It’s the perfect time to enjoy an outdoor meal. Enjoy the cool fall weather and a meal outdoors at these 10 local restaurants.
CoreLife Eatery
Address: 2330 Medical Center Pkwy, Suite E
Murfreesboro, TN
615-956-0150
Website: corelifeeatery.com/locations/murfreesboro-tn-2/
Hours: Daily 11:00 am to 9:00 pm
CoreLife Eatery is a notably healthy food option. It has a variety of fresh choices blending meat, grains, and vegetables that can appease anyone wanting to eat healthy, as well as the most stringent vegan or gluten free patron. They opened the restaurant because they saw an opportunity to provide the best foods and prepare them on-site.
“We believe in making our food from scratch,” said Kelsey Searles, who, with her husband, Scott, own CoreLife Eatery, “grilling right there where the customer can see it, and providing food that tastes great, without giving up your health to get it.”
CoreLife Eatery recently expanded and opened a new location in Franklin, TN.
Alley on Main
223 West Main Street
Murfreesboro
615-203-3498
alleyonmain.com
Hours: Monday through Thursday, 11:00 a.m. until 9:00 p.m
Friday and Saturday, 11:00 a.m. until 10:00 a.m.
Sunday: Closed
Shawn and Christy Hackinson, owners of The Alley on Main, have always loved preparing food, and every meal is made fresh in house from recipes passed down through their families. From each hand-cut steak to sandwiches, pasta, burgers, salads, soups and homemade desserts, everything that comes from their kitchen is made to order.
They fly in fresh fish from Hawaii and New Zealand, and they create sushi for entrées, appetizers, or on a salad. They also bring in scallops, crab cakes, or may even make She-Crab Soup. Options change daily.
Thida Thai
10644 Cedar Grove Road
Smyrna
(615) 220-7573
thidathaismyrna.net/
Hours: Sunday through Thursday, 11:00 a.m. until 9:00 p.m.
Friday and Saturday, 11:00 a.m. until 10:00 p.m.
Owner Alex Udomdale has created an extensive menu full of multiple options, including sushi, sashimi, poke bowls, curry, noodles, fried rice, and stir fry. Each of these items is offered with a choice of meat, vegetables, or tofu with assorted blends of sauces and toppings. Their most popular meal is Pan Thai. Curry is another very popular item. They offer a number of different curry varieties — including red, green, yellow, and Panang.
Most of their customers begin dinner with the Appetizer Sampler Number Two. It offers a large assortment of tasty morsels, including Chicken Satay, Fried and Steamed Dumplings, Gyoza, and something called Shrimp Blanket. Shrimp Blanket is deep fried marinated shrimp wrapped in rice paper and stuffed with chicken, celery, onion, cilantro, then served with a sweet Thai chili sauce.
Salads and soups are also on the menu.
Steakhouse Five
1500 Medical Center Parkway, Suite 1K
Murfreesboro
615-396-3225
Website: steakhousefive.com/
Hours: Monday-Thursday, 5:30 p.m. until 9:00 p.m.
Friday, 5:30 p.m. until 10:00 p.m.
Saturday, 10:00 a.m. until 1:00 p.m., 5:30 p.m. until 10:00 p.m.
Sunday: Closed
An upscale steakhouse created by Mitchell Murphy so foodies in Murfreesboro won’t need to make the trip to Nashville for a good steak. Murphy offers appetizers, salads, steaks and chops. Many of the appetizers are modern takes on traditional steakhouse classics, like Smoked Salmon and Caviar, Lump Crabcakes, American Wagyu Tartar, and customer favorite, Hot Country Ham Dip. They make their own Sourdough Bread, which makes any bread lover smile.
La Tavolo Ristorante Italiano
114 Front Street
Smyrna
615-984-4771
Website: latavolatn.com
Hours: Monday through Saturday, 10:00 a.m. until 9:00 p.m.
Sunday, 11:00 a.m. until 9:00 p.m.
Sitting on Front Street between Fuse Hair Salon and the Old Theater Grill, families have come here for years to get good Italian food and lots of it for the price. The menu is bursting with all of the traditional favorites of those who choose Italian as their international comfort food.
