Edessa Restaurant

On our way to Edessa, you will see the Nashville Zoo, which is a world-class zoo with over 3,000 animals. The Nashville Zoo likely isn’t your first thought when thinking about food and social justice. That said, there are many food options here, and they are activists dedicated to animal rights. Specifically, they work to save species from extinction through innovative breeding programs. Fun Fact: More than 35 Clouded Leopard cubs have been born at the Nashville Zoo since 2009!

Ok let’s get to our next stop—the restaurant known as Edessa. This Kurdish and Turkish restaurant is a culinary adventure that will excite your taste buds. The name Edessa comes from an ancient Mesopotamian city known as the “Jerusalem of Anatolia.” Regarded as a holy site in Muslim, Christian, and the Jewish faiths, this city includes Kurdish, Turkish, Armenian, and Arab peoples. Edessa is located in today’s Urfa, Türkiye, and Urfa is the hometown of the restaurant’s co-owner, Mesa Kelik. As a restaurant, Edessa’s mission is to serve authentic, ingredients-driven food prepared with halal/Kosher meat and daily fresh vegetables. Named one of Nashville’s top restaurants in 2022, Edessa is a ethnic food destination you do not want to miss.

This stop also gives us a chance to tell you about Nashville’s role as a city that welcomes refugees. In fact, Nashville has the largest Kurdish population in the United States, with more than 20,000 living in this South Nashville area—often called “Little Kurdistan.” Kurdish peoples began fleeing Northern Iraq when Saddam Hussein invaded the region in 1986. Villages were destroyed and mass executions followed. Approximately 200,000 Kurds were murdered and thousands more fled to neighboring countries.

Nashville stepped up in the face of such tragedy and terrorism. Metro Council passed a resolution that stated: “Kurds fleeing horrific genocide and seeking refuge from political persecution from Iraq, Iran, Syria, and Turkey have found a welcoming home and a sense of community in Nashville.” In 2023, a historical marker was dedicated at the corner of Elysian Fields and Nolensville Road. To learn more, visit the nearby Salahadeen Center of Nashville, located at 364 Elysian Fields Court. Established in 1998, its opening made it the first Muslim community center in the Nashville area.

To get to Plaza Mariachi, 3955 Nolensville Pike, take a LEFT at the light back onto Nolensville Pike. Plaza Mariachi is about a quarter mile ahead on your right.