Nashville’s food scene gets attention for hot chicken and meat-and-threes, but the city’s international grocery stores tell a different story. As Nashville has grown, so has its immigrant population, and with it, a network of markets serving communities from Latin America, Asia, the Middle East, Africa, and beyond.
Whether you’re cooking a recipe that requires ingredients Kroger doesn’t stock, craving flavors from home, or curious about cuisines you haven’t tried, these stores are where to look.
What International Grocery Stores Offer
Before diving into specific stores, it helps to understand what makes these markets different from mainstream supermarkets.
Ingredients you can’t find elsewhere: Fresh curry leaves, dried chiles by variety rather than just “chili powder,” halal meat, specific rice varieties, imported snacks, fresh tropical produce, and thousands of products that don’t make it onto mainstream grocery shelves.
Better prices on certain items: Rice, spices, dried beans, and pantry staples from international markets often cost significantly less than the same items at conventional stores. A pound of cumin at an Indian grocer might cost a quarter of the spice aisle price at Kroger.
Cultural connection: For Nashville’s immigrant communities, these stores are more than shopping destinations. They’re gathering places, sources of familiar products, and anchors for cultural identity.
Learning opportunities: Staff at specialty markets often know their products deeply and can explain what something is, how to use it, and what to substitute if they’re out.
Latin American Markets
Nashville has a substantial Latino population, and the grocery infrastructure reflects that.
K&S World Market (Nolensville Pike)
The anchor of Nashville’s international grocery scene. K&S started as a Korean market but evolved into a pan-Asian and international supermarket. The Nolensville Pike location carries Latin American products alongside Asian goods.
What to find: Mexican dried chiles (ancho, guajillo, pasilla, chile de arbol), fresh tortillas, masa harina, Mexican cheeses (queso fresco, cotija, Oaxaca), canned goods, dried beans, and a produce section with items like tomatillos, nopales, and fresh peppers.
Location: 4500 Nolensville Pike Hours: 9 AM to 9 PM daily
Plaza Mariachi
More than a grocery store, Plaza Mariachi is a shopping center built around a Latin American market concept. The anchor grocery carries Mexican and Central American products, and the surrounding plaza includes restaurants, bakeries, and specialty shops.
What to find: Tortillerias with fresh-made tortillas, carnicerias (butcher shops) with specific cuts for Mexican cooking, bakeries with pan dulce, and grocery staples.
Location: 3955 Nolensville Pike Hours: Vary by business; market typically 9 AM to 9 PM
La Hacienda
A Mexican grocery chain with multiple Nashville-area locations. Smaller than K&S but focused specifically on Mexican products. Good for tortillas, fresh produce, and meat counter items.
Locations: Multiple, including Murfreesboro Pike and Dickerson Pike What to find: Fresh tortillas, Mexican cheeses, produce, meat counter, and pantry staples.
Carniceria y Taqueria Don Juan
Combines a butcher shop, grocery, and taqueria. The meat counter carries cuts for specific preparations: carne asada, carnitas, al pastor. The grocery section has pantry basics.
Location: 5514 Nolensville Pike What to find: Butcher counter specializing in Mexican cuts, grocery staples, prepared foods.
Asian Markets
Nashville’s Asian grocery options have expanded significantly, serving Chinese, Vietnamese, Korean, Indian, Filipino, Thai, and other communities.
K&S World Market
Worth mentioning again because the Asian selection is extensive. This is the largest Asian grocery in the Nashville area.
What to find:
- Produce: Fresh Asian vegetables (bok choy, Chinese broccoli, daikon, fresh ginger and galangal, lemongrass, Thai basil, fresh turmeric), tropical fruits
- Seafood: Live tanks with fish, crab, and lobster; frozen seafood selection
- Meat: Thin-sliced meats for hot pot and Korean BBQ, specialty cuts
- Pantry: Rice by variety (jasmine, basmati, sushi, sticky), noodles by type, soy sauces, fish sauce, curry pastes, coconut milk, dried goods
- Korean: Gochujang, doenjang, kimchi (multiple varieties), Korean snacks
- Japanese: Dashi, miso, nori, Japanese snacks and drinks
- Chinese: Sauces, dried goods, preserved vegetables
- Southeast Asian: Thai curry pastes, Vietnamese ingredients, Filipino products
Location: 4500 Nolensville Pike (main), also 5765 Nolensville Pike
Patel Brothers
The major Indian grocery chain, with a Nashville location. If you’re cooking Indian food, this is the primary destination.
What to find:
- Spices: Whole and ground spices in quantities and varieties unavailable elsewhere (black cardamom, asafoetida, fenugreek leaves, chat masala, dozens of spice blends)
- Lentils and beans: Dal varieties (chana, toor, urad, masoor, moong), chickpeas, dried beans
- Rice: Basmati in multiple grades and brands
- Flours: Atta (chapati flour), besan (chickpea flour), rice flour, semolina
- Fresh: Curry leaves, fresh methi, green chiles, paneer, fresh breads
- Frozen: Parathas, samosas, prepared items
- Snacks and sweets: Extensive selection
Location: 3059 Nolensville Pike Hours: 10 AM to 9 PM daily
Viet Hoa (Asian Market)
A smaller market focused on Southeast Asian ingredients, particularly Vietnamese. Good for pho supplies, fresh herbs, and Vietnamese products.
What to find: Rice noodles, pho spices, fish sauce, fresh herbs (Thai basil, cilantro, Vietnamese coriander), rice paper, Vietnamese coffee.
