This little gem is so cute and a diamond in the riff! We ordered biscuits and apple butter ( I believe that's how it's listed) which tasted more like fried donuts and apple sauce. I had the chicken pot pie which came out looking differently than I'm use to but taste better than I ever had! The light fluffy crust and filled creamy center is definitely something to write home about. We also had desert.. the moon ice cream I hear was amazing and gone before I could snag a bite and the banana cream pie was a 15/10 hands down. Our waitress was helpful and helped us select the best meal for us! read more

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It's been 6 years since my last review of Bell Buckle cafe. Mom was still living, it was a happier time . She loved shopping this quaint town. Even if it is too expensive. So here we are again remembering her and visiting some of her favorite shops. The cafe really hasn't changed. It's still pretty good. The portions are great for the prices. I ordered the spicy fried green beans. I'm my! What a fun surprise. I've never had them before and I love them! Anyhoo- we were a party of 4. Arriving at 2:10 on a Wednesday. It was busy- but I think this place stays that way. read more

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Whether you're visiting or a native to the area, you will never go wrong at the Bell Buckle Cafe. This is a staple within the community that is worth the wait to be seated and every dime you spend within. It's a small facility, but very lit on the inside with an old cabin style country vibe. They do take online reservations, so I highly suggest using that as an option. Came here for Mother's Day with a good 2 hour wait, but the food didn't disappoint. If you're looking for that down home country cooking, you're at the right place. You'll leave full and ready for a good ole nap. The staff here is very friendly and attentive. Majority of the staff has tried everything on the menu so they shouldn't lead you astray with what to try. My only complaint is the Mac and cheese. I personally would never order again due to the lack of flavor, how loose it was and tasted like artificial cheese was used. I wasn't a big fan. The fried okra and catfish is a must! Both gave a perfect amount of crunch in each bite. I probably should have ordered a plate Togo. read more

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Cute place. Amazing service. Had the country fried steak and meatloaf with mashed potatoes and green beans and blueberry jelly. Stead was average, gravy was good. Potatoes were starchy and bland. Green beans were amazing. Best thing on menu. Corn bread was really Johnny cakes and they were dry and tasteless. Great service and very average food. Only place in town. read more

Bell Buckle Cafe - Country fried steak - American Near Me - Bell Buckle, Tennessee

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I really enjoy the food here and there's a wide variety of options to choose from. My go to is the grilled chicken breast with 3 sides. The Roast Beef and the Meatloaf are also great. Entrees and sides can change depending upon what day you go there. If you don't have room for dessert grab one to go. The Strawberry Shortcake is delicious and uses a grits cake which is very tasty. Homemade Banana Pudding, Strawberry Cake and other cakes along with Peach and Blackberry Cobbler are available. read more

Quaint but busy spot in the heart of Bell Buckle. I finally got a chance to travel here after hearing about this little town since moving to middle TN. This is one of the best country cookin' restaurants I've been to in middle TN so far. The sweet tea was perfect (if your a southerner, you know) And a very extensive menu with lunch specials. The most overwhelming choices came down to the sides. We got the lunch special meatloaf, fried okra, potato salad, creamy coleslaw, fried catfish, and the carrot souffle. The carrot souffle was amazing! Service was prompt and drinks refilled frequently. Just a good home town meal! Go here if your seeking out good ol' country cookin'! read more

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I've never been disappointed in anything that I've ordered. The food great and the staff is even better. The interior is like into an old timey store read more

We stopped by and it happened to be the day before their RC & Moonpie festival. There were tons of options of sides and all were delicious. Our favorite was the stuffed peppers plate and meatloaf. We did NOT want to miss out on dessert and were so glad to share the homemade oatmeal cake It was a condensed area of little shops we explored after our meal. Highly recommend while traveling from Nashville area to Chattanooga. Great service too! read more

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Always a pleasure to visit the Bell Buckle Cafe. This was the first visit for my wife and son. They loved it as much as I always do. Before you even see the extensive menu or taste the food, you get to experience the atmosphere. Exactly what you'd expect in a small Southern town... absolute Southern hospitality abd friendly faces! In my many years of eating there, I've never had a bad meal. This time was no exception. And they have something for everybody. Even my picky 8 year old found something he liked. Drop in. You won't regret it. read more

Great burger and Homemade Fries and the service is great - I really enjoyed the meat and three plate also

