Kingdom Cafe and Grill

Located right off of Jefferson Street, Kingdom Café and Grill might not catch your eye at first; however, it might just become your new favorite place to grab a bite to eat. Opened in 2016, Kingdom Café and Grill has become a staple in the Nashville community, providing somewhere to eat southern comfort food while supporting the restaurant's mission to give back. The restaurant was founded by Howard Jones Jr., the senior pastor of the Fairfield Missionary Baptist Church located in Goodlettsville. He wanted to expand the church’s reach beyond services on Sundays. He opened Kingdom Café and Grill in order to serve great food, but he also set his sight on a higher purpose. One of the restaurant's missions is provide jobs for those formerly incarcerated to help them get back on their feet and to gain economic stability. 

Alongside his son and their many employees, the restaurant serves its community well. At Kingdom Café and Grill you can find southern soul food that not only brings comfort but a sense of community. When you walk in the doors, the energy is radiant and the service is wonderful. The restaurant is still owned by the family, so if you go inside, there is a good chance they’ll be there!

It’s a bit of a ride as we leave North Nashville and head towards Midtown and Belmont-Hillsboro to reach International Market at 2013 Belmont Blvd. On Jefferson Street continue four blocks then turn LEFT onto 28th Avenue North. As you turn onto 28th Avenue, you’ll pass Alkebu-Lan Images bookstore on your left, the only Black-owned bookstore in Tennessee, and Hadley Park on your right. Learn more about both places, and TSU, on our Tennessee State University walking tour. Continue on 28th Ave for about a mile until you reach Charlotte Avenue, where 28th becomes 31st Ave N. Along the way you’ll pass Swett’s, a famous meat-and-three that was reportedly a favorite of country singer Johnny Cash! Continue on 31st for about a mile—31st will become Blakemore as you pass the Vanderbilt University campus, then become Wedgewood Avenue as you cross over 21st Avenue South. From Wedgewood, turn RIGHT onto Seventeenth Avenue South then LEFT onto Eighteenth Avenue South. At the stop sign, turn LEFT onto Portland Ave. which shortly becomes Belmont Boulevard. Find street parking near your next stop, International Market.