Solid three star place! They get an extra one for the free entertainment. More on that in a bit... My Mom lives near here. For some reason I had this place bookmarked and didn't remember it. C found it on Yelp and suggested it for lunch after a visit with Mom. Arrived at like 2:20 on a Saturday and it's packed... Like, almost completely full! Good sign. It's homey/country/redneck/slapped together with duct tape and epoxy looking inside. My kind of place! Seat yourself, choose a table out in the middle no one was at, and got the run down by our pre-server. If you don't know, that's the person that could wait on you but won't because of some dumb arbitrary system they have in place. I digress... We get our bevs, pre-server reminds us again she is not the one and leaves. Real server shows and we order. Had the crispy hot wings for an app. Five wings for $5.99. They are undoubtably the Foster Farms wings from the freezer section. That's ok though, I like them. I post about them from Costco. C ordered Sloppy Joes. Server says they out, so she orders a bacon cheeseburger with tots instead. I ordered Catfish with a baker, white beans, and hush puppies. Now C warned me that the catfish looked "too white".... I didn't pick up on this meaning like "honky white", instead of undercooked or lightly battered. She explained this later in the car. I understood then, and she was dead on! Food was meh all around . All factory formed and breaded proteins. Catfish was overcooked to the point to being dry and stringy inside. Cold beans. Cold hushes. Old ass potato. I tried C's tator tots, cold too. Here is why they get four.... The following seems to be a thing here, as I have read the same comment now, multiple times, in others reviews. Right after we ordered, some stranger walks up, looks at us, pulls out a chair, sits down, and asks if she can eat with us. What do you say but yes???!!! She gets her BLT in 5 mins. Ours takes like 25.... I swear this place sets this up! We sit and watch her eat while she spits bits of food at us while sharing the last decade or so of her life. The next 40 minutes are wild. Her name was Gail. I know more about Gail than I ever wanted to know about anyone outside of my family now. She didn't stop talking the entire time. I won't bore you with all of the details of Gail's life. She can do that if you come. She said she used to come there every day but had to slow down because of her "sugar". You should totally ask if Gail is there, I swear you will feel so much better about your situation if you break bread with her. My wife zoned out completely and left me all alone to deal with Gail on my own. Empathy is not my strongest attribute. I pulled it off though. We wanted pie, but C was unnerved by the verbal assault that was occurring, she paid for the table and headed outside. People are strange creatures man.... Sometimes I swear this is just a simulation. Checked this one off the list. If I am ever bored and in need of a strangers companionship, you'll find me here I suppose. '25 - 2/111 read more

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Great food and service. Busy place but worth the wait. Diner style atmosphere with friendly and helpful staff. read more

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For a local, small cafe, this is a true gem! The patty melt was terrific!! Meat was medium and still juicy! Hubby got mushroom Swiss burger and enjoyed it with tater tots. Service was prompt and friendly even though it was just before closing time! Ambiance was friendly local diner cafe vibe! Clean and pleasant! We would definitely go again!!! read more

Southside Cafe - Patty melt with Cajun fries! Excellent!!! - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Paris, Tennessee

Goodness this place has some good food! Can't go wrong with their daily specials (meat and 3). The desserts are also wonderful.

This really was a great find!!!! The service was absolutely wonderful and the food was amazing. You have to try the catfish!! The meal is enormous. There are so many sides and it is served hot and fresh. Don't forget to try one of their countless desserts. We had the key lime pie and coconut cake. Would have taken pictures of the desserts but they didn't last long. While we were eating lots of folks came in for to go orders. This is definitely a spot local folks go to. We will be back when we pass back through!! read more

