"The patchwork of brick, concrete, and yellowed signage out front may have seen better days, but the soul food inside is just as good as ever. The family that runs Silver Sands—now on their third generation—has been nourishing Nashvillians with fried chicken, pork chops, and pig feet for over 70 years. The croquettes are a sleeper menu item—breaded, fried, and generously filled with a creamy salmon paste so that each one has a bit of weight and heft. You’ll get asked if you want “hot water” or “flat,” which refers to cornbread. Get both and add an order of the teeth-tingling sweet tea for the full Silver Sands experience." - jackie gutierrez jones 2