Midtown Cafe

Amazing lunch & brunch option right next to Vanderbilt! We chose Midtown Cafe because we were staying nearby and we were absolutely blown away by the food and the service. We walked in without a reservation and we were seated in about 15 at the bar despite the Saturday Brunch Rush. The bartender was amazing and we loved watching her work her magic. The coffee and iced tea were both excellent. He loved the mimosa and appreciated the generous champagne pour. We started with the lobster bisque, which was super creamy and rich. Absolutely recommend! We also loved our Nashville Hot Chicken sandwiches, they were plenty spicy and perfectly fried. The side of ranch is a must. The french fries were perfectly crispy. Can't wait to go back!

Excellent food and service - great attention to detail - photo does not do the food justice, because it was so good I couldn't wait to try it before taking the pic

Had to wait without a reservation on Sunday, but not long and it was totally worth the wait! We went back Monday and Tuesday with no wait! It's that good!

Late entry: My sweet friend invites me for lunch. Parking is tight the valet service was excellent! The hostess knew my friend as she was her son’s vice principal many years ago! Lastly, the food was amazing! Trout and her chicken croquettes 😋

The food was beyond delicious!!!! SO GOOD! Our server was very friendly and took care of our table of 4 even though she was very busy!!!

Food, incredible- we actually went for brunch and dinner on the same day. Definitely a can’t miss kinda place food wise. It’s small intimate cafe but offers big flavors. The service was just okay though but the food makes up for that

A Classic, the service is top notch. Delicious Biscuits and a Classic Caesar. The Saltimbocca was quite tasty. The Creme Brûlée was done to perfection, thick custard and nice topping. Something to be said for being around this long, a must go in Nashville. Go early...worth it!

Our server was AMAZING!!! We both enjoyed our food and cocktails.

Absolutely amazing! Everything ordered at our table was delicious. Service was exceptional as well.

Great food and service! The mimosas were awesome and the pigs in blanket breakfast was excellent. Highly recommend!

We had such an awesome dining experience there tonight, as our server Stephanie clearly went above and beyond! She was extremely attentive, friendly, and professional. The food was absolutely delicious, starting with the lobster Bisque, the fried green tomatoes, and the chicken croquettes appetizers. The shrimp and grits was incredibly amazing and the steaks awesome! The scallops over Mac and cheese was great, and the desserts were incredible. I particularly loved the creme Brule as the top was crispy, and the custard the right texture.

This place is an absolute gem! Came to Nashville for the weekend and this was our first stop. We had the Shrimp and Grits with a glass of prosecco (generously poured). But back to the shrimp and grits, it was, without a shadow of a doubt the BEST WE HAVE EVER HAD. I could eat that dish breakfast, lunch, and dinner for the rest of my life and die a happy man. The staff is amazing. Their ties to the local community are unparalleled. This is a MUST GO IN NASHVILLE. 🤤😋

Wow breakfast here is delicious! So good we come back every day when staying in Nashville! Recommended to us by Kita from the Marriott the foods amazing, best grits I've ever tasted. Biscuits and gravy delightful with a beautiful white Alabama sauce. Loved the pork tenderloin and chicken Biscuits are incredible! Sadly the restaurant owner has re cently passed but the restaurant continues to serve the best breakfast and supper in his honor Definitely a must visit

The food was so good! Perfect biscuits, eggs and bacon. Great service too. It's a family owned restaurant and the staff were really warm

Perfection. I usually leave a little bit on my plate but not in this case! I rarely order desserts in a restaurant but glad I did hear. Everything from the Free valley parking up front to the coffee and dessert to finish was perfection.

The Food, the Service and the atmosphere were all GREAT! We got lucky and slid in between rushes, but do yourself a favor and make a rez before you come. We had Friday brunch while in town for a long weekend. They poured nice man-mosas as my wife called them…🤣 The brussel sprouts small order served the three of us well for a starter and were a great tasting combo. We had avocado toast, chicken and biscuits and the huevos tostados! All was good, but the huevos tostados won the day!

So delicious! I ordered the chicken croquettes. My food looked questionable but everything was soooo good. I’m definitely coming back.

First visit to Midtown Cafe since Chef & proprietor Randy Rayburn’s passing. This place is the real deal, Nashville. 37 years in business. Pro tip … if you love the famous lemon artichoke soup, grab it with a side of rice pilaf. Photos… blueberry pancakes, hot chicken biscuits, lemon artichoke soup, lox bagels, music city Benedict. Irish coffee top off! . The gorgeous portrait of Randy and his two sons hit me hard. Rest in peace, dear friend.

