Mother's Ruin

"Squeeze into the historic Mother’s Ruin building with the rest of Germantown to enjoy their menu of late-night bites, which is offered until 1:30 a.m. While you can enjoy a burger, burrito, or wings alongside your craft cocktail, one secret menu item stands out above the rest: the Human Style Fries. Their famous Old Bay waffle fries are topped with red chile queso, chorizo, red onions, scallions, and a secret sauce." - Kellie Walton

"The name Mother’s Ruin is a nod to a mid-18th-century nickname for gin, but the Nashville location of this New York-based bar pours much more than gin and serves killer snacks until late-night, too. Standouts on the cheeky cocktail menu include pickleback shots for $8 and a frozen slushy made with rum, lychee, orange, lime, and ginger. But the food menu is a sleeper hit — be sure to order the Old Bay-seasoned waffle fries, the Cholulo honey wings, and the Mother’s double cheeseburger. Brunch is also available seven days a week until 4 p.m." - Kellie Walton, Jackie Gutierrez-Jones

"Mother’s Ruin is a bar in Germantown that also happens to serve really good food (shout out to the perfectly crispy Old Bay waffle fries), that also feels a bit off the beaten path, surrounded by low-slung houses and nondescript brick buildings. That’s perfectly fine with the people who bounce between the three levels, stopping for the occasional snack session on the outdoor patio. It can get loud and buzzy, a result of the playlist and copious rounds of Slushy Du Jour a.k.a. boozy frozen concoctions that rotate daily. But it’s exactly where you want to be when heartfelt conversations aren’t a priority and drinking the night away with a room full of strangers is." - Jackie Gutierrez-Jones

"Germantown’s late night cocktail spot also makes a case for itself with its way better than average bar food. The spicy chicken sandwich here is more than a hand full — buttermilk fried chicken with shredded slaw and pickles, served with waffle fries and spicy ketchup. All in at $16, this massive sandwich is perhaps best eaten with a fork and knife. Order online for takeout and delivery." - Delia Jo Ramsey

"Nashville landed the first outpost of the NY-based bar, a great late-night option (open daily until 2 a.m.) for queso in Nashville. The green chile queso is topped with chopped and served with corn chips, and the option to add spicy chorizo. *Open for dine-in, patio dining, and takeout." - Delia Jo Ramsey