The Stubborn Mule has been one of our go to restaurants ever since they opened. I don't know why I haven't posted a review before, but I have yet to get a bad meal in the years we've gone there. My all- time favorite item is the banana bread pancakes. The pancakes are huge, with mashed bananas in the batter and a heap of candied walnuts on top. It literally CANNOT be any better. I probably have these pancakes 90% of the time I eat here, because I love them so much. I have had a number of their other breakfasts (All American Breakfast, Chicken fried steak, etc.) and they were great. I am just addicted to the Banana Bread Pancakes. My wife has had many of their other items, and she is always very happy with her selections. I just don't believe there is a bad selection on their entire menu. The owners (Gary and Lorraine (sp?) are extremely friendly, as are the rest of their staff. It is always an enjoyable experience eating there. All in all, this is a great place to go for breakfast or lunch. We probably would go there even more often, but sometimes we think about it too late in the day (they are only open until 2pm). read more

Coming into this joint craving a chicken fried steak dinner. Well I got it. Freshly fried breaded steak with amazing white pepper gravy smothering it on top of some very crispy and tasty seasoned French fries along with a side of coleslaw. Steak had a nice crispy breading and the balance of breading to meat was perfect. Then the gravy was amazing. So tasty and so much!!!! Then the fries were so crunchy and seasoned perfect with their season salt. The coleslaw was nice a sweet tasting, kind of how KFC used to make their slaw but this was better!!! Washed it all down with freshly brewed sweet tea. This was exactly what I was craving and for sure I will be back to it this exact meal again!!!! read more

The Stubborn Mule - Chicken Fried Steak with pepper gravy and seasoned fries & coleslaw - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Columbia, Tennessee

I stopped by for breakfast, and was very pleased it's a great little diner. I set at the counter and had a farmer's omelette with a side of bacon and a salad. The staff was very friendly and attentive. The food was wonderful and the portion was delicious and a good value. I'm looking forward to going back and taking the family. read more

Quick service great food, spectacular price everything you want and a great breakfast

This is the place to go! If you're looking for home country cooking with friendly service come here. We came through town and got lucky enough to try this place. The food portions were huge, service was top notch and everything we ordered was amazing. I'm also a huge fan of the random coffee cups, it feels like you stopped by a friends house for breakfast. I highly recommend the Stubborn Mule! read more

The biscuits here are amazing. The place was packed and the three waitresses working when we were there were all working their tail off. My husband and I both got the scramble meals - mine with ham and his with chorizo. Both were delicious and more than enough for one meal. So glad we stopped here and look forward to a return visit. read more

Great little dive here in Columbia! Place is clean, cozy, and the food is good! Menu is breakfast oriented but they have burgers, sandwiches, etc. Good portion sizes. You should not leave still hungry. Recommend. read more

This is a hidden jewel. The stubborn mule is a diner that serves excellent food. We had the meat omelette and the French toast. Oh my God it was to die for. Highly recommend you go see this place. read more

Everything! Like sitting down at a friend's home! Food is seriously like home cooking and the service is outstanding! It is our weekly breakfast spot!!! read more

The most Amazing food ever... The owners are Amazing too!!! I would definitely recommend going for Breakfast. read more

Five stars - drove 15 min off Interstate to get there and it was well worth it. Great breakfast and lunch options. Some in our party had breakfast others had chicken sandwiches and a burger. Single burger was huge - Cant imagine what a double looked like. Huge portions. Friendly and helpful staff. Coffee cups stay full. Prices very fair when everything today is expensive read more

Best omelets EVER. Service is friendly. My #1 place for breakfast. Biscuits are nice and fresh.

Great food. Generous proportions. Service & ambiance was great!! We will return. Thank you read more

Food excellent. Employees very friendly. We have been multiple times. Highly recommended

WOW on the S.O.S. This place is OUTSTANDING!!! Friendly, clean, fast and a place I wouldn't think twice about coming back to. You're missing out if you don't stop. First time here and it was a gem. Would have posted a picture but nothing was left. read more