Pasta dishes being the top seller on the menu comes as no surprise. Most dinners are served with a side salad and breadsticks. Pizza lovers will find plenty of choices, with the favorites being the Supreme Meat Lovers, followed by the Veggie, and the Margarita Pizza. There are twelve specialty pizza options, or you can create your own. They also have Calzones and Stromboli. And there are sub sandwiches.
Parthenon Grille
1962 South Church Street
Murfreesboro
(615) 895-2665
Website: parthenongrille.com
Hours: Monday through Friday, 11:00 a.m. until 9:30 p.m.
Saturday: 11 a.m. until 10:00 p.m.
Sunday: 10:00 a.m. until 9:00 p.m.
Parthenon Grille is an institution. For many years it was the only gourmet dining in town. It is its own unique blend of Greek, Italian, and old-style New York steak house. The menu has everything from Oysters Rockefeller and Steak Delmonico to Gyros to Shrimp and Scallop Pasta. Their brunch offers an assortment of omelets, benedicts, and waffles, along with classic southern biscuits and gravy.
Mayday Brewery
521 Old Salem Road
Murfreesboro
(615) 479-9722
Website: maydaybrewery.com
Hours: Wednesday and Thursday, 4:00 p.m. until 9:00 p.m.
Friday, 4:00 p.m. until 10:00 p.m.
Saturday, 1:00 p.m. until 10:00 p.m.
Sunday, 1:00 p.m. until 7:00 p.m.
Ozzy Nelson, owner of Mayday Brewery, is serious about beer. And he’s serious about having fun.
While COVID has slowed things down, there are still bands, beer and food to be enjoyed. Nelson is constantly experimenting with new brews, but he always has Evil Octopus, Angry Red Head, and Boro Blond on tap. They are for those who like dark, medium, or light, consecutively.
Primrose Table
1650 Memorial Blvd.
Murfreesboro, TN 37128
primrosetable.com
(615) 900-5790
Hours: Tuesday through Thursday, 4:00 p.m. until 9:00 p.m.
Friday through Saturday, 4:00 p.m. until 10:00 p.m.
Owner Jason Matheson prepares classic dishes with a contemporary take. They offer a full menu of appetizers, salads, burgers, and entrees. Appetizers include Primrose Table’s version of guacamole, shrimp and lobster rolls, and tempura pork. Salads include Poached Pear, and Local Melon. Entrees include Roasted Chicken with Woodford Reserve Crème Sauce, and Char-Grilled Cuts of pork and beef.
“I call it family-friendly fine dining,” said Matheson. “We might not be everyone’s cup of tea, but I think we can appeal to a broad range of diners and foodies.”
Carpe Café
115 Front Street
Smyrna
(615) 984-4040
Website: carpe-cafe.com
Hours: Monday and Tuesday, 7:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.
Wednesday and Thursday: 7:30 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Friday: 7:30 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.
Saturday: 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Sunday: CLOSED
The brainchild of the folks at Carpe Artista, this small coffeehouse has become a central meeting place for Smyrna business and government leaders, as well as artsy types. The café offers great food and allows kids who have a love of gastronomy to have a place to learn skills. It also helps fund the arts in Smyrna. For breakfast, the quiche and cinnamon buns are legendary. They also have soups, salads and sandwiches. And their sweet treats are addictive.
Bar Louie
2615 Medical Center Parkway
Murfreesboro
(615) 410-4120
Website: barlouie.com/locations/us/tn/murfreesboro/the-avenue-at-murfreesboro
Hours: Monday through Thursday,11:00 a.m. until 12:00 a.m.
Friday, 11:00 a.m. until 1:00 a.m.
Saturday, 10:00 a.m. until 1:00 a.m.
Sunday, 10:00 a.m. until 12:00 a.m.
Bar Louie is a favorite hangout with great gourmet bar food and an extensive selection of brews, wine, and mixed drinks. Their appetizers are filling enough for a meal, from hummus and veggies to sliders, they have it all. Entrees include killer mac and cheese to salads, to mouth stretching burgers and sandwiches. Save room for their gooey chocolate cake.
