monell's restaurant

great fun, food and conversation. my wife was on a business trip last month at the gaylord and i tagged along for a little fun. in my research i came across monell's and i'm glad i did. the place was busy, but we were seated quickly with the a friendly couple from murfreesboro, and a group of young professionals. boarding house rules apply (pass to the left). the catfish was great, as was thechickenand the ribs, but the sides were phenomenal especially the slaw. if i am ever back in nashville, i will most definitely eat here again.

much better the second time around. ok so i wrote a poor review on this restaurant the first time i had been there, i was in nashville again and a friend wanted to go -- i didnt really wanna go but i must say it was well worth the visit, the food was hot the table was great every one got along really well and the service was good, all and all i would say the second visit was 100 times better then the first... i would go back again.. and the ribs were awsome :)


-----30 sep, 2013-----

bummed out big time. i visit nashville several times a year and the first two times i ate there it was pretty good, but this last time was a mess, we were pushed threw told they were out ofchickenmy glass was dirty we had to beg for ice the server was awful the black women at the counter must not have liked white men cause clearly she was rude as all get out to me but was as nice as pie to the black women behind me.. i was sad it was so awful i normally like the place ... not to mention we sat at a table with rude people, i mean just plain rude, they did not have the pork chops as the menu stated they would and it was just a mess a big hot mess... i wont be going back again ever

wonderful food experience! not only do you get to eat tasty home style southern cooking, the communal dining style reflects the southern hospitality of the staff - like you are going to your relative's house for a meal! a big meal! the amount of food we passed around was never-ending...i expected the bill to be quite expensive, but it was such a great value! so much good food for a great price. the standouts were...well, everything! from the friedchickento the creamy mashed potatoes, meatloaf, biscuits and gravy, corn pudding, mac and cheese, beans, strawberry shortcake, peach preserves...those where only a few of the dishes, because they pack that table as if it were thanksgiving and christmas! the great thing about the communal dining is that you meet new people. you go in hungry, you leave full and satisfied and with new friends!

each time i've gone whether breakfast, lunch, or dinner i've had an excellent meal and a great time. its family style dining so if you're not with a large group its likely you'll be seated with people you didnt come there with - but thats been okay, its just made for good conversation

the skilletchickenis a constant so you'll always have plenty of fried chicken.

love the corn pudding, southern style green beans, roast beef, ham

went for breakfast, loved the pancakes, the cheese grits

i've only ever visited this location, but monell's is a must stop whenever i'm in nashville

cold food. the concept seemed to be a good idea, but boy was i wrong. i was told to sit at a table and when i pulled out a chair it flipped out into the floor. i sat down the food was not being passed, so now i am at the mercy of strangers to pass the food. the food was brought out by some guy in a dirty apron and tossed onto the table. mostly you had no idea what was on the table except the friedchickenthat was cold. i did not get any food that was suppose to be hot even warm. the cold was room temperature. well, at least i didn't have to wait; i understand some times there is a long wait. wait for this, never. i could go on, but i have said enough. i am 69 years old and could wait to leave. this is an honest and true experience and hope this is posted.

take me back to a simpler time.... when i was young and my whole family sat down around the table for meals...chickencrisp on the outside, tender and juicy on the inside, veggies excellent...love the mac-n-cheese. eggs for breakfast are to die for not to mention the panfried potatoes and onions!! just a wonderful place that still imbues a sense of community and humanity via socialization!!

last visit: december 2008 web site: monellsdining.ypguides.net we first visited monell's about 10 years ago on the basis of a tiny ad in a newspaper for passengers at the nashville airport: all-you-could-eat for $11. this proposition sounds attractive to a hungry traveler independent of the quality of the food. but monell's turned out to be an outstanding experience. the restaurant is located in a restored 1880s house in the old german section of town. guests are served at communal tables and served family style. the food is excellent; the family-style service helps them serve extremely fresh portions. i would never say that a restaurant is as good as my mom's cooking because it wouldn't be true and such a statement would endanger my safety, but monell's has mastered southern home cooking. their friedchickenis outstanding; they always serve a selection of meats at every meal. their dressing is more corn-based than the typical dressing, which suits my taste.  the communal service adds

