Our story is an American story, through-and-through. Frank Varallo Sr. immigrated to the United States from Viggiano, Italy, in the late 1800s. He served as an interpreter at Ellis Island before moving to Nashville, TN, to pursue a career as a violinist. A hunting accident ended Frank's music career, and he decided to turn to his other passion: chili. 

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Frank Varallo Sr. started by selling his "chile" from a small cart in the corner of a local saloon. His chili recipe was incredibly successful, and he soon opened the first Varallo's Chile Parlor on Broadway in 1907. 

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At the time Varallo's was new on the Nashville chili scene, and faced fierce competition from other chili parlors. But Varallo's had something the other restaurants did not: a tradition of Southern hospitality and a host of family recipes, perfected over generations. Today, Varallo's is the only chili parlor remaining in Nashville.  

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The Varallo family no longer owns Varallo's Restaurant, but the legacy of Varallo's Chili lives on through the Peabody family. Varallo's Restaurant serves the same chili in 2020 as we did in 1907. We also offer breakfast options and a classic, Southern meat-and-three. 

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