Big Al's Deli — Restaurant in Nashville-Davidson

First time here after seeing tons of positive reviews and pictures of what looked like amazing food. Happy to say Big Al's lived up to the hype. The ambiance isn't much to look at but that's not why you're here. You're here for the food, and man does it deliver. I was too late to grab breakfast, so I decided to choose from their posted daily specials. I was tempted to try the chicken fried banana pork loin - yeah - but ultimately went with good ol' meatloaf with smashed mashed potatoes and skillet beans. I was offered the choice of a corn cake or biscuit to round out the meal, and, unable to pick, took one of each.

The meatloaf was very good, with tomatoes and peppers throughout. It could have perhaps benefited from a touch more body, but overall a solid cornerstone to the meal. The smashed mashed potatoes were simply luscious, buttery smooth overall while a bit of lumpiness throughout provided a nice texture. Whenever I allowed my fork, already adorned with a piece of meatloaf, to slide through those taters before taking the bite, it was truly a taste of heaven.

As good as all this was, the highlight of the meal was definitely the skillet beans. Prepared with two varieties of bean, swimming in a thick and bold sauce laced with bacon and bits of jalapeno peppers, they were nothing short of divine, especially for those of us who enjoy a bit of spice. Hands down the best bean-based dish I've ever put in my mouth.

The corn cake was thinner than I was expecting, almost crepe-like, but the taste was on point. The biscuit, on the other hand, was towering - a good three inches tall, its top shimmering with butter. Both were a fantastic complement to the meal.

Portions were significant, and despite my best efforts there were a few bites left when I finally put my fork down in surrender.

This won't be my last time visiting Big Al's place, and if you're anywhere near Germantown and find yourself hungry for some food cooked with love, you can do far worse than checking it out for yourself. I went on a Thursday around 11am and there was no wait. Just note that they...

Let's start with the phone call we made to get clarity on their business hours. AJ was kind from the first interaction over the phone. He explained they had altered hours because his father was out due to a knee surgery.

They closed at 2pm we arrived roughly at 1pm. We pulled up in a residential neighborhood to the restaurant. I thought that was pretty dope! Inside it's like going into someone's living room and enjoying a home cooked meal. AJ was at the register, he explained we could sit wherever we wanted and gave us menus. He engaged with us asking about where we were from and what brought us to town. Told us some of his menu favorites and what paired well together. Overall the customer service was a 10/10.

We ordered: Note - Proteins came with two sides and a hot cake.

Meal 1: Fried catfish, okra rice, and apples.

Meal 2: Fried catfish, skillet beans, and green beans.

Catfish (10/10) - fried to perfection. The catfish was also seasoned to perfection. Likely the best fried catfish either of us ever had. You're not mad at getting one piece because the size of the fish is more than enough. Honestly, anything more would be too much. Also, it came with a tartar sauce that was like a miniature coleslaw. Crunchy, not too mayonnaisey. The perfect addition.

Okra Rice (8/10) - New territory. I tried it. I really enjoyed it. Gave me Spanish rice vibes.

Apples (10/10) - sweet with notes of cinnamon, and crispy-tender if that makes sense.

Skillet Beans (8.5/10) - they were like multidimensional baked beans. They were sweet, savory and multi-layered from a texture perspective with the onion in it giving it a nice crunch.

Green Beans (6/10) - weren't the star of the dish, they could've been seasoned a little better. A bit vinegary but I know that's some people's preference. Overall they were a solid side.

Hot cakes (10/10) - basically a pancake but made with cornmeal. It was sweet, crispy, and the cornmeal adds an element of gritty-ness. No additions are needed like syrup or butter, these babies carry their own weight. They were so good we had to ask...

This is a bit tricky, because I loved some things about this little place, but I don't think I'd return in the condition we found it.

Specifically, the entire place needs a deep clean. I can find the charm in a hole in the wall, so that's not a complaint.

On another note, the father and son worked hard to accommodate everyone. One review commented that no love was put into the food, but I absolutely disagree. I think blood, sweat, and tears have gone into making their dream into a reality.

I ordered a bacon, egg, and cheese Biscuit and it was huge. The bacon was perfectly cooked, the eggs were fluffy and not dry, but could've used a touch of quality salt and bacon grease in the skillet to make it stand out. The biscuit was fluffy on the inside and crisped a bit on the outside, which was great, but I felt like I was missing quality butter.

I tasted a few bites of the pancakes, and I believe they were cornmeal based. The gravy was brown and super spicy, and I think a white sausage gravy would be more complimentary to the southern food. The side of potatoes was satisfyingly tasty.

The prices on the food are much lower than anywhere else, and the serving sizes are huge, which means the prices could be raised, making room for higher quality ingredients like Redmonds salt, butter, the ability to provide better creamer options for coffee, and provide the necessity of keeping the place clean etc.

There's some magic about this place, so even with no changes, it wouldn't surprise me if it continued to be packed. But with the potential it has, and the ability to make the changes... why not? I wish this place...