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Southside Cafe - Paris, TN My wife and I have eaten at Southside Café more times than I can count, and long before we ever sat down there, we kept hearing people rave about it. Now I understand why. The building itself isn't fancy--it's a little out of the way, but not inconvenient--but the food is consistently excellent. In all the years we've gone, we have never once had a bad meal. Whether it's a plate of fried fish that could feed an army, a breakfast burger stacked high, French toast that tastes like home, or a salad that feels like it brought the whole garden with it, the dishes always hit the spot. If you go during busy hours, expect to wait a little while. That's not a complaint, just reality. And honestly, it's worth the wait. I also want to brag on the staff during our visit on September 15, 2025. A customer had a bit of an embarrassing moment (I won't share details out of respect), but the way the staff handled it was truly impressive. From where I sat, they showed compassion, discretion, and professionalism--taking care of the situation while protecting the customer's dignity. That spoke volumes about the kind of people who work here. So, if you're anywhere near Paris, Tennessee, and in the mood for delicious food served by people who care, make your way to Southside Café. It's one of those small-town gems that proves why word-of-mouth is still the best advertising. read more

Very good food and a large variety on the menu. Their salads are great and we have gotten them almost weekly for years. My usual is the Fried Chicken Salad. I went out on a limb recently and tried the Very Berry Chicken Salad. It's grilled chicken with blueberries, pineapple, strawberries, and candied pecans on a bed of lettuce. It's so delicious! For breakfast my favorite is the Fruit and Yogurt bowl. My fiancé normally goes for one of the omelettes or occasionally pancakes. The pancakes are huge! They also have several desserts to choose from. You can buy whole cakes from them too. read more

On a recent cross country road trip we decided to stop in Paris TN. We weren't super hungry and the hotel suggested Southside Cafe for a light bite. Upon arrival it was clear that this was a very local joint as the servers seemed to know almost everyone by name and separate parties shared tables because it was so crowded. Despite not being local, we were treated like family in this restaurant that felt like sitting in grandmas very large dining room. My husband had the catfish dinner which was quite large and tasty . I had a BLT and the bacon was cooked crispy just like I like it. We shared some crinkle cut fries and onion rings also cooked to perfection. The plates that were being served all looked amazing . The table next to us got the "small" salad that looked delicious and was big enough for two meals . We couldn't resist a fresh slice of pie and had trouble deciding but ultimately went with Butterfinger . We were not sorry. It was a heavy mousse and every bite had contained a bite of candy. It was absolutely amazing and the perfect end to a great meal . read more

Southside Cafe - Catfish dinner with white beans, onion rings and hush puppies . BLT on sourdough with crinkle cut fries - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Paris, Tennessee

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Great food. Great service. The menu has everything! If you're nearby you should definitely go. read more

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Wow, what a fantastic gem hidden in Paris TN. I say hidden, but I bet every local in Paris knows about this cafe. Food is fresh and fabulous! Our waitress Nicole was extremely friendly and attentive. Great experience, both food, service and overall atmosphere. read more

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Great food! Friendly service! We love everything they offer. Eat here and you will think you are eating at Grandma's house!

Cute little cafe. The food here was amazing! My husband ordered the 6 piece catfish dinner 1/2 fried 1/2 grilled. Some of the best fish we'd ever eaten! This would have fed 3 people. It also came with a salad. Note: I forgot to take the picture before digging in to the steak. There were 3 hush puppies and more onion rings plus a salad. The potato salad was delicious! We had carrot cake & the strawberry fudge pie for dessert. The carrot cake was definitely the winner unbelievable! We will absolutely be back! read more

Food and service was awesome! The only place to get fish! I highly recommend this cafe. My husband and I know several people that eat there. read more

