[July 2025] After my visit at the museum, I was craving coffee. The space is vibrant with natural lighting due to the large glass windows all around. Each table had live flowers, and the staff was friendly and helpful. I ordered a Horchata Latte, and it was PERFECT. read more

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Nice ambiance but taking forever with my food, I will update when I get my food the workers look kind though so I will def update when I get my food; haven't gotten it yet read more

Frist Art Museum Cafe - Salad Near Me - Nashville, Tennessee

I visited on 7.16.26. Having flown in to Nashville early that morning and gone through the museum galleries, I stopped into Cafe Cheeserie for lunch. My order was a Foccacia BLT with a side of tomato soup, a diet coke, and a chocolate croissant (which I planned to save for breakfast). When I placed my order there were only 2 tables of people eating. I sat down to wait for my food and noticed that several tables had "reserved" signs on them. As I waited, a group of older ladies began to fill the seats there. I had been waiting for my food about 20 minutes when the restaurant staff began serving that group. At the 40 minute mark, that entire group had been served, the restaurant was still taking orders, and nobody had come to check on me or let me know why my order was taking so long. After having waited 45 minutes I stopped a server to ask how long my food would take, explaining that I had left home at 2 a.m. and was tired and wanting to get to my hotel room to rest before going out for the evening. The server told me she was sorry my food was taking so long, but they were busy trying to figure out how to serve the party. No promise of food. I waited another 15 minutes, then went to ask for a refund. The first woman I talked to said, "Oh, do you have someplace you have to be?" No apology...and acting as if it is reasonable to have to wait over an hour for a BLT. Another worker interrupted her, saying they would give me a refund. They refunded just the sandwich, not offering to comp the soda and croissant. This is the worst service I have ever witnessed. Do not eat here. Don't get a snack here. I ended up finding a Cracker Barrel near my hotel, a full 13 hours after having eaten breakfast before heading to the airport. This was a horrible first impression of Nashville. read more

On the hunt for some WiFi while on a Work trip in Nashville, I opted to pop in to the Frist Cafe since it is conveniently located to the heart of downtown and the other spots I needed to be for the day. I can only speak for their coffee m, service and the atmosphere. Let's get the worst part out of the way- the coffee was super lackluster. I had hoped to see them using local coffee or something more tasty than a grab and go pump. The gentleman working behind the counter was friendly and kicked the experience off on a nice foot. The atmosphere is where it's at. Upon entering the museum, you head straight back the corridor to the cafe and their back garden. The shaded patio off the back cafe was perfect for cranking away a couple of hours with my coffee. Based on the reviews, I should give their food a try next time. Overall, you can't beat that back patio! read more

Our choir members needed a quick place to eat before rehearsal and this place happened to be right across the street from our hotel. It was very quiet, simple. The service was okay but felt a little blunt and rushed at the cash register. We got our meals really quickly and it was an easy in and out. I was pleasantly surprised that the soup was the "home-made" kind and not just the canned junk that most sandwich places serve you. My friends enjoyed their meals as well! read more

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I am sincerely considering making this a weekly pit-stop for me as the lunches here are not only affordable but scrumptious! I ordered a tasty salad today that included tangy dressing, fresh lettuce, buts, large strawberries, and vegetables for $7. You would pay just as much at Panera and not receive the same quality and beautiful environment! You may also choose a 1/2 soup or sandwich with salad option for $6... won't break the bank! This is the perfect place to setup your laptop for a working lunch, host a meeting, or enjoy a leisurely meal. The patio seating is divine will certainly lure me for when I have some time on the weekends and may lead to an impromptu spin through the galleries and exhibits at the Frist too. Read my original review for the full scoop but trust me on this, check this spot out! read more

Nice cafe. I had the chicken salad on greens and it was very good. I am sure it had more chicken in it than any chicken salad I have ever had. Good flavor. Nice peaceful atmosphere overlooking the courtyard. read more

Soups, salads, sandwiches, and senior citizens (they're not on the menu, but they're around for noshing on if you're still hungry). Although Frist has decent soups, something about the sandwiches to me always tastes slightly off (like the wrong cheese for a particular combination or partially deliquesced mushrooms; they're also never particularly hot, or cold). I have not tried the salads, but they're next on my munch list. The speed of service seems to have improved. Considering the proximity to my office and the rudimentary wholesomeness of the food, the Frist cafe is hard to turn down when I'm smothered with work and want something to lighten my spirits. $5-10. UPDATE: The Cobb salad is fresh, yo. UPDATE (2): Tuna salad sandwich with a side of salad! read more

Lovely, sunny little cafe conveniently located in the Frist Museum bldg. Of all the times I've walked by it, I have never seen it crowded or overflowing with people. On Sunday, we decided to eat there since all the little neat places serving brunch were overflowing.... Parked the car outside of the private lot (free parking on street), walked to the cafe and ordered salads. I got the Cobb without maters, and friend got the Stilton salad. The Cobb was ok. Nothing in it was really fresh, fresh.... and the Stilton salad had these candied pecans all over it. My friend got it because she thought she was making a healthy choice with all the fruit, but with all the sugar on the nuts, we surmised there was enough sugar in that salad (including the dressing) to be up there with the most sugary of boxed cereals..... So no, not really a healthy choice. Coffee was absolutely delicious. Really, really good coffee. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Price was decent, choices are really limited if you don't eat manufactured food, great for a quick bite.. Just be aware that this is not the freshest, nor healthiest choice in town... ** and for those wanting to do brunch in any of the cutesy restaurants you read about --- go SUPER early to get a seat. Some of those brunch places have 30+ people standing around outside, waiting for a table!!!! read more