An exceptional dinner. It was our 36th wedding anniversary. Everything was great. Carol was our server. She was fantastic, friendly and truly amazing. My wife had the salmon and I had the pork tenderloin. Our daughter enjoyed the duck breast. It was truly a great evening with great food & service. We already made reservations for a returned visit on Saturday. A great experience.

Great experience. Had a delicious breakfast! I got the huevos tostadas Also had great gluten free options

We went here for breakfast while in Nashville. Nicely decorated and friendly atmosphere. My wife had the French toast with peaches in JD. I had an omelette which was eggcellent. 😅. Service was faultless Highly recommend.

My favorite restaurant when I visit Nashville. Midtown has delicious food and an amazing staff. Looking forward to my next trip. FYI, the blackened grouper is fantastic!!!

Service: the service was nice. And the serve describe and suggest all meals nicely. Food: they have many local ingredients and local cook way. Fish are nice, meat loaf very tasty. Appetizer was amazing. Drink: there are plenty of wine, cocktail even dessert drink menu. Also they have moktail Parking: they provide free valet parking or there are payable parking lot surround Price is ideal . Must try restaurant when you are in town.

A Representation well earned! I had an awesome dining experience! The staff was exquisite the hostess Kristie and my server Gennie went above and beyond. Gennie helped me out with some great food choices...the French Toast OMG!! Delicious 🤤 and the Gouda grits!!! Deserves a trophy 🏆 What a delightful experience! This is a MUST visit when you're in the Nashville area.

Wonderful breakfast at Midtown. Sat at the bar, met Wonderful people and had great service. The lemon artichoke soup is NOT to be missed, even though breakfast, so glad we shared the soup. Spectacular. Fried green tomatoes Benedict with nashville hot chicken terrific.

What a great breakfast! Takes cafe food to a new level. I had the French toast with jack Daniels peach compote. All I can say is, mmmmmmmm. Also, had a side of scrambled fluffy eggs with swiss cheese melted on top, delicious. P.S. really good coffee, too.

A real jewel and a rear find! Delicious food, fantastic menu prepared to fine dinning standards. All the staff we encounter were experienced, cordial and more than accommodating. The Lemon Artichoke Soup is legendary in it's own right! Be aware that sitting is limited and reservations are recommended. Valet parking is still complementary and a great bonus.

We called in for breakfast on a Saturday & were amazed we got a parking spot by the door & seated promptly. Lucky us. Don’t roll the dice. Please be sure to make a reservation. Within a few moments the place was packed & valet only parking just began. John our server had an amazing voice that rivaled the best of any voice over professional. My coffee mug stayed full & hot. We loved our dishes & I just had to try a pancake. John insisted I order with blueberries which I did as I was directed & John was spot on.

I'd been in Nashville for a day and a half, and found myself at a loose end on a Sunday morning, so I asked Maps for the top-rated breakfast places in the area. Midtown Cafe was #1, and now I've been there, I can see why. By the time I got there (about 11:30 am) the place was properly busy, with a great, warm atmosphere as lots of families and friends talked to each other over their food. People had phones (obvs), but nobody was really looking at them as they were enjoying each other's company. I was warmly welcomed by the friendly, but clearly experienced and efficient hostess, Christy. Because I hadn't made a reservation, I had to wait for a seat at the bar, which was fine because a) I got to meet and speak to random strangers, and b) I noticed the lady behind the bar turning out Bloody Marys (and everythinhg else) like a pro, so I ordered myself one and enjoyed the brief wait before taking my sea. Being English, I tried the closest thing to a fry-uo, the Midtown breakfast, opting for smoked bacon, poached eggs, house fries (lovely saute potatoes), and a muffin. It was excellent. After that, I was thinking about calling it a day, but the couple next to me were so pleased with the portion of key lime pie that they'd ordered after their breakfast (and they considered themselves SMEs (subject matter experts)!) that I decided to stick around and try it too, while making the most of my free coffee refills. Glad I did. Highly recommend.

