Smeraldo’s
701 Gallatin Pike N, Madison, TN, 37115
Smeraldo’s Menu
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Visit below restaurant in Madison for healthy meals suggestion.
Visit below restaurant in Madison for healthy meals suggestion.
Visit below restaurant in Madison for healthy meals suggestion.
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Address :
701 Gallatin Pike N
Madison, TN, 37115 - Phone (615) 865-6533
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Opening Hours
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Specialities
- Takes Reservations : No
Delivery : No
Take-out : No
Accepts Credit Cards : Yes
Good For : Dinner
Parking : Private Lot
Good for Kids : Yes
Good for Groups : Yes
Attire : Casual
Ambience : Casual
Noise Level : Quiet
Alcohol : Full Bar
Outdoor Seating : No
Wi-Fi : Free
Has TV : Yes
Waiter Service : Yes
Caters : No
Categories
Italian Cuisine
The immense popularity of Italian cuisine globally isn't unknown. You can find an Italian Pizzeria around every corner of almost every city in the United States. Not to forget that in every house, people enjoy mac and cheese as comfort food. But it would be wrong to believe that Italian food starts with pizza and ends with good pasta as this Mediterranean country has much more to offer other than these two dishes. In Italian Cuisine, there is a high use of fresh tomatoes, all kinds of herbs, great quality of cheese, all types of meat, seafood and fresh handmade pasta. Many find it hard to believe that Italians have been making noodles long back.
Italian and Greek cuisines are always mistaken to be same, but they are poles apart. The primary difference between the two cuisines is the use of cheese in most of the Italian dishes. Italians love to cultivate their own cheese and process them as per their food requirement. It is believed that some cheese is so expensive that cheese producers secure them in lockers.
If you are bored eating the same old pasta or pizza, you can try some of the authentic Italian dishes like Risotto, Polenta, Ribollita, Lasagna, Fiorentina Steak, Bottarga, Ossobuco, Carbonara, Focaccia, Arancini and Supplì. Another item which Italians love to relish every morning is a good cup of Italian Coffee. Once you taste a freshly brewed cup of Italian Coffee, you might not visit Starbucks ever again. Authentic Italian food is made with heart and soul, so go find a restaurant where you can relish Italian cuisine in your city.
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Andrew D.
When you enter the doors ignore the signs that say 21 and up, and cash only. Neither seem to be true. After you pass the Signs however you step through a portal to the past. The late 70's early 80's are perfectly preserved in this establishment. The food is well prepared, and reminds me of the family owned Italian restaurants of my youth. The service is impeccable, and drinks are strong. Do yourself a favor and enjoy Smeraldos for exactly what it is, a true non pretentious slice of Americana.
(5)james f.
I just ate at Smeraldo's and I really enjoyed the experience. I noticed other drivers wanting to turn in, but chickened out and kept going. It looks a little off, but don't be scared. 7:00 on a Friday night and we were the only ones in the place, yes a bit odd. The server was really nice and entertained us with feeding the juke box Ottis Redding while we dined. The food was good and we were given complimentary cheesecake for dessert. Baked Ravioli = good, garlic bread = simple but good. The place was clean and looks like it has not been touched since the 70s. I would actually pay extra to have the place to myself again, avoided the crowd and it was really relaxing.
(4)Kevin D.
Made from scratch lasagna! And it was delicious! Everything in the salad was home grown and fresh. Excellent service and great atmosphere. Will be back any time we are in town!
(5)Lisa B.
I am giving Smeraldo's 3 stars for 2 reasons: 1) It's shortcomings were mostly made up for in entertainment value 2)I'm slightly scared to cross whoever owns this magical/strange/terrifying place I've been told the place is usually dead, but let me tell you, it was HOPPIN' during a friend's recent birthday celebration. It didn't look like it from the street, given the creepy, dark motel next door and the empty front of the building, but we drove around to the back to find the crowd of dedicated patrons. When we first walked in, the upstairs dinning room was closed and looked like perhaps it hadn't be used in a while (ever?) When we got downstairs to where the action was, my other half went to the bar to get us drinks (no waiters, as far as I could tell) and came back with a Miller Lite. I was confused since I don't usually drink Miller Lite, and inquired as to the reason for his choice... "I saw the beer list, trust me, you want Miller Lite." I look around and see everyone else either has a Miller Lite or a Bud heavy. Well, ok then. There were some extremely entertaining characters on the dance floor. I cannot emphasize this enough. The people watching was top notch. I didn't eat here, but there were many fried things on paper plates going around the table, and people seemed to enjoy them. I was also very amused at the sign on the bar that read "May we recommend the chicken fingers," since the sign out front brags of authentic Italian. Grab some authentic Italian chicken fingers and a Bud heavy and take in the glory that is Smeraldo's!
