On my quest to try every restaurant in downtown Franklin, we stopped in last weekend for dinner. We were faced with a wait but got in within about 30 minutes. First of all, the service truly is fantastic here from the hostesses to the waiters. Since it was our first time, we were given a brief history of the building and offered a tour (more on that later). To begin, we tried two of their signature cocktails: the Every Mile and the award winning Anthym Spirit. The cocktails truly are 5 stars, and this is a must try spot for drinks in Franklin! I usually hate gin, but it was perfect in the Every Mile cocktail with Brokers, St. Germain, Lime, simple syrup and lavender bitters. The Anthym spirit also did not disappoint, and it is obvious why it has won awards! Now onto the food. I tried the Heritage Fried Chicken and my boyfriend had the Bacon Wrapped Low Country Quail. Unfortunately the food is what brought down my rating since everything else was fantastic. The fried chicken was served wth garlic mashed potatoes, long cooked green beans, bourbon mustard pan sauce and a black pepper drop biscuit. The chicken was well cooked and tasty, but nothing extraordinary, especially for Nashville. The sides were my least favorite parts. The mashed potatoes were flavorless. I didn't taste any garlic or even salt. I kept trying to scrape up the pan sauce for flavor. The beans were also pretty flavorless, like they had been boiled without seasoning. The biscuit was peppery but really nothing special unfortunately. The best part of the meal was the smoked Gouda grits that accompanied the quail. They were rich, creamy and packed a strong Gouda flavor. I would order them again! Unfortunately the bacon on the quail was pretty flabby and not really worth eating. The quail was difficult to eat but flavorful with the red wine blackberry BBQ sauce. I really wanted to love the food, but for $24 for each entree, I expected a lot more flavor and execution. At the end of the meal, we were taken on a tour of the building, which I 100% recommend! Apparently not many people know about it, so definitely ask! It was fun to see all of the upstairs areas, including the 3rd floor which overlooks Main St. They also have live music every Friday and Saturday for a $6 cover (I believe that was the price). Normally I hate places that do that since it makes the entire restaurant loud, but we actually couldn't hear any music at all downstairs. We did hear the music while on the tour, which was great. I would like to go back for the music, cocktails and maybe some appetizers (the fried pimiento cheeseballs sound delish!), but I don't think we will go back for dinner unless they revamp the menu. I hope they do because this place has so much potential with everything else! read more

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Unfortunately the general manager Gino and manager Christian are dishonest and lack integrity. Terrible experience.

Overpriced, menu had only 6 entrees options, $26 for chicken breast??? no draft beer, small drinks, food was mediocre for the price, waiter was full of himself...the place is outdated. If you want a fancy dinner go somewhere else. read more

Apps: Fried Pimento Cheese Balls... Awesome Crab Fritters... Also Awesome but not as good as the cheese balls.. Nashville Hot Chicken Sandwich: Perfectly balanced with sweet and spicy and I did not die afterwards. Service was great and the place is just a cool place to hang out and have lunch.. I will be back... maybe tomorrow read more

Housed in an old pharmacy, Gray's on Main is spot worthy of some further examination. Nashville is well-known for its proliferation of down-home southern-style restaurants, and while this may appear to fit the mold, it deviates in a pleasant fashion. Menus can only go so far to describe a restaurant - "the proof is in the pudding" is true in more ways than one - Gray's on Main can't be judged like a book, by it's cover, but only by a visit. Sit upstairs, if you're able, because the ambience is 2x what the downstairs is. It has notions of a speakeasy meeting a revived industrial warehouse, with some actual pieces of its history preserved along the way, like the paper prescription wallpaper. The Bourbon Brown Sugar Salmon is my favorite, as are the broccoli and bacon-wrapped fig appetizers. Be careful when ordering, the drinks are amazing, and can sometimes be priced to reflect that. Only complaint is service - there's a large discrepancy in experience and attentiveness between different staff members that could use some addressing (bringing water glasses, making informed recommendations, simple things...); that's a huge part of the overall experience. read more

