mention Cledis’ unmistakable Midwest vibe. (It’s a Nashville business, but owner Shane Nasby’s grandfather Cledis, for whom the restaurant was named, was from Indiana.) Cledis Bellevue is the restaurant’s second location, with the original on Elm Hill Pike and a third recently opened in The Gulch. I’m now one of the legions who have embraced this gem. HANNAH HERNER
Dear Sushi
Dear Sushi
557A Stewarts Ferry Pike
I’m not going to pretend to be a sushi expert — I’m a big fan, but everything I like is relatively basic. (Your go-to is a crunchy shrimp roll with a few pieces of nigiri? How original!) But I have eaten a lot of sushi, and for my money, Donelson’s Dear Sushi has some of the freshest, tastiest rolls in town. Sure, it helps that it’s less than five minutes from my house, but I’d gladly travel farther to get it if necessary. With so many well-established sushi options in Nashville, Dear Sushi flies under the radar. Remedy that with a trip to the pristine eatery next time you’re in Donelson. LOGAN BUTTS
Edessa
Edessa Restaurant
3802 Nolensville Pike
I am not yet an expert on Kurdish and Turkish cuisine, but Nashville is perhaps the best place in the United States to pursue that goal. With the largest Kurdish community in the country, we are blessed to have access to establishments like Edessa Restaurant, one entry in the powerhouse selection of international cuisines that is Nolensville Pike. Start with hummus or patlican ezmesi, also known as baba ghanoush, for the table while you study the extensive menu. It’s nearly impossible to go back to grocery-store hummus after you experience Edessa’s fresh and simple offering, perfectly paired with soft pita. I suppose I’ll have to go back regularly. I’ve heard the Mediterranean diet helps you live longer, anyway. HANNAH HERNER
Fatbelly Pretzel
FatBelly Pretzel Bakery & Deli
921 Gallatin Ave.
Every so often I eat a sandwich that changes my life. A sandwich that, from the very first bite, you know to be unequivocally good. That’s what I experienced last year when I ate the Hamma Mia! at FatBelly Pretzel Bakery & Deli for the first time. Composed of ham, salami, mozzarella, artichoke cream, chili crisp, arugula and a drizzle of balsamic vinegar — all on fresh sourdough focaccia — the sandwich is delightfully flavorful and anything but boring. With a menu full of equally exciting sandwiches, salads and sweet and savory pretzels, there’s no shortage of options when dining at FatBelly. Housed next door to a physiotherapy office on Gallatin Avenue, its unassuming appearance makes it a sleeper pick for one of East Nashville’s best delis. JULIANNE AKERS
Hai Woon Dai
Hai Woon Dai
2051 Antioch Pike
In the corner unit of a low-slung strip mall on Antioch Pike, its various businesses dotted with small green awnings, is Hai Woon Dai — a self-described “Korean soul food & BBQ” joint. There are plenty of top-tier classics here, including beef bulgogi, bibimbap and a can’t-miss lineup of spicy soups and noodle dishes. But if you’re looking for a capital-E Experience, particularly with a group of four or more meat eaters, I implore you to go the barbecue route. Select the combination of meats that most speaks to you, and your server will help you prepare it right there at your table’s little in-set grill. (If your party is big and hungry enough, go with the H Combo, which features everything from pork belly and ribeye to marinated short rib and thinly sliced brisket. If you want to skip the barbecue experience, sit at a grill-free table up front.) With many great drink options, an adorable atmosphere and very helpful servers, Hai Woon Dai is a sneaky excellent spot for double (or triple) dates and birthday celebrations. D. PATRICK RODGERS
Honeyfire BBQ
HoneyFire Barbeque Co. (Bellevue)
8127 Sawyer Brown Road, Suite 304