(3)Jamie S.
We went for an experience, and we were not disappointed! Yes, it does seem as if you've entered into a time machine into the 70's, but, by God, it is a wonderful time traveling adventure. We went with a party of 10 adults and 6 children on a Friday night. We were the only ones there and were treated like royalty. The owners, Biagio and Guiseppe, were our servers, bartenders and chefs. They were warm, kind hearted, patient and the food was KILLER! Despite the signage on the door, patrons under 21 are allowed in the dining room and they do accept credit cards. Sleeves, however, are required.
(5)Marcus P.
My wife and I really enjoyed this place. We had a great meal and the service was great. The ambience in this place is one of a kind. There is something authentic about the whole place.
(5)Alex S.
This place could be a lot cooler, very easily.
(2)Josh F.
First off let me say the food was good, yes, not a good portion but tasted good. But for 2 entrees two diet cokes and two mixed drinks, I don't think th $70 bill was accurate, but I didn't try and debate the cost, wasn't in a mood to get into a yelling contest at that point in time. But if you want authentic Italian food, that is good but very expensive, it's worth it. P.S. If you add up the prices on the "menu" even with tax, it doesn't come up to what I paid
(2)Zeb M.
Just like Smuckers, "With a name like Smeraldo's, it has to be... really, really, really weird." Let's forget for a moment that it's attached to a motel that is always empty and may or may not be run by Norman Bates. I went here one Saturday night with some friends and we found the following: carpeted walls, an electric hot peanut coin machine, a pool table, chairs that bordered on patio furniture, no more than 5 people on a SATURDAY NIGHT, and a live band that played a cover of Three Doors Down's "Kryptonite" in the middle of their classic/Southern rock set. Mr. Smeraldo served us at the bar. He was nice enough, but I had a feeling he didn't tell us about the cash only rule - unless you're spending $20+ a person - on purpose. I believe he also overcharged a friend of ours. We ordered a sampler platter of fried EVERYTHING - mushrooms, mozzarella, etc. It came out to us on a styrofoam plate with everything haphazardly thrown on there. We asked for marinara sauce and he quickly "warned" us, "YOU'LL HAVE TO WAIT." Because apparently the food came out of TGI Friday's frozen boxes at Kroger, but they make marinara sauce fresh and made to order? Okay. That makes sense. With all of that said, you can kind of gather Smeraldo's is exactly that place you think might be fun to check out with a group of friends! Because you'll have a good story to tell later, and then never go back.
(3)Patten F.
I'm afraid to give Smeraldo's less than 3 stars. In fact, I'm simply afraid of Smeraldo's. Going into a restaurant/bar on a Saturday night...and you're the only people there. And it's attached to a hotel that no one is staying in...um...ok. It's a front for something. It simply has to be. I'm just not sure what. When I find out...I'd tell you...but again, I'm afraid of Smeraldo's. Everyone at the table ordered a beer. When the order was repeated back to us, entirely different from what we had said...we just went with it. No one wants to cause a scene in Smeraldo's. The food is...food. It's not exciting, it's not exceptionally delicious, but it's edible. There's garlic bread which is pretty decent...just say an Italian sounding word and he'll bring you food (Mr. Smeraldos?). So there's that. It comes out of a kitchen that's behind a giant wooden door that appears to be bulletproof. While I don't want to cause a kerfuffle, the food is average at best and pricey for the portion/quality. I'm presuming this is related to the fact that you're the only people inside Smeraldo's. There's a jukebox and a dance floor at Smeraldo's...if you ever feel like dancing by yourself. The selections in the jukebox haven't been updated since around 1993 - there's a Leroy Parnell CD in there if that gives you any idea of how long it's been. There's also astroturf on the floor in places, but the most interesting/creepy part is the portion of the abandoned hotel/second dining room...neither of which have been used since the zombie apocalypse, most likely. I'm not sure I'd ever go back to Smeraldo's, just because I don't have any desire to sleep with the fishes. However...other than having this inate sense of "This is exactly like Pulp Fiction. I'm going to die" during the entire meal, it's something everyone should experience once.
(3)Paul K.