The Frist,and its cafe, is a stop every time me and my family go to Nashville. For the last 5 years at least, maybe more. Every time we go the food has been great. I love the varied soups. The gumbo is my favorite but I also love the steak and pasta and veggie soup options. I have also enjoyed several of the sandwiches. The Turkey Saga is my favorite. I love the guacamole and I don't typically like it most places. However upon going in June the guac. was served on the side. That was not as good but upon asking they had gotten complaints of some customers not liking the cooked guac. The salads are great with the "fancy green" and I love the different dressings. Most are made on-site which is a perk too. The Cobb salad has loads of meat and eggs which is a nice meal. The coffee is indeed very good. A couple of times in the later afternoon it was not as hot as I like but that isn't a deal breaker for me. Lastly the desserts. I love the carrot cake and the cheesecake. The carrot cake wins out a bit because of the nuts, raisins and creamcheese frosting. I ask for it to be zapped in the microwave as I like warm cake. Makes it taste much better. I have written a novel but I really enjoy the Frist Cafe. I will be there again in June 2015 during Cma Fest week. read more

Great food. Great value. Great service and location. Eating outside at the tables is super cool. One of downtown Nashville's hidden lunch gems. I recently had Cobb Salad there that was huge and delicious. Fresh ingredients. Most food under $10. read more

I finished up at the Frist just short of a hypoglycemic coma so I popped into the cafe and wow, what a great surprise! I got the salad and sandwich combo and ate on the deck in the sun. It was like something out of a commercial. The food was great, especially for $6! I had the grilled portobello sandwich and a very fresh salad, what more could I ask for? read more

The food is phenomenal. Not only is it warm and fresh, but there are great options and everything I have tried (nearly half the meals) is tasty. My only concern is that the food does take a little bit too long, so I would recommend a quicker cooking time. I do like how there is music playing every Friday, but if you do go by yourself to eat, it is a little anxious. Honestly though, the taste of the food almost outweighs it all! read more

We stopped by the Cafe to have lunch before exploring the exhibits. The food was okay, but we were turned off by the service. As soon as we entered, the cafe staff are just chatting by the service counter. It took a few minutes for someone to take our order. After we ordered our food and just as we were about to sit down, one of the service people made a sarcastic comment about us getting our food free that made me feel uncomfortable. I guess the lady at the counter forgot to ring up my husband's sandwich. Throughout our meal, we could clearly hear the cafe staff gossiping and saying bad things about their coworker. So what would have been a somewhat enjoyable meal, was pretty miserable listening to people complain about each other. If you have to gossip about your coworker behind their back, please go somewhere where customers cannot hear you. Other than that, the food was okay. Nothing spectacular. I ordered a half club sandwich with a cup of broccoli and cheese soup. The sandwich was decent, but the soup had an off-putting taste. My husband's salad was good and I wish I had ordered that instead. I'll probably eat at the Cafe again, but sit closer to the counter as to avoid all the inter-cafe gossip. read more

The cafe was clean and inviting. The staff is friendly. The chicken salad sandwich and the Turkey Saga sandwiches were very good. If you like lemon pepper then you would like the homemade chips. read more

I work at the Frist and I don't eat at the cafe much, since I like to leave the building and go home for lunch. But once in a blue moon on a really dreary day like today, I stay in and have the Cobb Salad. It's a go-to for gluten free noshers like me. Add an extra egg for extra protein punch (as if all the meat wasn't enough already) and oil and vinegar dressing and i'm doing ok. A lot of museum visitors and local employees come for the cheap prices and quick bites. Beware of Senior Mondays (every 3rd Monday of the month) and weekends at lunchtime- it's usually busiest at 1130-noon. read more

I tried the Vietnamese sandwich and even though it wasn't at all authentic, it tasted pretty good.

I'm not going to give 5 stars just because it took 16 minutes to have a grilled cheese ready, however the food is very good. We had a sweet potato salad which we were skeptical about it , it pleasant surprised us, omg, so good, so their sesame ginger and honey mustard dressing, the best!the kids loved the grilled cheese and came with a nice portion of fruit salad for one order and chips for the other. read more

Before exploring the exhibits on a Friday night, my mom and I decided to try having dinner is in this adorable little café. On Fridays they have live music too, not loud to the point where you can't talk but just enough to enhance the ambiance. There is plenty of space in here and there are large open windows where you can look out on the Frist deck and see Cummins Station. You go up to a counter, order something from their simple yet yummy menu of sandwiches, salads, and soups, and then you sit down and your food is brought to you. They also offer wine by the glass which is always a good way to start your Frist experience. I had the turkey saga sandwich which was absolutely delicious. You can get a side salad or homemade chips as your side. They also offer bakery goods too. If you're looking to make a trip out of visiting the Frist (which of course you should) I highly recommend eating here before walking around the exhibits. The food is very reasonably priced and it sets the mood for a good art viewing. read more