Bobbie’s Dairy Dip

After your visit to the Tennessee State Penitentiary, we thought we’d lighten things up. You are now at Bobbie’s Dairy Dip—one of Nashville’s most beloved retro landmarks. Part roadside relic, part cinematic time capsule, this burger-and-shake stand has served up soft-serve and nostalgia for generations. By the way, the ice cream, burger, fries, and floats really are worth the wait! And while you wait, we’ll tell you about the area's cinematic history.

Originally opened simply as The Dairy Dip in the 1950s, the restaurant was purchased in the mid-1980s by Bobbie McWright, who gave it a new name but kept everything else the same. From its neon signage and checkerboard design to the red picnic benches and handwritten menu, Bobbie’s remains a picture-perfect nod to mid-century drive-up Americana.

In the summer of 1996, Bobbie’s became an unlikely centerpiece of Gummo, the 1997 experimental feature debut of Nashville native Harmony Korine. Though set in a fictional, tornado-ravaged version of Xenia, Ohio, Korine filmed in West Nashville—specifically in Sylvan Park and The Nations, long before those neighborhoods underwent major redevelopment.

One of Gummo’s most iconic scenes was filmed right here at Bobbie’s: the moment when central characters Tummler and Solomon sip milkshakes in silence. In true Korine fashion, the moment is both tender and unsettling—a quiet snapshot of innocence amid the film’s larger tapestry of alienation and decay. Rendered in a disjointed, documentary-like style, Gummo quickly became a cult classic—hailed and condemned for its use of raw visuals, provocative imagery and amateur actors.

Surrounding filming locations include the shopping center at 5404 Charlotte Avenue, where characters hand out lost cat flyers; Richland Park and tennis courts near the Nashville Public Library (4711 Charlotte Ave); and Wendell Smith’s Restaurant across the street on 53rd Avenue North. While many of these sites have changed, Bobbie’s remains almost exactly as it appeared in the film—a rare relic of Southern indie cinema.

Directions: From Charlotte Pike, continue east. In about two miles, turn RIGHT onto 28th Ave N./31st Ave N then turn LEFT onto Park Plaza. Turn RIGHT to enter Centennial Park and stay to the right along 27th Ave N to reach the parking lot near The Parthenon, our next stop. If you want to spend more time in the park, take our Centennial Park walking tour.