7 of the Oldest Restaurants in Tennessee Still Serving Today

Tennessee has a rich food history that goes back generations.

Across the state, from Memphis to Nashville to the Smoky Mountains, some restaurants have been feeding families for over a century. These historic dining spots serve more than just meals—they offer a taste of the past, with recipes, traditions, and stories that have been passed down through the years and still bring people together today.

1. The Arcade Restaurant (Memphis)

Memphis’ oldest café opened its doors in 1919 and hasn’t stopped serving since. The Arcade became famous not just for its hearty breakfast plates but also for attracting one very notable regular—Elvis Presley himself had a favorite booth here.

Walking into The Arcade feels like stepping back in time. The original tiles, wooden booths, and vintage counter stools remain mostly unchanged. Locals and tourists alike line up for fluffy pancakes, crispy bacon, and eggs cooked just right.

What makes this place truly special is how it has stayed true to its roots. The menu still features classic Southern comfort food at prices that won’t break the bank. Generations of Memphis families have celebrated birthdays, caught up over coffee, and made memories in these same seats for more than 100 years.

2. Coletta’s Restaurant (Memphis)

Just a few years after The Arcade opened, another Memphis legend was born. Coletta’s started in 1923 as a small Italian eatery and grew into something much bigger—some food historians even credit it as the birthplace of BBQ pizza, a uniquely Memphis creation.

The Coletta family brought authentic Italian recipes from the old country and adapted them to Southern tastes. Their pizza combines traditional Italian techniques with tangy Memphis barbecue sauce, pulled pork, and cheese. It sounds unusual, but one bite explains why people have been ordering it for decades.

Beyond the famous BBQ pizza, Coletta’s serves classic Italian-American dishes like spaghetti, lasagna, and meatballs. The restaurant has changed locations over the years but never lost its family atmosphere. Today, fourth-generation family members still work in the kitchen, keeping those century-old recipes alive and delicious.

3. The Loveless Cafe (Nashville)

About 30 minutes outside Nashville sits a restaurant that defines Tennessee country cooking. The Loveless Cafe was established in 1951 as a simple motel restaurant where Lon and Annie Loveless served home-cooked meals to travelers. Annie’s biscuits became so legendary that people started making special trips just to eat them.

Those biscuits are still made from Annie’s original recipe—fluffy, buttery, and served hot with homemade preserves. The country ham is salt-cured the old-fashioned way, and the fried chicken is crispy perfection. Everything tastes like Sunday dinner at your grandmother’s house.

The cafe has expanded over the years, adding a gift shop and even hosting live music, but the food remains unchanged. Servers still bring baskets of those famous biscuits to every table, and the walls display vintage photos showing the cafe’s humble beginnings as a roadside stop for hungry travelers.

4. Swett’s Restaurant (Nashville)

Nashville’s meat-and-three tradition runs deep, and Swett’s has been serving this style longer than most. For those unfamiliar, meat-and-three means you pick one meat and three vegetable sides from a daily changing menu of Southern classics.

David Swett opened this restaurant in 1954 when segregation still divided Nashville. His vision was simple: serve honest, delicious food that brought people together. The cafeteria-style setup lets you see all your options—fried chicken, meatloaf, catfish, mac and cheese, collard greens, cornbread dressing, and so much more.

What started as a small neighborhood spot grew into a Nashville institution. Families return generation after generation, often ordering the same combinations their parents and grandparents loved. The portions are generous, the flavors are authentic, and the prices remain surprisingly affordable.

5. Ye Olde Steak House (Knoxville)

Knoxville residents have been celebrating special occasions at this steakhouse for over 50 years. Ye Olde Steak House earned its reputation by doing one thing exceptionally well—serving perfectly cooked, hand-cut steaks in a cozy, old-fashioned atmosphere since 1968.

The restaurant’s rustic dining rooms feature exposed brick, wooden beams, and candlelit tables that create an intimate setting. Every steak is cut in-house from quality beef and cooked over an open flame. The result is a char-grilled crust outside and tender, juicy meat inside.

While newer steakhouses have come and gone, Ye Olde Steak House stays busy because it never tried to be trendy. The menu includes classic sides like baked potatoes, salads, and garlic bread. Service is friendly and unhurried.

Many servers have worked here for years, greeting regular customers by name and remembering their favorite cuts and cooking temperatures without needing to ask.

6. The Old Mill Restaurant (Pigeon Forge)

The iconic grist mill that gives this restaurant its name has been grinding corn and wheat since 1830, making it one of Tennessee’s oldest continuously operating mills. The restaurant came much later but has been serving Southern comfort food for several decades now.

Sitting beside a peaceful stream with a working water wheel, The Old Mill creates an atmosphere that transports diners back in time. The menu features country-style cooking—think fried chicken, pot roast, cornbread made from mill-ground meal, and cobblers for dessert. Everything tastes homemade because it is.

What makes dining here special is the connection to history. The mill still produces flour and cornmeal sold in the adjacent shop. Watching the massive water wheel turn while enjoying a plate of biscuits and gravy connects you to generations of Tennesseans who relied on this very mill.

7. Dandridge Brewing Company (Dandridge)

Tennessee’s second-oldest town provides the perfect setting for a restaurant with deep historical roots. Dandridge Brewing Company operates in a building that dates back to the 1800s, and the town itself has stories stretching back even further.

The building’s thick brick walls and original architecture create a character that new construction simply cannot replicate. The brewery combines this historic atmosphere with modern craft beer and elevated pub food. You might enjoy a locally brewed IPA alongside a gourmet burger in the same space where merchants once conducted business generations ago.

Dandridge escaped the flooding that created Douglas Lake because the town was moved, but many historic structures were preserved. This brewing company honors that preservation spirit while adding new life to the old building.