Love this place, love the owners. I don't feel like a lab rat or science experiment here. Staff is great, food is great, music is great. Over all just an awesome and historical place. read more

Great experience. Great cocktails. Amazing Brussel Sprouts (this means a lot to me). I walked in, asked the host if I could sit at the bar and he directed me. My drink was out in seconds, my order taken. I loved supporting this place. read more

Staff was very friendly and the restaurant has a hip vibe to it. The Bloody Mary has a slight taste of clam juice and too much lime. Just plain Bleh. And the food wasn't great either. This was our first and last visit. But if you do go try the BBQ chips and Pimento Cheeseballs - best thing they have. Good luck! read more

Hands down, best Shrimp 'n Grits I've ever had! It's like both the Hatfields and the McCoy's curled up in my mouth and started fighting. Grits! Shrimp! Collard Greens! Fried Okra! Fried Tomatoes...and POPcorn! Bang bang! read more

My husband and I visited for lunch with our son and daughter-in-love and their young children. Amber took remarkably wonderful care of us! She helped us meet the needs of both of our precious grandchildren and truly went above and beyond expectations. Amber is amazing and we are so grateful for all of her help! Our food and drinks were outstanding and we will definitely return for another meal! read more

All that I can say is "wow"!! I'm really surprised this places isn't 4.5 stars on average as I write this. The food is phenomenal, we were a party of 5 adults and everyone loved their meals! I had the lemon ravioli and it was incredible! The service is really great too. Our server, Kayla, was always attentive to check in on us, refill our drinks, and make sure we were happy with our meals. We are visiting from out of town, but when we come back to Franklin will certainly return here ready for another great dining experience! If you're looking for a great place for dinner, Head here for a culinary treat at a reasonable price!! read more

I have really really wanted to love this place-- that's why I gave it five tries. What's good: tuna tartare and the space. Total potential to be fabulous. The guys who serve the food from the kitchen are also consistently awesome-- they should be customer facing! What's not good: service. Wait staff does not make eye contact, is nearly importable to get attention of, and doesn't seem interested in whether you are having a good experience or not. Drinks: they couldn't make a vodka cranberry because it's not on their list-- and half the reason they are so slow behind the bar is they are pouring and squeezing and cutting all kinds of things for bespoke drinks. Food: my husband's medium rare steak was well done, and the second one came.... well done. My orders have been mediocre except for the tartare. I would love to see someone come in and get this place righted. As much as I was rooting for this place, I won't be back. read more

I've been going to GRAYS for years. I especially enjoy all their small plates and the live music upstairs. The entrees aren't always on point but you can't go wrong with any of the small plates. read more

Well I was in Nashville again and it was in '14 that I was at Grey's on Main, a restaurant, that I was eager to get back to. I drove from Nashville to Franklin to have the great Chicken & Waffles I had on my last visit. What a disappointment! The waffles were brick hard and the chicken was just good. I just looked at a picture of the Chicken & Waffles that I had in '14 and the current version was nothing like the previous. The waffles looked like a toaster waffle vs. a Belgian waffle and as I said they were hard and likely left overs. My wife had the burger and it was good. The server gave us a free banana pudding desert that was great. Didn't make up for the really bad Chicken & Waffles but it was great. The next time I'm in Nashville and drive to Franklin I'll try another restaurant. I hope you have better luck than we did. read more

A Franklin favorite when we visit!! Pimento BLT, Farmer's Daughter, Chicken Salad Sandwich, Cheese Pizza, and Coconut Cake... all to die for!! Fabulous service too - thank you Joel! read more

