Monell's Restaurant: Southern Family-Style Done Right In Nashville

Long before the north Nashville neighborhood called Germantown was the hip and trendy hot spot, there was Monell's Restaurant. Previous to hipsters roaming the sidewalks with ironic fashion choices or "dinks" walking their hypo-allergenic labradoodles around the newly minted ballpark, there was Monell's Restaurant.

Monell's Restaurant in Germantown isn't technically a meat and three. It's a Southern family-style restaurant. What's the difference? Instead of sitting individually at your table alone or with your dining buddy, you're welcomed to sit at a table with about 10 other people basking in the Southern "y'all come" sentimentality. If you don't particularly care to dine with strangers, well, suck it up, tough guy, because the food here is unbelievable.

This is the part of the story where I need to reference sayings like "strap on the feed back" or "bring your sweatpants with the elastic top." Southern family-style means that you can have seconds, or thirds, or twenty-fifths if you so desire. At Monell's you're started with a couple light sides that serve as appetizers like cucumbers and onions. From there, your servers bring you a never ending stream of sides and entrees which eventually leave the large family-style table looking like grandma's kitchen exploded and you're left to eat your way through the rubble. 

Monell's gives the customer a true southern family-style experience. While you may never know what you're going to get when it comes to dining companions, the quality and consistency of the food is spot on. For those looking for a true, by the letter, meat and three experience, Monell's Cafe is their lunchtime spot that serves similar food in the traditional meat and three manner. For my money, it's best to save your calories for the full experience in Germantown.