The massive One Bellevue Place development off Highway 70 has many local food options. But tucked back by the complex’s AMC Bellevue 12 theater is one of the best barbecue restaurants in the city. HoneyFire’s burnt ends in particular are a flavor explosion — double-smoked brisket with brown sugar that caramelizes in the oven, leaving a crispy exterior over melt-in-your-mouth tender bites. Don’t skip the tricolor baked beans or the banana pudding (the latter made with Nutter Butters!). HoneyFire also has a location downtown in the Assembly Food Hall, with another coming soon to Brentwood. ELIZABETH JONES
King Tut's
King Tut’s
3716 Nolensville Pike
What’s this I keep hearing about “the Mediterranean diet”? I can only hope it involves doctor’s orders to eat at King Tut’s every day that Chef Rocky and his crew are open at their brick-and-mortar spot near the zoo. The man is such a master of flavors and techniques that he can capture my imagination with something as seemingly simple as grilled eggplant. Whenever we have time, folks in my circle like to just let him work his magic on whatever he’s cooking that day via the rotating mezze plate, but if you’re in need of a bite on the go, the falafel plate elevates the humble cake of fried chickpea batter to rarified heights. Plus, despite the beautiful covered patio being located on the back corner of a horseshoe-shaped shopping center, sitting there on a nice day feels like taking a vacation. STEPHEN TRAGESER
Lemongrass Thai
Lemongrass Thai
73 White Bridge Road, No. 107
You have to be careful if you invite a friend to dine with you at Lemongrass Thai. It’s a common name for Thai restaurants, and there are others in Brentwood and Murfreesboro — plus there used to be one in Bellevue. So when I ask my friend to join me, I say, “It’s the one in the same strip mall on White Bridge as J. Alexander’s.” This is a very intentional choice of phrasing for me, because I’ve always admired how J. Alexander’s has managed to remain so dependably excellent through the years, no matter which location I visit. Is the food transcendent? Not usually, but it’s solid and stolid and delicious. That’s also how I feel about Lemongrass Thai. With a menu of Thailand’s greatest hits (among Westerners) plus some deeper cuts and a few Japanese options, there’s something for just about everyone to love on the menu. CHRIS CHAMBERLAIN
Miss Saigon
Miss Saigon
5849 Charlotte Pike
Miss Saigon got me started on Vietnamese food. This Old Nashville staple, opened in 1998, has converted my naive taste buds. It’s a great quiet place to have a deep conversation (to talk to a potential date, or to ensure that folks with hearing challenges can hear you). It’s also a great pho spot, but I am partial to the soft spring rolls and the cold vermicelli noodles served with chicken and an egg roll. Miss Saigon lives in a powerful strip on Charlotte Pike that also includes beloved international grocery store K&S World Market. I love shopping at K&S, but I leave preparation of delicious Vietnamese dishes to Miss Saigon. HANNAH HERNER
Mozzerella Pizzeria
Mozzarella Pizzeria
3912 Lebanon Pike, Hermitage
There’s true joy in discovering a hidden gem in a strip mall — locating a new favorite in an unassuming spot. Mozzarella Pizzeria is the latest dose of that for me. This particular strip mall parking lot and Mozzarella’s neighbors don’t scream “delicious restaurant.” But when you get hit with that mouthwatering aroma upon entry, you’ll know you’ve found the right place. If I’m craving pasta, Mozzarella Pizzeria’s chicken Alfredo has become my top draft pick. The pizzas are great too — order a supreme or the House Favorite (pepperoni, sausage and mushrooms), and you won’t be disappointed. LOGAN BUTTS
Ninki Sushi
Ninki
8121 Sawyer Brown Road
When the venerable strip mall Belle Meade Plaza was demolished, I worried about the future of my go-to spot Ninki. The Japanese hibachi and sushi mainstay has risen from the rubble and made the leap to One Bellevue Plaza (not far from the aforementioned HoneyFire), adding Korean barbecue grills at the new location. I’ve never had a bad night witnessing a hibachi performance, but the restaurant’s regular table service (sans fire) is still a vibe — and one with close proximity to the hibachi. In addition to the traditional chicken hibachi dish, I love the Dancing Girl Roll if I’m in the mood for sushi — and the classic house salad with ginger dressing and miso soup hits every time. Plus, the new location near AMC Bellevue 12 makes it an easy dinner-and-a-movie date locale. From one strip mall to another, Ninki remains a favorite west of the Cumberland River. HANNAH HERNER
