Varallo’s Chili Parlor and Restaurant
239 4th Ave N, Nashville, TN, 37219
Varallo’s Chili Parlor and Restaurant Menu
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Address :
239 4th Ave N
Nashville, TN, 37219 - Phone (615) 256-1907
- Website https://www.varallos.com/
- Click To Get Directions
Opening Hours
- Mon :6:00 am - 2:3
Specialities
- Takes Reservations : No
Delivery : Yes
Take-out : Yes
Accepts Credit Cards : Yes
Good For : Breakfast
Parking : Street
Bike Parking : Yes
Wheelchair Accessible : Yes
Good for Kids : Yes
Good for Groups : Yes
Attire : Casual
Ambience : Divey
Noise Level : Average
Alcohol : No
Outdoor Seating : No
Wi-Fi : No
Has TV : No
Waiter Service : No
Caters : Yes
WE SERVE THE FOLLOWING STATES
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Evan L.
Great value hot breakfast all day, typical diner options, meat & three and their famous chili. Add to all that the amazing history and friendly service. Why would I eat at a sandwich place or fast food chain when I can get all this for the same price?
(5)Jeremy D.
Excellent food & great service! The biscuits are great and the people are very nice. Also open earlier than most things around...
(5)Ryan P.
Meat and three and/or meaty chili? Yes, please. If you're looking for a lunch that will fill you up, Varallo's is the place. This is pure comfort food. The catfish is quite good and their take on 3-way Chili gives Cincy a run for its money. Tip: they deliver anywhere downtown and there's no delivery fee (but do please tip them for the trouble).
(4)D S.
BEST BISCUITS AND GRAVY EVER! My wife and I made the much awaited trip to Nashville and this is the down south breakfast I had been waiting for. Being from California...I've never been blessed with real southern cooking. I know their chili is their signature, but give the biscuits and gravy a try, you will love it. Also, the owner and staff are fantastic people. Very nice, Southern hospitality at its finest.
(5)Jamie A.
The thing I hate the most about working in Brentwood is no longer having easy lunchtime access to Varallo's. Especially on a chilly day. There is nothing on Earth like the "chili hot" (bowl of chili with a tamale resting at the bottom). If you aren't feeling like chili, they have a mean meat and three selection on the steam table. The mashed potatoes are the best...ever. The only thing competing with the food is the service. This is a family operated place and they take care of you as if you are one of the family.
(5)Jason B.
Last year one of my uncles invited me to go to lunch at Varallo's Chili Parlor. Until then, I had never heard of this place after being in Nashville for over 15 years. Last week I was headed across town for lunch break errands, and traffic on 40 was gridlocked. Me and a buddy got off the interstate, and ventured downtown. After circling a few times looking for a place to park, we finally found a place on the street a block or so away. Probably my favorite part of the trip was walking through the arcade. Again, being in Nashville for over 15 years, I didn't know this place existed. Most of my downtown experiences had been on Broadway, 2nd ave, and SoBro. I was blown away at the atmosphere and dining selections in the arcade. There were so many choices that it was difficult to make it all the way to Varallo's. Once we arrived, there was a steady line and a nice lunch crowd. It was easy to tell the crowd were regulars by the conversations they were having with the staff. At a chili parlor, what else do you order besides chili? I was expecting some revolutionary chili that would blow my mind. Honestly, if you would've told me that I was eating Hormel, I wouldn't have been surprised. This little diner had the greasy spoon ambiance that is so closely associated with a great burger, so I also ordered a steak burger. The burger was good, but was obviously made from a frozen patty that lacked the flavor and sear that only comes from fresh beef. I was expecting something different, something better. Overall, I'm glad I tried a place with such a rich history in Nashville. Unfortunately, I wasn't overly impressed with the food or the experience. I'd go again, but wouldn't make this part of a regular routine.
(2)D D.
This place is fantastic place to grab a quick lunch. Chili is good and fried catfish is good too. Collard greens and sweet corn are tight too.
(5)Amber E.
This joint is on the list of divey spots downtown. Don't let that bother you because the portion adjusts to price ratio of food is on point. The staff is always friendly. Downtown does have a high population of homeless people, and you'll see them eating in here sometimes. That's never stopped me from getting a really good omelet first thing in the morning.
(4)Jessie C.
Yummy awesome mom and pop place ran by the originally family!! I love this place it oozes awesomeness!!! The chili is a must have!!!
(5)Stephen M.
