Sojourner — Restaurant in Tennessee

My dining experience at Sojourner at the Southall Farm & Inn was nothing short of exceptional. Situated on 325 acres of working farmland in Franklin, this restaurant delivers on its promise of farm-to-table dining in the most authentic way possible.

The meal began with their outstanding housemade sourdough bread served warm from the oven, accompanied by cultured butter topped with flaky sea salt – a simple yet perfect start that showcased their attention to detail. The carrot hummus with crudité was remarkably fresh, highlighting the quality of their farm-grown vegetables.

The star of the evening was the Bear Creek Farm Pork Coppa Steak, served with buttermilk butter beans and spinach. The pork, slow-cooked sous vide for 24 hours before being crisped to perfection, was absolutely sublime. The technique and execution were flawless, resulting in one of the most memorable dishes I've had in recent memory.

The beverage program deserves special mention. I tried the Heartbeet cocktail (mezcal, farm beets, cynar, lime, egg white, and rosemary), which was beautifully balanced and showcased their commitment to incorporating farm-fresh ingredients even in their cocktails.

What sets Sojourner apart is not just the quality of the food, but how every element of the meal feels thoughtfully connected to the land it came from. The restaurant's location amid their working farm isn't just for show – you can taste the freshness and care in every bite.

Service was knowledgeable and attentive without being intrusive. The ambiance perfectly balances refinement with rural charm. While this is a special occasion price point, the value matches the experience. Already looking forward to trying their sister restaurant, January, in the future.

Highly recommended for anyone seeking an extraordinary dining experience that honors both culinary craft and...

Overall review: I don't plan to go back for the restaurant. Might go try to stay at the hotel for a staycation, but even then will probably skip the restaurant due to prices way too high for food that is mediocre.

Details:

Pros: Beautiful atmosphere, really luxurious feels

Cons:

Service is strange. I booked a table for 6PM (which was fine), but then I called several hours before to see if I could move the reservation up, the lady that answered said "I'm sorry, both of our restaurants are showing FULLY booked for tonight so there's no way to change."

Yet, when we arrived 15 minutes early we were seated instantly (great btw), but the entire time from 6-7 there were at least 15 open tables. Idk what "fully booked" means - but typically it means fully booked.

Also, it took roughly 10-15 minutes to get the bill and pay, and our server (though he was very nice I will say) didn't seem to know what he was doing when it comes to payment methods (I wanted to use Apple Pay, and that threw him off big time).

Food was mediocre. We had the burger and Zucchini Pasta - both were enjoyable, but nothing that blew us away by any stretch.

Price / hidden charges. Our meal was $109 at menu price, which was fine (we expected it), but when I was given the bill it automatically added $40 for gratuity, state taxes, local taxes, etc. This is WILD to have a 35% upcharge added without any...

If the not so good reviews are putting you off, I’d recommend still giving this place a try!! The food was awesome and you’d really be missing out! Honestly, it deserves a higher rating!!

As long as you can get past the cons that others have mentioned (20% tip automatically added to bill so don’t tip on top of this, need a reservation at least a day in advance - absolutely no walk ins, prices are a bit high (like $24 for burger)), it’s a great place!

People complain about the service being slow but we didn’t notice that and I really enjoyed sitting in the stunning location (I wouldn’t want to rush my visit there!). Yes, there are other customers (some even in bathrobes from the sauna 😂) but what restaurant doesn’t occasionally have other loud customers (not that we experienced this). And servers were also super friendly and attentive.

As a celiac, I was worried but most things on the menu can be made gluten free! They even advised against fries as the frier has cross contamination. The burger was absolutely incredible (and I’ve had a lot of burgers 😂). They don’t have gf buns but have gf bread which was great. The lavender haze lemonade was incredible. Our whole group loved the food! And the venue is stunning. I’d recommend walking around the outside or checking out the...