Noko
Noko
701 Porter Road
How beautiful is it that one of Nashville’s most popular fine-dining destinations — and the readers’ poll winner for Best Restaurant in the Scene’s 2025 Best of Nashville issue — is located in a strip mall? (That is, so long as you consider East Nashville’s Shops at Porter East a strip mall, which for the purposes of this far-ranging roundup we most certainly do.) From bluefin tuna crudo to a decadent 42-ounce tomahawk ribeye and one of the more addictive coconut cakes I’ve ever tasted (blame it on the addition of wood-charred pineapple), founder Jon Murray, managing partner Wilson Brannock, executive chef Dung “Junior” Vo and their team have been perfecting their wood-fired, Asian-inspired dishes for three years now. And they’re doing it at a relatively high volume, in the space formerly home to Italian restaurant Pomodoro East. Murray and company put an unusually high priority on service, hoping to send diners on their way with warm memories and full stomachs. This makes Noko a prime choice for special occasions. D. PATRICK RODGERS
Noodle Essence
Noodle Essence
5539 Edmondson Pike
If you go to a place called Noodle Essence, it’s imperative that you get a noodle dish. The Lanzhou beef noodle soup is the signature option — the soup’s namesake Chinese city is where Noodle Essence’s chef learned to make hand-pulled noodles. Select your favorite from five noodle shape options (I’m partial to the thin, wide, flat noodle), and your soup is completed with beef bone broth, braised beef, radish, cilantro, garlic chives and chili oil. Recently rebranded from Evergreen Express in the same location, Noodle Essence has some Chinese takeout classics, but the noodle soup is the star, and is best enjoyed in the dining room. And a dry cleaner, a nail salon, a Great Clips and a UPS Store in the same strip offer elite errand-stacking options when you’re through. HANNAH HERNER
Noosh
Noôsh
21 White Bridge Road
Across the street from Anatolia (White Bridge Road has a lot of strip malls) is Noôsh, a newer addition to the area that opened last year. Owner Naz Kiani’s Iranian food has quickly become a Nashville essential. Friendly and knowledgeable staff are available to guide diners who are not familiar with Persian cuisine, but there’s hardly a miss on the menu if you want to go it alone. Highlights include the vegetable kebabs as part of the three-course “Feast,” saffron ice cream and fesenjan, a thick stew of walnuts and pomegranate. MARGARET LITTMAN
Olle Korean
Ollè Korean Eats
70 White Bridge Pike
It’s just best practice not to shop at Trader Joe’s when you’re hungry. After fighting the old Lion’s Head Village parking lot on White Bridge Road, dodging fanatical Raising Caniacs making their second pass around the pickup window, you’re too weak to make good choices at TJ’s. (The whole store is basically one big impulse buy with wine, after all.) Fortunately, now you can quash the hunger pangs at Ollè Korean Eats just a few doors down from the home of the (recently increased) 23-cent banana. The attractive Korean cafe features a well-stocked takeaway case filled with Korean staples and banchan, as well as sweet baked goods. The menu offers classic dishes like fried cutlets and sweet/spicy/savory bibimbap, but the dish I return to is the jeyuk kimbap. This seaweed-wrapped rice roll is stuffed with spicy marinated pork, pickled radish, crunchy veggies and egg. It’s delicious and also protein-rich, in case that’s your current obsession. CHRIS CHAMBERLAIN
Osh
Osh Restaurant & Grill
216 Thompson Lane
instagram.com/oshrestaurantgrill
