Lamb chopped steak, topped with spinach, mushrooms, and feta cheese

Parthenon Grille, a veteran local and independent Murfreesboro steakhouse with a Greek flavor, continues to rank near the top of the list for steak, seafood, lamb, special occasions, business lunches and brunch for many area diners.

Fine seafood offerings include breaded red snapper stuffed with parmesan and spinach and finished in a Grey Goose cream sauce, mango mahi-mahi, oysters rockefeller, bacon-wrapped scallops and sea bass baked with Greek spices.

The restaurant offers a variety of pasta dishes, including a popular shrimp and scallop pasta—linguine served with parmesan-encrusted shrimp and scallops, basil and mushrooms.

For those who enjoy lamb, Parthenon not only serves marinated and grilled lamb chops with mint jelly for $29 (with a side), but also offers a more modestly priced lamb chopped steak, topped with sauteed spinach, garlic, feta and mushrooms, along with tzatziki for $13, still incredibly rich and bursting with flavor.

“Love the lamb, and all the mixed drinks! Love it all,” Donny Garrett said after a recent Parthenon meal.

Gyro wrap with broccoli

Many others in the area recommend the lamb dishes

“Our lamb chops are marinated for 48 hours,” said Kathy Laris, owner/operator of Parthenon Grille along with her husband, Angelo.

“We’re known for our lamb chops and bone-in steaks,” she said.

Laris said her aunt and uncle opened Parthenon in the 1970s in its original location. After her parents took it over, Kathy and Angelo moved from Greece to purchase the restaurant in 1994.

Prior to that, Angelo studied the culinary arts in Greece, Germany and France, and also owned and operated two highly accredited restaurants in Athens, Greece, for 15 years, according to the Parthenon owners.

Now, after a stint in the building just across the street (in the current Carmen’s Taqueria location), Angelo has a much larger kitchen in the current Parthenon location.

Filet Oscar with asparagus, lump crab, bearnaise sauce

Back to the steaks: “He orders half a cow and butchers everything here,” Kathy says.

The Parthenon staff even grinds hamburger meat for the very tasty burgers on the menu.

“The prime rib is to die for,” Tony Graves said.

Laura Mazur called Parthenon Grille “a true gem,” after enjoying a “fantastic filet mignon . . . perfect medium rare.”

While many of the higher-end dishes push the price limit for cost-conscious Murfreesboro consumers, Parthenon seems to keep the average hometown diner in mind, and balances it bone-in signature steaks and surf & turf menu section with more affordable burgers, grilled chicken and beef stroganoff.

The large restaurant, and its various indoor and outdoor seating areas, makes a good spot for a business or social lunch, with many lunch plates in the $10–$12 neighborhood.

Bacon-wrapped scallop appetizer

Parthenon Grille even offers a Wednesday special on its famed appetizers. On Wednesdays, diners can order any appetizer for $6 (excluding the octopus and shrimp cocktail). Appetizer selections include bacon-wrapped scallops (typically $13 per order), salmon mascarpone (typically $12), pan fried mozzarella, paidika (marinated Greek ribs served with balsamic), tuna tartar, fried mushrooms, Parthenon dip (a popular veggie cream dip served with fried pita) and other choices.

On Mondays, Parthenon offers all wines at half-price, and on Sundays, after 3 p.m., the restaurant runs  appetizer and wine specials.

One local Yelper pointed out that he would hesitate to pay for a $40-plus plate at Parthenon, but is quite happy dropping $20 on prime rib and crab bisque on a regular basis.

“The crab bisque was absolutely amazing. There were solid pieces of real crab that brought out the flavor of the soup,” he said. “The prime rib was not overly fatty and tasted very good.”

Be sure to try the baklava, flaky, nutty goodness served warm (or room temperature) in a honey orange pool of delight.

Between the oysters, steaks, gyro, chicken parm, kale or greek salad, beer-battered fries, steaks, burgers, dips, octopus souvlaki, smoked salmon baguette and other choice selections, most anyone should find something that suits them at Parthenon.

“I had the crab cake sandwich and I couldn’t believe the amazing flavors all at work in it!,” Kristin Browning said after a visit.

Among the few complaints, sometimes those particular about the degree of done-ness of their steaks raise concerns about incorrect or inconsistent steak temperature level, saying, probably justifiably, that if they are going to pay $40 for a premium bone-in steak, they want it cooked to their precise taste, not what they feel is overcooked, or undercooked, in the slightest.

And, clearly, filet and lobster twice a day is not going to be within the budgets of most diners.

But, considering the variety of menu items on the Parthenon menu, its brunch popularity, its special wine and app offers, and its reputation as one of the premiere spots for a special celebration or romantic night out, it should last many more years in its custom-built Church Street home.

“Nobody does Sunday brunch better than Parthenon!” Brian Behrens said.

“This is one of my favorite spots in the ’Boro. Great food, great service, friendly ownership. The chicken San Marino is phenomenal!,” another Parthenon guest said.

Parthenon Grille
1962 S. Church St.
11 a.m.–10 p.m. Mon.–Sat.; 10 a.m.–9 p.m. Sun.
Chicken Apollo: $18.90; Greek Gyro pita: $9.90; 22-oz. Delmonico ribeye: $36.90; 8-oz. sirloin: $16.90; Bacon-wrapped scallops: $13; Stuffed red snapper: $23.90; 22-oz. Bone-in Porterhouse: $42.90
615-895-2665
parthenongrille.com