Where to Eat in Mt. Juliet: Barbecue, Pho and Local Favorites
Mt. Juliet's food scene has grown right along with the city, and its best tables are local, specific and easy to love. Most of these kitchens sit on or just off Mt. Juliet Road, the city's main north-south spine, so a breakfast stop, a takeout lunch and a sit-down dinner all fit into one easy day.
Several of these spots took home 2026 Mt. Juliet Main Street Awards, the annual community vote, and the rest have built loyal followings one plate at a time. Here are eight to start with, from morning donuts to an evening bowl of pho.
Mt. Juliet Donut Shop
Mt. Juliet · 286 Nonaville Rd., Mt. Juliet, TN 37122
Mt. Juliet voters handed this Nonaville Road shop two wins in the 2026 Main Street Awards, Breakfast and Dessert/Bakery, which says a lot about a place built on donuts and coffee. It is the classic neighborhood stop: a case of fresh donuts, coffee to go and regulars who already know their order before they reach the counter.
Tip: Go early for the fullest case, and grab an extra dozen for the office or the drive home.
The Paper Mill
Mt. Juliet · 4066 N. Mt. Juliet Rd., Mt. Juliet, TN 37122
This Southern breakfast-and-lunch cafe on North Mt. Juliet Road does comfort food with real care: stuffed omelets, biscuits under sausage gravy, smoked gouda grits and fried chicken biscuits. On weekdays it adds a classic meat-and-three lunch, the kind of plate that keeps regulars coming back. It was a Breakfast finalist in the 2026 Main Street Awards.
Tip: Come for a weekday lunch and build a meat-and-three, with the gouda grits as one of your sides.
Milestone Craft Deli
Mt. Juliet · 2015 Golden Bear Gateway, Mt. Juliet, TN 37122
Founded by transplants from South Jersey and Philadelphia, this Golden Bear Gateway deli builds its menu around the sandwiches they grew up on, using house-cured and house-roasted meats and breads sourced from the Northeast. A cooler of prepared deli items makes it easy to stock up for later, and residents named it the city's best takeout in the 2026 Main Street Awards.
Tip: Order ahead for a quick pickup, and check the deli cooler for something to take home for tomorrow's lunch.
Martin's Bar-B-Que Joint
Mt. Juliet · 200 Crossings Ln., Suite 500, Mt. Juliet, TN 37122
Mt. Juliet's location of this Middle Tennessee barbecue favorite smokes fresh hogs West Tennessee style, low and slow over hickory for the better part of a day. The payoff is tender, smoky whole-hog barbecue that won the barbecue category in the 2026 Main Street Awards, a real feat in a state that takes its pork seriously.
Tip: Order the whole hog, the house specialty, and bring a group so you can pass the sides around.
The Candied Rib Company
Mt. Juliet · 3560 N. Mt. Juliet Rd., Mt. Juliet, TN 37122
This tiny takeout spot on North Mt. Juliet Road takes barbecue in a sweeter, more inventive direction. Its signature candied ribs balance sweet and savory, and the menu also covers dry-rub and saucy ribs, smoked meats, burgers and char-grilled seafood, cooked without seed oils or high-fructose corn syrup. It won the 2026 Main Street Award for catering and food trucks and was a barbecue finalist.
Tip: It's takeout only, so plan a picnic or a night in, and make the candied ribs the centerpiece.
Campione's Taste of Chicago
Mt. Juliet · 1410 N. Mt. Juliet Rd., Suite 101, Mt. Juliet, TN 37122
Residents named this North Mt. Juliet Road spot the city's best overall restaurant and best Italian in the 2026 Main Street Awards. The menu is pure Chicago: Italian beef sandwiches, deep-dish and thin-crust pizza, Chicago-style hot dogs, meatball sandwiches and hearty pastas. Campione's has served Middle Tennessee since 2008, starting in Gallatin before bringing its Windy City cooking to Mt. Juliet.
Tip: First visit? Start with the Italian beef, then come back another night for deep dish.
Memo's Mexican Kitchen
Mt. Juliet · 1319 N. Mt. Juliet Rd., Mt. Juliet, TN 37122
This family-run kitchen on North Mt. Juliet Road cooks regional Mexican dishes with real depth: rich carnitas, quesabirria, Yucatán-style cochinita pibil and enmoladas in mole, with churros to finish. The casual dining room keeps the focus on the food, and the restaurant throws a lively DÃa de los Muertos celebration every year.
Tip: Order the carnitas, save room for churros, and watch for the DÃa de los Muertos party each fall.
Yummy Pho Bac
Mt. Juliet · 2037 N. Mt. Juliet Rd., Mt. Juliet, TN 37122
A husband-and-wife team runs this Vietnamese restaurant on North Mt. Juliet Road, and its standouts are worth crossing town for: pho built on beef back ribs and a duck fried rice coated in a sticky, spicy sauce. The dining room is casual and come-as-you-are, the kind of place where a steaming bowl of broth can turn a long day around.
Tip: Order the beef rib pho on a cool evening, and get the duck fried rice for the table.
Plan it
Most of these restaurants line Mt. Juliet Road, with Milestone off Golden Bear Gateway and the donut shop on Nonaville Road, so it's easy to pair a meal with a park visit or an errand. For a one-day food tour, start with donuts or The Paper Mill, pick up lunch from Milestone or The Candied Rib Company, and finish with dinner at Campione's, Martin's, Memo's or Yummy Pho Bac.
Menus, schedules and takeout options change through the year, so check current hours before you go.
More Mt. Juliet guides: A Weekend in Mt. Juliet: Lake Days and Local Plates · Family Fun Around Mt. Juliet: Trains, an Orchard and Glow Golf · Outdoors Near Mt. Juliet: Lakes, Parks and Trails in Wilson County · all guides
Last checked October 2026. Places change: if something in this guide has, tell us at press@j3media.vip and we will update it.