This is a great meat & three style restaurant in Bell Buckle, TN. It's located about an hour south of Nashville and worth the trip. M The restaurant is in a small little historic strip downtown and is neighbored by multiple antique shops, boutiques and even a bakery and coffee shops. It's a great little half day excursion. However, Id recommend that you come early and get on the list. Despite being in a tiny town it can get to multi-hour long waits, particularly if you decided to come in like Mothers Day. Their carrot soufflé side is almost like a dessert. The baked beans, potato salad, Cole slaw were all tried by our group and everyone seemed to love them. It's hard to go wrong here and they have a great selection of non-meat & three options if that's your thing, including veggie only options and great burgers. read more

Bell Buckle Cafe - American Near Me - Bell Buckle, Tennessee

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Good place for lunch! Their country fried steak was delicious. I love the fried green beans with cucumber wasabi the most. Overall, it is a good place for a meat and three like other southern restaurants. Service with Lila was excellent. The restaurant was clean and nice. read more

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Great Food!!!!! Great People, Great Staff!!! It's TRUE southern food, the white northern beans with ham, fried cornbread, chicken and dumplings will make you smack someone!!!!! read more

I came here looking for the infamous oatmeal cake served with caramel sauce and indulged in a lunch so delicious that I overindulged and had to take the oatmeal cake to go The platter options are fantastic and served just like a homemade meal. I tried the fried clams, pickled beets, fried okra and mac n' cheese that also came with 2 hush puppies and cornbread. The portions of everything were perfect! The food came out the perfect temperature for immediate enjoyment. Zander was our server and he was so kind and provided us with recommendations too! He was very attentive throughout our entire visit! I love the atmosphere as well. Casual, family dining and it's got holiday decor plus memorabilia of various sorts. Located amongst the strip of shops too which provides you with things to do while you wait. It was really convenient to put our name on the list and be able to track our progress while we waited and they text us once our table was being prepared. WORTH THE WAIT! read more

Bell Buckle Cafe - Fried clams platter with macaroni, fried okra, pickled beets with hush puppies and corn bread. - American Near Me - Bell Buckle, Tennessee

OMG.... This place was like sitting at the dinner table at Grandmas house. The veggie plate did not disappoint. It was yummy. They even had a band playing country music while we ate. This little town is just a short breathing scenic ride from Winchester, Tenn. I would highly recommend eating there. read more

Our server was great! Friendly and knowledgeable of the menu. I got the country fried steak. It was hot and good. The creamy slaw was good. The wife got the smothered pork chop. Sides were broccoli casserole and fried potatoes. She said it was all good. Wife and I shared a grits dessert. Delicious! read more

My family and I have eaten at Bell Buckle Cafe often over the past few years; and to be honest, the food is always great!

Every time I come here, I leave with a full belly and a smile! Great food and nice staff! I just wish the place was bigger!! There is almost always a long, waiting list. A little frustrating to be honest, but there are many shops to visit along the way. I always like coming here to get some solid comfort food. Being that I'm on a specific diet restriction, I'm always able to find something that I can eat. I particularly love going here on a weekend afternoon. If you like desserts, Bell Buckle Café will fit your bill. They also have a little shop area in front. Good products and handiwares. I always wind up leaving with one item or another. And they have Moonpies of different flavors and varieties. My husband enjoys this place as much as I do. And that's a rarity. His tastes are usually different than mine. We will be back for sure. Make this a must the next time you're in Bell Buckle, Tennessee. read more

My husband and I drove in from Nashville to explore the town, not even sure where we'd grab a bite. Not kidding, each store associate we encountered made sure we were heading down that way to get a table. We aren't mad that we went! The menu was huge. The staff was efficient and helpful. This place is a well oiled machine. We we got dessert, which is a lunch time rarity. Patrons were casual in this atmosphere. Not fussy at all. We've already discussed when we can come back to try the rest of the menu. read more

Very quaint "downtown" Bell Buckle known for many popular events & unique gift & vintage collections (shops) -- is anchored by this even more popular cafe. Southern dishes galore with meat & three options to make your mouth water. Service is actually pretty good -- our server was upbeat, pleasant and knowledgeable. Fried dishes, catfish, BBQ & burgers make up the core options. Of course RC Cola is on the menu and stacks of various Moon Pie flavors will temp you in the gift shop / checkout counter as you leave. For first time guests I recommend a non weekend visit when it's not as crowded. read more

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The bell buckle Café was a wonderful find. We made a detour on a road trip and chose the Bell buckle for dinner. The atmosphere was wonderful, the staff and patrons were very friendly to these darn Yankees. Oh, and the food was superb. read more

The food is AMAZING - as close to home cooked as you can get. Very friendly staff in a tiny, adorable little town.

