Perry's Steakhouse & Grille - Cool Springs — Restaurant in Franklin

My Mrs. and I decided to visit Perry's Steakhouse & Grille - Cool Springs for dinner last evening, and the restaurant’s service was so comically abysmal that I’m laughing composing this review. Candidly, there were a myriad of service issues to the point that I kept repeating while scoffingly laughing, during the experience and after that “I [couldn’t] believe the service was so bad.”

When we first arrived, attendance was sparse, but because we didn’t have a reservation, we could only sit on the patio or at the bar as “seat yourself” areas; that was fine. However, after sitting, we counted the minutes until someone would at least speak. We waited nearly 15 minutes (typically I would’ve let the hosts know that no one acknowledged us within 10, but we’d just left an event, and it was 9p.)

After someone finally approached the table, they asked about drinks, to which we obliged; however, upon being asked about entrées, we noted that we didn’t have menus to peruse any of their selections.

After receiving drinks and the menu, we waited well beyond another 10+ minutes for the server to return; once that person did, we proceeded to order. The Mrs. inquired as to whether or not her lobster could be fried, and the server replied that they would ask the chef given that they didn’t believe lobster could be fried by the kitchen, except as a starter on their menu noted specifically as fried.

The server did not come back for another 15 minutes … and … in that time … was running other items to other tables.

Once they finally came back, our order was then taken. My salad and a starter arrived at the table — and those were actually delectable, along with drinks we both ordered, so I thought our dining experience had taken a positive turn.

But unfortunately … I was wrong.

We waited nearly 20 minutes from there, and finally again, a “runner” arrived with a tray. However, the tray only contained her filet and my bone-in strip. (Albeit us having ordered two sides to accompany our entrées.) The server then asks me to cut into my steak to check, as I ordered “medium well.” I so obliged to ultimately find that my steak was more pink than Aretha Franklin’s Cadillac. I politely informed the runner that the steak was ordered medium well, yet it looked between medium and rare.

A man, whom I assume was the manager, then brought my steak asking me to check it, while the server stood behind him watching. I once again obliged, accidentally touching the cast iron part of the plate, admittedly blaring out an expletive as I hadn’t realized I did so. Neither the manager or the server said anything or reacted to me burning my finger — although that was my fault.

I was about to cut into the steak, but abruptly stopped, and asked him if I could have a to-go box, as we needed to leave, and the dining experience had taken way too long for us to not even have all of our food, because atop that, our sides still weren’t out, and the server didn’t acknowledge that they were missing.

But wait - there’s more!

Immediately after they took the plate to box it walking behind one side, another server brings out the sides on a tray, from the other side. At that point, it was like watching a circus act. I then notified that server that I had just sent the entrée to be boxed.

As my Mrs. and I sat there waiting, we discussed how in utter disbelief we were at how inexplicably subpar Perry’s service actually was. We’ve dined at many other “fine dining” establishments locally and abroad, and even if there was one or maybe even two faux pas, we’d never previously experienced anything to such magnitude. I kept asking, “why in the world would my steak be solely brought out without the two sides I ordered as its accompaniment?! — Did this place just open today?!” After our items were boxed and brought, we paid the bill agreeing that we will more than likely never visit Perry’s — in Nashville or beyond again, because the place is a vaudeville act run worse than any fast food joint on earth....

Perry's was literally our favorite restaurant. We have spent 1000’s of dollars there and recommended Perry's to everyone who would listen, but that all ended last night.

I could say we had the worst dining experience we've ever had, but here's the thing – my husband and I didn't even get to "dine" after sitting there for nearly 2 hours. Our dinner consisted of a couple of cocktails that took longer to receive than our small appetizer, which was sadly the only thing we got to eat prior to dessert, that we only ordered so our friends who were dining with us didn't feel badly they were able to eat dinner and we weren't.

Here goes the experience:

We were promptly sat at our regular table, greeted by the same impersonal waitress who offered poor service last visit but the food is good, so - whatever. We ask for separate checks at the beginning, one for us and one for our friends. Drinks and appetizers are ordered, appetizers arrive, drinks do not, eventually drinks arrive and dinner is ordered. My husband and I decided to try something new, The Chateaubriand, after asking for Whisper's (the server) advice on the dish and her explaining that it's a cool experience and "good". Our friends order a host of sides to accompany the Pork Chop bites that they each enjoyed for their entrée. They received their food and what my husband and I expected as the Chateau experience was placed in front of us. The delivery man asked me to cut into it at which point I knew this was not what we had ordered. He said "This is The Perry", and then he asked who our server was and disappeared. About 5 minutes later Whisper returns. "Didn't they tell you that they were working on it?". We didn't ask her any questions or say anything to prompt that statement. It sounds defensive and rude. Another 20 or so minutes pass, our friends are now finished eating and parched since Whisper still has not returned to check on, update, or refill their drinks. We track her down and tell her to cancel the meal. It doesn't take this long to fire up a couple replacement steaks at a steakhouse. The lack of any concern or care is pretty much adding insult to injury at this point. She explains that she put in the wrong thing and that the kitchen got backed up so a manager will be over (we didn't ask for a manager). A few minutes later a woman comes by, and I can already feel the energy when she says "So fill me in, I only have part of the story". I suggest to my husband that we just leave it alone but the manager says she wants to know what happened so here goes! She clearly doesn't understand that asking the customer to explain their TERRIBLE experience while ABSOLUTELY STARVING is not really an avenue to productivity. She says she will take care of some things on the bill, agrees to refill our friend's iced tea, and takes our dessert order for the Bananas Foster. Then peaks over to ensure we want Bananas Foster, and not Bread Pudding, because she wants to make sure that she "orders the right thing", which sounds totally passive aggressive almost insinuating that we ordered the wrong thing, not that our waitress ordered the wrong thing. Bananas Foster comes, single check arrives. Whisper didn't pass on that we are on separate checks. Separate checks arrive, the manager apologizes to the "gentlemen" at the table that they didn't receive their meals – Now we are quite frankly disturbed since it was not the “gentlemen” who didn’t eat. Our check is more than our friend's check, who ate an entire meal - oh well. Thankful this experience is finally over, we can go home to relieve the babysitter we only get once a month, eat a turkey sandwich, and go to bed. What a nightmare from start to finish. Perry's, you should be ashamed of yourself. It's one thing to have an off night for a server, in the kitchen, but you truly had the trifecta of awful last night. A terrible server, kitchen,...

My wife's birthday falls at the beginning of February. Mine only 8 days later. With my work schedule during weekends, we usually meet in the middle for a date night out together. This was the first "experience" with Perrys for my wife and I. We have always looked for a new place to go, (while also keeping our faves), and after doing some menu scouring and review reads I knew we had to try. Now if your looking for a nice night out with good food at a cheap price, this is not the place for you. (Depending on your budget. With a household of 6, ours is a little smaller than others lol. We are BLESSED!) But you also get what you pay for, and that's exactly what you'll "get" from Perrys Steakhouse & Grille-Cool Springs. The start of our evening was greeted with complimentary valet services. We did not indulge in this option due to eating later in the night and the abundance of space on the lot. Still, Classy. As I held the door for my Beautiful wife to enter, we were immediately greeted by staff while being surrounded by a plethora of sophisticated design. They had an amazing wine wall that separated the formal dining area from a GREAT bar area. Great bar, all the sports, the beer, same great food and atmosphere, but as we were seated only 2 tables from the wine wall division not a peep was heard from the bar area. We were swiftly met by our server, Chris, who was hands down one of the best servers we've had anywhere. He started with drink orders, (my wife had an espresso martini), as those were being prepared he came straight back to our table to give us a run through of the menu. Explaining anything and everything about the dishes, sauces, and every other thing we could think to ask page by page. After great suggestions I ultimately settled on the Chargrilled Blue Point Oysters to start, followed by the "Filet Three Ways" An exquisite 8 oz. Filet sliced into 3 medallions and individually topped Oscar-style with jumbo lump crabmeat, 3-peppercorn au Poivre, and coffee crusted. This was served over cast iron with asparagus. My wife went with the "Surf & Turf Pasta" 6 oz. Filet Mignon tips, 2 oz. lobster served over angel hair pasta with tomato basil sauce. The oysters arrived fresh, hot, served on cast iron within a very reasonable time. My wife has never been a fan of my oyster indulgence. I had to fight her off of them. Amazing is an understatement. The finishing of the oysters was within minutes met with the arrival of our entrees. My wife had her steak prepared medium, I of course medium rare. I really was questioning the coffee crusted medallion, but was pleasantly surprised by it's allure of flavors. The Oscar style with it's lump crab, devine. The 3-peppercorn, another home run. Each cooked consistently perfect,and each having its own unique flavours for my palette. It is hard to choose between the Oscar style or the peppercorn, it would have to be a tie. Adding even more deliciousness to my plate was of course the asparagus. With the flavours from each steak on the cast iron added to the crunch of each bite, perfect. My wifes "Surf and Turf Pasta" came with what seemed so much more than 6 ozs of steak, and even though weighing in at only 2 oz, the lobster tail was one of the best things I had eaten all night. We of course left some room for dessert, the "Crème Brulée" topped with an assortment of raspberries, blueberries, and blackberries. Fantastic. There was not a bite left on the table to clean up! We enjoyed a very BLESSED night at a new restaurant once again this year, and I can definitely say we will return. So many choices to go back for. (I was really close to going with the "Turtle Gumbo" and the "True Japanese A-5 Wagyu Beef".) So thank you to all the incredible staff(ask for Chris! He's great!) as well as everyone involved with preparing our incredible meal. GOD Bless, and please,...