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Lynnette

Franklin, TN Restaurants: These Are The Best!

Looking for somewhere to dine in Franklin, Tennessee?

Following are the best restaurants with the tastiest menus in town -- in our opinion.

(...includes the Cool Springs area.)

BEST BUFFET / SALAD BAR:

#1 Ruby Tuesday's
Cool Springs Galleria
Franklin, TN 37067
Phone: 615-771-2060

Ming's Chinese Buffet
3021 Mallory Lane
Franklin, TN 37067
Phone: 615-778-0848

Shoney's
1306 Murfreesboro Road
Franklin, TN 37064
Phone: 615-790-1285

Golden Corral Buffet & Grill
3020 Mallory Lane
Franklin, TN 37067
Phone: 615-771-8834

Listen to Bud Light's Real Men of Genius "Mr. All You Can Eat Buffet Inventor"
Click for more Bud Light Real Men of Genius radio ads - mp3

 

BEST BARBECUE:

#1 Famous Dave's BBQ
7086 Bakers Bridge Rd.
Franklin, TN 37067
Phone: 615-778-1227

BB's Barbeque
224 New Highway 96 W
Franklin, TN 37064
Phone: 615-599-2750

Stroud's Barbeque
1010 Fulton Greer Road
Franklin, TN 37064
Phone: 615-595-0200

Mickey Roos
509 Hillsboro Road
Franklin, TN
Phone: 615-599-5993

Smokey Bones (closed)
1634 Service Merchandise Rd
Brentwood, TN 37027
Phone: 615-309-1662

 

BEST SEAFOOD:

#1 Bonefish Grill
3010 Mallory Lane
Franklin, TN 37067
615-778-9419

Red Lobster
1718 Galleria Blvd
Franklin, TN 37064
Phone: 615-771-7577

Joe's Crab Shack (closed)
1646 Westgate Circle
Brentwood, TN 37027
Phone: 615-661-6645

 

BEST MEXICAN:

#1 Nacho's
1031 Center Point Place
Franklin, TN 37064
Phone: 615-595-8090

Pancho's Place
3046 Columbia Avenue
Franklin, TN 37064
Phone: 615-790-7710

La Hacienda
1110 Hillsboro Road
Franklin, TN 37064
Phone: 615-591-9590

Pueblo Real
1340 W. Main Street
Franklin, TN 37064
Phone: 615-794-3232

SOL Restaurant
403 Main Street
Franklin, TN 37064
Phone: 615-538-6021

 

BEST STEAKHOUSE:

#1 Logan's Roadhouse
7087 Bakers Bridge Avenue
Franklin, TN 37064
Phone: 615-771-7288

Texas Roadhouse
1855 Galleria Blvd
Franklin, TN 37067
Phone: 615-435-8819

Outback Steakhouse
8005 Moore Lane
Brentwood, TN 37027
Phone: 615-661-9150

 

BEST ASIAN / THAI

#1  Koi Sushi & Thai
102 Lumber Drive (off Columbia Ave)
Franklin, TN 37064
Phone: 615-538-6018

P.F. Changs
439 Cool Springs Blvd.
Franklin, TN 37067
Phone: 615-503-9640

Royal Thai
535 Cool Springs Blvd.
Franklin, TN 37067
Phone: 615-771-5225

Chlay's Thai Diner
595 Hillsboro Road
Franklin, TN 37064
Phone: 615-599-1338

Basil's Asian Bistro
9040 Carothers Parkway
Franklin, TN 37067
Phone: 615-771-0999

Thai Spice
1031 Center Point Place
Franklin, TN 37064
Phone: 615-591-5658

 

BEST FINE DINING:

#1 Amerigo's Italian Restaurant
1656 Westgate Circle
Brentwood, TN 37027
Phone: 615-377-7070

