Southern restaurants in Tennessee
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Alcenia's
The only thing sweeter than Alcenia's famous 'ghetto juice' (a diabetes-inducing fruit drink) is owner Betty-Joyce 'BJ' Chester-Tamayo – don't be surprised to receive a kiss on the top of the head as soon as you sit down. The lunch menu at this funky little gold- and purple-painted cafe rotates daily – look for killer fried chicken and catfish, melt-in-your-mouth spiced cabbage and an exquisite eggy custard pie.
reviewed
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Sweet Grass
Contemporary Low County cuisine (the seafood-heavy cooking of the South Carolina and Georgia coasts) wins raves at this sleek new Midtown bistro. Shrimp and grits, a classic fisherman's breakfast, is a crowd-pleaser.
reviewed
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Zarzour's
'We treat you like family here,' says the waitress at this tiny wood-paneled slip of a diner, Chattanooga's oldest restaurant. 'We just don't like our family very much!' She's kidding (we think), but that kind of salty banter is what makes Zarzour's such an experience: that, and the just-like-grammy-used-to-make hamburger steak, baked spaghetti and lemon ice box pie (a true classic of the genre).
reviewed
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A
Arnold's
Grab a tray and line up with college students, garbage collectors and country-music stars at Arnold's, king of the meat-and-three. Slabs of drippy roast beef are the house specialty, along with fried green tomatoes, cornbread two ways, and big gooey wedges of chocolate cream pie. This is Southern food at its finest.
reviewed
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Monell's
In an old brick house just north of the District, Monell's is beloved for down-home Southern food served communally, meaning you sit with strangers and pass the food around the table yourselves. This being Nashville, you'll all be friends before you're done with your fried catfish.
reviewed
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B
McEwen's
Don't let the drab stucco exterior fool you: join the upper-crusty professional set for excellent eats with nary a BBQ in sight. Lunch is a steal, with treats like oven-roasted vegetables on focaccia served up in the butter-yellow dining room lined with original landscape paintings; dinner brings pan-seared halibut in coconut ginger broth.
reviewed