What a place!!!! Went there with a large group. And they did a wonderful job!! Service was speedy, wait staff was very friendly and pleasant and helpful. And the food came out in good time and was very delicious. The deserts looked mouth watering, but I was too full from the generous portion of my meal. I certainly hope to visit again and try more of their menu items. read more

Bell Buckle Cafe - a large group of people sitting at tables - American Near Me - Bell Buckle, Tennessee

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Love this quaint little restaurant. The food is consistently good and prices are reasonable for this day and age. Servers are friendly and helpful. read more

This restaurant is 15 minutes off of the interstate. We arrived at the height of the lunch rush and had a 25 minute wait which was not a problem. My husband ordered the chicken fried steak with fried corn. I had smothered chicken over rice. Both of us were looking for food that was more like home than a he food from typical chain restaurants. We were both pleased by our meals. The portions were just right. The service was good despite how busy the restaurant was. The atmosphere of the cafe was like stepping back in time. Really that is the vibe of the whole area. We would definitely eat there again. read more

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Well folks wear your stretchy pants here. Don't eat breakfast and get your name on the list. Corn nuggets as a started. Hot and fresh ask for ranch! Meat and Two! I ordered the catfish, pinto beans, and broccoli salad. All things delicious. The homemade tartar sauce is flavor packed. Everything was just like grandma's made with love and straight from the soul. I also had a bite of the chicken fried steak very tasty and the okra had a good crunch too. Then yes of course plan ahead because you're gonna want to have dessert. Grit cake all the way it was warm and phenomenal. Enjoy. Fast friendly service. read more

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Delicious. I highly recommend the meatloaf- it usually sells out. Rates very classic with the ketchup ish topping, kinda sweet a bit throughout. The beef was great and no gristles in it. White beans and chow chow were fantastic. My husband got the catfish. That was great as well as the green beans, hush puppies and Mac and cheese. Fried Biscuits were excellent as an app. read more

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What a nice surprise! We drove a bit off our path for a quick lunch and just to see what Bell Buckle was all about. I expected a good meat & 3, but this place was really charming in a "not trying" kind of way. We arrived at 11:00 on a Wednesday and were quickly seated. By 11:30 it was PACKED. I had a vegetable plate with pintos, turnip greens, black eyed peas, and broccoli salad with pancake-shaped cornbread that was perfect (not sweet!). They even remembered the pepper sauce for the turnips. A veggie plate that melted this girl's southern heart. Hubbie had the pulled pork, mashed potato casserole, and the blueberry gelatin dessert. He's not an effusive guy, but he went on and on about how tasty everything was. We topped everything off with one of the many flavored mini-moon pies at the cashier stand. A stroll down the short but charming shopping lane, then we were off. ThanksBell Buckle - Definitely worth the detour! read more

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We waited for our food longer than the table seated and order taken after us. The food good but a little bland.

Stop here: a classic historic cafe with truly down-home cooking. If you are looking for fancy fare, forget about it. BBQ plate, chicken salad, and pot pie were all satisfying. It's food like your grandmama makes or your favorite old auntie. Service was warm and attentive. Thanks for the experience! read more

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Food was decent. Meatloaf was tasty. Would probably skip the cornbread next time. Service was fast & friendly and they had no trouble handling our party of 8. Inside is roomy and well lit. read more

Yum! Yum! Yum!! ... oohhhhemmmgeeeeee YUM!!!! It doesn't matter how far away you are! Make your way to Bell Buckle, TN and eat HERE! SOOOO incredibly delicious. Every bite is seasoned to perfection. Right out of "mamas homemade kitchen" kind of vittles. Once you've "filled the tank"; walk around town and enjoy the shops. There's something there for everyone. And everyone there is so nice and pleasant. You won't meet a stranger. read more

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Always great service Always great food Always a little bit of a wait, so schedule accordingly read more

Always good. Always consistent. You can get anything on the menu and it will be great. The wings were good too. Only thing we haven't tried yet is the pizza. read more

