19 Best Southern Restaurants in Franklin

“Absolutely loved this place for our date night! I searched for a date night restaurant bc we are from NC & this place surpassed all my expectations! Our waiter was Alejandro, who was super knowledgeable & so very kind! The manager came over and thanked us for dining with them & was also very kind. I would absolutely come here again & definitely recommend this restaurant to everyone!! We had such a lovely, romantic dinner! Thank you, Red Pony!!“

“We came here for a birthday celebration, and we were so impressed! The Mahi Mahi was lovely, and so was the pork! I wasn't terribly blown away by the red beans and rice, but since it's just a side, it didn't really affect my experience. Gluten Free items are clearly marked on the menu, and the staff takes allergies very seriously, which I greatly appreciated. There aren't too many options, probably 3 entrees, 3 sides, and 2 salads, but what they do offer is very nice.Dietary restrictions: Gluten free friendly“

“Of course breakfast in Nashville means biscuits and Biscuit Love is one of the best spots! We've previously dined at Biscuit Love in The Gulch, but this Franklin location is amazing! Built in an older home in downtown, the place is beautiful. Same as in the other spot, you get in line and place your order. You're assigned a table and the food is delivered to you. We started out with "bonuts". These are like the best munchkins you could dream of! Little donuts with mascarpone and blueberry jam were the star of the show. We ordered the breakfast egg dish which was served with bacon, cheese grits, and a biscuit. Everything was delicious but the biscuit with jam makes the dish. Easy street parking and friendly service made this a breakfast to remember!“

“I loved this place if only I could get these recipes! I am definitely going to spend a lot of my time recreating some of these dishes to my best ability! The workers were amazing and sweet. My one thing i would be little picky was the air-conditioner was on us so little cold but a few drinks in and wasn't a problem, haha.“

“Cool little throwback Meat & Two kinda place. Menu of 8 main dishes...all meats except for a veggie platter if you're so inclined. 11 side items to pick from. Converted home but a fair amount of seating in different rooms plus some outside seating. I chose the fried chicken (one drum/ one breast) with sides of sweet potato casserole and mac 'n' cheese. They give you a roll and I ordered black coffee. Both were good. Quality medium roast coffee, The mac 'n' cheese was soupier than I prefer but that's pretty common. Flavor was good though and the mac (spiral cut) wasn't cooked to mush so that's a "win". The sweet potato casserole was really tasty and is definitely recommended. The chicken was precooked of course for time purposes (my meal arrived in five minutes) but still flavorful and plenty meaty. With coffee the bill was $17 before tax. Maybe a bit high but that's the new economy I suppose and you do have the Williamson County Beauty Tax :-) Great service by everyone involved....and the lady at the checkout had a cool English accent...even if she didn't offer me a complimentary "biscuit" as I was leaving :-) Give this place a try...just for the old school vibe and service.“

“Amazing biscuits and home made gravy! Roasted potatoes were cooked perfectly as well, and Even the donuts were fabulous. This was better than I expected, definitely worth a morning date stop or a hungry craving for some good grub. Excited to come back with the family. Thank you!“

“Good fried chicken and decent sides. Cafeteria style service so line moves quickly. Plenty of seating to eat and enjoy. Nothing fancy. Just decent food you can grab quick when short on time. First time eating carrot souffle and initially thought it was sweet potato. It was delicious so try it next time you stop “

“Gray's on Main resides in a beautiful historical drug store, rich with history in Franklin TN. Look around, read the walls, notice the charm of this Franklin Jewel. We have been coming here for years, mostly because of their great mixologists. This time to our amazement they added a 1st floor bar, looks amazing! We retreated to the 2nd floor where there is a smaller bar, table tops, and a music stage. We normally don't eat here because the food has been average. Well, something changed and for the good! I started off with an Old Fashioned with Sazerac Bourbon, they are always on point! For our appetizer we ordered the Bacon Wrapped Figs, anything with Benton's bacon from East TN is delicious! For dinner my wife ordered the Goat Cheese & Mushroom Agnolotti, she said it was very good. I ordered the Bouillabaisse, with Red Snapper, Scallops, Mussels, Littleneck Clams, Fennel, Fingerling Potatoes, with Saffron Tomato Broth. Ok, this changed my opinion of Gray's, DANG.... This was amazing!!!! The flavor and how it was cooked was perfect! I did have one recommendation for the chef, the broth was soooooo good I wanted to soak it up with some bread! Denise our waitress was amazing, another reason this place is special. When I suggested this, she asked the chef to make me a skillet corn bread so I could enjoy the broth! There is a restaurant in Knoxville that brings out an 8 inch baguette in a brown paper bag to keep it warm, this maybe a good addition to this entree. Now for dessert, save room... Bourbon Vanilla Creme Burlee and Banana Pudding, for me the Bourbon Vanilla Creme Burlee wins! Now it's time to sit back and listen to some great music! Great job Gray's!“