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What a wonderfully perfect dinner! We got there around 6:30 on a Saturday and miraculously had no wait for a table for two. We got to sit on the second floor next to the window, which we loved people watching! We ordered the Pimento Cheese Balls on recommendation from a review here and they were wonderful! That pepper jelly it sits on makes it - I only wish there had been more than 4 in an order! We ordered four drinks throughout dinner to sip on and take turns trying. I would tell you what they were but I can't find their fall drink menu online to reference. I know one was Applejack (super sweet but really good), one was Molasses something and it was our favorite! For dinner, I played it safe and ordered the Heritage Fried Chicken. It was INCREDIBLE! The crunch of the crust on the chicken with the mashed potatoes and green beans - it was all perfect. My husband ordered the Pork Chop and loved it! To top everything off we had the banana pudding! I recommend it! All in all, a wonderful experience! Our service was fantastic! My only suggestions are: more balls in the pimento cheese ball app and removing the pepper from the drop biscuit. read more

This is a nice venue. It's daggy, furnished in an old, sort of scruffy style...but it works. It is an old building redesignated as a restaurant and bar. We popped in for lunch. We were taken to a comfortable booth and our waiter came across and gave us the story of the building. We ordered soup, a 'feature' burger, a salad and, because it was an early lunch, we didn't bother with alcohol, but ordered tea instead. The french fries (with the burger) were okay..not great. The tea was tea, the artisan salad was excellent, the soup was very nice and the burger was, as you should expect for $14, a classic! It has to be said the service was a little slow, but given that we were not in a hurry, we didn't mind so much. The restrooms were spotless and all-in-all, we both enjoyed our visit; and, we will probably return next time we are in for a bit of a stroll through the historic downtown area of Franklin. As a footnote, the old town is worth a day out. If you have been to Jonesborough TN or Asheville NC, you will feel at home in Franklin. Go there and grab a burger...you won't be disappointed. read more

My favorite lunch spot in the historic downtown. The Franklin Burger, the wild mushroom pizza, and the breakfast plate--try it for lunch! And at night--great mixed drinks. Plus you have the setting of the old store--you can't beat the vibe. read more

Easily the worst hamburger I've had in years. The beef looked and tasted like they defrosted it and cooked it in the microwave. The service was great and the other food was good - but it doesn't take a master chef to make a decent burger. Hard to give more than three stars when you miss a layup. read more

Transformed building so that is pretty cool! Love it when people reuse things and turn them into something else! I like feeling like I'm Getting to see a piece of history. Come for the live music it's the best! read more

Best Old fashioned I've ever had. Great appetizers and above average entrees. Cool, laid back atmosphere.

Birthday dinner! WooHoo free dessert!! OK. I have to echo Jason S.'s sentiment a little bit. (However, I do live in Brentwood/have lived in Franklin and am not a mouth breather nor a fan of chains. I travel for business and get enough chains in Anniston, AL and Jonesboro, AR thank you very much. When I'm home I want something authentic.) That being said, when Gray's opened and there were so many crappy reviews on Yelp, I thought, "Damn, I was looking forward to that place." Now I have to say, "Hold the phone just one minute here..." those reviews had to be rigged. NB: When Gus' Chicken opened, much to my husband's delight...he left an enthusiastic review which got immediately filtered into the trash bin, so I know they are picky...but didn't catch a bunch of reviewers with single digit reviews and no pictures? Ok...I'm over it. We had a great experience and wonderful meal last night at Gray's on Main. The service was spot-freaking-on. JJ delivered friendly, efficient service despite the fact that the place was packed (yes, packed) and he gave us some great background info on the building that we really enjoyed. I had two drinks, Royal Nectar and Southern Drum that were both scrumptious. My husband had some bourbon thing that I don't remember but it was yummy too and he followed that with a beer he also enjoyed. Dinner for me was 2 apps, shrimp & grits that was the best I've had...the cheddar grits are done as 4 cakes with BIG blackened shrimp on top. I also had fried green tomatoes (because this Yankee girl cannot get enough of those things) and the breading was light and kind of sweet and they came with goat cheese. My husband had steak and sweet potato biscuits. We shared everything...all good. I didn't waste tummy space on the fries he had but he said they were good. Dessert (did I mention it was my birthday dinner? It was.) consisted of chocolate cobbler, oh my so good and the only thing better was the red velvet gelato on top. Good food/drinks, unique atmosphere, good service, an appreciative owner...we will be back a lot...a-lot-a-lot. Take that phantom reviewers...who does that anyway? read more