Saffire
230 Franklin Road
Franklin, TN 37064
Phone: 615-599-4995

Red Pony
408 Main Street
Franklin, TN 37064
Phone: 615-595-7669

Zolo's Italian Restaurant
119 5th Ave N
Franklin, TN 37064
Phone: 615-599-2901

Buca di Beppo
1722 Galleria Blvd.
Franklin, TN 37067
Phone: 615-778-1321

Sandy's Downtown Grille (closed)
108 4th Avenue, S.
Franklin, Tennessee 37064
Phone: 615-794-3639

Beethoven's Grille (closed)
3061 Mallory Lane
Franklin, TN 37067
615-771-7459

 

BEST FAMILY DINING:

#1 Carrabba's Italian Grill
553 Cool Springs Blvd
Franklin, TN 37067
Phone: 615-778-9111

Shane's Rib Shack
3046 Columbia Avenue #12
Franklin, TN 37064
Phone: 615-591-8626

Sportsman's Lodge Tavern & Grille
1640 Westgate Circle
Brentwood, TN 37027
Phone: 615-373-1070

Wild Noodles
401 B Cool Springs Blvd
Franklin, TN 37067
Phone: 615-771-1919

T.G.I. Friday's
520 Cool Springs Blvd.
Franklin, TN 37067
Phone: 615-771-8185

Chili's
3084 Columbia Avenue
Franklin, TN 37064
Phone: 615-794-1499

Cracker Barrel
1735 Mallory Lane
Franklin, TN 37067
Phone: 615-376-8120

O'Charleys
1202 Murfreesboro Road
Franklin, TN
Phone: 615-794-9438

 

BEST SANDWICHES & SPECIALTIES:

#1 Jason's Deli
3065 Mallory Lane
Franklin, TN 37067
Phone: 615-771-2626

Wolfgang Puck Express
553 Cool Springs Boulevard #100
Franklin, TN 37067
Phone: 615-771-9066

McAllister's Deli
401-A Cool Springs Blvd
Franklin, TN 37067
Phone: 615-771-7380

Philly Connection (closed)
600 B Frazier Drive
Franklin, TN 37067
Phone: 615-778-1919

Fat Mo's (closed)
595 Hillsboro Road
Franklin, TN 37064
Phone: 615-794-2101

 

BEST PIZZA:

#1 Mellow Mushroom
317 Main Street
Franklin, TN 37064
615-628-0181

Garlic Jim's
4115 Mallory Lane
Franklin, TN 37067
Phone: 615-791-5461

Pie In The Sky Pizza
1770 Galleria Blvd
Franklin, TN 37067
Phone: 615-778-0988

Guido's New York Pizza
600A Frazier Drive #135
Franklin, TN 37067
Phone: 615-503-9626

Matteo's Pizzeria
230 Franklin Road
Franklin, TN 37064
Phone: 615-599-6650

 

Our Other Restaurant Reviews

Barbara's Homecookin: Better Than Your Mama's?

Best Philly Cheesesteak: Penn Station vs Fat Mo's

Henpeck Market: Good Food & Music

Franklin Mercantile Deli: Sit, Stay, Eat Great Food

Cheesecake Factory in Green Hills

Wild Ginger Restaurant

Best Chinese Restaurants In Franklin

Mineo's Pizza & Wings vs Mellow Mushroom

Tossed: The Fashion Of Salads In Franklin

Nashville's Loveless Cafe




40 Comments

Eleanor Hargis

If you like coutry cooking you have got to visit Auston's Grill on Hillboro Road at Fieldstone Farms. The best turnip greens you every put in you mouth, better than your Mama's. They are a few doors down from Publix's.
Never have I had a bad meal in there and I eat there a LOT!

Jacki Dean

Gretchen--This is really weird! I also visited Choices Restraurant in 1995 and bought a cookbook, which I misplaced. I went to the internet to try to find an address for Choices in hopes of ordering another when I saw your comment. I have since found my cookbook, and would be happy to share any of the recipes with you.

ben Frey

Dotson's. Bring cash.

