Franklin Mercantile — Restaurant in Franklin

On our most recent trip down south, I wanted to stop in Franklin, TN. because I had read so many great things about how cute and quaint it is. So we made an extended stop and had all day to explore and see what the downtown is all about. The family was getting hungry, and my husband wanted to find a deli. We spotted this deli and decided to give it a try. There is limited seating outside, only four tables with 2-3 chairs at each one, so if you are needing more seating than that, timing is everything, as we noticed. We were able to get a table and then these other two gentlemen were getting up and we snagged their table as well. At this point we hadn't even gone inside yet, just snagged the table. So we put our stuff down, my mom sat with the kids and we went inside to order food. Man oh man, this place was hoppin'! The line was backed up from the counter to past the door. Maybe 17 people in front of us. At this point, we knew this place had to be good, but whoa. The line cut through the seating area where patrons were sitting eating their food, so it gave us a good chance to scope out what the food looked like and what looked yummy (just the thing people who are eating their food love; people staring at them while they're eating! lol) The menu is a black chalkboard over the counter with the sandwiches, sides and beverages written in white chalk. There are cold sandwiches, on your choice of bread or wrap, and there are hot panini and grilled sandwiches. There is also a kids menu off to the side for those picky kids who won't eat anything other than pb&j and chicken nuggets. It took about 20-30 minutes in line, and when we finally got to the front, I ordered a Homemade Tuna Sandwich and Baked Potato Salad. My husband got Mable's Pecan Chicken Salad Sandwich and Pasta Salad and we got a pb&j and fruit cup for the kids. I took a leap for myself and got the baked potato salad, since I'm usually pretty consistent with my food choices (my husband always makes fun of me for ordering a club sandwich everywhere we go, lol). I wasn't all that impressed with the baked potato salad. It was very salty and there was a heavy bacon taste. Now, I love traditional potato salad, and mustard potato salad, but this was different, it seriously tasted like a loaded baked potato, in a salad form. I didn't finish it, and offered it to my husband, a sure sign I don't like something, haha. My sandwich was very good. I thought it had a nice consistency and the bread was very good. I just wish I would have gotten the potato chips with it instead. My husband really liked his sandwich and ate all of it. He also really enjoyed the pasta salad, but if my memory serves me right, there was feta in it, and I don't eat feta, so I didn't try it, even though it looked good. The kids had a little taste of their sandwiches and wouldn't eat any more. Not sure if they didn't like it (what's not to like, peanut butter and jelly is pretty much the same everywhere, amiright? LOL) or they weren't hungry. But they ate the fruit cup just fine, and the bottle of orange juice they shared. My mom got Fruit Tea, and I tried it, man was that good! I wished I would have gotten that, but by the time I tried it and liked it, the line was still super long and I couldn't justify getting back in that long of a line for a beverage. The prices were comparable to any hometown deli, but a bit steep for an 'on the go' quickie lunch. If we ever go back to Frankin, I may want to try someplace else, but this was a great place...

I love the deli! The sweet potato pancakes with bacon and a cup of coffee is my favorite breakfast in Franklin. I really want to give it 4.5 stars, but stop at 4 because they stop serving breakfast so early. The 10 and 11 o'clock hours are prime weekend brunch time!! They stop serving at 10:30 :( It's also a little pricey for what it is. Otherwise a delicious and super cute spot!

Edit: I still love the food here, but I have to take a star off. A few weeks ago I ran in just a few minutes before 10:30 and when the cashier saw me looking at the breakfast menu, she told me they were no longer serving breakfast and that I could go to Merridee's down the street. This has happened a couple of times. We might start just going straight to Merridee's since we know we'll never miss breakfast there! It's really a shame because I love the food, but I don't want to have to wake up especially early on the weekend to make it there (on time), and still be turned away for breakfast. :( The sweet potato pancakes are also not as sweet potato-y as they used to be. I remember them basically being orange, but now they look like regular pancakes with a light sprinkle of shredded...

The food was okay but the customer service was awful. My wife asked a question about the kid's menu and was met with very unhelpful responses. When asking if it's possible to have pancakes after the breakfast hour (since no where on the kid's menu is it mentioned there's a time limit) the employee at the cash register responded to my wife, "Nope. It's our policy. It should be obvious to you." I was surprised at such a rude response from an honest question. Then, they forgot our drinks. When I went to get silverware, an employee simply gestured to a bin. I showed them an empty bin and it still took them a few minutes to fill it back up while my family sat waiting at the table. The store wasn't crowded so I was surprised how "off" the whole place felt. To it's credit, it does have charming decor inside.

Since other shops in Franklin are very high on customer service + charm (Pucketts, Merridees, etc) I was surprised the Deli was off.

Maybe go as a couple, but don't bring a family. We certainly won't...