I’ve never been to Uzbekistan — one of just two countries in the world that are doubly landlocked, which means they’re entirely surrounded by nations that are also landlocked — and I won’t claim fluency in its cuisine. But Osh Restaurant & Grill, tucked along Thompson Lane, is my family’s current favorite dinner spot. My 9-year-old orders the lamb kebabs without hesitation. They are seared and juicy, and far more flavorful and nuanced than typical children’s menu fare. My favorite is the lagman — a dish of noodles, broth, lamb and vegetables — which, on paper at least, seems like an unusual arrangement. But I’ve never tasted a better version of comfort food. The savory broth is rich without heaviness, and the hand-pulled noodles are tender and elastic. A side of Uzbek bread flecked with sesame seeds is essential here to soak up any leftovers. LAURA HUTSON HUNTER
Phat Bites
Phat Bites
2730 Lebanon Pike
Situated as Phat Bites is next to a Donelson hardware store — with a patio that looks over a parking lot, towering bags of mulch and Lebanon Pike — you wouldn’t think from a glance that it would be big on atmosphere. But Phat Bites is something uniquely its own on the inside, part dive bar, part hippie hangout. The all-day joint offers dishes with punny names and a deli menu featuring unusual combinations, such as a caprese with sunflower seeds. The Hummus Envy, a sample platter of different varieties of hummus with warm pita, is a reliable answer to late-night hunger pangs. MARGARET LITTMAN
Pho Ann
Pho Ann
7073 Highway 70 S.
In a Bellevue shopping center home to a UPS Store and a Sally Beauty, Pho Ann is just about the epitome of a hidden strip mall restaurant gem. Since I moved to Nashville more than a year ago, I’ve been on the hunt for the best pho in town — and Pho Ann ranks near the top of my list. I truly believe a bowl of its ribeye and brisket pho on a rainy day could heal the deepest of wounds. I like to eat mine, in the words of my Southern family, “doctored up” with the provided hoisin sauce, bean sprouts and herbs. This paired with their red Thai milk tea with boba makes for a perfectly spent Sunday. JULIANNE AKERS
Prince's Hot Chicken Shack
Prince’s Hot Chicken
5814 Nolensville Pike, No. 110
Newer arrivals to Nashville might not know that we came this close to not having Prince’s Hot Chicken in our lives. Through the decades, the Prince family — the originators of a dish that is now internationally popular — fought the idea of operating multiple locations, preferring to move from chicken shack to chicken shack like a hermit crab inheriting a new shell. Despite numerous opportunities to expand as far away as Dubai, Prince family matriarch André Prince Jeffries resisted until a close family friend convinced her to open a second outpost on Nolensville Road at Old Hickory Boulevard. And it’s a good thing too, because not long afterward, we were back down to one Prince’s location after a car crashed into the first strip mall location and closed that restaurant forever. (They now have several locations, including Assembly Food Hall and the Tanger Outlets in Antioch.) Even though the Prince family has chosen slow growth over accelerated growth — unlike Dave’s Hot Chicken, which grew to 300-plus locations and sold for $1 billion — when it comes to Nashville hot chicken, I still believe that Prince’s will always be the first, the best and the one I suggest! CHRIS CHAMBERLAIN
Sam's Gyro
Sam’s Kabab Gyro
7114 Highway 70 S., No. 110
One of the things I miss most about living in Bellevue is popping by Sam’s to grab a gyro while chatting a bit of soccer with the staff. Gyros are like pizza — everyone’s local spot is their favorite. But what makes Sam’s stand out is the friendly atmosphere. Excitedly discussing Egyptian soccer superstar Mo Salah while waiting for my food always puts me in a good mood. So whether you try the stuffed-to-the-brim gyro sandwich or the well-balanced gyro platter, just make sure you do two things: 1. Make the time to talk with whoever is working behind the counter; 2. Order a side of their perfectly seasoned fries. LOGAN BUTTS
Sarabhas
Sarabha’s Creamery
400 21st Ave. S.