Nancy Smith

I have been to every Mexican foodplace in Williamson and Davidson County and my family likes the Pancho's Mexican Restaurant on Columbia Ave in Franklin. We order the lunch fajitas and it ends up costing the same as
Mc Donald's.

mkbednark

Will be spending the night in Franklin next Saturday. Have already decided we want fried chicken - where is the best? Thanks!

Ben Frey

Um...Pancho's Place is nasty and gross. Might as well put Las Palmas on this "best" list.
And where is Taco Express (now known as Oscar's Taco)? It might be the best mexican in Tennessee, much less in Franklin.

Also, Wild Noodles is closed (thank goodness, yuck).

Lyndon

If you go to the new 108 restaurant near the old jail in Franklin,take some earplugs.We were seated next to a party Sat.night and left with ringing ears,had to scream to talk to one another,My $9.00 burger are was chewy,prices are high.Waiter forgot we were there.None of the 4 in our group will be back.Good luck 108,my guess is you won't make it. Papa boudreaux's IS fabulous.

Murray

You can find the best phillycheesesteak at Rueben at Rushbey's 1581 E Broadway gallatin Tn. 37066 or 615-451-4466 There's alot of good food there and you'll never find better. You should go there and try them and put them on your listing

Julie

Choices was a great place. They went out of business though. It has since been a few other restaurants, 4th and Main, then it was called Sandy's Downtown Grille, and now it is called Sol (Mexican- awesome by the way). I believe Choices used to serve dishes that were from Miss Daisy's recipes, and you can probably still buy her cookbooks. There is a restaurant in Franklin, TN called Stoveworks in the Factory (close to downtown Franklin) that is much like the food you would have at Choices, only they are only open during lunch hours. Hope this helps!
-Julie

Sharon

Hi Ann! Do a lot of Louisiana people congregate at Papa Boudreaux's? Everyone from LA that I run into says "you HAVE to go there"!

Gretchen Woolf

Hi Lynnette,
I hope that you can help me. I am looking for a resturant called "Choices" in Franklin TN. Some friends and I ate there back in "95"
when visiting Nashville. I bought a cookbook from this resturant and have misplaced it and want another. But I am having trouble finding them. Can you help. Have they since gone out of business?
Thanks
GW

Valerie

Beethoven's is closed as is Fat Mos over by Mickey Roos

Ann

Friends in Bellevue had been talking about Papa Boudreauxs in Fly, TN., between Dickson and Columbia off of Hwy 7.

We took friends to Papa's for their birthday, along with a small cooler filled with a bottle of wine and beer. Papa's has 7 tables inside the quaint restaurant. No one seemed to mind the wait outside as everyone was tailgaiting and visiting. There are picknick tables to sit on and have a beverage before dinner.

The cajun food was delicious and such large servings.

See Papa Boudreauxs web site for his menu. He is a Chef by trade, who had to leave Louisianna because of the Katrina Hurrican and he relocated to Tennessee.

We will definitely go back.

Denise

Has anyone heard about Choices Restaurant?

Sharon

We tried Ming Palace and I have to say, it was the most HORRIBLE food I've eaten since we moved to Nashville. Please do not believe that it's the best Chinese buffet in Franklin. There has GOT to be another one. Yuck.

Alex Ezell

We moved here from North Georgia, which has a large Hispanic population, and therefore some of the best authentic Mexican food anywhere outside of the border states, IMHO.

That said, we've tried all the Mexican spots in Franklin and they are, frankly, all very good (special nod to Taco Express for its authenticity), but the best is El Guadalajara over by Mickey Roo's.

I would also like to add that Stroud's is the worst BBQ I have ever had, period. I've eaten at over 50 BBQ restaurants in at least 7 states and it was the worst I have ever had. I literally couldn't take more than two bites and was nauseous. Some of the best BBQ I've had in these parts is from Mo Better BBQ which is a truck that parks in the Waters(?) Mortuary parking lot off Columbia on Saturdays.

