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    Wendell Smith's Restaurant

    4.0 (192 reviews)
    InexpensiveDiners, Southern, Sandwiches
    Open 6:00 am - 7:00 pm

    Wendell Smith's Restaurant Photos

    Business Info

    WENDELL SMITH'S RESTAURANT ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Divey
    Casual
    Good for groups

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    Fried pork chop, cream potatoes and pinto beans.
    Michael F.

    Best meat-n-three in Nashville, food is consistently great tasting, hot and fast. Service is fast and always friendly. A must stop!

    Creamed corn and parsley potatoes
    Emeri H.

    I always have to preface these reviews with maybe I ordered the wrong thing.... But it was not good. I was looking through reviews, the locals seem to love it here. The 'menu' was like handwritten on a piece of paper and the writing was not the most legible to be honest. The building is run-down at best, it did not feel clean. We sat in the back corner and the walls were visibly sticky/ had several colors of schmutz. As other people mentioned, the tables are very close together. It was too close for comfort. It was also loud. I ordered a plate with BBQ, creamed corn, parsley potatoes, and mac and cheese. It also came with a roll. It was unappealing when it came out, but I thought I would try to taste it without judgment. But after I tasted it, I did judge and it was not good. The Mac and cheese 100% came out of a bag. No flavor and not even warmed up all of the way, watery, and overcooked noodles. The overcooked noodles were extra sketchy because on my plate it was cold. The meat was without a doubt made 2-3 days prior to it being served to me. Absolutely not fresh and also I suspect warmed up in the microwave, it was in a pool of watery juices that infiltrated all other items served on the plate. The parsley potatoes were ok, but they were not appetizing to look at. The roll was good and the creamed corn most likely from a can was also fine. I did not finish my plate and I still felt sick afterwards. My son did not eat the chicken strips, they didn't look appealing to me either. I would be willing to bet they were cooked in a microwave. The service was also not very good. Maybe it's because we weren't locals or regulars. It took quite a while to get our food as well. We didn't get offered refills on our drinks either. I simply cannot recommend people to come here. You'd be better off warming up canned and frozen food at your own house.

    Pulled pork and sides (mashed potatoes, creamed corn, roll, mac & cheese, fried apples).
    Haley W.

    A Nashville staple! It feels like you're walking into grandma's house by the cooking smells, vibe, and design. It's true nostalgia at it's finest. I got the meat + three and it's the perfect amount to fill you up at a great price. Go, go, go! Support Wendell Smith's.

    The nastiest FAKE BLACK SOUL FOOD
    Brendiana A.

    Funny how WHITE PRIVILEGEGE WORKS! You can delete someone's post because it doesn't fit your narrative! Kiera, your business management skills ars HORRIBLE! You don't get to tell me how to review any place I have had a HORRIBLE experience at! Again like I said (& I'll KEEP POSTING ) Food: WAS NASTY AS FUCKKKKKKKK! How do you make yams with marshmallows sitting on top of the yams, with Lima beans & pineapple? That is NOT REAL SOUL FOOD AT ALL SERVICE: 0/10 now that the business lady is doing microaggression over the internet! I would NEVER recommend this place. This is NOT traditional soul food. This is unseasoned, over cooked, and under cooked food! This is NOT WHAT BLACK SOULFOOD IS! I was sick and on the toilet that whole night from the food.

    Turkey sausage, eggs and grits
    Nina E.

    Well I walked right in and sat right down. You seat yourself. And it ain't nothing fancy but the food is really good. My cousin told me about this place and if you sneeze too hard you'll pass it up on Charlotte street. I always thought it was a liquor store, cause that's what's in front. (they own that too) Nothing but old fashioned service and food. And everyone knows each other. I never got the servers name but she was nice and you don't see many restaurants that serve 3 sides with a meat! Well here's one! Thanks y'all, I'll be back! P. S. The 3rd Generation owner (70 years they been in business), introduced himself when I went to the counter to check out. He was very nice and he gave me a lunch menu if o wanted to call in ahead of time and pick it up.

    Fried chicken, mashed potatoes, greens, jello salad

    Incredible old school meat-and-three. If you are in Nashville, you must go! Staff are friendly and helpful, the handwritten menu changes daily and the food... straight from grandma's kitchen.

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    3 months ago

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    2 months ago

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    4 months ago

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    5 months ago

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    6 months ago

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    6 months ago

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    1 year ago

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    1 year ago

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    2 years ago

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    6 months ago

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    1 year ago

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    7 months ago

    Good food, good service, reasonable prices. Decorations in the atmosphere made it feel like a trip back in time.

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    2 years ago

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    5 months ago

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    5 months ago

    Amazing southern style breakfast. Service is top notch. Highly suggest a visit. Get the biscuits and gravy.

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    2 years ago

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    1 year ago

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    3 years ago

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    2 years ago

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    1 year ago

    Really enjoyed my experience the food and service was on par with down home hospitality.

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    3 years ago

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    1 year ago

    Had a medical procedure nearby and remembered this place when I was much younger. Food still the same delicious and the staff were amazing!

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    Page 1 of 5

    Ask the Community - Wendell Smith's Restaurant

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    Brotherly Love Cheesesteaks - Cheesesteak with wiz

    Brotherly Love Cheesesteaks

    4.6(88 reviews)
    0.9 miThe Nations

    This place is right up the street from me in the nations and I cannot get enough of their delicious…read morePhilly cheesesteaks ! Super authentic Philly cheesesteak, I like mine with a white American and double meat and onions, and nothing else (except I asked for two of those red cherry hot peppers on the side) They serve a cheesesteaks piping hot. I mean, like burn your mouth hot so settle down get a cold beer and relax. A full bar here and it's quite the cool scene so pick a fun night and enjoy !