instagram.com/sarabhascreamery
Head to the second floor of a nondescript brick building that is also home to a Chipotle and a Subway for some of the city’s best ice cream. The freshly made Indian ice cream comes in a variety of traditional flavors, such as kesar pista (saffron and pistachio) and Indian coffee ice cream, plus some seasonal wonders: fig walnut, anyone? The kulfi (ice cream on a stick) and chai are also worth checking out. A second location (not in a strip mall) at Lost and Found in Inglewood is currently in the works. MARGARET LITTMAN
Shotgun Willie's
Shotgun Willie’s BBQ
1500 Gallatin Pike S., Suite 104
The second of the wonderful triumvirate of restaurants at 1500 Gallatin, Shotgun Willie’s BBQ is the magnum opus of Bill Laviolette, a Texas transplant who says he still roots for the Houston Oilers — not the Tennessee Titans (née Oilers) or the Houston Texans. The dearly departed Houston Oilers. That’s how devoted he is to his Texas roots, and ever since he quadrupled his cooking and dining space by moving from Inglewood to Madison, his brand of Lone Star barbecue is even more acclaimed, earning a coveted recommendation from the global Michelin Guide. Laviolette is proud of that, but not as proud as he is of his USDA Prime brisket plate cooked in the legit Hill Country style with simple seasonings and plenty of oak smoke coming out of barbecue pits the size of spent NASA rocket boosters. CHRIS CHAMBERLAIN
Sinadoore
Sindoore
457 Donelson Pike
Nashville has a strong Indian food scene, and this small restaurant — sharing a parking lot with Jimmy John’s and a vape shop — bolsters it with solid takeaway staples like chicken tikka masala and paneer saag. Don’t forget to add a hearty order of garlic naan or veggie samosas. ALEJANDRO RAMIREZ
Sonobana
Sonobana Japanese Restaurant
40 White Bridge Road
How many times can we remind our readers that Sonobana Japanese Restaurant on White Bridge Road is a Nashville treasure? Hey, what’s one more! Open for decades and remodeled just last year, Sonobana offers some of Nashville’s best fresh sushi. From nigiri to sashimi to maki, the West Side strip mall fixture offers sushi combos and sashimi specials that mix and match classics like tuna, yellowtail, octopus, salmon and eel. Of course, you can take a tour through the lineup of rolls, which venture into hedonistic territory with offerings like the Sunflower (avocado, cucumber, roe and dry-roasted sunflower seeds along with crab, salmon and yellowtail) and the Sweetheart (strawberries, shrimp, salmon, avocado, cream cheese, honey mango sauce … the ingredient list on that one just keeps going). But why gild the lily when the fish itself is so good? While you’re at it, pop by the delightful Sonobana Japanese Market next door. D. PATRICK RODGERS
Taj
Taj Indian Restaurant
412 Harding Place
A good indicator of a proper strip mall restaurant is the naming convention of Name/Food Type/“Restaurant.” Or sometimes just Nation/“Restaurant,” as in the case of one of my old favorites off Murfreesboro Road, Honduras Restaurant. At Taj, the encyclopedic menu reads like a culinary tour of India’s different foodways, and the kitchen manages to maintain incredible quality and consistency while pumping out plate after plate of dishes that represent the various cultural specialties of more than a billion people. CHRIS CHAMBERLAIN
Tash Tea
TashTea Cafe
5372 Mt. View Road
Why wait for the transformation of the former Hickory Hollow Mall site to dine in Antioch? The area already has restaurants like TashTea, Ilyas Bakla’s friendly and homey spot that offers fantastic Kurdish and Turkish cuisine with an emphasis on breakfast. You’ll find a tantalizing array of sweet and savory baked goods as well as phenomenally flavorful spreads and dishes of seasoned meats or eggs. The best way to get a taste for the menu is to order the appropriate sized TashTea meal for your party, which will bring you a sampling of delights including cheeses and olives, a filled phyllo roll called börek, your choice of meat and/or egg options and plenty of delicious bread (which I tend to eat until I’m stuffed, and then pocket the remainder of for later, like a bespectacled raccoon). Also don’t skip a pot of Kurdish tea, served with a separate pot of water to dilute to your preferred strength. STEPHEN TRAGESER
