Where to Eat in Brown County Indiana | Leah’s Local Guide
Every guest I’ve ever hosted eventually asks me the same question. Usually it comes in a text the afternoon they arrive, when they’ve dropped their bags and suddenly realized they’re hungry: Where should we eat tonight? After eight years of hosting in Brown County, I have a lot of thoughts about that.
Nashville, Indiana has a dining scene that surprises people. Visitors expect a cute small town with maybe a diner and a pizza place. What they find is wood-fired artisan pizza, acclaimed farm-to-table menus, authentic Thai, genuine craft spirits, and one of the finest fine-dining rooms in the state — hidden at the end of a county road in Story.
This is my personal guide — not every restaurant in Brown County, but the ones I actually send my guests to. The ones I’d point a close friend toward.
Downtown Nashville
Everything here is walkable. Park once, eat well, wander between.
Brozinni Pizzeria140 W. Main St. · Brozinnis.com Authentic New York-style pizza right in the heart of Nashville. If you’re staying at the HELM, this is your closest slice — and it’s a good one. |
The Nashville House15 S. Van Buren St. · Downtown Nashville A Brown County landmark since 1859. The fried biscuits with apple butter alone are worth the stop. Hearty, historic, and exactly what you picture when you think of a meal in small-town Indiana. |
Bird’s Nest Café36 W. Franklin St. · BirdsNest.cafe My go-to brunch recommendation, full stop. Creative waffles, homemade quiche, apothecary cocktails from the Hen House Bar. My usual? A cappuccino and the Bad Hombre. It’s always yummy and just enough to start the day out right! Vegan options throughout. Book ahead on weekends. |
The Ferguson House Bistro & Beer Garden78 W. Franklin St. · FergHouse.com Historic 1873 building, hip beer garden out back, live music on weekends. Smash burgers, Korean BBQ tacos, local brews. That particular relaxed energy that makes two hours feel like thirty minutes. |
Hoosier Thai15 S. Van Buren St. · HoosierThai.com Family-owned, warm, genuinely flavorful. The change of pace that always delivers when guests have had their fill of pizza. Quick, vegetarian-friendly, dine in or carry out, and don’t skip the Thai iced tea! |
Moontown Brewing Company60 Molly’s Lane · MoontownBeer.com Small cozy brewpub, award-winning house beers, street tacos, live-edge tables. The kind of chill atmosphere that makes it easy to lose an afternoon. |
Nashville Chop House245 N. Jefferson St. · NashvilleChophouse.com Veteran-owned, inside Hotel Nashville. Prime dry-aged steaks, locally sourced pork, fresh seafood. I order the same thing every time — shrimp cocktail, caprese salad and a glass of their Decoy red blend. |
Worth the Drive
A short drive. Worth every mile.
A few of the best spots in Brown County require five to thirty five minutes from downtown. These are the ones I’d never skip mentioning.
Hard Truth Distilling Co.
418 Old State Road 46 · HardTruthDistilling.com
325 wooded acres just outside of town. Big burgers, hearty chili, pulled-pork nachos — and Hard Truth rum, gin, whiskey, and vodka made on site. The outdoor terrace in summer is one of the best places in the county to sit with a drink and watch the light change over the hills. Go on a weekday if you can.
Green Hill Diner
679 State Road 135, Morgantown · GreenHillDiner.com
This is where locals go for truly excellent comfort food. Everything is made from scratch — over 90% of the menu is prepared in-house — and the beef is sourced locally from Blackwell Farms. The tenderloins alone are worth the trip. Unpretentious, fast, and genuinely good.
Farmhouse Café & Tea Room
5171 Beanblossom Road · FarmhouseCafeAndTeaRoom.com
Five miles from downtown Nashville in a restored 1800s brick farmhouse — formerly an Underground Railroad safe house — with a gorgeous outdoor patio, courtyard, and herb garden nursery next door. Fresh salads, homemade soups, wood-grilled steaks, the famous Double Bison Burger, and house-made iced sassafras tea. Check hours before you go and make a reservation on weekends. Stolling around their garden center is a lovely way to work off calories too!
Story Inn Restaurant & Still Tavern
6404 State Road 135 South · StoryInn.com
This is the place for every special occasion — and honestly, any excuse will do. Many consider it one of the finest restaurants in Indiana, and the experience earns that reputation every time. Seasonal menu, extensive wine list, craft cocktails, and an underground tavern with a character unlike anything else in the county. The salmon is my go-to, my Mom never misses the salad with edible flowers, and my friend Chase Malan insists the burgers are the best around. It’s a lovely backroad drive to the tiny village of Story. Plan ahead. Make a reservation. Dress the part. You won’t regret it.
