Has a little bit of everything! Good food and drinks. This was THE place to be on a Friday night!

I'm writing this review as a long-time resident of Orlando, Florida, so trust me....I know good food when I experience it! Cookeville is such a small, quaint, and friendly town with such genuine charm to it. My husband and I visit his mimi every year and as part of our tradition, we select a restaurant in town to eat at to give her a break from cooking us meals. This year we chose Spankies! We were greeted by warm, welcoming faces, and the restaurant's ambiance felt comfortable and inviting. We ordered quite a variety from the menu! And every single dish, from the starters, to the entrées, to the sides were each absolutely delicious! You cannot go wrong with any order. 5 stars for a lovely experience! read more

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Nice atmosphere good food with large menu and had a very nice waitress will definitely be back. Warm inviting atmosphere.

Stopped by on a Sunday with friends before heading home. We were looking for a local spot with a variety of options for our group of four, and this place fit the bill. The menu had something for everyone--from salads to burgers and classic bar food. The tostada salad was a hit I forgot to take a picture. I have mixed feelings about the visit. While the food was a hit (everyone enjoyed their orders), the service was a bit slow. It took a while after being seated, to place our orders, and finally get our food. Our server was very sweet, but seemed stretched thin--possibly juggling too many tables. Overall, a decent local stop with a solid menu, but be prepared for a more relaxed pace when it comes to service. read more

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OMG! Yes! This place is amazing! Found this gem on our way from Knoxville to Southern Illinois, and SO HAPPY we stopped! Delicious food, EXCELLENT service, and great atmosphere! 10/10 HIGHLY RECOMMEND!!! -ps get the spankies dip w/ mushrooms, you can thank me later read more

Spankie's - American Near Me - Cookeville, Tennessee

Good food and I love the patio. I love hearing live music. Everyone is friendly and great Staff. Always nice to us. We are new to Cookeville read more

Spankie's never disappoints. They have a very diverse menu and the food never disappoints!! The staff is always welcoming and very friendly. Old school feel and charm. read more

The food was very good but it took forever to get to the table. The service was average, a little slow. Everything around us was moving along nicely except our table. Not sure if our order got lost or what. read more

Cute place! Love the vibe! Nice staff. Food is yummy! A little expensive for us but 1000% worth it. Fish and chips were delicious and a huge portion. I can't even remember what I got lol but it was good whatever it was. Will be back!! read more

We visited Spankie's on Sunday November 17, 2024 at about 5:00 pm. When we arrived we were promptly greeted by a server and told to have a seat wherever we chose, (there were 3 of us in our party). We chose a table in the back to be out of the way. There were people sitting at the bar and a few other tables occupied at the time we arrived. Once we sat down another server came over with silverware, menus and took our drink order, she asked if we would like some cheese bread while we look at the menu. The menu items all looked delicious, and our party all chose chicken dishes. Chicken Spankies: Sautéed chicken & mushrooms with Spankies white sauce on egg noodles, a Caesar Salad, French Silk Pie, Iced Tea, Chicken Dianne: Parmesan crusted chicken with Alfredo mushroom sauce on fresh linguini, with Iced Tea. Total for this order was $55.00 and completely worth it. The third person had Chicken Parmesan: Parmesan crusted chicken with marinara sauce on fresh Alfredo fettuccine, Lemon Berry Cake, Ice Tea. This order was $25.00. The amount of food was perfect for me. I left full. The tastes were amazing. It was a cozy experience kinda reminding me of a "Cheer's" type bar but with the added bonus of a great kitchen. A definite place to go back to. When we left it was standing room only to get in and as we were pulling out of the parking lot 4 more cars were pulling in. Definitely worth the trip! read more

Incredibly slow from order to delivery. We were almost about to leave. They weren't even crowded. Food was ok but they messed up 2 (not 1) orders. I've never been back. read more

Great service, different and interesting food dishes, and tasty! An intimate, laid back and relaxed ambiance. We're looking forward to coming back and trying something different from the menu. read more