Vega
Vega Shawarma
1500 Gallatin Pike S., Suite 103
Can you really call it a strip mall if the only tenants are all restaurants? That’s the question with the row of three businesses on the side of the parking lot where Eastside Bowl is the anchor tenant. I vote yes, because all three of the businesses have the same address but different suite numbers. (See also Shotgun Willie’s above — and I would have included the very worthy Daddy’s Dogs as another strip mall standout, but the location I tend to frequent is a stand-alone address.) The first time I visited Vega, I was proud of myself for surmising that the restaurant’s name came from the brightest star in the constellation Lyra, chef-owner Hrant Arakelian’s other East Nashville restaurant staple. My astronomy nerdhood aside, I needed help from chef Arakelian’s wife Elizabeth to choose my new favorite from the menu. She steered me toward the arayes, a griddled spicy ground lamb patty served in a pita with mint and pickled red onions alongside a labneh dipping sauce. I haven’t bothered looking at the menu since. CHRIS CHAMBERLAIN
Viet Tea Cafe
Viet Tea Cafe
5694 Nolensville Pike
My Scene colleague Elizabeth Jones put it perfectly in our 2017 Love Issue when she extolled the virtues of South Nashville’s intersection of Nolensville Pike and Old Hickory Boulevard: This sprawling confluence is a strip mall paradise, holding everything you might need. Viet Tea Cafe is a newer addition to the quarter that includes a Lowe’s and Sichuan Asian Hot Pot (whose sleeper hit is its top-notch regular Chinese takeout, including my favorite General Tso’s Chicken). But Viet Tea already feels indispensable with its excellent bubble tea options, pho, spring rolls and noodle bowls, as well as its rock-solid banh mi selection. You can get a standard version or go for Chinese char siu pork — or what has surprisingly become my favorite, the one featuring tofu grilled to perfection. STEPHEN TRAGESER
Vinh Long
Vinh-Long
1061 Murfreesboro Pike
Before it shuttered in 2020, there existed a camera store named Dury’s on Murfreesboro Pike where I’d often find myself mid-errand and hungry before some big day. On these occasions, Vinh-Long would beckon to me from across the parking lot. I answered the call and noticed that most diners at Vinh-Long opt for bowls of the same gigantic, deep-red stew. Ever a follower of trends, I would order the same, and that’s how I was introduced to my reigning Top Soup: the house special Bò Kho, a beef and carrot stew. This is a soup that will open your heart and your sinuses alike, vigorously flavorful and with a warmth that transcends both its temperature and its pepper content (though both are significant). Thirteen years after I first discovered Vinh-Long, an appliance store has moved into the old Dury’s storefront, but beautiful red bowls still reign across the plaza at Vinh-Long. Cash only. ANGELINA CASTILLO
VN Pho and Deli
VN Pho & Deli
5906 Charlotte Pike
cmkchili.com/pages/vn-pho-deli
It’s gotten to the point that I’ve forgotten what sorts of businesses used to fill the slots in all the strip malls up and down Charlotte before the onset of vape shops. I do remember that there was apparently a lot of demand for pagers and tanning beds back in the day, but VN Pho & Deli has been the reason I frequent that particular block for more than a decade. Don’t get it twisted: The banh mi at VN is one of the finest in town, with the perfectly crunchy outside/pillowy inside French bread roll to stand up to the juicy pork or chicken inside and crunchy pickled accoutrements. But it’s the pho that has my heart at this family-run, cash-only establishment. At the first hint of chilly weather, I just have to head there for a steaming bowl of velvety bone broth piled with all five cuts in the special beef pho — steak, meatballs, flank, tendon and tripe. Why should you have to choose? CHRIS CHAMBERLAIN