    Sub sandwich? More like sub-par. Its vibe meshes pretty…read morewell with the area: little outdoor area with foosball and dog area; trivia weekly; long tables for bigger groups. Ended up going with the Big Boy with provolone, onions, and bananas peppers. We also got a side salad and cheese curds. Portion sizes of sandwich was pretty good, sides not so much. Salad was fair for the price. Cheese curds for $8 was steep for (I'm pretty sure) not handmade. I'm spoiled from Twilight Tavern's. The sandwich itself just didn't really stand out. Probably the most critical thing I have is I don't like the pricing model. $16.50 gets you the sandwich with cheese and grilled onions. That's it. Each additional veggie was 50¢ more. As a customer, I would prefer something like sandwich + two add ons as the flat rate. Dinner ended up being $40 for two and we only got one sandwich. All this being said, I may be missing what makes the sandwich so iconic. The meat itself wasn't particularly tasty or seasoned. The bread was unremarkable. Like maybe they are counting on a nostalgia factor that I just don't have. Most likely wouldn't go again unless there's something happening (i.e. trivia, group hang, etc).

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    Brotherly Love Cheesesteaks - Sitting area and cashier counter

    Sitting area and cashier counter

    Brotherly Love Cheesesteaks - Big Bro Cheesesteak

    Big Bro Cheesesteak

    Brotherly Love Cheesesteaks - Ordering counter

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    Ordering counter

    Perfectly Fine - Minnesota Juicy Lucy

    Perfectly Fine

    4.2(26 reviews)
    0.6 miThe Nations

    I was in town for a work event and after our meetings, our group decided to check out Perfectly…read moreFine, a cocktail and lounge bar. First off the aesthetic is chef's kiss. The lighting, furniture, and wallpaper all come together perfectly and give the space a really stylish but comfortable vibe. There's also plenty of room inside, which makes it easy to relax without feeling cramped. Now let's talk about the food... because wow. We started with the fried pickles and they were some of the best I've had. The dipping sauce wasn't your typical ranch (I forgot to ask what it was), but whatever magic they put in it worked it was absolutely delicious. Then we moved on to the burgers. We tried the Juicy Burger and it truly lives up to the name. Every single bite was worth it. I personally had the Jalapeño Burger and let me tell you... get ready for some heat. If you're not used to spicy food, this one might test your limits. But the flavor was incredible. You could really taste that the burger was grilled, and it gave it that perfect smoky, savory flavor that makes a great burger stand out. The drinks were also fantastic. They have a huge selection of both alcoholic and non-alcoholic options. I had one of their mezcal cocktails and it was bartender's kiss. I also tried a couple of their spirits and everything was on point. Another thing I really appreciated was the noise level. There's music playing, but it's not overwhelming, you can still actually have a conversation without yelling across the table. That's always a win. They also have a nice outdoor patio if you want to sit outside. We went during the week, so it was lively but comfortable. I can only imagine this place really gets going on the weekends. If you're in town and looking for amazing food, great drinks, and a cool atmosphere, this is definitely a spot worth checking out.

    This was a cool little dive bar spot tucked in the nations in west Nashville. A few friends and I…read moregathered here for happy hour and they have some cool spaces inside and outside. I've heard a lot about the food but I haven't tried it yet. My drink was from the happy hour menu and they had a good selection. It was okay. The staff was super nice. We didn't get to stay too long since they had a private event so we had to leave. It seems like a pretty good spot with pool tables.

    Photos
    Perfectly Fine - Pool table and menu

    Pool table and menu

    Perfectly Fine - Jalapeno Burger

    Jalapeno Burger

    Perfectly Fine

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    Frothy Monkey - Apple Cinnamon French Toast

    Frothy Monkey

    4.0(251 reviews)
    0.7 miThe Nations
    $$

    This spot was at the top of my list to try while visiting Nashville. Unfortunately it fell a bit…read moreshort. The eggs any way was just ok. There was nothing out standing about this. The bacon we ordered crispy came out limp and warm. The grits were bland (they needed salt... a lot of salt). And the butter was hard as a rock so it made spreading it on the bread near impossible. The iced lavender matcha I ordered was great and exactly what I wanted. The biscuit flight it what saved this spot for me. I thought all of the flavors were there, the biscuits hit and flaky, and overall it was really good! The prices are decent and the atmosphere is great. I would recommend this as a perfect spot to bring your laptop or book in the read and get some work done. The staff was nice but seemed a little out of it and when you would speak to them (we interacted with three people) it was like in one ear and out the other. Not sure if everyone was having an off day but they all gave blank looks when you'd speak to them. (Ordering, requesting the bacon be crispy, requesting the check etc) I'm glad I go to visit but it's not on my list when I'm back in the city.

    This place was delicious and trendy. Service was fast and everyone was friendly. My shrimp and…read moregrits and Morocco Coffee Mocktail was yummy. Cute decor inside and ample parking too! Thanks for a yummy meal, my first ever in Nashville.

    Photos
    Frothy Monkey - Dining area

    Dining area

    Frothy Monkey - Winter Solstice tea (similar to a chai, but smokey)

    Winter Solstice tea (similar to a chai, but smokey)

    Frothy Monkey - Front of building

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    Front of building

    Wendell Smith's Restaurant - diners - Updated May 2026

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