Okay, thankfully a last minute change* brought us back here for breakfast on a Monday after trying them out for lunch the prior Friday. Since breakfast was the winner that pushed them up to 4 stars, I'll review that first. It was packed when we arrived, just like the time before, but we found a seat and our server greeted us momentarily. She warned us it'd be a bit before our food got there due to the large number of orders already in, but we had our plates within 15 minutes and they were more than worth the wait. I opted for the large breakfast bowl (she warned me how large it was, but I was up for the challenge as it was to be my main meal of the day before hitting the road): two large biscuits buried under a mountain of gravy, peppers, onions, homefries, shredded cheese, and two over easy eggs. I chose fried chicken as my protein topper (you could also pick bacon, sausage, spam, etc.)---it was delicious. Fresh fried chicken in chunks with lots of flavor. Eggs perfectly cooked. My wife got the pecan bacon maple pancakes and I had a few bites of those as well--soft, fluffy, HUGE pancakes with chopped crisp bacon and pecans on top and a good syrup. Really impressive. Hot coffee was in order and frequently refilled. Our server was terrific, we had her both times and she was always friendly, helpful, and quick. My previous review would have been a 3--which for me just means a solid, good place that meets expectations without exceeding. For our Friday lunch I had a plate lunch of meatloaf with mashed potatoes/gravy, carrots, and mac n cheese. My wife had a chuckwagon on "TN" toast with tater tots. My slice of meatloaf was..skimpy (our server even commented that it looked much smaller than usual) but tasty enough. Mashed potatoes tasted like a box mix but I can't swear by that. Everything was solid, good, fairly priced, but not great; though my wife's chuck wagon was really good, per her assessment and my one bite. They have an extensive dessert menu and I opted for caramel cake and she had the reece's cake. My caramel pie ALMOST boosted my initial rating to a 4 as it was one of the best pieces of that dish I've had. I ordered a scoop of vanilla ice cream with it thinking I'd need it to cut some of the richness of the pie, but I didn't need to as this pie was sweet and delicious without being too rich (a rarity for caramel pie in my experience). My wife thought the cake was solid if a touch dry (likely just due to the fridge). Some observations if you're from out of town--we noticed on both of our trips here that it is indeed a busy place that seems to fill up around any mealtime. It's seat yourself. We noticed many people at tables have folks approach them and ask to sit there, which seems common practice here. Some teens even asked my wife to sit at our table while I was in the restroom but were gone to a newly free table by the time I got back. Pretty friendly and laid-back, but if you are visiting or passing through it might be a new one for you! There's a 3% charge on any credit/debit transaction so maybe bring cash. Prices are fair. The menu is HUGE. I'd love to try the hotdogs or hamburgers in the future if I'm back this way. *We were headed to try another nearby diner with good reviews for breakfast, only to discover they had recently closed down, so we navigated back here for another meal. read more

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Food was very good, choices were good, Cafe was clean. Service was amazing, Angie was the best. Yet others helped out with refills and such. Friendly atmosphere, like your in your momma's kitchen. Place can be busy, but they are the best choice for good food for many miles!!! read more

Southside Cafe - Paris, TN - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Paris, Tennessee

This place was so awesome! They have heaping helping and great prices as well. The servers were fun and engaging. A refreshing change to what we are used to. My family and I will definitely be returning. read more

The service was great, the food was terrible. Don't bother unless you really like burnt and salty.

The food was delicious. Service was excellent no issues or complaints. Great little diner.

Traveling through the area after boating on the TN River. Wanted a local meat and 3 place so of course I turned to Yelp. Arrived a little after 11:00. The place was already full. Noticed most ordered breakfast which they serve all day. We opted for the $8.99 meat and 3 veggies special. Both mine and my boyfriends food was excellent. The chicken and dumplings and the cornbread were our favorites. We ordered dessert. I got caramel pie and he got peanut butter pie. A-mazing!!! Our waitress Angie was also amazing. Service was excellent and the food came out quickly. I would highly recommend the place. read more

There was a group of 5 of us there just in between breakfast and lunch time, so we ordered both- some breakfast and some lunch! My Popeye omelet was delicious. Our waitress was great! Highly recommend this LOCAL restaurant. read more

Excellent. Great food Great service and Great atmosphere First visit and they didn't rush us and gave up plenty of time to read the extensive menu. and answered all our questions about the restaurant and our next visit. read more

Great place to eat with friendly and helpful staff . Best catfish in the area and open in The evening to get a good dinner. Excellent hush puppies and white beans. Just a few minutes wait in prime time on Saturday. All the wait staff are pleasant and there were several families eating. No beer, but the iced tea was good. We'll be back. read more

I love their food but the take out service is lacking. I order from here every week end, and it never fails they do not give me the condiments that I pay for. However lately the food is over cooked and has made me sick. Check their menu on line it is sparse. The last time I called to complain,their employee stated that I cursed her out. I did not. I will not order food from here again. It is not worth the aggravation. Worst service in Paris Tn. read more

