05/12/09

what a treat

by nonicakes

what a lovely Mother's Day treat...wonderful atmosphere, friendly people, good service and best of all...yummy food ! Just like eating at my Grannie's Sunday table.

• Pros: good southern food
• Cons: too many people know about it

04/18/09

Great Family Dining

by dfagan1036

Took my wife and 5 children there on vacation. Shared a table with another family. The food was excellent southern-style chicken, pork chops and more sides than you can shake a stick at. The staff was attentive and plenty of food was provided.

We paid more for breakfast at the hotel than for this enjoyable meal.

It was great fun meeting other people while sharing a meal. There was something for everyone, even my most picky kid. If we ever go back to Nashville, we will be visiting them again.

• Pros: Great food, fun family-style, great staff, good price
• Cons: None

02/07/09

Birthday Treat

by icecubeninjagirl

Well, I work in the airline industry and can fly anywhere in the country on a moment's notice. For my mother's Birthday last September, we flew to Nashvile to eat at my mom's most favorite restraunt in all of the United States.. Monell's. Our little group consisted of my parents, my 2-year-old son, and myself.

We have been on many cruises and in other situations where you have to sit with strangers and eat. Unless you have some sort of a phobia about eating with strangers, it is such a fun time getting to know the people at your table.

My mother was diagnosed with breast cancer and is planning to have her surgery next week. Guess where we are going for some TRUE COMFORT FOOD? Monell's.

They have a Koi pond out front, and a little gazebo in the garden. One of the hostesses gave us some fish food and let my son feed the fishes. They had a sippy cup for him to use (how thoughtful) at lunch, and sang my mom the funniest restaurant birthday song ever!

When my mom is no longer with us, I hope Monell's is still open for a long long time, because it will remind me of her everytime we go. Oh yeah, the food is great, too. :)

• Pros: food, atmosphere, people
• Cons: could use an airport shuttle service!

12/09/08

Best Southern Breakfast EVER!

by SusanitaLee

My friends (7 of us) and I arrived on a Saturday morning around 9am and the restaurant was already packed with people waiting. They don't take reservations, so it was a wait of over an hour (they said this was an unusually long wait). It was worth the wait. We sat down to the best southern cooking I've ever had. This was our first time in Nashville and I'd heard this was the place to go for a great southern breakfast. I must say it exceeded our expectations. Food is served family style and is all you can eat. I couldn't even eat half the stuff they passed around, but what I had was fantastic. The corn pudding is to die for! The biscuits were fluffy, tender and crispy on the edges - perfection. The hash browns were awesome and everything else was just fabulous. My only criticism is of the orange juice - it tasted like canned stuff, not fresh. But another friend of mine thought it was great. So expect a wait, but also expect the food to be worth it.

• Pros: Excellent southern cooking at a great price
• Cons: There may be a wait since they don't take reservations

10/26/08

Excellent Catering at Monell's

by Vacationgmama

I just had Monell's cater an event at my home and they did an excellent job. I ended up serving stuffed jalepenos, pigs in a blanket and fried chicken and it was very delicious and my guests devoured every piece. Monell's sent Patty over to serve and help me out and she is fabulous! She served, cleaned, and oversaw the food and beverages completely, freeing me up to enjoy the party. I highly recommend Monell's Catering!!!

• Pros: Easy, delicious catering with superb staff
• Cons: none

09/30/08

FORGET THE BUFFETS........MONELL'S WILL FILL YOU UP!!!!!

by daryoung

I recently visited Monell's for the first time and I will have to say I was very impressed. On our first visit breakfast was being served. I am not a very big breakfast lover but I will have to say that everything they served was very good. The food kept coming out and all the food I tasted was well worth our trip. My family and friends are planning to visit again when dinner is being served and I cannot wait to experience the great tasting home cooked foods that will be served. If you like good home cooked meals and have a big appetite, then Monell's is the place for you.....Can't wait to go back..............

• Pros: GREAT FOOD, GREAT SERVICE
• Cons: ????????CAN'T THINK OF ANY????????

09/22/08

Excellent Food but Terrible Owner / Terrible Customer Service

by missnashville

I've been a frequent customer of Monell's Express for years and thought the restaurant would be the PERFECT Nashville experience for our Family Reunion dinner. My entire family came to Nashville to celebrate both my Grandmother's 80th Birthday and my wedding, being held the same weekend.

I called Michael King, the owner, months in advance to reserve the private room for a 6:30pm dinner and set a menu. He refused to book their private room before 8 pm, no exceptions, but that we were welcome to come before 6:30 and wait for tables to open up. For such a special occassion, I asked if he would reconsider - but he refused, and was quite rude about it. Very rude, actually.

They've lost me as a customer forever. I tell everyone I know to visit the Germantown Cafe around the corner - where we had our Family dinner - they were AMAZING, excellent food, service and wine list. It's a perfect place to take your out of town guests for the ultimate Nashville experience!

• Pros: Food is Excellent
• Cons: The owner is very Rude!

08/15/08

Seriously, does this place need another review?

by BoBigRed

How awesome is this place? Well, pretty awesome and that's putting it mildly. Wasn't keen on the family style situation, but I soon got over that part. Now on to the food.. The food was some of the best food man! I'm telling you right now, check this place out. For lunch is was super reasonable. I think it was like $12 or somthing. All that food for $12? This is all you can eat too!! You can have sweet tea, regular tea or lemonade to drink. I almost didn't want to write another great review because next time I go I'll probably have to wait longer than 30 min. I think the words out though :)

• Pros: Some of the best southern style food anywhere!

05/25/08

OMG!!!! OMG!!!! Everything was cooked to perfection. THE BEST!!!!!

by ShirleyRiley

We had my husbands USS Midway Reunion in Nashville, and I chose Monell's as the place to have our last dinner all together before everyone departing Nashville. We live in Ca and picked this out only looking at the Internet. OMG, what a surprise this was, and this left a forever memory with everyone as it was so GOOD!!! I have traveled over half this earth and have eaten in places rated from 5 star to those to sleazy to be rated, but I have never eaten at a place where everything served was as well prepared, and as tasty as the food served at Monells. The staff were efficient and friendly, the atmosphere charming, and the food just kept coming and coming, everything was cooked to perfection, and that banana pudding was second only to what my mother in law used to make. It makes a great place to have a group dinner, as you pay individually, very reasonable, all sit together. They don't accept reservations, but our group was there at the door when they opened at 5:00pm for dinner. My friend just visited Nashville from Ca. and I recommended Monell's to her and she came home and said...OMG!!! I will tell anyone reading reviews...this is the first one I have written, but felt this review was a must to write!!!!

• Pros: atmosphere charming, food just kept coming and coming, everything was cooked to perfection,
• Cons: Don't take reservations. Groups, just be there when the door opens. That works!!!

05/22/08

Authentic Southern Cuisine

by jdd32005

Monell's has some of the best Southern food around. Everything I had there was amazing. It is all served "family style," and you are seated in a dinner table-like setting. It is great for a large group (i.e.: I was there for my sister's wedding rehearsal dinner). Definitely don't pass this one up. When it comes to Southern food, it's as real as it gets.

• Pros: Excellent food
• Cons: None