The best chili in Nashville. Look, there's a reason that this place has been around "forever", it's practically a landmark. They do one thing well, chili. I can't recommend anything else they may serve, because in 20+ years, I've only ever had the chili.
(5)Laura G.
Wonderful authentic atmosphere, very welcoming staff. Got two breakfast sandwiches on biscuits, egg and bacon and country ham plus grits and hash browns. Really excellent sandwiches, and the biscuits are perfect and can be a meal on their own. Grits were okay and hash browns too, need salt. Great quick place for breakfast.
(4)A. C.
(6/24/2014) Decided to stop by Varallo's for lunch, so glad I did! Super-friendly, like I was one of the regulars, and there were lots of them. It's the kind of old school place where people know your order, ask you how your daughter's prom went and promise to meet you at the Little League game, and it's right in downtown Nashville. It's not a stylish or trendy place, and don't even dare call it retro. It's def a little sticky, got the red-white checked plasticized picnic tablecloths, greasy hot sauce bottles, but it just feels real. Chili is thick, salty, dark-colored, I got it "Hot" (over a meat-filled tamale). It does have kind of a canned vibe to it, let's just say it's not "artisinal or haute cuisine." Got some delicious piping-hot turnip greens on the side (awesome with several splashes of pepper vinegar). Homemade Banana Pudding made the day, chock full of overripe (almost boozy) banana slices and moistened 'Nilla wafers.
(4)Stephanie W.
My favorite place downtown to grab a bite of breakfast. Simple, authentic, good value, good food, friendly folks. The only bad thing is they are not open on the weekends!
(5)Mario M.
The chicken biscuit I just ate for breakfast has me emotional. It blew my mind. It was hot, crispy and just the right amount of spiciness. I really don't need another one, but I think I will have one. What a great place. If your hungry eat here!
(5)Review O.
Service was poor. Corn bread was reheated dry and tasteless. Chili was decent though. Nice dive charm though?
(2)Jenifer G.
My thanks to Michelle L. for mentioning the biscuits and sweet tea. I was looking for a new breakfast place and saw her review. I scored a parking space across the street and went in. The staff are so incredibly warm and welcoming with their smiles and greetings. I ordered an egg biscuit and one pancake, and then my mouth starting watering for lunch. The egg biscuit was superb and the pancake average. I tried to save the sweet tea for later, but after one sip, it was over. I got the 3 way chili with the tamale and it was so, so, so good, and reminded me of my Ohio roots. Of the veggie plate to make me not feel so guilty about the biscuit and pancake from earlier, the real mashed potatoes were very good, the turnip greens ok flavored but gritty, and the cabbage cooked too long to have much flavor. All that said, I will go back and even thought about taking the bus down one day with daughter so I don't have to worry about parking. I would definitely try more of the breakfast items and the chili again.
(4)Catherine H.
My "breakfast bowl" had biscuits (yum!), gravy (mmm), eggs (eh), hash browns in shredded form (yeaah!), and bacon. Oh baby. Had a fun chat with Ted, the great-grandson of the founder of this spot known for chili. And Victor, a guy who works there. They are the friendly sort.
(4)Linda C.
I came here for my meat and 3. I had the 1/4 dark fried chicken with creamed corn, collard greens and boiled cabbage. The chicken was only OK, not much taste and not very crispy. The creamed corn was bland. The collard greens was very bitter. The boiled cabbage was overcooked and bland despite being flavored with bacon. The 2 pieces of corn bread they gave me was only OK. I got my first taste of chess pie (Nashville specialty) that was decent. Varallo is known for their chili (I could not eat chili in 98 degrees weather). Varallo is the oldest restaurant in Nashville, opened up in 1907. Maybe, I should have try the catfish. It look OK. Nice and friendly staff.
(3)Kathy M.
What a great place! We had breakfast food and it was perfect! We were looking for some home style cooking before the Music City Bowl and decided on this based on Yelp reviews. Once again yelp steered us to the right place. Fourth generation Varallo was working. I asked if I could have my eggs cooked scrambled on my breakfast sandwich his response was... Honey they are your eggs. You can have them any way you would like! Gotta love it!
(5)Ken A.
Varallo's is known for their famous chili, but they also have the best catfish in downtown Nashville.
(5)Ian R.