we arrived at opryland horel and all restaurants were booked. we used urban spoon and found monnels in germantown. called and michael told us to come on, he'd be waiting for us for the victorian christmas dinner. we arrived, we're greeted with a hug, and seated promptly. we were a few courses behind and were quickly caught up with fabulous trio of appetizers including delicious smoked salmon, then a great soup, followed by fresh salad. dinner included tender sliced beef and moistchickenwhich were each infused with so much flavor that i can't even adequately describe them. sides of pineapple casserole, fabulous potatoes, asparagus so well seasoned that i are it, enjoyed it and i don't like asparagus as well as a few other sides. the fruity tea was an excellent compliment to the meal. i just realized that i failed to mention we started with a warm wassel cider. dessert was light, chocolate and delicious. served with flair and friendliness. dining room decorated so lovely. china, crystal and table linens were exquisite!!! quarter singing christmas carols added to the ambience. an unexpected pleasure at each turn of the meal!! felt like we'd arrived for a family dinner. we can't wait to return and bring our daughters. such a lovely home for the setting built in 1880's.

the best!. my son chris nathan from nashville took us out to dinner and told us about this awesome experience at monell's. i was in awe as soon as i stepped into the gardens and viewed the beautiful ponds and arbors. when we were sat down at the large farm table i was amazed at the cheerful service of the servers. they were quick to accommodate and let us know about the no cell phones at the table!!! i loved that. the food arrived by the platterful and the serving bowl full. the cat fish and friedchickenare phenomenal. the corn pudding and mashed potatoes....made me feel i was at grandma's house. i can't wait to go again....any way you might open a restaurant in buffalo, ny?????

where has customer service gone??. i went to monell's today with a big group of friends. we had been planning this day for quite some time and were so looking forward to it! we sat down without one of our group present yet. we didn't know we had committed the crime of the century! look for our pictures on the wall in the post office or americas most wanted because the way we were treated our pictures will have to be there! we even told the "hostess" that we would pay for the seat if our friend didn't make it, but she went on and on and on about us sitting before our group was here. one of the women in our group asked to speak to the manager who at 1st said he was to busy to speak with her but later came to the table. he was the most disrespectful person i have ever met in my 50 years of life! we later found out he was also the owner, he could care less if anyone enjoyed their meal. i'm am so sorry to the people that were seated at our table, they were treated badly just because they were placed with us. after we spoke with the manager the waitress never came to our table to ask if we needed anything or if everything was ok. we asked for more tea,chickenand bread and they brought it, but only after we asked. at one point, one of our group got up to leave and one of our group said to her sarcastically "we'll come back next week" and the "hostess" said "no please don't!" she later lied and said she was talking about something else when she said that! the worst part of the whole experience (i can't believe it got worse) was when we went to pay (oh yes, we got to pay $12.95 to be treated like this!!!) and the owner said in front of a table of customers that were eating and many people who were waiting to be seated "we don't like you and you don't like us so just pay and leave!" he also called us "snotty'". i will not get over this for a long time. many in our group never said one single word but were still treated like this and talked to like this. all i know is that the staff thinks they can talk to customers rudely because that's how their boss talks to customers. please don't let these people get away with this. take this message to heart before you go and spend your money in this place! i know if i ever talked to a paying customer like we were talked to i would be fired immediately and should be!!!

monell’s diners plow through seven and a half tons of skillet friedchickenevery month, thighs and drumsticks served up alongside mashed potatoes, collard greens and corn pudding.

family style. service was astoundingly fast!
concept was spot on
the friedchickenis quite possibly the best
the sides were a bit disappointing ... wish they'd have taken 30 seconds to explain to the out of towners (everyone at our table seating 12 / 4 different groups)
we had no idea what was coming at us
over all i'd give it 3 stars ... i do hear that thanksgiving and breakfast are outstanding

from the tooth achingly sweet tea to the mountains of overcookedchickenand pork, monell’s was simply disappointing.

best friedchickenyou can find in a restaurant. this is a personal nashville favorite. i remember one time when we were checking out commenting to the friendly hostess that they have the best friedchickenaround and that it seemed very similar to how my grandmother madechickenfor sunday dinner. she told us that their recipe is very simple...they never use frozen chicken...it's always fresh and that a well seasoned cast iron skillet is used...so how about that? it really is like what grandma used to make! but don't take away that the friedchickenis the only highlight at monell's. everything that gets passed around is wonderful. i've ate at monell's (both this location and the one in franklin) a combined 20 times at least and never had a bad experience. i've also had the opportunity to meet quite a few interesting people just by being seated across from them family style.