We went for Brunch and were absolutely amazed with the quality of service we received from John, the food was incredible and very very fair pricing. Our food was perfect, fruit was incredibly fresh and flavorful, coffee was amazing, and all of the staff made you feel like you’re eating at your Mammas house. We will be coming here every time we visit Nashville, likely multiple times per trip. I was truly amazed how inexpensive our check was for the high quality service, food, and vine. EAT HERE!! I PROMISE YOU WONT BE DISAPPOINTED

Today was our first time at midtown cafe, and we cannot wait to go back. From the minute you walk in you feel welcome. Staff all around were LOVELY!! But I must brag about our waitress/bartender Gemma!! She is extremely informative about the menu, very attentive, she gave us a lot of her time even tho she was running many tables. All of her food recommendations were spot on. Midtown cafe Gemma needs a raise! We will be “regulars”!! If you are thinking about stopping in do it!!

Sat at the bar, service was stellar. Food came out quick. Ordered the shrimp and grits and biscuits/gravy. Amazing dishes and the juice tasted freshly squeezed. Will be back again.

We don’t live in Nashville, so we only get to go here a couple times a year. But we’ve been faithful customers since 2021. Every time we have gone our server has been amazing. The food is always good and service is great. Our server (different servers) has always been fun and quick. I love it here!

I really can’t say enough good things about my experience this morning at Midtown Cafe! We drove by and saw the valet line was long and the parking lot was full. We thought “man, they must be packed and there is probably a long wait”. I decided to call. A wonderful woman with a beautiful spirit named Trish answered the phone. When I asked what the wait for a table for two was , she initially told me 50 minutes. She put me on a brief hold and came back to say if I could get there soon, she could seat us right away with no wait!! SCORE!! We made a u turn and came right back. Our server , John, had a great personality and really made us feel at home! He did so many nice things for us without us even having to ask! He brought us delicious offerings to sample from the cook that we didn’t even order . We LOVED it!! The food was delicious. We had the Brussels and steak and eggs. The steak practically melted in my mouth and was perfectly cooked and seasoned. The valet guy asked us if we have ever been there for dinner. When we told we had never done dinner there, he gave us coupons for discount at dinner! If you are looking for a restaurant that provides a great atmosphere, 5 star service, and delicious food, definitely give midtown cafe a shot. 10 out of 10 I HIGHLY recommend

Great food! Cocktails were so-so. Strange aesthetic... seems like a house or some other building that was later repurposed into a restaurant. Overall, it was good but a bit overrated.

The food was great. Ordered lobster bisque, eggs Benedict and midtown breakfast. The service was awesome by our server. I wish they could have more of a drink menu- non alcoholic. Place is very small, and there’s really no where to sit and wait. Make sure you make reservations before hand. It gets pretty crowded.

Food was good! The puff pastry could have had more peas, carrots, and chicken. More filling. Crab cakes should have been bigger. But the menu and ambiance is great. The Brussels were good and so was the broccoli.

12/11/2025 stopped here for breakfast. Parking is crazy, they charge $20! I parked in the back of the restaurant for FREE! Lucked out and didn't get towed or a ticket. For breakfast I ordered the eggs benedict with grits and a coffee. $19 for the food and $4 for the coffee. The food wasn't anything special and wasn't hot when it came out which means it's sitting too long. The grits were tasty but again wasn't very hot and an ice cream scoop of it. It was an odd presentation. Just put it in a separate bowl and serve it HOT! The asparagus was cold and boring, just leave that off the plate. If you're going to put it on the plate, grill it, season it, make it have flavor! This place wasn't a 4.7, definitely can do a lot better! I was disappointed in it for a $27 bill!

Went for Sunday brunch. Wait time was over an hour and had to stand outside, but the menu looked amazing. My daughter ordered the poached eggs with fried chicken and biscuits, and I had the same eggs, but with spiced pork tenderloin in biscuits. Wait time for food was over a half hour. Both our poached eggs were extremely cold. I mean through and through cold. We swapped one biscuit sammy each so we could both enjoy the different meats. My chicken was sooo dry I just tried two small bites and stopped trying. Then I tried my pork tenderloin. I couldn’t bite through it so I tried to cut it with a knife. How can pork tenderloin be so tough and dry? I gave up and just ate the biscuit. Biscuits tasted of baking soda and not tender. Service was just OK. I guess because of their reputation they’re busy, but I think highly overrated. Won’t be going back.

I am staying at the hotel across the street and heard this was good. I walked in and didn't sit at 2 seats at the bar because there were 2 tables open. She told me we had to have reservations, a couple came in behind me and went and sat at the bar, I said what about them and she said we'll they are regulars. I said what does that matter we were here and she said we had to have reservations. So then I said ok we will go somewhere else and then she was like sir, sir , sir. I wouldn't go here just because of that. Couldn't tell you anything other than apparently they don't appreciate new buisness.