Varallo's is one of those time machine type restaurants where as soon as you step in the door you feel like you have been transported to a different era. Makes sense as Varallo's has been around since 1907. To stick around that long you have to be doing something right. In Varallo's case they do a couple of things pretty darn well, specifically, homestyle southern cooking and old school chili. The chili is probably the best place to start since it is right there in the restaurant title. I called it old school and I think that is the best description. This is straight up middle america chili. It is red, beefy and tastes a lot like chili powder. If you grew up eating your mom's chili then this is probably not too far from your childhood memories (unless your mom is from the southwest in which case this is not the chili you are looking for.) I am partial to the hot chili which comes with tamales in the bottom and is extremely filling for under $5. They also have chili on spaghetti for those from North of Kentucky. Adding on a grilled cheese sandwich also seams like the move for long time customers and makes sense as it just backs up the whole comfort food/mom factor. For my $5 there are not many better meals on a cold dreary day than a hot bowl of Varallo's chili. The Southern meat and 3 options are also surprising good. I have not explored many of the main course options as the fried fish is the only thing I ever get. I am not a huge fried fish fan (usually gives me a stomach ache from the grease), but the fish at Varallo's is crispy, fresh, and to my taste almost grease free. Add a some greens and beans and bit of hot sauce and you have got a mean meal. Allegedly, they also have some tasty breakfast options with the county ham biscuit being the standout, but since I am usually running late to work I have not sampled them myself. Overall Varallo's is a great establishment for the downtown crowd. It is good, cheap, and historic. Not bad for a place that your great- grandfather might have visited.
(4)Matt L.
Man, I had higher hopes for this place, but it's just another run of the mill lunch counter. It's just another meat and three. The only difference is that they've got, and you're SOOOOO not going to believe this: Chili. O M GOSH! Wait, what? They're trying to pass of chili with tamales as some sort of amazing meal. Their menu is indecipherable; the rest of their offerings are just YET ANOTHER meat and three, as if we needed another one of those for no particular reason. Granted, it's been around for about a hundred years, so it could be argued that everyone else is copying them, but when you've seen one meat and three, you've seen them all. The only reason I give them three stars is that there's really nothing wrong with Varallo's. What I've had is good enough, but there's nothing special and nothing is a great bargain. If you're downtown, there's plenty of places to grab lunch, and none of them particularly shine any brighter than any other. So, if you're hungry, and you JUST HAPPEN TO BE standing in front of Varallo's, then there's no harm in grabbing a bite there, but there's also no real reason to go even as far as across the street to get there either.
(3)Melanie V.
Love Varallo's. I go there for lunch a lot. The chilli is delicious and the staff are super friendly and polite! :)
(5)Geoff T.
Varallo's is a great little lunch spot for the downtown crowd. I am a big fan of chili, and I am happy I found this place. Although it was not the number one tastiest bowl of chili I've eaten, it still hit the spot in a big way. I had the Chili Hot, which was a bowl of chili with a tamale at the bottom. I was worried at first that I would still be hungry, but I found it to be filling and tasty. The tamale was flavorful, and the chili's texture was nice and thick. They have a lot of other options on the menu aside from Chili. There were several Meat-And-Three options, along with a handful of chili derivatives (chili mac, chili 3-way, etc.). There were also breakfast/brunch options, although I did not try any of them this time. A lot of other reviewers have mentioned the friendly staff. I wholeheartedly agree. The owner personally took my order, and he certainly has a talent at putting a smile on your face. That counts for a lot. The only reason I'm not giving a fourth star is that I (just like another reviewer) usually like my chili a little more spicy and complex. This was more fall/winter comfort food than a delicacy. While I disagree with the 1-Star reviewer who complained that it was no better than canned Hormel, it definitely tasted better after the addition of some Tabasco. Luckily, there was plenty Tabasco on every table!
(3)Chris S.
Oldest dining establishment in Nashville - it gets a star for that. When I first moved here, a native gave me a list of 10 places I had to eat, and I just got around to Varallos now. It's a chili parlor so I had to try it. This review is based on the weakness of that selection. It's little different than Hormel I'm sad to report - per my tastes mind you. I had my neighbor's French fries and they reminded me of high school cafeteria fries. Disappointing outing, but I understand breakfast is better.
(2)Aaron D.
Props for authenticity and character. Props for friendliness from the folks working here. If you like mild chili, you will be very happy with the product here. (Personally I prefer a spicier and more complex chili than what Varallo's serves up.) A small chili with a tamale in the bowl will run you $4 and change. I doubt that I will make a special trip downtown to get chili here again anytime soon, so Varallo's has little incentive to heed this request, but I wish that Varallo's wrapped its plastic utensils or at least positioned the utensil bins vertically so that only the handles came in contact with the hands of diners choosing their spoons and forks. Yes, I am OCD but the current setup (shallow horizontal trays of unwrapped plastic utensils next to the cash register) seems less than sanitary. (Note, I am not the only one who obsesses over such things - halfbakery.com/idea/Uten… )
(3)Michael L.