Location: 5842 Charlotte Pike
Sonobana
A Japanese-focused market connected to a Japanese restaurant. Smaller than the pan-Asian markets but more specialized.
What to find: Japanese ingredients, fresh sushi-grade fish (limited), Japanese snacks and drinks, bento supplies.
Location: 2601 West End Avenue
Manila Oriental Foodmart
Filipino-focused market. Good for Filipino products that aren’t common in pan-Asian stores.
What to find: Calamansi, banana ketchup, ube products, Filipino snacks, dried fish, canned goods.
Location: 6925 Charlotte Pike
Middle Eastern and Mediterranean Markets
Nashville’s Kurdish, Arab, and broader Middle Eastern communities support several specialty markets.
Haji Baba
A Middle Eastern market with an attached restaurant. Good selection of Arabic and Mediterranean products.
What to find: Halal meats, pita bread, hummus, tahini, olives, feta and other cheeses, spices (sumac, za’atar), dried fruits and nuts, canned goods.
Location: 86 Thompson Lane
International Market and Restaurant
Despite the generic name, this is a Middle Eastern-focused market with a popular restaurant attached. Owned by the same family since 1975.
What to find: Middle Eastern pantry staples, fresh pita, olives, cheeses, halal meats, and prepared foods.
Location: 2010 Belmont Boulevard
Jerusalem Market
Middle Eastern grocery with bakery. Good for fresh bread and prepared foods alongside grocery items.
What to find: Fresh-baked pita and Middle Eastern breads, halal meats, olives, cheeses, spices, and pantry items.
Location: 1305 Gallatin Pike South (Madison)
Shahrazad Market
Middle Eastern grocery with a focus on Iraqi and Kurdish products, reflecting Nashville’s large Kurdish population.
What to find: Kurdish and Iraqi specialty items, halal meats, bread, and Middle Eastern pantry staples.
Location: 3825 Nolensville Pike
African Markets
Nashville has growing Ethiopian, Somali, and broader African communities, with markets to serve them.
Abyssinia Market
Ethiopian-focused grocery. Essential for Ethiopian cooking.
What to find: Berbere (Ethiopian spice blend), mitmita, teff flour (for injera), niter kibbeh (Ethiopian spiced butter), Ethiopian coffee, dried goods.
Location: 2121 Murfreesboro Pike
African Grocery and Restaurant
Broader African market with products from multiple African countries. Good for finding items beyond Ethiopian cuisine.
What to find: Palm oil, cassava flour, fufu flour, dried fish, African spices, and products from West and East Africa.
Location: 3700 Nolensville Pike
Little Africa Market
Another African grocery option, also serving multiple African cuisines.
Location: 5740 Nolensville Pike
European Markets
European Food Market
A Russian and Eastern European market with products from Ukraine, Russia, Poland, and other Eastern European countries.
What to find: Eastern European sausages, pickled vegetables, rye bread, chocolates, condensed milk, buckwheat, and imported goods.
Location: 4701 Nolensville Pike
Aldi (honorable mention)
Not a specialty market, but the German-owned discount chain carries some European products (German chocolates, cookies, seasonal items) at lower prices than import markets.
Locations: Multiple throughout Nashville
Multi-Category Markets
Some stores defy single-category classification.
K&S World Market
Already mentioned multiple times, but worth emphasizing: this is the single most comprehensive international grocery in Nashville. If you’re only going to one store, start here.
Costco International Aisle
Not an international market, but Costco’s international aisle carries bulk sizes of Asian ingredients (soy sauce, rice, noodles), Hispanic products, and rotating specialty items. Membership required.
Whole Foods and Sprouts
Not international markets, but both carry some specialty ingredients (Indian spices, Asian sauces, Latin products) in limited selection. Useful for items you need in small quantities without a special trip.
Shopping Tips
Bring cash for smaller markets. Many family-owned international groceries prefer cash or have minimum card purchase requirements.
Don’t be afraid to ask. Staff at specialty markets usually know their products and can help you find what you need or suggest alternatives.
Check dates. Some imported products sit longer on shelves. Check expiration dates on packaged goods.
Explore the freezer section. International markets often have excellent frozen sections with prepared foods, dumplings, breads, and ingredients that aren’t available fresh.
Visit the food counters. Many markets have attached restaurants or food counters. Eating there is a good way to discover new dishes and understand how ingredients are used.
Start with Nolensville Pike. If you’re new to Nashville’s international groceries, a drive down Nolensville Pike from downtown heading south takes you past most of the major markets within a few miles.
The Nolensville Pike Corridor
Nolensville Pike deserves special mention. This road running south from downtown through South Nashville and into Antioch has become Nashville’s most diverse commercial corridor. Within about five miles, you’ll find:
- K&S World Market (multiple locations)
- Plaza Mariachi
- Patel Brothers
- Multiple Mexican groceries
- Middle Eastern markets
- African markets
- Asian restaurants and markets
- International food courts
For someone wanting to explore Nashville’s international food scene, spending an afternoon on Nolensville Pike offers more variety than any single market.
Sources
- Market locations and general information: Business listings, store visits, verified January 2025
- Nashville demographic information: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey
- Nolensville Pike corridor: Nashville Planning Department, commercial corridor studies
Store hours, inventory, and pricing change. Some smaller markets keep irregular hours or close for holidays not observed by mainstream retailers. Call ahead if making a special trip for specific items. This guide reflects Nashville’s international grocery landscape as of early 2025; new stores open and others close as the city continues to grow.