So where do I begin?... We were coming thru Columbia after a 5k in Hampshire and needed to eat! It came down to this place and another named Bobbie Jo's or something like that. This one sounded good enough and was the closest, so we stopped here. Though crowded we (party of 5) were seated immediately. That's where to "good" paused. We ordered drinks. Don't order the coffee. It was light brown water. Too bad though bc it is served hot in large mugs. We ordered our food and began waiting. 1hr and 15mins later we realized why the place is called the Stubborn Mule. One has to stubborn as a mule to stay and wait for your food. It became a matter of principle that we were going to sit there until it finally came even though the place was going to close in 20 minutes. It began to be a bit of a joke with the three tables that along with us were still waiting for their food. One of the girls realizing that we were all getting a bit hangry walked up to the countertop where she had spotted some pastries on display and actually ordered the largest cinnamon roll they had heated and we decided to eat that as an appetizer. It was okay it tasted like an old school cafeteria honey bun with some cinnamon on it but hey at that point we were all desperate. About 15 minutes after that our food started coming out plate by plate with the hamburger being last. My omelette is pictured here we had to ordered our hash browns and our bacon crispy note they do not make crispy bacon it is thick cut ham strips that curl while they're in the skillet so you have to really like ham taste because this is not your normal bacon. The handmade biscuits were very good I will have to say I think I should have ordered the sausage gravy with the biscuit and called it a day rather than the omelette the hash browns are cold the bacon wasn't really warm either we did the best we could after having waited an hour and a half. Too bad we had such high hopes for this little diner that we wanted to support rather than a chain we won't be back read more

The Stubborn Mule - an omelet, mashed potatoes, and biscuits - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Columbia, Tennessee

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I brought my mom here yesterday for breakfast. She had never been before. I told her about the owners, Gary & Laraine who had owned another fabulous restaurant nearby where we lived, 2,300 miles away from here and how ironic it was that they live here too and have a restaurant next door to where I work! I often order take-out, so it was nice to be able to dine-in. I had the French Toast combo with scrambled eggs and bacon. My mom had one of their epic omelettes. Our food was delicious and our server, Alyssa was amazing. She was fairly busy too, and she was on top of it! The ambiance reminds me of an old school diner. You'll see a lot of locals dining in and enjoying a visit with friends, over a southern meal. Our server and the chef were complimented not once , but twice by others sitting near us. Be sure to check them out if you haven't yet! read more

The Stubborn Mule - One of my favorite breakfast spots in Columbia! - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Columbia, Tennessee

Delicious home style cooking. The SOS was really good as was everything else. Cute small restaurant with friendly staff.

Very good. I had the caramel apple pancakes (the special). They were wonderful. Not to sweet with plenty of apples. It came with eggs and choice of meat. I chose the links. They are make specifically for the restaurant and are really good. My daughter had the banana bread pancakes. Again, not too sweet but delicious. They came with walnuts and had banana pieces cooked into the cakes. The serving staff was friendly and helpful. We had Anna and she made the day brighter. This is a southern mom and pop place and the decor says just that. Shades of Cracker Barrel but not overdone. Recommend read more

My son, and I ate here today. Kathleen, our server, was wonderful, professional, and attentive! The food was delicious and plentiful. Whatever you do, don't skip out on the delicious warm Cinnamon Roll. It is a must Starter order! Check out the pics! Sorry, no picture of Cinnamon Roll... We devoured it!!! read more

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This place is quaint with a vintage charm. We were greeted instantly and invited to sit wherever looked comfortable. I was indecisive with my decision, but I waitress checked on us often. The Green Fried Tomatoes were delicious. The first time having them and they did not disappoint. The mini funnel cakes are good, but we really felt like they needed to offer other toppings or at least syrup. Country fried steak was crispy and seasoned well. Good Viddles. read more

Very local and love coming here with my boyfriend. I usually am not the biggest fan of cinnamon rolls but they bring it to the next level! They have a very local vibe, showing off the history of the town. The servers are great and very attentive to everyone! read more

How this place is a 4.1 is mind boggling. Shame on you, yelp community! This was by far the best breakfast I've ever had in my life. I ate all of my omelette & hash browns, a lot of my girlfriend's scramble, and tried some of the French toast. I was stuffed, but all I can think about is going back for more. The staff was friendly and either had very interesting fashion tastes, or were celebrating Halloween a few days early. Our servers included a wizard, a bottle of tequila, maverick from top gun, and a pumpkin. They were friendly and attentive, making sure my coffee mug was never empty. If I ever find myself on death row, this will be the breakfast portion* of my last meal. *dinner will be the tableside Caesar from golden steer...take a look at my review of that place read more

Great service, friendly staff, reasonable prices, had a slight wait on a Sunday morning. Not a very big establishment- so be prepared to wait. read more

Absolutely amazing food! And the service folks are very sweet and attentive. The owners are a nice married couple and they are both usually there. The wife, who's name I think she said was Lorraine (though I'm terrible with names) She always has a smile and takes time to visit. I HIGHLY recommend this place. The only reason I didn't give a 5 star is that the food is a bit overpriced, but admittedly worth it. read more

Fantastic! We happened to be in the area looking for a breakfast place and the reviews on Yelp were so great so we took a chance. Super nice staff, the food was delicious and the portions were large! Don't miss this place! read more

Had a great breakfast with some delicious biscuits n gravy. Staff was great all around recommend this spot read more

The Stubborn Mule - Breakfast sausage meal with biscuits n gravy - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Columbia, Tennessee

Was really good food home cooking. service was great. People very friendly Will be back.

