Great place to eat. Don't let the gas station fool you. Blue Crab bisque was great. They bring bread and sauce first thing. Other dishes were great too. read more

We had heard from a few locals how good the food was at Caffé Rel, so we decided to find out for ourselves. The locals were right, the food was definitely above average. We had a few of the "specials" and were not disappointed. HOWEVER, we waited outside for about 30 minutes for a table - and once seated, the service was NOT GOOD. The waiter did not check on us at all - no follow ups to see whether we had gotten our apps and salads, etc. When we reminded him about our salads, he blamed the kitchen ("I don't know what happened, I turned in my tickets!") and then brought out entrees and salads at the same time. Our kids were great in this restaurant despite the wait (a total 2-hour ordeal) and NO high chairs or boosters. Clearly not a kid-are-welcome kind of place. Would not go back despite good food. read more

Incredible..........despite being attached to a gas station! Never would I ever think I'd like a restaurant attached to a gas station so much! I ordered the mussels and linguini and was very pleased. It probably had 40 good sized mussels! And they were in good shape and still attached to the shell! The portion size was plenty, the service was good, and the prices were very reasonable. I'd definitely go back! My only complaint was that the wait, on a Tuesday night, was nearly 45 minutes for a party of two. read more

We arrived at the restaurant for the first time, we were greeted by the owner yelling at us "get of the way!" He then proceeded by providing the sign in instructions in a very condescending and discerning manner. He finished by saying, "you Floridians need to wait ". I wouldnt drop a dime there. Athough, I understand that we are free to enjoy our time as we please, I am saddened by folks that support this individual and his unprofessional manner. I'm not from Florida, I guess he judged me by my appearance. Please read other reviews below. read more

Saw him on the food network, so I had to give it a try! Was not disappointed! Had great wine and an awesome lasagna. Chef came out to check on everyone and was very friendly and greeted everyone. Fantastic! read more

What can I say? I have been wanting to try this establishment since I've heard about it. Yes, this would be the place that is shares it's shopping center with a Hot Spot. My girlfriend and I decided to make the drive, take an adventure and give it a shot. The decor inside was pleasant and comfy. My server was beyond friendly explaining every menu item I asked about. I think at first I was more excited about being there than I was about ordering any food. I went with the Linguini Alfredo. Not expecting much excitement out of it. With the first bite I went beyond normalcy. This is the best Alfredo I have ever tasted! And I mean it! This gave a whole new expectation on Alfredo sauce and I still craved the dish weeks after I ate it! It was beyond perfection and then some. In fact, it was more of a journey for the taste buds that will never be forgotten. And the most nourishment I have felt after a meal in a very long time. This experience was well worth the two hour drive it took. I highly recommend everyone to experience this for themselves! read more

This is the real deal. The hype is not misleading. Crab bisque was everything my folks said it was. Shrimp and grits baked salmon and the scallops were all phenomenal. Don't let the gas station thing fool you. They had wine which was a pleasant surprise so we didn't need to brown bag it. read more

Located in Franklin NC in the heart of the Smoky Mountains this charming café is the real deal. Attached to a gas station, the exterior presents itself as maybe something to not look twice at with the exception of the amount of vehicles parked around it. Many times I judge the establishment by how many cars are parked outside. Generally a pretty good indicator if the food is good or not. Especially in odd hours i.e. 3:30pm on a Saturday. This is when I visited Café Rel and the restaurant was still full at that time. Chef Owner Richard Long is passionately involved both with the kitchen and his guests. A graduate of Le Cordon Bleu Chef Long is making his mark in the culinary world with this quaint and uniquely placed establishment. Producing what I will would call fusion cuisine, with influences of American, French and Italian cuisines. I had the Ossobuco and it was wonderful. The tomato bruschetta was phenomenal and the Cesar Salad was spot on! Attention to details such as serving chilled silver with a salad in a chilled bowl is what helps this establishment stand out above the rest. If I had the room I would have defiantly delved into one of the many homemade multi layered cakes on display. I am definitely going back to try some. I will make a special trip from Charlotte to Franklin (that's 190 miles) just to dine there many more times in the future. This was a great find and experience. read more

I've eaten here I once before with a friend. So when my husband said he wanted to take me this place for dinner I thought okay. .its been a year since I've eat here. So we went. Upon arriving we stood at the door. The sign said wait to be seated. We stood a very good while with 3 other tables filled. Finally a gentle seated us. We sat at least 10 mins before our drink order was taken. When he came back with drinks we told him we would go ahead and order. As our food arrived. Mine was trout was gooey. Didn't even looked fully cooked. I almost got sick to my stomach looking at it. So I asked to have it sent back. At that moment I wasn't even hungry anymore so I just asked for it to be taken off. The wait or then went and got the owner whom wasn't apologetic, but simply so ride. He rd me the trout looked cooked. No sorry... no nothing. My husband seen the frustration boiling in me and decided we would get the check and Leave. Terrible service here!! And food not to Par. Wouldn't reccomened this place. read more

Best food in Franklin hands down!! Great atmosphere which you wouldn't expect from the outside! Awesome service and the food was top notch!