I have no idea what's going on with all the negative ratings here but Gray's is way better than all these reviews let on. I don't have a lot of experience with the food here but I can tell you that the drink program alone is worth 4 stars easily. This place is a serious craft cocktail establishment. Maybe the people in Franklin aren't ready for that yet but Gray's is doing things with cocktails that you will have a hard time finding in even larger markets like NYC or Chicago. Two of the highlights are French press cocktails and an extensive list of Brandy based drinks. The French press cocktails are brought out to the customer's table in a French press, allowed to steep, and then preparation is finished off at the table. I've traveled through a lot of the best cocktails bars in the nation and I think I have seen it maybe once if at all so it's a rather rare concept. As for the Brandy drinks... I'm a whiskey forward guy through and through but even I can get on board with the cocktails here. I recognized a few of them to be very similar to classic cocktails but with a Brandy slant so if you have some favorite classics there is probably a drink here that you will like. The Brandy theme is a nod to the age of the building back in a time in the mid 1800's when Brandy based drinks were much more predominant than whiskey or rye. In a city that prides itself on history and old stuff as much as Franklin does, it's a fitting throwback. So as you can see, what this place is doing with drinks is very different and well thought out. It should be applauded since it's not just another clone craft cocktail house serving old fashioneds by guys in 20's style hats and suspenders. It's really pushing boundaries and the quality is every bit up to par with what you'll find at even the best cocktail bars around. read more

Not a fan. They claim to be vegan friendly but give you a hard time and have very limited options. And when we went upstairs for a drink after dinner, we were informed that there was a $6 cover charge per person to sit at a table to listen to decent live music (but not a known band). Ridiculous. read more

I've been to Grays a number of times, and honestly it has declined in quality of food and service over time. My husband went there a few months ago and ordered the chicken and waffles and had the unfortunate experience of getting fish and waffles - a truly disgusting combination. They immediately got him a new meal and gave him a $25 gift certificate to use which was very nice. So last night I went with two gal pals so we could get some dinner and drinks and use the gift certificate. Our waiter was, to be quite frank, an ahole. He saw a table of three women in their 30s/40s and immediately assumed we weren't ready for what Grays had to offer. He started out by telling us clearly "This is not a Chili's - our drinks are artisinal and hand crafted and take time to make. You may like this one - it is like a cosmo." Um, excuse me - that has to be the rudest thing I've ever heard. He then went on to assume we must be teachers (lawyer, finance, and marketing execs actually). It was masoginistic, offensive, and honestly between that and the lack luster "artisinal" drinks I will not be returning. read more

Rae (maybe ray, I don't know) was FANTASTIC. Couldn't recommend more. Small menu but our waitress made it so welcoming. Pimento cheese balls were great. Will come back. read more

We ended up at Gray's on Main for lunch after finding out that 55 South was closed due to a private party. The building is seriously cool, with exposed brick, old wood and pharmacy slips from when the building was a drug store used as wallpaper. We were a party of 8 and were immediately seated upstairs. It was a little cold and the hostess apologized and informed us that she was trying to fix it. The server was a knowledgeable young guy that seemed really passionate about the food there. He spent a good amount of time describing our options which I was happy to listen to. I would give him a shout-out if I could remember his name... The food was nothing short of awesome. I had the chicken sliders, sweet potato wedges and we had fried green tomatoes as an appy. THOSE TOMATOES CHANGED MY LIFE. Others order the NASHVILLE's hot chicken, lobster mac and cheese, pork belly sliders and the chicken and waffles. All were raving at the end. Unfortunately, we had to return to work or we could have stayed for the delicious sounding desserts! This place is definitely somewhere I would take some out of towners to show off Franklin's "hip" downtown area. I enjoyed it. It is lacking a star due to the long wait time for our food and the temperature of the building. Also, they said they have music on the weekends and there is a huge stage. I cant review this as there was no music while I was there, but I am not sure how that will fit in... The third floor has private bar/dining space that you can rent for a year for $2,500.00. Kind of odd, but whatever! read more

