Loveless Cafe

Reviews 4

JA

Jack Trenor

Go here for the biscuits! Ive been looking for the best biscuits in town and this may be it. While waiting for our table (we went on a Saturday morning around 9 oclock), I spent about twenty minutes talking to the pit master, Eric. He works outside of the restaurant in the outdoor kitchen. Its not really outdoors, its covered and enclosed with porch screen. Eric has a huge stone smoker for smoking pork butts, chicken, ribs, etc. The outdorsey aroma of slowly smoked pork was comforting. The restaurant is just one of the buildings out here. Fifty years ago, it was just a house, a home for the Loveless family. It was on Highway 100, the only road between Memphis and Nashville. On Sundays, after church, Mrs. Loveless had a house full of family and church folks for a potluck Sunday dinner. Folks driving the dusty highway between Nashville and Memphis often stopped to ask for directions. Southern hospitality, being what it is, kicked in, directions were given and the weary travelers were invited to come in, have a bite to eat then rest for a moment. Eventually, so many folks were "stopping by" that the home became a small restaurant... and then a hotel... and now... well, you just have to experience it for yourself. The hotel rooms are now shops. The original house is still there. Every room is now a dining room. More space to accommodate the huge crowds has been added to original structure. There have been a lot of changes, but no one dares change the biscuit recipe! Why would anyone want to? Theyre perfect! Light, fluffy and moist, still made from scratch using lard. It was like Biscuit Heaven! They are served with preserves made in the kitchen: strawberry, blackberry and peach... and... they serve them with real butter. Oh, gosh, they were hot from the oven and I split them and threw in a hunk of butter. In a minute, the butter had melted and soaked into the bread... Dang it... just didnt need any preserves. I could eat em just like that... hot and freshly buttered. As soon as the first four biscuits were gone, Amber, our waitress, brought more! Later when we asked for a box to put our unfinished food in, we opened the box to find even more biscuits! Holy cow! Thats it... I expected a choir of angels at any moment. I love biscuits and... well, I just love good biscuits. Eric, the pit master, told me that they bake 6,000 biscuits a day. Other recipes use real butter. Last year, the... ahem.. "butter bill" was over $100,000. Folks, you must eat here. Its a little taste of heaven. I dont care how you get here. Drive a car, Uber, hire a limo, ride a bike or a horse, walk if you must, but gitcher self out here. We came for breakfast (I had an omelet stuffed with Eric’s pulled pork, onions and perfectly aged cheddar cheese) , but other meals are legendary, too. I can’t wait to come back for the fried chicken!

PA

Patrick Hammock

I visited early this past Sunday (4/10/2016) with a friend, to beat the "lunch" crowd. pulled in to the gravel parking lot found plenty of parking spaces. Proceeded in to ask for seating. On the way to the entrance, noticed people eating from plastic bags sitting outside, at grey weathered picnic tables (odd.... I thought) Walked inside and had to begin the greeting process with two giggling teen hostesses. I asked for a table for two and was told it would be a 45 minute wait. After briefly looking around, I jokingly asked if they needed help bussing the tables??? 45 minutes was a bit much to wait for seating at that time of day, considering all the other dining options within a very short drive. The hostess sincerely tried to suggest another option for us. We could place an to go order (ready in 15 - 20 minutes) and go outside to eat it on the gray weathered picnic table outside....... Aha! The mystery of the people eating from plastic bags (noted on my walk to the entrance) was now solved. HARD PASS on eating cold food from plastic bags outside a restaurant. Usually..... you arent required to pay full retail for that experience. One would think that, after 60 famous years (website) serving the Nashville community, adequate seating would be enhanced to accommodate the average number of customers expected each day, by now...... or at the very least a covered picnic table area to ward off rain and other weather elements. In a time of popular franchise/ chain options........... customer retention is key to local business longevity, as is word of mouth. I could not in good conscience recommend this establishment for anything other than a long drive to not much else, save disappointment. We did enjoy a great conversation and brunch afterwards at McDonalds....... Hey, at least they were friendly and greeted us when we walked through their doorway. In short; I do my best to shop local and support those business owners over corporate. Such a shame this business seems to have little interest in returning customers. details are sometimes forgotten by the impact of a great experience. A bad experience can never be made up for if the customer doesnt return............. Good luck with that

WH

Whitney Thompson

The Loveless Cafe was recommended to me because I am a bit of a biscuit connoisseur and they are supposed to have amazing biscuits. Amazing doesnt even begin to describe the biscuits. These buttery bits of dough are the best biscuits that i have ever tasted, served with fresh strawberry, blackberry and peach preserves. I would have been content to just eat the biscuits but the sweet southern decor, the charming waiter with Southern hospitality and the aroma of fresh fried chicken wafting over the plaid table tops told me to order, and order I did. Loveless claims to have fried chicken made with the "same legendary recipe since 1951". As a southern girl, I am picky about my chicken. I wont say that this is the best fried chicken that I have ever had, but it was certainly the crunchiest. Lots of restaurants over-batter their chicken but Loveless uses a very thin coating of flour and somehow gets the crunchiest skin with fantastic flavor. Ive been tried to figure out the recipe since I had my first bite and it still baffles me. The chicken was delicious and juicy, and of course the Louisiana tabasco sauce on the table didnt hurt either! My sides were mashed potatoes with brown gravy, green beans (flavored with meat, squash casserole (my favorite), and fried green tomatoes in a cornmeal batter.Everything was completely scrumptious. This is clearly a restaurant that, after many years of practice, knows what theyre doing. Completely unpretentious menu, friendly staff, delectable pies, and they even have a moonshine menu. Perfect place to bering a family or group of friends! I genuinely cant wait to go back!

SO

songoku64

I am on the Navy honor guard, and usually I look for a place to eat after my service. I have passed by this place many times and today I decided to try it out. I looked at so many reviews mostly positive a few negative, so I thought Id try it out for myself. As soon as I walk through the door I am waiting for them to tend to me. 22 ladies walking right behind me in immediately the ask them how many. And immediately I thought about just walking out and giving them a piece of my mind. My mind automatically started racing toward the fact oh is it because Im black that I was got looked over . So now Im feeling pissed I know what everyones thinking old here we go hes playing the race card but no thats one of the things that come to my mind. So I decide okay Im going to give them a try anyways. And all I have to say is that Ive had the best service here then Id have had in a long time mr Owen was my waiter and Ill tell you I want him every time I come here! He kept the biscuits coming , he kept the drinks full, and the food was great, and it was actually fast as hell lol. He was very nice and we actually had a great conversation because he live in Mississippi , and thats where Im from. So this place gets a 5 stars and beyond for me because of the customer service and the food. Oh and yeah..... the women here are pretty thick :-). And the biscuits are on point!