Caffe Rel's service and ambience (yes, it's adjacent to a gas station but not part of it!) are fine. Over the years the food has been a delight but our last meals have been poorly seasoned and overcooked. We'll keep trying, hoping that the food will regain its prior European country perfection. And if simple country Old Country fare isn't your expectation you'll be disappointed, no matter what! read more

Five stars isn't enough for this wonderful restaurant. Don't let the gas station next door fool you, everything was excellent and very reasonably priced!! We had the dinner specials, me the Veal Marsalis and Sharon had the grilled pork chop with cornbread stuffing. Both dishes were cooked and seasoned perfectly. The meat would melt in your mouth. We also had the Italian wedding cream cake which was fantastic. The variety of the menu from sandwiches to seafood to Italian to French is amazing!! I really love this place and can't wait to eat there on our next visit to Franklin in late September. read more

Even though this place is attached to a gas station, it has some of the best food and friendliest service anywhere. So impressed! You gotta ear here. read more

What a nice little gem here in Franklin. I hardly noticed it next to the HotSpot. Lol. Very good flavors and do not even charge a corkage fee if you are so inclined. read more

The food was excellent along with the service. My 12 year old loved the salad which was perfect for him. The poached oysters was to die for along with the Mac and Cheese. All I have to say who cares they only take cash or check with food and service like this. Great place to eat! read more

We have gone to Rel's many times since we arrived in June. Food, atmosphere and service are great! We will return!

Unbelievable. This place would be five star in any large city. Service, food, everything is amazing.

The best food any place in a very long time. Went for lunch on a Saturday. When we left there was a waiting line. Hot pastrami sandwiches, snails and crawfish tails were wonderful. The price was unbelievable ! read more

This is an excellent restaurant! The staff were very friendly and the food was wonderful. Don't let the gas station next door deter you (though they are also very nice). Like other reviewers have said, the crab bisque is amazing! If I ever find myself in Franklin again, I will definitely eat here. read more

Best in town. Have had literally hundreds of meals here & it's all good . Save room for dessert.

The Chicken Francesca was one of the best single bites of food I have had the pleasure of eating in a long time. Fresh, perfectly seasoned, generous portion. Also sampled a friend's Cuban sandwich and another friend's salmon-amazing. On my last trip to France, did not have a meal that would have beat this one. The caramel cake is like heaven on a plate. Wish it were not 1032 miles from home..... read more

This is one of those places you luck on to. We asked a local where THEY would eat tonight and were given directions to the little place in the back ofthe gas station. Turned into the absolute best meal on our trip. Menu I would expect in the best New York City locations. Price I would expect in New Jersey diners. Hands down best salmon dish we've ever had. Liz was our server. Ineed to thank her for putting up with my very dry humor, reccommending the crawfish and her excellent service. Wish we were going to be in the area longer so we would be able to come back. Surprising finish with the creme brulee too. The pudding was cold and the perfectly carmelized top was warm, just like they are supposed to be. This one is worth going out of the way for! read more

We visit this area in the fall for hiking. This restaurant is a gem find. The food is fresh, beautifully presented and great tasting. The mac and cheese is devine. I had scallops with sun dried tomatoes over linguine. Mixed medley veggies are prepared perfectly. Great meal, wait staff were attentive and friendly. Chocolate cake, yum. All good! read more

Right from the start, the bread with tomato and oil appetizer convinced me of the uniqueness of Cafe Rel. We chose a Kobe beef burger which was excellent. This is a new destination for our future visits to the area. read more

This is the best food establishment around for miles and miles. It has been written up in the magazine " Southern Living" with rave reviews. The restaurant is located in a very unusual and unlikely place, it is connected to the "Hot Spot" gas station. However, the moment you step through the doors, you're transported to another world entirely. The eclectic yet somehow elegant atmoshere sets it's own kind of escape to another realm. You are suddenly in a French cafe with the hustle and bustle of anOther country. The extensive menu offers everthing from sandwiches, salads and pasta dishes to gourmet seafood and French cuisine. The prices are pleasantly surprising, avg. from $6.99 up to $24.99 depending on time of day and your pallet. The specials are to die for. If you are able to save room for dessert, there are plenty to choose from including the Chef's own Death by Chocolate cake, made from scratch from his own grandmothers secret family recipe. The staff is extremely on top of things and everyone is very pleasant, determined to make your experience an enjoyable one. This has become our most favorite spot for both lunch and dinner and I have no problem recommending it to everyone. read more