This place is a hit or miss. I have been twice. The first time was fine. The second time was a disappointment, mostly because of the awful service. It was very busy so I understand it being slow...but it took about 10 mins just to get water. The waiter was obnoxious (I think he was trying to be funny...didn't quite work out for him). The menu clearly states in red "ask your server about vegan options" which I did, and he recommended the beef filet. Just a suggestion but if you are going to put that on your menu maybe teach your waiters what "vegan" means? Some people have health issues and can't have certain foods. He then preceded to tell me that I could not have the kitchen make me something vegan (Although the last time I was here, this was no problem.) I understood that it was busy but he wouldn't even ask the kitchen. We got someone else to take my order but it made the rest of the dinner very awkward. He kept trying to make jokes about how he was "the jerk who wouldn't let me order". Yeah...you were buddy. Pros: Very cool atmosphere. Cons: Service. read more

I've been to Gray's twice- this is a review for the combined experiences The Good: 1. I really enjoyed the fried green tomatoes and the bacon wrapped figs (which I imagine are popular as they were sold out my first trip there). 2. The downstairs atmosphere is very cute and a great spot to catch-up over dinner. The Bad: 1. The upstairs room has a stage for music. This would have been fine if we had known in advance. Instead, we were seated upstairs as a band started playing and could barely hear our conversation over the music. 2. The bartenders take their time with the "craft" cocktails- I think that is supposed to be a part of the appeal, but what would really be appealing is if the drinks tasted good. Half our party sent drinks back as they were not properly balanced and overly strong. The Verdict: Not my favorite place in Franklin. I'd opt for the Red Pony of 55 South. read more

My wife and I went to Gray's for our anniversary dinner and have to say we weren't that impressed with the food from a flavor, prep and temp standpoint. I got one of their signature drinks and it was very good, the service was excellent as well, and I really like the atmosphere which is why I gave the 3 stars. We ordered the hot chicken appetizer along with the lobster mac. The hot chicken were wings that were very dry and the cornbread served with it was even more dry. The lobster mac I have to say was very good. For the entree my wife got the chicken and waffles which had a jam on the top that was very good but the chicken, which should have been the star of the dish, lacked any flavor and somewhat dry. I got the sliders and the meat was very dry and not hot. I will say that the other elements of the sliders were on point. We didn't stay for desert. read more

So badly wanted this place to be great - it has so much history and potential, and the drinks really were great, but the food was lackluster at best, bland and disappointing. We ordered the 3 salads and about 12 small plates: Salads - underdressed, booooring Shrimp and grits - probably the best thing on the menu but the grits and collard greens were cold (yuck!) Gnocchi and brussel sprouts - boring, tasteless, and mushy Prosciutto pizza - WAY too many olives (black and green), weird addition of banana peppers, skimped on the actual prosciutto Sausage pizza - decent but boring, underspiced, very bready, lacked in personality Reuben - horrible, but the fries were great Fried duck ravioli - unimpressive, dry and no sauce! Hot chicken - good wings but served with a weird glass of milk with cornbread in it Would not return. read more