Dennis

To my surprise, I actually agree with almost everything on the list... and we've lived here since 1991. My personal faves:
>Mexican - Pancho's for "basic" Mex (local chain); Garcia's for seafood Mex. Cozymel's is a chain, good but a bit pricey.
>Pizza - Depends on your taste... Nashville Pizza is crisp/thin crust; Guido's is large gooey center; Mellow Mushroom is a chain but is good; I thought Mineo's was very salty (like, shaker fell in the sauce salty). Jet's Pizza is in McKay's Mill subdivision and quite good; takeout/delivery only.
>BBQ - Very subjective, but I like Famous Dave's or Whitt's... the joint in Nolensville is good but not worth the drive to me
>Home cooking - Monell's is AYCE family style and excellent. Dotson's is OK but greasy to me. Bishop's meat & 3 is very pricey for what you get.
>Italian - No one has yet mentioned the secret gem of Cool Springs... Molinari's in the same shopping center as Mexicali and Mineo's; outstanding food and good service but it's small. Forget going Friday nights unless you go early.
>Seafood - Frankly, being from NC and knowing good seafood... there isn't any in Franklin. Bonefish is pricey but the best seafood you'll find here.
>Asian - PF Chang's for fusion, Royal Thai, haven't been to Basil's but I will go now.
>Caribbean - Again not mentioned yet is Calypso Cafe, a local chain with a branch in the strip center with Guido's. Excellent roast chicken with caribbean sauces, black beans & rice, good veggies & salads.
>Fine dining - Sperry's, Beethoven's, J. Alexander's are all good and all pricey as you'd expect.
>Steaks - The ubiquitous Outback, but for lower prices try Texas Roadhouse or Logan's.
>Other - Franklin Chop House on Hwy 96 East is local and good... not known for steaks but for other meat & pasta dishes. Johnathan's is an upscale sports bar featuring personal specialty pizzas, burgers, salads & such. Bodeli Sushi is in the same center as Molinari's/Mineo's/Mexicali if you like sushi on the conveyor belt. And just about every chain known on earth is in the Cool Springs area of Franklin.

Jay Lewis

Pueblo Real is the best food and service! Plus they have coupons on their website too: http://www.pueblorealrestaurant.com/

jackie schmidt

smokey bones is closed

Jamin

Could someone tell me the price range of the Bunganut Pig? The menu looks incredible, but it sounds pricey. Thanks!

Marie

no one ever mentioned cozymels mexican grill for the mexican Category!! they have AMAZING seafood dishes, desserts, and of course classic mexican fajitas and other dishes! you have to try the Patron Margarita, BEST IN TOWN. 1654 Westgate Circle, in Brentwood, off of Moores Ln. You should try it out!

Sarah

I agree with a few of those suggestions...
we often leave Nashville to eat in Franklin. Here are our favorites:

1.The Red Pony (Gourmet - try the shrimp & grits!)
2.Garcia's (Best Mexican food, by far. Not greasy!! Their Sangria margartia is perfection.)
3.Merridee's Breadbasket(The raisin bread is to die for! Breakfast/lunch only.)
4.Franklin Chop House (I could eat their Rattlesnake Pasta or Blackened Tilapia all day long)

Also tasty:
Sperry's
Stoney River Steakhouse
Puckett's Grocery

Garcia's! Absolutely the best mexican food and awesome service.

Criollas is a wonderful find. The lamb is the best in Franklin and the Piano is always excellent. Other places that continue to be good are Amerigos, Saffires, Dumplins and Meridees, and Sake for Sushi. Enjoy!

Bob

I agree...Pueblo Real is the best authentic mexican food in Franklin, TN.