Yes the location is a little strange but the food is really good. We had to wait in line to get inside. Come prepared with cash since it doesn't take credit cards. They were very helpful with the kids even though it is set up more for adults. Has a European feel to it. read more

Cash only. Who carries cash anymore?? We by-passed dining here for this very reason; kind of tacky that the sign on the door instructs you to go to the "Hot-Spot" to use the ATM. read more

Great food, great value! But RUDE, they will tell you, "move you are in the way" or "you need to leave now, there is a line at the door" or "I have to have this table" Richard, the owner loves food and dislikes people. He works too hard is too stress out, but not nice to his best customers. Do not take your guest there and expect to have a meal and visit with your friends. Do expect to go eat and pay in cash. read more

Nice suprise in a gas station. Great food good prices. Must try the house mac and cheese!

good food but REAL snooty "host". ran us out practically before finishing lunch - it was crowded that day. Lost some customers because of this. A real no-no in our books! read more

This past year friends we had known almost 30 yrs ago moved to Franklin NC. We live in Murphy NC and having been to Caffe" Rel before and enjoyed the food and experience, we asked them to meet us there on 6/5/15 for lunch. The food was excellent, however the experience left us so disappointed we will never return. We were seated and immediately asked to place our order. The menu is lengthy, but within moments we did order. As soon as we finished eating, our waitress came to remove our plates. She was immediately followed by the manager (?). I thought he had come to ask us about our dining experience, however he quickly explained he needed us to leave because he had a "line of people" waiting to be seated and needed our table. We obliged him and left, noting only 2 people seated on a bench who appeared to be waiting. We were in the restaurant less than 1 hour and 15 minutes before we were asked to leave. We will meet with our friends again for lunch, but it will NEVER be at Caffe" Rel. read more

We love it. The food is great and the service is just as good. We have been going for a long time now. Out of about 25 to 30 visits only one time did I have a poor meal. For lunch I ordered a Kobe burger medium that was dead. We have enjoyed so many meals there I did not say a word. If there were one thing I would change is at least accept a debit card. read more

Stopped for gas, and my cousin said she was going to check out the restaurant. I said, "I'm not eating at a gas station." She came back to the car with a menu and I was quite surprised. We went in, and instead of a gas station diner decor, it was pleasantly eclectic. Decorated with several different collections - framed butterfly collections; antique cameras; hornets nests; antique posters; odds and ends. It was fun to look at all the fascinating items while waiting for lunch. I ordered the special - Kobe beef hamburger on a freshly baked bun, with home made potato chips (probably 6 oz of meat, very juicy). My cousin ordered a chopped tomato pasta dish which I tasted and the flavor was amazingly good. Wait staff was superb. Desserts are HUGE. We split a piece of caramel cake and still couldn't finish it. Our lunch was under $25. The place was packed at 1:30, and a number of the diners were businessmen in suits and ties. It was a highlight of our trip to the Smoky Mtns. The place is not huge - maybe 20-30 tables - but it is busy. My guess is that it was once a diner, and this chef took it over and turned it into something remarkable. read more

I had a very bad experience last yr at Cafe Rel. I had been there with both my daughters, and son in laws for a dinner the night before my one daughters bridal shower. I had a shrimp dish that contained feta cheese, when I received the dish I started to eat it and it tasted funny, the waitress told me to tell the chef about the food. So I proceeded to tell him about how it didn't taste right, his reply was well what does it taste like? I told him it tasted off, I eat in here every week and it just didn't taste good. He told me I can't give you your money back, I told him I didn't expect him to give me my money back I just wanted to let him know that the food tasted bad. He said I can't help you. No other explanation. I was upset and left. After arriving home a few hours later, I began to get sick, vomiting, and had severe pains in my stomach, was rushed to the hospital with food poisoning. I called and left a message to let him know what had happened, to this day I have never heard back from him. He is a rude man, doesn't care what his patrons think as long as he makes his money. I lost all respect for this man and his business. I am well known in this area and have told all my coworkers and friends about him and his lack of care. I would not eat there again if my life depended on it. When I approached him about this meal his response should have been I am sorry is there anything that I can do. that would have been all I would have asked. some concern about me as a patron. Also on that same night there were two others that got sick, but only two were reported. If you get sick you have to contact the local health dept. there has to be three separate cases reported before they can do anything. The health dept did contact him but because the others didn't come forward nothing could be done. How sad. Because of this I was not able to attend my daughters bridal shower the next day. read more