Another disappointing Saturday. Don't get me wrong, the food was excellent. However I feel the waitress deliberately wrote my order incorrectly. I asked for the all American with sausage, county potatoes and one slice of rye. The price on the menu was 10.99. When we got the bill, I was charged 11.99 for 2 patties and a side order of sausage for another 3.99. When I asked Alyssa about it she showed me the menu, saying my order came with one patty. The item I ordered said 2 sausage or 4 bacon which is what I ordered. I was not offered a refund or even I'm sorry for the misunderstanding. In the future I may or may not return due to Alyssa's actions. Apparently the customer is not always right at the Stubborn Mule! read more

I've been to this place numerous times and it's always been good. Went with my wife today ( Father's Day) after we spent the morning paddling kayaks in the river. Ordered the French toast combo with sausage and the hash browns also. The food was great. The service was great. What wasn't great was the breakfast coma it put me into. Talk about totally killing your desire to want to exist in the world. Sucked the life right out of me. Nap? No. Coma. Then the crazy lady (wife) made me go to TSC and haul around a bag of dog food. Like, why did we need to do that right then when I could barely move. While we were at TSC, I tried in a shirt. Normally a little on the XL side of things, but after eating at The Stubborn Mule, that XL was a bit snug. Guess it's gonna have to be a couple weeks before I can go back there. read more

I am hesitant to post this review because it will steer more people to this great breakfast/lunch place and make my wait to get a table even longer. Just kidding, it's well worth the wait. Food is delicious, atmosphere cozy and service Southern friendly. Check em out. Go anytime but Sunday, that is my go to place after church read more

Just left this restaurant after the most HORRIBLE experience. We are a party of 3. The person that seated us wanted to seat the people that came in AFTER us. When the gentleman behind the counter told us her to seat us, she DEFINITELY made us pay. 2 families were seated AFTER us. They got their drinks and food AND paid and left before we even got our meal. Total disrespect and will be reviewing on all platforms. All they had to do is place a sign in the window that said "Whites Only." At least then we would've had a choice... read more

The Stubborn Mule is our go to breakfast place and it is a great local diner with great home cooking. Breakfast is always a hit and the menu has all the favorite dishes. The banana nut pancakes are outstanding! I've only been for breakfast but I've seen lunch dishes go out and they look outstanding. The menu pricing is very fair and the staff is always cheerful and friendly. Lots of locals and families so the feeling is very homey. Love the Mule! read more

We get take out from here a lot at work. always ready quickly and awesome food! love that we can get breakfast all day long. the food is always fresh. I don't think I've ever gotten anything I didn't like. read more

Stopped in for a late breakfast and we're very pleased. The omelette was stuff with ingredients , and served with hash browns and toast. Banana bread pancakes are actually pancakes with bananas and glazed walnuts. This comes with two eggs and a meat side. So Much Food!! Really tasty and Very pleasant staff. A comfy light filled window booth, homey atmosphere, and great food makes this a winner!! read more

Just ate there for the first time. Ordered a custom omelette which came with a huge cat-head biscuit and I ordered the hashbrowns. Everything was hot and served quickly. Quaint diner-like experience with lots of choices on the menu. Will absolutely go again. I'm a local and happy to have something nearby for great breakfast and lunch. read more

The Stubborn Mule - Menu cover - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Columbia, Tennessee

We made our first trip to The Stubborn Mule today, and it will not be our last. It is a laid-back, no frills, excellent food place! If you are looking for some good country cooking, look no further. read more

Looking for a quick bite between appointments I was glad to have found this place. I had the Lean and Mean which was a hamburger steak, sliced tomatoes, peaches and cottage cheese. It was just a light lunch I was looking for. The prices are very reasonable and there's plenty of variety for breakfast and lunch options. But, be warned, they close at two! read more

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Greatest staff ever. Great location and still a good breakfast place. However, 3 stars as this is an unfortunate tale of a great, great start to a new hamburger place for me and a disappointing change for no reason I can understand. Until about 2 weeks ago, I would have put The Stubborn Mule hamburger experience at #1 against anyone in Columbia. Fresh ingredients, fresh meat, fresh bun nicely prepared and COOKED AS ORDERED meaning temperature. For whatever reason they are now drawing a hard line where you can't order something like medium or pink inside. No matter what, they cook you a puck. Is it a health department thing, maybe but then why can other restaurants in town do it but now they will not? Anyway I was telling everyone that loves a good hamburger "you gotta go here" that's done now. Please tell the hardliner that pushed this fundamental change "bye". read more

Not particularly impressed. Service was good. Food was okay, but disappointing. Some locals seem to like it.