Good food that is at a fair price. Great service. I would eat there again, and take family. I had the fish and chips, very generous portions, and very tasty meal. read more

I wish I had a better review to leave, but this is far from that. Upon entry we were told to sit wherever, we proceeded to do just that. We sat down and waited for a few minutes for someone to come and assist us at least with a drink order, but no one came over. I stopped the guy server and asked if we could get someone to wait on us, but he said she would be over in a minute. We continued to wait and no one ever came over to address us. Of course, as we proceed to walk out the door one of the girls I'm assuming who was supposed to wait on us response was well you've only been waiting 3 minutes. Ummm no ma'am that's false, but it's nice to know you can address me as I leave, but not while I'm seated in your establishment. I could understand if they were extremely crowded, but there may have been about 7 tables that were filled. More empty tables than filled. Not only that we noticed the guy preparing the food using his bare hands to scoop fries on each plate in the window. Which to me doesn't seem very sanitary. This was not a good experience for me, but I would hope that if I should ever return I don't experience the same treatment. read more

First of all the waitress was unbelievable. Really great and polite staff. Couldn't ask for better service. We were here Saturday and had a fantastic lunch. We ordered the spinach artichoke dip and also the salsa and chips for appetizers. The waitress was so cool to throw it all on one plate that way we weren't paying for two appetizers. Then we all had different lunches. I myself had an Angus Burger wrapped in lettuce with a side salad w/ ranch. Just delicious and juicy cooked to perfection, truly a nice burger. Probably been too much food if I had a bun. My other half had the Hamburger steak and loved every bite. Our daughter had the Chicken kabobs and omg, huge. She ended up bringing 75%of it home and having to eat it two more times, it was great! The portions are phenomenal. We love this place. We will definitely be back. No doubt. The atmosphere is really throw back 80's early 90's. Love all the stain-glass. Really a cool atmosphere to be able to relax and enjoy a great meal. I took a ton of pics that day. Just not there unfortunately. I will the next time! Highly recommend. read more

Incredible, homemade food that you can't get anywhere else. The vibe of the restaurant is so homey and cozy. Excellent staff and service. Better than any chain restaurant you'll ever go to. Eat local!! read more

This is a cute little restaurant right outside Tennessee tech College. First time here. Nice place. However the service was very slow !. We waited about 10 mins or so before we were even noticed. ( only because I flaged down a waitress, and we went during lunch time.) But the food , well made up for the slow service. I had a cheeseburger and roasted potatoes. And it was soo good!! . Over all, it we were out with Friends, and had nothing better to do than to sit there all day , I would go back. But if u are looking to get in and out for a nice lunch, we'll u might be there a while.. would have given 5 stars if service was faster, and noticed us when we first got there. read more

Spankie's - Cheese burger with roasted potatoes - American Near Me - Cookeville, Tennessee

Local eatery. Food was mediocre, nothing too special nor noteworthy. The service was slow, we waited a bit over an hour for our meal. Had we known we would be waiting that long for our order to arrive, we would have left. read more

Spankie's - Drinks....still waiting on dinner an hour after ordering. - American Near Me - Cookeville, Tennessee

As far as I see a few reviews that are like the same way I feel. It took 40 minutes to get our order placed and never had any apologies from any of the staff. I'm not understanding their hours posted on their website? No one answers when I'm trying to call to see if they're actually opened for lunch. read more

Heard Spankies was a good spot to eat at in Cookeville, and it certainly didnt disappoint. My wife and I split a reuben for lunch and it was delicious & large enough to fill us both up. The hostess was very pleasant and our waitress was pleasant, helpful & very prompt and she kept checking on us. The prices were also excellent. Because we split lunch. Our total bill was $12 and change. Most of their luch items were in the $10 to $14. Spankies was an awesome choice and we'll definitely be back!!!! read more

food was outstanding and so was the service. Our server was pleasant and attentive and very polite. read more