This place is amazing, it does get crowded. We have not had a bad meal at all. The fish is very very good! The burgers are awesome. The waitresses are spot on. The wait time for our lunch or dinner has been 10-15 min. depending on how. It is very clean and just reminds me of home American Busy they are. Love this place!!! read more

Amazing breakfast menu! A little house restaurant. Food was hot and yummy. Service was good! read more

Great, always, all meals!! We have eaten breakfast, lunch and dinner in the restaurant or to go, ALWAYS DELICIOUS!! Friendly staff!

Very friendly waitress. The food is great and it's country cooking. Good breakfast any time of the day . read more

The high Yelp score was on target. Nice casual place with good service and great food. We went for breakfast but the menu looked good for the entire day. Omelet and code was great, made just as I ordered. My wife's bacon and eggs were great as well. If you like pie they have a big selection. Several had just come out of the oven for later in the day. Made me want to come back. Definately worth a 20 minute drive for a great breakfast. read more

The food is great, the service is always with a smile, and they're kid friendly! We've never left there hungry. The desserts are homemade and scrumptious! read more

The breakfast and service here were too notch. Loved the menu options. The chocolate chip pancakes were delicious and the fried chicken biscuit smothered in gravy was A+. read more

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From the time we walked into this place, we loved it. Our server Nichole was fantastic! And the food, whew! They give you tons of very delicious food! Everything was great. I love hometown restaurants that treat you like your best friends! Go check it out! You won't regret it. read more

Service was wonderful and the food was delicious!! Everything was very clean and it was decorated cute. Lots of choices on the menu!

I have been going to this place since I moved close by back in 2022. The food is always great! Good home cooking! The atmosphere is very cheery and comfortable! For me the best thing about this about this place are the servers and the environment they create! The service is not only great, but they make it fun and relaxed. My most recent visit had me laughing so much thanks to my server Candi! Great service and just a pleasure! read more

The help was amazing super friendly the restaurant was clean. The food was absolutely wonderful the consistency and freshness and the drinks. The coffee is fantastic and the drinks are really good. I would recommend this restaurant as a must visit. read more

Great food ... great service.. relaxed ambience.... Will be back ...food always hot and fresh

Great old fashioned burgers and friendly service! For a small establishment the hours of operation are awesome.

Delicious, friendly staff, good prices, upbeat atmosphere. It was packed at lunchtime. But we got our food quickly, temperature was good. The waitress made a "coca-mocha" for me (coffee with hot chocolate and whipped cream on top. Yummy. read more

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very good breakfast but I definitely could have made everything at my house just as good if not a little better. It wasn't mind blowing but it definitely hit the spot. I had the French toast and bacon plate & the bacon was very salty but I love that. My fiancé had the spam and eggs plate and the biscuits and gravy that came with it was very good. Over all a 4 star experience for what the vibe of the place is. The waitress was very friendly and accommodating as well. If you're looking for a homemade breakfast in town that you don't have to make at home this is a good option. read more

Southside Cafe - French toast breakfast for me and spam and eggs plate for the hubby :) - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Paris, Tennessee

I have been to southside twice now since moving to Paris. Both times my food was great! I've had a grilled chicken salad and a grilled chicken wrap with Cajun fries. Southside adds great seasoning and flavor to their chicken. I had great service and will be back. read more

Southside Cafe - Grilled chicken wrap with Cajun fries - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Paris, Tennessee

What a find! I'm from Paris, but don't make it home as often as I'd like, but two things matter when I'm here ...great catfish and vinegar slaw. Oh, my, goodness! Southside Cafe has that and more! Reminded me of the old Wet Willie song "Leona". We had to return for breakfast, but I was so busy eating I forgot to take a picture. The man seated next to us told me how much he was craving my food ! Suffice it to say, the hubby wound up with half of mine and we almost had to roll him out. If I could give this place 50 stars, I would. Dinner, breakfast, I don't care! Southside is a treat!!! read more

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