“Visitors expect a cute small town with maybe a diner. What they find is wood-fired pizza, authentic Thai, farm-to-table menus, and one of the finest dining rooms in the state.”
Two boutique properties, provide the perfect base for eating your way through Brown County — and beyond.t.
Walk out the door and let Brown County feed you well.
| Schoolhouse Inn | Helmsburg Homestead |
Morning Coffee & Bakeries
I’m a coffee person. Here’s where I go — and where I’d send you.
Olde Bartley House96 S. Van Buren St. · OldeBartleyHouse.com My personal favorite. Housed in an 1886 building where renowned Indiana photographer Frank Hohenberger once lived, the Olde Bartley House serves specialty espresso drinks, lattes, teas, and their signature Cochon Volánt — a French Americana layered donut that you will not stop thinking about. I love sitting outside with my dogs watching Nashville go by. Get the latte. Get a Cochon Volánt. Stay a while. |
Ooey Gooey Cinnamon Rolls & Café146 E. Main St. · OoeyGooeyMM.com Fresh, from-scratch cinnamon rolls in an incredible range of flavors — original, lemon blueberry, German chocolate, s’mores, butterscotch, and more. Plus scratch breakfast, sausage gravy, Belgian waffles, and their signature spun coffee. Open Wednesday through Sunday. Don’t leave without a roll. |
Daily Grind Coffee HouseNashvilleDailyGrind.com A warm, welcoming Brown County coffee shop with espresso drinks, teas, pastries, and a relaxed local vibe. A reliable favorite for a quiet morning cup before hitting the galleries or the trails. |
Common Grounds Coffee Bar & Tea Shoppe66 N. Van Buren St. Organic, fair trade coffee, loose teas, homemade pastries, and a light breakfast menu. A longtime local favorite and exactly the right place to start a slow morning in Nashville. |
The Chocolate Moose278 S. Van Buren St. Coffee drinks, ice cream including vegan flavors, shakes, and quick eats. Perfect for an afternoon break between galleries and shops. And, perhaps most importantly, they offer pup cups! |
Day Trips: Bloomington & Columbus
Brown County is perfectly placed between two cities with outstanding food scenes.
Bloomington — 25 minutes west
Farm Bloomington108 E. Kirkwood Ave. Creative, farm-to-table, reliably excellent. Local ingredients, inventive burgers, downtown Bloomington energy. We love to eat outside with the dogs. My favorite is the world’s greatest BLT with a bowl of garlic fries. My sister graduated from IU and so did two of my nieces — I know Kirkwood Avenue well. |
Mother Bear’s Pizza1428 E. 3rd St. The Bloomington institution. Hand-painted murals, cozy booths, deep-dish pies that have been winning over IU students and families for decades. |
Uptown Café102 E. Kirkwood Ave. · The-Uptown.com A Bloomington institution I genuinely love. The lump crab cake paired with an oaked chardonnay is my personal order — and once you try it, you’ll understand. Cajun-Creole comfort in a lively, laid-back setting that feels like Bloomington at its best. |
Columbus — 30 minutes east
Luciana’s Mexican Restaurant310 Washington St. · LucianasMexicanRestaurant.com My family’s favorite table in Columbus — especially on long summer evenings when we can sit outside. Family-owned, and it shows in every detail. The queso, the salsa, the margaritas. This one has become a tradition. |
ZwanzigZ Pizza & Brewing1038 Lafayette Ave. Award-winning pizza, house-made root beer, local craft beer. Generous, relaxed, and genuinely fun. |
Lucabe Coffee & Bakeshop310 4th St. · LucabeCoffeeCo.com Specialty coffee, seasonal lattes, freshly baked pastries, and a kid-friendly play area inside. Located in the heart of Columbus’s Arts & Entertainment Corridor — a great stop before or after exploring the architectural trail. |
Stay cozy. Stay local. Stay with us.
| Book Direct & Save | Meet Your Host |
Leah Lamm
Owner & Host · My Brown County Vacation
I'm a Brown County local, Airbnb Superhost, and Vrbo Premier Host with eight years of experience personally welcoming guests to Nashville, Indiana. I host two boutique vacation rentals — the 1891 Schoolhouse Inn and Helmsburg Homestead — and I'm involved in every detail of every stay. When I'm not welcoming guests, I'm tending the garden, loving on my chickens and border collies, or enjoying a quiet morning on the porch with coffee.
Sourced from: BrownCounty.com, MyBrownCountyVacation.com, BillMonroeMusicPark.com, OurBrownCounty.com
Photo courtesy of TriFlix.