Excellent chili, perfect on a rainy day. Resturant dates back 3 generations. Owner is friendly and staff is great. Def worth checknig out.
(5)Michelle L.
Best gravy & biscuits downtown. I have not found another place, in any city/state, that compares to Varallo's! Love the walk-up & order atmosphere. This is my must-eat place each year I'm in Nashville. I'll be there Fri - Sun and I'll be there maybe twice (and then run a few miles after!) The Sweet Tea is pretty great too!
(5)Colette R.
Never knew there was a Chili Parlor downtown and I live on 2nd Avenue. Too bad for them that they do not advertise because I was asked by two people last night where a good chili place was...I give it three stars because I have never eaten there and it won't let me leave zero.
(3)Doug V.
As my son said, "we just paid $5 for hormel". I don't think it was that bad, then again since it was only $5, I'm not really sure what I should have expected. I had it 3-way, son had it with tamale. Poor quality, bland commercial taste. Not worth a return visit.
(1)David S.
I read about Varallo's in the Tennessean. This is shocking since there is so rarely anything of value in the paper. Since I was working downtown, I stopped in one day, and it is good chili. I think my least favorite thing was they expected me to know exactly what I wanted right away. It was an odd experience for a first timer, if that makes sense. You know how some restaurants just expect you to know their menu and what you want and don't want to take time to explain things to you? Kind of like that. I had chili and a grilled cheese sandwich. Pretty basic comfort food on a cold day. They forgot my grilled cheese so I had to go back to the register to remind them. They brought it out lickety-split and were nice enough to give me some more chili to go with it. Lots of bonus points for that. Varallo's also has meat and three options, but I think people go for the chili and rightly so. A longstanding Nashville institution, you should check it out if you are downtown for lunch. It is usually packed with the office crowd, but the cafeteria-style line moves pretty quickly.
(4)Richard K.
Good grub. Beyond modest and old school. A yummy blob of Chili (served over Fritos). Has been there since the beginning of time. Hope it stays untouched forever.
(4)Robert K.
*Nominee: Best Chili in Nashville* Not since Cincinnati, Ohio, Skyline chili circa '98 have I had a such a good bowl of chili. This place seriously rocks! I discovered this place a couple weeks ago and I am hooked! The outside is pretty funny, it looks like a little red roof hut sticking out of the side an office building. Inside is alright, not too fancy. This is a downtown establishment so there is a fast paced feel to the place. Everyone is in a hurry...Probably in a rush to get their chili fix! The chili is really savory and uplifting. It is not uber-greasy like some other chili places I have been to. I did not know this place was a Nashville institution, having been here for over 100 years, but I can believe it!
(5)Amanda S.
I had breakfast here and besides a decent biscuit and gravy for cheap, there is nothing special about this place. The prices are reasonable but nothing you can't fix at home for yourself. Downtown is lacking good bfast spots. Hermitage hotel is overpriced and weird. Pucketts might b decent though. Their lunch and dinner are great at pucketts
(2)Tim Z.
The chilli is very good. Very interesting place.
(5)Michael C.
I don't eat chili and I was there too early for chili anyway. I stopped in about 8:00 am for breakfast. The food was excellent and the people we nice.
(5)melissa m.
Love this place for a good, quick, cheap lunch downtown. Their chili is the best in Nashville (try the Chili Pie - yum!). I'm not big on tons of greasy beef in my chili - and thats what I love about Varallo's - no greasy beef! They have some meat and three type lunch stuff too - but I always get the chili and grilled cheese combo - so good!
(5)Tart L.
Varallo's Chili Parlor has been serving chili in downtown Nashville for 100 years as of Oct. 16. Happy BD Varallos. Even in the summer, Nashvillians come in for the chili and other hot food from the kitchen. Varallo's Chili Parlor, formerly called Varallo's Too, is as popular these days for their sandwiches and plate lunches. Office workers and blue collars alike come early for a good fair-priced breakfast before work. Fourth generation Todd Varallo is doing a great job running Nashville's oldest restaurant. Nashville good eating from Varallo's traditional chili to fancy fusion International Market salad, I love it all. Simply, I am an eatie.
(5)