Wendell Smith's Restaurant — Restaurant in Nashville-Davidson

Oh man, great work lunch! I nearly never choose these types of places when I'm looking for food, but I'll never complain when asked to go to one. The menu, per usual, looks like a run down of weekly meals from my childhood, and everything always sounds great.

Wendell's is a charming little place, with 1960s diner architecture, and a bustling, sunny feel. You'd think it's hard for anything to stand out with this simple type of country-food menu, but they pulled it off. It's the simple things. To begin with, the iced tea was just . . . perfect. There's no other word. Sweet, but not too sweet, not watery, not over-brewed, and with a small slice of lemon for aroma. If I were to ever use iced tea in a high-end cocktail, this is the tea I would be searching for.

The veggies were also great. I quite seriously believe I've never had better turnip greens. They were rich and well-flavored with pork trimmings, but not at all greasy, as is often the case with this dish. Neither were they undercooked and bitter. I've really never had better. Also, I'm usually they guy who takes one bite of cornbread and never goes back to it. Usually because either it's sweet (who thinks that's ok?? It's not cake, people!), or because it's dry and tasteless. Wendell's again hits it out of the park with their cornbread muffins. Even with the faux butter spread on the table, I ate more than one - and that's high praise.

Oddly enough, the roasted pork I had wasn't so incredible. It's not terribly surprising, considering they don't bill themselves as a barbecue place. But when you called it "pit-roasted" I expect a little woodsy flavor, right? Not like true barbecue, but shouldn't it have been close to a fire at some point? Anyhow, it was good enough, not dry, and came with a very nice tangy barbecue sauce. My colleagues' meals went equally well. I got great remarks on the liver & onions, and the roast beef, so I probably just chose the wrong meat. The great thing is, even with a mediocre meat choice, the meal was still great, and well worth their moderate price.

Service was familiar and friendly, and done with the professionalism of people who have been in the business for time untold. I've never seen a more efficient lunch service anywhere. Experience has taught them well, and they have lots of tricks up their sleeves to keep the people happy, full, and on time to get back to work. The little personalized tip pouches behind the register, for example - keeps you from having to return to the table to deposit your tips! Their experience shows, and they expertly serve dozens at a time on a busy lunch with ease.

Unfortunately, I'll probably not be back often, as I don't get to that side of town much at all. But if chance happens that I need some turnip greens or blackberry cobbler anywhere west of downtown in the future, I'll know directly...

We pass through Nashville a few times a year and we usually visit Wendell's. Has always been a good experience until today. Our server, who didn't give her name, was was rude and unfriendly right out of the gate. I ordered a bologna and egg sandwich with mayo. She didn't ask how I wanted the egg, so I asked her how it would be cooked. Over well, she said. I told her I wanted it over medium (in the VAST majority of restaurants, over medium has a soft, perhaps SLIGHTLY runny yolk.) She responded, with disgust, "You want it runny??!!!????!!". In the first place, what if I did? That would be my preference. I replied that I want the yolk soft, maybe SLIGHTLY runny. She retorted, "well that's over medium WELL" (in a superior, rude tone). She could have simply said "I will ask that it be cooked over medium well". That would have sounded "helpful: rather than "corrective". The sandwich came with bologna that was so thick it could have made three sandwiches. But, hey, we are all different. There are MANY people who like thick bologna. And that's fine. That is their preference, where thinner is mine. I certainly didn't ask her to have the cook slice it smaller because she was CLEARLY bothered by even being at work today. There was also no mayo. So we did ask for some mayo and a serrated knife. She rudely retorted, "do you need anything else so I don't have to go back and forth?!!!!?? My husband asked for extra napkins and mustard. She returned with a mayo packet, mustard packets, the knife we requested, and exactly TWO napkins. I cut the bologna to make it thinner, added it back to the sandwich, and added the mayo. Then I cut my sandwich in half. The yolk came pouring out. See photo. Obviously I am not the one she needed to "correct" concerning over medium vs over medium well. I ate half of the sandwich, removing the egg and wiping yolk from it. This is only the third review I have given on anything in my 60 years of life. And if Wendell's had an email or other way to make complaints I would have done so privately. But they do not. And I would have spoken to manager but was told he was not available. We may return for lunch or dinner again at some point. But we will not for breakfast. And if this particular server shows up at our table we will move to another. By the way, she realized she was rude and had offended, so she was loudly "over the top" friendly and smiley with all of her other tables from that...

We were in Nashville today so we tried this place. A staple in Nashville they're known for great food and a lot of celebrity sighting. When we walked in I saw a picture of my man Elvis on the walls so I knew we were in good hands. I ordered the bacon and 2 egg breakfast it came with your choice of two sides so I got the grits and the home potatoes.

The grits were cooked perfectly and left plain so I could doctor them up myself which I like so I added some butter, salt and pepper and they were delicious!

The eggs were cooked nice. I requested cheddar and got American so I think I would've liked them more had I had the right cheese. But they were very buttery.

The biscuits were fluffy and bite sized.

But the stars of the show were the bacon and the gravy. I snagged some of my boyfriends gravy because he offered me a bite of his bacon biscuit gravy concoction and I fell in love!

That was some of the best gravy I have ever had in my entire life! It was bursting with flavor. I could bathe in that gravy. So good!

The bacon had the perfect amount of crispiness and chewiness it was thick cut and absolutely perfect!

And when you mix all 3 together let me tell you what.... You get an out of this world explosion of flavors that leave you wanting more!

Please if you take anything to heart out of this review please let it be the biscuits bacon and gravy combo!

I would gladly go back for more of that!

We had a very pleasant experience and we will definitely be back because I want to try the meat and 3 next!

I...