Nothing too special in my opinion but it was just a quick bite before going out and venturing the city. The service was kinda slow but I didn't mind as I didn't know what to expect from this place. The free cheese bread was actually good. It was a loaf bread with texture of pillowy pizza crust and the garlic cream cheese sauce on it was quite delicious. It's easy to get full off this. I'd personally make it at home if I can. The Ruben sandwich was served on fully rye hoagie which wasn't pictured in my mind. They used thousand island dressing instead of Russian dressing. The pastrami wasn't as tender. Don't get me wrong; it was a decent sandwich but it missed the mark on what I've grown accustomed. The fried were hot and crispy tho. Overall, it's a alright place but I can't rate higher than three stars currently... read more

Spankie's - Melty cheese bread - American Near Me - Cookeville, Tennessee

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Food was great. Very large portions. Service was wonderful. And the ambiance was delightful.

I was in Cookeville and I googled restaurants and this was the closet place to where I was. The place is cute. My server was very polite and good at her job. I will start with the bread. It was good on top dry on the bottom. The spinach dip and chips were amazingly good. I ordered chicken Dianne came with mushroom pasta. The chicken was good and juicy good taste however it should not be on pasta. It would be good with just a side. Pasta needed more sauce and a tad more salt and pepper. The sweet tea was delightful. I ordered chicken tenders and fries to go for my daughter. I took a bite and it was good. I would go back if I was out that way again and try something different. read more

We stopped by for lunch before doing a college tour. The staff were wearing masks and there was plenty of room to social distance. I'm not sure what their policy is on capacity, though, since there were so few people in there. The bread they bring out is absolutely delicious! I'm not sure what they put on it but I think I could have eaten an entire loaf. I ordered the French dip sandwich and fries. The sandwich was good, a little on the salty side, but still very tasty. My daughter had the chicken on a stick and roasted potatoes and said it was absolutely delicious. read more

Spankie's - French dip sandwich and fries. - American Near Me - Cookeville, Tennessee

I heard it was a local favorite and now I see why. Came in right when they opened for lunch and ordered The Reuben. If I hadn't woofed it down so fast I would have taken a picture. And get the coleslaw! Some of the best food in town for sure. Service, atmosphere and conversation were great! Thank you Kayla read more

The food was good and it was good service. The Spanky's bread was different wasn't ready for it. Kind of had like a mayonnaise cheese topping. got in before the college crowd. read more

This review isn't going to change anything, but I'm going to make a review anyway. Spankie's is a "local" establishment. If you're not from Cookeville you're business comes second to the residents of Cookeville. Spankie's tented patio area is for smokers and on two previous occasions was allowed to smoke a cigar and enjoy a scotch. However, this evening I was told I couldn't sit in the patio area because there was a group gathering and was off limits (no signs posted) although there were many open tables and other diners sitting in the area where the group was sitting. No table signs saying tables were reserved either. Additionally, was told Spankie's changed their smoking area policy today due to many complaints from the previous evening of my cigar smoke in the smoking area. Note: Everyone the night before all seemed to know each other and ordered dinner and smoked cigarettes while I was smoking my cigar. I chose not to give them my business tonight and left, but what a bunch of hypocrites. Same crowd who probably go to church every Sunday and "Support" US Military Veterans. When I travel I try to always patron establishments that are local within the community I'm traveling to and stay away from chain establishments. Ticks me off that I can travel to another country and enjoy a spirit and cigar, but in my own country the very community I swore an oath to protect complain about cigar smoke while their having dinner in the smoking area with cigarettes in their mouths is laughable to me So, if you're traveling to Cookeville and decide to eat at Spankie's. At least you know what type of establishment you're supporting. USAF, MSgt (ret) read more

The service is great savanna was our server and was very kind. The location is very pretty with a nice tent to enjoy the weather. The bar holds 12 guest and the indoor restaurant is very spacious. read more

I got here at 3:40 and they're not even serving food. When we were waiting to be seated the servers walked past us multiple times without helping, eventually we asked if we should just seat ourselves and only then did they tell us we seat ourselves and don't have food. read more