Susan

Garcia's in Williamson Square is hands-down THE best fresh mexican in the county! Try their fish tacos (not deep fried), shrimp bisque or veggie fajitas or quesadillas. The dinner portions are large, so you might want to share.

constance

I agree... Mineo's has honestly the best pizza in the brentwood/franklin area and if you like wings they are delicious as well! its off carothers down from the brentwood sonic in the strip with mexicali.... yummY!

Sharon Carroll

Don't see "Country Cooking" on your list. Our favorite two places in Franklin for this type food (where the locals eat) are Dotson's and Monell's. Both great. Monell's is family style dining in the Old Franklin Jail. Loads of character.

Just noticed that Smokey Bones is also closed now.

Cindy -
Hmmm... we haven't tried Mineo's yet.
Now we will!

Here's the info for anyone who's interested:
Mineo's Wings, Pizza & Raw Bar
330 Mayfield Dr.
Franklin, TN 37067
615) 771-7911

cindy

I cant believe that MINEO'S is not mentioned for best pizza. There pizza is way better then any pizza ive had since i moved here fom n.y, its real pizza. They also have AMAZING wings. ITS surprising that so many people have never been there. If you like pizza or wings i promise you will find no better

The Red Pony Restaurant is the best place we have eaten in Franklin and greater Nashville. Try it and add it to your list

Stephanie Reusch

Hey, just to let you know a new restaurant is opening in April were the Joe's Crab Shack was. It is Saltgrass Steakhouse based out of Houston Texas. The steaks are fresh and tender and the garlic mashed potatoes are killer!!!! Everything thing they make is made fresh daily!! Check it out!!
1646 Westgate Circle Brentwood

Derrick

I am new to the area, but I have ate somewhere new every week.I still have a lot of restaurants to try. I must agree that P.f.Changs, Wolfgang Puck Express, and Bonefish Grill are excellent dinning establishments; but, you are missing two of the absolute best restaurants I have ever been to in my life! Sperrys and J. Alexanders are both very deserving to be on your list; both have tender steaks, excellent wine, and good service. I also must note that "The Wall of Chocolate" at P.F.Changs is the best desert I've had in the area.

Anonymous

I thought The Flying Horse by the Factory was absolutely terrible. I'd never go back! Also omitted above but a "must-eat-at while" in Franklin is Merridees Breadbasket...a fabulous Scandinavian bakery that is to die for! Puckett's Grocery is good for down-home meat-and-3 style meals.

Anonymous

Joe's Crab Shack on Westgate Circle is closed.

Anonymous

Here are a few restaraunts I think you should add to the list or at least try if you haven't already! Moe's Southwest Grill has great Mexican food that you can get to-go. Also, I would suggest J. Alexander's and the Green Hills Grille for fine dining. In the family category, I would add Romano's Macoroni Grill. Schlotzky's Deli has great salads. For pizza places, you should definitely try Guido's New York Pizzas and Nasvhille Pizza Company. Basil Asian Bistro is great for oriental cuisine. Stoney River Legendary Steaks is my favorite steakhouse. I also can't believe you left out The Flying Horse Restaraunt at the Factory @ Franklin! It was rated the best restaraunt in Williamson County by Nashville Scene a couple years in a row. Definitely go there! Happy eating!

Mike -

Yes, H.R.H. Dumplins is still there (428 Main Street, Franklin).

Their hours are 11AM - 2PM every day.

Phone # 791-4651

They don't have a website, but you can view the menu here -- My Butler Delivers handles take out orders for them.

By the way, we've used My Butler Delivers... and we highly recommend them!

Michael Hickey

It has been almost ten years since I have visited Franklin, TN. I recall eating at a quaint place with a name something like "Dumplings", but I saw nothing like that on your web site. Is there still such a place? Thanks, Mike

Janet Smith

You are missing THE best Mexican restaurant in Franklin! Pueblo Real!
They are located at 1340 West Main Street, approximately 1 mile from
the downtown square. 615-794-3232
http://www.pueblorealrestaurant.com

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