Before you pull into what looks like an abandoned hotel, make sure to adjust your skinny tie, pull your shades down, and blast "Miserlou" de Dick Dale. It's not closed, that one car there, that may be the entirety of the people in the area, I don't know what that one car is doing because they're not in Smeraldo's. Before you open the door, try to purge the memory of the Brady Bunch house from your mind, take a deep breath, and let the acid hit as you walk through the door to the Beatle's "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds". There's no reason to turn right and walk into the carpeted dining area that exists 3 steps up and to the right, you want to start your descent into madness immediately. Go down the stairs, turn left into a world that never existed. You'll probably see a very short looking man behind what appears to be a midget bar... your experience may vary depending on what you did before you came here. Don't let your eyes fool you, he's probably about 6 feet tall and standing in a pit that is behind the bar. I got the feeling Smeraldo's was built sometime in the 1200s, and has been carpeted and tiled repeatedly which has caused the main floor to raise about 4 feet. That or a bar for very short people was built and the bartenders managed to walk a trench throughout the place. Was there carpet on the wall? I don't remember. I was reminded of sets from the tv series The Prisoner. Our party ordered, the food arrived in a reasonable time. I'm told everyone's food was pretty good, mine was acceptable, but I'm a crazy vegetarian so perhaps I expect weird things. I wasn't meh enough to dislike the food, but I did dislike the veggie food for the price. There's a jukebox in back... there's also enough room between the bar and the jukebox to fit about 300 people... as I was walking back I noticed how freaking large the place was. There was nobody there but our party. The jukebox is worth it just for a trip down memory lane... memories of a time that never happened. Went to the bathroom, extremely clean when I was there, perhaps because it's barely used? There was a large-ish trashcan on the sink. Not the kind you would expect. Go there, you'll understand, this trashcan was yet another anachronism that merited attention. I liked the waiter/cook and the bartender. About 30 minutes after the party had eaten and the drinking was about to be done, we all noticed the huge "NO CREDIT CARDS" sign. Oh crap, things were about to get real... I imagined that perhaps they would force us to work the bar for eternity in some sort of pretty decent food bar limbo... there were bars on all the bar's windows. If you're a fan of Shaun of the Dead, this was a defensible Zombie bar. I would go here during the Zompacolypse. Oh yeah, on to that no credit cards thing. Bring cash if you're just going to drink - they will nicely run cards for larger orders, but it costs them too much to process the cards if you drop in for just a beer or 3. I wanted to take pictures of the place, but everything I took turned out like a 1970's polaroid. The only thing I have from that night is memories of comments about the various interesting oddities. The memories of a fun time, nice people who worked there, and ok food (I think the meat eaters at the table loved the place) It's time to go, you notice there's a stage way off in the back. No time for that now, prop your way-too-dark sunglasses on your nose and walk back up the stairs paying attention to all the random years represented, pop some Pink Floyd song in on your mental soundtrack as you exit back to the parking lot. As for the parking lot, it looks like a parking lot you would lure the hero of some bad western movie and attempt to kill him (quite unsuccessfully) with gunslingers, snipers, archers, ninjas, and eventually small mutants. In short, this place is amazing. I am so happy it exists.
(4)Jamie A.
Add me to the list of people that have been driving by Smeraldo's for years with curiosity. Curiosity finally got the best of me, so we double dated with some friends on a weeknight. When we arrived to an empty parking lot, we thought it might be closed. The door was open, so we walked in and were greeted by the owner, sitting behind the bar watching tv. He was super pleasant and told us to pick anywhere to sit. The room was a total blast from the past. Old school jukebox, low bar, huge 70's style booths, pool tables (pool is free!), disco ball...though a sign indicated no-smoking, we were provided an ashtray. I guess it is diner's choice when you are the only diners! On to the food...small menu, but everything was tasty. We enjoyed garlic bread, shrimp cocktail and an assortment of pastas, including a baked meatball dish that was fantastic! We enjoyed complimentary ricotta cheesecake and cannoli. The cheesecake was decadent! The coffee was some of the best I've had in a while It was rich and definitely not drip. We all had three cups (and a late night...). It was little pricey for the food, but the service and charm totally made it worth every penny.
(5)Kristen F.
Restaurant looks scary on the outside and the inside is just as strange. I felt like I was stepping on to the movie set of goodfellas. Inside was completely empty. In fact, not ONE table was occupied besides ours. Plus side: very quiet!!!! I ordered the baked ravioli and fried zucchini. Ravioli was SO good and ask for the zucchini it's not on the main menu. Iced Tea is really good, garlic bread great. They played oldies like Otis Redding so it was kind of relaxing. Very good don't be scared to go! Great service, we will definitely go back!!