Just moved to town. Been here twice so far. Lots of different seating possibilities whether you want to meet friends or have a business meeting. They also have a small bar. My wife got a salad, very very good and should fill about anybody up. I got the firecracker shrimp appetizer, they were delicious. Very friendly staff. And just in general good feeling about the environment. read more

Spankie's - Firecracker shrimp - American Near Me - Cookeville, Tennessee

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You NEVER a know if you are going to get any service or not! You either wait 2 hours for a drink and an entree or get great service but we are locals and tonight for the 3rd time it was a disaster waiting and asking who is our waiter ??? Then after she shows up (20 min later) no apology or improvement we ask ourselves why do we keep trying? Food and drinks are usually good once you get them but service stinks!! read more

I've been coming here for several years,and always have a good experience. The menu is limited but everything is good. I do recommend it to anyone. read more

This is definitely a locals spot and sometimes those are the very best we've been here a few times as we are new in town but by far this pork chop is definitely the right move there's a very cool vibe in the spot and if you come the JD pork chop is definitely the way to go ! Full bar & brews read more

Spankie's - Pork chops at Spankies is definitely not the wrong move ! We've eaten here a few times ! J.D. Pork Chop is the best - American Near Me - Cookeville, Tennessee

WORST SERVICE EVER! I have gone there many times, and this last time is MY last time. Food sat on counter for pick up, after it sat there 45 mins, I asked our server if that was mine, she said no, then 10 mins later, proceeded to bring me the exact plate I asked her about. Yes, 55 mins later, my cold food arrives at my table. This is the not the first time this has happened here, I showed them grace the first couple of times, because I have had great food and service in the past, but strike 3 -- you're out! If you want cold chicken skewers & cold fries, this is the place for you. read more

Jackson took really good care of us! Suggesting drinks for us was a nice up sell!

Food was good but not remarkable. The pre-entree cheese bread was a bit weird. Ambiance reminded me of the 1970s/1980s. Service was good and quick. read more

Service was fantastic.. the fish sandwich was fantastic.. the spinach artichoke dip was fantastic.. the bloody Mary's were fantastic! We stopped while traveling from Wisconsin.... and had to COME BACK for a second time during this trip! It's FANTASTIC I recommend this place! read more

Spankie's - American Near Me - Cookeville, Tennessee

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Great local eatery. Make sure you get the bread. It is incredible!!! I had the hamburger steak and it was awesome. My whiskey pour was extremely generous. read more

Spankie's - Hamburger steak with fried okra and roasted potatoes. - American Near Me - Cookeville, Tennessee

First of all, let me say I have loved Spankies for years being a Cookeville native. I did not want to write this review, because I believe in trying to make things right with management when things go wrong. Unfortunately Spankies has had their phones off the hook all night, so that doesn't seem to be an option. So here we go. My wife and I attempted to call our order in for to go. After multiple attempts over 15 minutes, it was clear they had taken their phones off the hook. We decided to go over and place our order in person. After about 10 minutes of waiting to speak with someone, we placed the order at 8:06pm. I ordered the Spankies Filet medium rare, and my wife ordered the Chicken Diane. I was told the kitchen was running about 20-30minutes. No problem. I get it. It's a Friday night. At the 20 minute mark I go in from my car to check on the food. It wasn't up yet. So I patiently waited, and waited, and waited some more. Finally at the 55 minute mark from the ticket time, I asked if they had started cooking our meal yet. The bartender went to check, and she said it would be another 5-8 minutes. The bartender brings it up with just a sorry. No attempt to make it right. Whatever. Finally at 9:12pm I join my wife in the car to drive home. When we get home I discover my steak is so rare, that it has to be cooked longer to even get it to rare. I attempted to call the restaurant to let them know my steak was raw inside, but their phones are still off the hook and going straight to busy. As my wife is eating, I'm cooking my steak that I waited over an hour for after the order was placed. We are sadly not going to be returning to Spankies after this evening. read more

Spankie's - Undercooked meat - American Near Me - Cookeville, Tennessee

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