With all the attention being paid to Nashville’s culinary scene of late, it’s hard to find any secret spots around town. But at the risk of giving away one of our honey holes, there is one extremely convenient eatery that even most locals don’t know about, Cafe Lula. This cozy cafe is situated on the front plaza of the legendary “Mother Church of Country Music,” the Ryman Auditorium. Cafe Lula is named after the long-time manager of the Ryman, Lula Naff, who worked at the venerable institution from 1920 until 1955.
In an epoch when women rarely held notable positions in the world of entertainment management, Naff was known as a premier talent booker. She brought many of the most famous performers of the era to the Ryman to entertain Nashvillians from the stage, including Bob Hope, Charlie Chaplin, Enrico Caruso, Harry Houdini, Katharine Hepburn, Mae West, the Ziegfeld Follies, and productions of “Guys and Dolls” and “Oklahoma!” She was also instrumental in bringing the Grand Ole Opry to the venue in 1943 as its permanent home until 1974. At the time, that was the longest the Opry had ever spent in one place until it moved to the Grand Ole Opry House.
The Ryman Auditorium still invites the Opry to spend a few weeks on its stage a couple times per year, but the venue is still acclaimed for presenting an incredibly varied selection of acts throughout the calendar, just like when Lula was in charge. Patrons looking for a convenient spot for a pre-show meal and/or drink should definitely consider Cafe Lula. The attractive restaurant features hip Edison lights hanging from the ceilings and huge glass walls that offer a view of downtown as well as being a way to track the line of fans waiting to get into the Ryman who weren’t smart enough to plan ahead for a pre-show trip to Cafe Lula.
In addition to a full bar serving specialty coffees, mixed drinks, wine and beer, the kitchen offers up an excellent menu of small plates, sandwiches, salads and larger plates such as pork chops or a fish of the day. Their version of Nashville Hot Chicken and Waffle Sliders are a respectable, albeit tame, introduction into the fiery fowl for guests looking to try the local staple without being too uncomfortable during the show afterwards.
Another locals’ secret power move is that if you buy a drink at Cafe Lula, you can carry it into the Ryman with you for the show, although you will have to pour your bottled beer into a plastic cup. That’s a small price to pay considering that you’ll definitely pay a smaller price for those drinks in the cafe compared to inside the music venue.
Cafe Lula
116 5th Ave North
Nashville, TN 37219
(615) 458-8760
Hours
Mon 9:00 am - 8:00 pm
Tue 10:00 am - 8:00 pm
Wed 9:00 am - 8:00 pm
Thu 10:00 am - 8:00 pm
Fri 8:00 am - 8:00 pm
Sat 9:00 am - 5:00 pm
Sun 8:00 am - 8:00 pm