The old Grays Pharmacy building is back in use in Historic Downtown Franklin! This is another really cool, older building near the square. It's also another structure that I'm glad was resurrected. The restaurant is trendy, but did a great job of not renovating too much. It still has allure that comes with the old buildings around town. My wife and I arrived at 5:30 or so hoping to get in and out early for dinner. However, it was booked and we didn't have reservations. Who knew? The second level of the restaurant has the bar and that half of the floor has open seating. We gave it a look and were lucky to find a table. Good beer list and cocktail list! They have some excellent beers and a full bar. They are also one of the only brandy-cocktail bars in the country. I may need to explore this further in the future. However, if you are a brandy drinker, it's probably worth checking this place out. Grays was a little nicer than I had expected and they have a bit of an eclectic, trendy menu. The main courses can range anywhere from $25-$35. We went with the small sides and shared 3--chorizo corndogs, hot chicken, and fried pimento cheese with moonshine jelly. Good stuff, all of it. I was really impressed by the care and presentation of the food. It was quite tasty too. Give this place a look! The food is excellent and they have some fantastic drink options. read more

Casual, great artisanal cocktails. Great food. Great servers. Sam was very helpful to us and she was so . read more

Delicious from start to finish. Bacon wrapped figs, fried cauliflower, pear salad as starters - inspired and beautifully executed. The pork and grits were married with an incredible chutney and collards. Don't let the collards scare you off - I'm not a fan but in this dish added to the completeness of the creation. Our server Joel was the most professional "culinary guides" I have had the privilege to share a dining experience with. All dining experiences would be enhanced with Joel at your table side. Request Joel, you'll be happy you did. read more

What on earth happened to Gray's? I used to love this place and always picked it when I was in Franklin and needed a drink or a bite. The other night was a 180 twist. Service was off and my meal and cocktail didn't taste good--but the most alarming was the side salad. It reminded me of something you would get at the picadilly cafeteria. It was bad conference food. It was iceberg lettuce with a wedge of tomato and a slice of cucumber and bright yellow fake cheese! This was off-brand, pre-made stuff. And for $4. Also, I was disappointed that there wasn't an vegetarian entrée, and I had to piece together my meal. read more

Great food, great drinks, great ambiance. Loved the food, the service, and their pride. Can't wait to go back the next time I'm in Franklin. Got shrimp n grits, pimento cheese balls, and chicken sandwich. All delicious read more

Prior to writing my review, I thought I'd take a second and read some of the others....wow! It's truly interesting to see how others experience a place different from one another. Anyway, on to my review. We were in Franklin for the weekend just to get away. We were referred to this restaurant by another patron in town. It's true that this restaurant is a little pricy BUT the food is awesome. We had shrimp and grits as well as the bacon wrapped figs..OMG. These are incredible. I tried the catfish poboy as well. All good. Now for the service, these guys were packed. Service was good, the server was polite and came around as much as I would expect from someone who had at least 8 tables while we were there. On a side note, these guys make all of their drinks from scratch and are really good with brandy. You'll be surprised. Try it! To say that I liked it is an understatement. We returned the next day for brunch. :) Stay hungry my friends!! read more

Eh....came in at 630 on a Wednesday night and the place was dead. Food selection was minimal and pricey. They turned my $26 short rib order around in about five minutes so it must have been pre-prepared. The short ribs were mushy and didn't have a ton of flavor. Wife got a Caesar salad w steak that had limp lettuce coated in dressing. Service was lacking for a $25+ entree place. Will not be back. read more

Hot chicken sandwich had good flavor and was not too spicy. The waffles came out cold and hard. Inedible. The food took forever to come out despite no one being there. Not sure they knew how to manage the food as some items came out cold and others fresh. Would never go back read more

Not sure why this place has gotten such negative reviews. Maybe it was opening jitters that I missed? Second floor is where it's at. Usually some decent music and a good vibe. Or maybe it's just a coincidence that the bar is also located here that I like it so much. Nick and Zach have been working every time I've been here and their cocktails are incredible. I think with as much cocktail knowledge this bar has they should definitely expand on that. Both on the menu and on the physical size of the bar. It's quite small in ratio to the rest of the restaurant. I think the place is struggling to find what it is they want to be exactly but struggle on. I'll enjoy the cocktails in the meantime. read more