(4)Jacob G.
This is one of those "hidden treasure" type places that I am kind of pinching myself for even broadcasting its spectacularness over the world wide web--so as not to ruin its appeal. This place looks sketchy. You have to park in an empty parking lot out back & enter through the back door. Other reviewers are right, it looks like the set of Goodfellas or a Tarantino movie ... don't be a wimp, go in. The owner is straight off the boat Italian. Is as nice as can be, and is a mean cook (completed culinary training in Italy ... yeah). Everything is made to order, and from scratch. And I mean FROM SCRATCH. For example, the garlic bread is baked himself, sausage is cured from scratch, even some of the pasta dough (i.e. stufed ravioli) is from scratch. Unless a regular is there, you will have the place to yourself... and this is REAL Italian food, not "egg noodles and ketchup". C'mon do yourself a favor, don't be a schnook.
(5)Laurie S.
We have been driving by Smeraldo's for quite some time. Every time we have we have always said we needed to go there. I was a little hesitant after seeing reviews on other sites but a group of us decided to give it a try. I'm so glad we did! The owner, Biagio, was very welcoming and kept urging us to make ourselves comfortable. We did not eat there, but sat down for about 3 hours for drinks. It definitely felt surreal, it was a very quiet Saturday night and our group of 7 made up more than half of the patrons there but it was nice to sit in a quiet place. I'll be interested to try dinner there sometime.
(4)Lauren S.
Prior to taking my husband to Smeraldos, I told him "the Internet says it's like walking into the Godfather movie." Shame on me for thinking it was going to be like Mafioza's with pictures of Don Corleone on the walls. This place is legit. First, this place is at 701 Gallatin in Madison, not East Nashville. The East Nashville cleaners look very surprised when you try to walk through their back door. It looks like it used to be a motel, so you drive under a breezeway of sorts and park in the back. There is an outdoor seating area, and tons of security cameras (my husband got a little panicky at this point). We walked through two sets of doors covered with signs, No weapons, 21 and up, etc., down some stairs and into the lounge. They have a full bar with bar seating, a large dining area, stage, jukebox, etc. The owner greeted us warmly and put us at a clean upholstered booth. There was a faint whiff of old cigarettes, but it dissipated quickly and considering my allergy to smoke it wasn't that bad. They were watching an old black and white horror movie which added to the somewhat spooky aura. Awesome. I had the baked ravioli which was 7-8 on a scale of 10, husband had chicken marsala which was just like how my grandma makes it. I thought it was delicious 8-9. He gave it a 6-7. We were the only diners and the owner went to the jukebox and played every single romantic 'two of us' song he had. Love it. The food was all made from scratch and very tasty. Between $10-15 a plate. By the time we left two hours later, they had switched the tv over to Boondock Saints. Next to the tv are the monitors for the security cameras and that was fun. I don't see this as being my new regular place, but I will definitely be back and bring friends.
(4)Janet S.
Like others, we have been driving past for 10 years, afraid of what lurked within. Then - I was in there, part of the B.C five. The night could have gone either way, but Don Smeraldo must have decided he liked the look of us because he fed that jukebox and then fed us...we felt like rockstars that had hired the place for the night and he gave us 5 star Sicilian service, better than all the 4 star hoi polloy places we used for birthdays last year. I had a tasty spaghetti aoli and he produced some wicked desserts on the house in the form of chess pie and cheescake complete with a little candle for B.C's birthday. Oh and we all got a hug on the way out.
(4)B C.
Why is this filed under American (traditional) food?? This place is Italian. Anyhooo...aah, Smeraldo's...I was just talking about you today. After my description my friend said, "So, a hidden treasure, huh?" Uh, no. I would not describe this place as a "treasure" but we sure would go back again! Five girls, out for some fun. Walked into Smeraldo's. EMPTY. The place was empty and remained empty the entire time we were there. That's the beauty of Smeraldo's! Empty but the guy who waited on us, who I think was the owner was so charming. He was the bartender, the server and the chef! The service from Guiseppe was by far the best service I've received anywhere in Nashville. The food was very tasty as well! Why does this place get three stars then? Well, I need rate on entire experience and since this place has zero ambiance, it can't get more than three stars. Plus, my friends and I would like this place to always be empty when we come!
(3)