Located right in the heart of Music City in Nashville, Tennessee sits the Sun Diner, a quaint and lively Sun Records themed restaurant. The menu is designed around the legendary musicians that brought life to Sun Records and is decorated with pictures to take you back to the heyday of Memphis rockabilly music.
To understand the theme of the restaurant, you should know a bit about Sun Records and its history. Back in 1952, businessman Sam Phillips opened up his own recording studio where he welcomed any and all artists who were willing to perform. Just two years later Elvis Presley found his way to Sun Records, bringing along his unique mixture of country and R&B which came to be known as rockabilly.
Soon after Elvis joined the team at Sun Records, other prominent musicians found their home there, like Johnny Cash, Carl Perkins, and Jerry Lee Lewis. The four became known as the Million Dollar Quartet and all went on to have successful music careers making rockabilly tunes.
All of this history and talent is packed into Sun Diner, a little storefront on 3rd Avenue S. right beside the Johnny Cash Museum. This location is a great spot to be in the city, right around all of the popular attractions. The diner holds just over 40 people, making each retro bar stool and booth highly sought after. They do not accept reservations, so make sure to plan accordingly.
Upon entering, you’re met with some of the original sounds of songs recorded in the Sun Records Memphis studio that became hits. You can find a playlist of some of the songs you may hear while enjoying your meal here. The walls are filled to the brim with photos and posters of Sun Records legends, and even a large photo of the original Sun Records building.
The menu items are creatively named after some Sun Records hits like the “Love Me” Chicken Tenders, “Cry Cry Cry” Hot Wings, and the “Let’s Do The Twist” Crème Brûlée French Toast. The dishes offered are a perfect mix of your classic breakfast favorites and savory southern cuisine.
During my visit to Sun Diner with a friend, I had the Chicken N’ Waffles. The meal consisted of chicken tenders tossed in sausage gravy on top of a Belgian waffle drizzled with pecan maple syrup. I got a side of bacon to go with it as well. My friend ordered the Cheese Crusted Breakfast Wrap full of scrambled eggs, potatoes, cheddar cheese, bacon, and pico de gallo. Both meals were big portions and tasted amazing. I would highly recommend either dish for breakfast, lunch or dinner.
While at the diner, I met tourist Marie Dougall, a huge Elvis fan from Northeast England who traveled to Nashville to visit a few different Elvis sites with her sister. She visited the RCA Studio B Ryman, took a tour of the governor’s mansion, saw the Municipal Auditorium, and of course had to catch a bite at the Sun Diner.
The diner is open every day of the week to always satisfy your cravings for southern comfort food. Sunday-Thursday they are open 7am to 3pm and Friday-Saturday they are open 7am to 10pm. Just two blocks away from the Bridgestone Arena, Sun Diner is the perfect spot to recharge and cool off during CMA Fest coming up June 6-9.