“Stopped by Puckett's on a Saturday about 1 pm. Had about a 30 min wait but the free parking across the street in the deck was nice! It's a cute interior that appears to be an old general store. Ordered the nacho's with pulled pork and they were incredible. Pork was delicious and toppings were generous. For entree got the 3 sliders with one each of the meats. Highly recommend! Enjoy this find in a beautiful town!“

“The Chicken breast and Beignets was delicious. The Nashville Hot was very spicy but flavorful. The medium was all the wife could handle. It was also very good and hotter than most other's hot. The beignets were the perfect sweet item to cool down after. $4 Brunch Bloody Mary's were an added bonus. Service was great. He checked on us often even though the place was packed and he was in constant motion.“

“The beer is cold, the food is great, and the music doesn't get any better. By golly, these bands sound better than Broadway (if you catch my drift). Drop all that into a traditional Tennessee small town and you gotta little slice of heaven.“

“We had a long day of traveling with our dog and kids. We sat on the patio and had a phenomenal dinner - borbounyaki wrap (might have been my favorite!), watermelon salad (probably one of the best salads!), fish and chips, and cheeseburgers. I can’t wait to be in town again to eat here another time!!“

“Always incredible!!! We have little kids so we typically do a lot of carry out. Chloe was just fantastic. Super personable and double checked our order before bringing it out to our car. Thank you so much, Chloe! Hope to see you next time we come to pick up some food. ?“

“I’d been wanting to try this for quite some time but didn’t because I thought it was expensive. However, I found it very affordable and a good size portion. Since I travel for work, I’m always looking for options. Absolutely love the broccoli salad and every flavor of chicken salad I’ve tried so far.“

“Just had a wonder experience with DEREK working on the carry out desk. Funny, personality in abundance and customer service. I got the impression he was still new and learning the job. I can see where he’s going to be a hit with customers and a stand out with management. Good luck Derek, wish you the best and success.“

“The chicken is the best in the Denver area! My one wish is that Waldo's opens a few more in the north metro. The staff members are friendly and welcoming and the service is beyond all expectations. We would absolutely choose this fried chicken restaurant for dine-in or takeout over all others!“

“Very enjoyable Emma S served us perfectly, Jeff the G / M welcomed us with wonderfully prepared meals of chicken tenders and fish and chips. Both obviously fresh and piping hot! We started our visit is Nashville but stopped at corporate headquarters not a restaurant! Clint H/R director explained our mistake . He graciously directed us to Jeff's facility only 20 miles in the right direction of our trip , called ahead for us ! The rest is history very good. Stop in and enjoy a good meal, mention to Jeff the Indiana people sent you !! Enjoy“

“I dropped by for a quick bite to eat at lunch time. While it was busy I was still seated in a reasonable amount of time. The staff was definitely busy but they were juggling the customers very well and getting things out in a timely manner. Five stars to both Chelsea and Melissa who went above and beyond on making my stay a very pleasant experience. It's employees like these that you can't risk losing they are amazing at what they do. I will definitely be back and in no small part because of the service that I received from Chelsea and Melissa.“

“We had the absolute best time!!! The restaurant is so cool looking, the menu is diverse and has something for everyone, and our server Nico gave us phenomenal service! This was definitely one of our favorite dining experiences ever. I had the filet with hollandaise, side of potatoes and carrots. Husband ate filet (Oscar style) with Mac n cheese. My mother in law had the roasted duck and grits. My father in law had the meatloaf. Everyone left EXTREMELY happy and full!! We will absolutely be back!“