The family and I visited the buckle café in August 2023. I would recommend arrive short of openings especially on Sunday. This is one busy little gem. We ordered the country fried steak with home potatoes, chicken tenders with french fries, chicken pot pie with a side salad and okra, and meatloaf with mashed potatoes and gravy. Overall, the food was very tasty. The ambience is a reminder of your old fashioned. staple type restaurant. While all of my family thought the food was great, my son felt the meatloaf was a little bit on the small side. However, take that with a grain of salt. He is a big grown man with a big appetite. Undoubtedly, my family and I will be back. read more

This one has been on the list for a while and we figured if we stopped by on a Friday we might get in without a long wait. We were able to park the bike easily & the wait at noon Was just 10 min. We're not huge Southern Homestyle cooking fans... but have to admit they they do it really well. The chicken pot pie was presented like a huge pastry and fantastic. The smoked pork chop was perfect and the choice of sides (carrot soufflé, tomatoes w/basil & feta, broccoli salad) went well beyond 'cracker barrel'. Service was fine but we had no room left for a moon pie. The local boutique and antique shops and shop keepers were all super nice and proud of their town and businesses. Not a bad ride there on the bike too, if you stay off the interstate and like horse farms. Recommended! read more

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In my casual search for the best small town hamburger experience, I drove the 45 minutes to try Bell Buckle Cafe's version. I had read many reviews about this small cafe and the many who enjoyed the home cooked menu items. My experience was very disappointing. I arrived just minutes after they opened and was number six to have a seat and yet my hamburger order took 25 - 30 minutes to arrive. Fries are extra which seemed odd. The bacon cheeseburger was just a bit larger than a slider. It was shockingly small. Though it was advertised as a 1/3 lb, it was a bit dry and so small. The bun was fresh and tasted good, but even with piling all the fixings on it, it had a slider experience to it. Ketchup and mayonnaise came in the fast food packets that you have to squeeze and the ketchup for the fries came in a plastic small container. I paid the typical $15 for burger, fries, and sweet tea as I do in all the locations. I would not recommend this place for their hamburgers. read more

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Excellent as always. Had an early dinner yesterday with family and both the food and service were exceptional! Would highly recommend Bell Buckle Cafe ! Especially that oatmeal cake!! Yum read more

Had a wonderful lunch today at Bell Buckle Cafe. This is good Southern food, nothing fancy. I had the chicken fried steak with black eyed peas, twice baked potato casserole, and sliced tomatoes with feta and balsamic. My wife had the chicken pot pie with green beans and fried okra. Everything was fresh, hot and served very promptly. To top it off we had the homemade oatmeal cake with caramel sauce. It was yummy and the highlight of the meal. Service was very friendly. The dining room is pretty small. If there's a wait, it will be worth it. The other highlight was the beautiful drive through the Tennessee hills once you leave I24. Bell Buckle is a nice little town to visit. read more

I asked a guy who was stocking cans where a particular food item was located in a local supermarket and at the same time asked where I might stop for some really good southern down home cooking near Shelbyville (I think his name was Preston), he directed me to a place a little bit off the beaten track but that was so worth the ride. This restaurant was T B B Cafe located in Bell Buckle Tennessee, I was traveling down 231 on the way to Lynchburg where I planned on spending the night, so I had to backtrack a little to get to this fine little restaurant. The restaurant is situated in a little strip of stores right next to an antique shop, the shop looked like it had some pretty interesting items in it but by the time I left the restaurant it was closed. The place was packed when I got there around 6:30 with local folk conversating, with smiles on their faces from what they were enjoying at their tables. I didn't have to wait since there were a couple of small tables that were unoccupied, after looking at the menu I ordered one of my favorites, chicken fried steak, with fried okra (another favorite) beans and rice, and cole slaw it also came with a corncake. Dinner came pretty quickly considering how busy the place was, and everthing that I ordered was really good, the chicken fried steak was off the hook, the country gravy enveloping the steak was excellent, and the sides were all freshly made, the fried okra was perfect. You could tell the cook had a lot of experience serving these fine southern specialties. I would have loved to have tried some desert, (like the grit cake, or oatmeal cake but I was just to full, especially since I drank five big glasses of their sweet tea. I am gratefull for the headsup I got from Preston in the Shelbyville Wallmart for the great dining suggestion of the B B C. I always ask local people for restaurant suggestions and I have never been dissapointed, I know how much I enjoy giving travelers my suggestions when thet are in my neck of the woods. read more