Located in murfreesboro’s historic downtown district, Marina’s offers a wide variety of affordably priced entrees, appetizers, and desserts, as well as an express lunch menu that will get you fed and back to the office faster than you can say Big Mac.

So how’s the food? Delicious. Their calzones are extremely popular. My personal favorite is the Monte Cristo, a scrumptious mix of turkey, ham, onions, and two cheeses all rolled into a golden crust of fresh pizza dough and served with a side of horseradish dijon sauce for a little spice.

If pasta’s your dish, you must try the tortellini. This simple cheese-stuffed pasta is topped with a special blend of alfredo sauce and Marina’s legendary marinara. If you like a little meat with your pasta, you can’t go wrong with the chicken parmigiana?a breaded chicken breast smothered in marinara sauce and mozzarella and served with a side of pasta. Marina’s is also vegetarian and vegan friendly, with several dishes made with eggplant or other vegetables in place of meat. Any dish may be ordered prepared with a vegan diet in mind, a rare service in Murfreesboro’s meat-and-three restaurant culture.

Now, let’s talk value. Every time I eat at Marina’s, I’m blown away by the prices. Nearly every entr’e is under $10. Dishes with salmon and shrimp are at the top end of the menu at just under $13. Every entr’e even comes with bread and your choice of a garden salad, Caesar salad, or a bowl of soup. That’s two courses for less than the price of one at many restaurants.

“We don’t try to impress with white table cloths, fancy glassware, or cloth napkins. We try to wow people with the food and service,” says owner Doug Duross. The restaurant does present a sparse, elegant setting, but people keep coming back for the food and the service. And the service is phenomenal. I’ve never heard of anyone having poor service at Marina’s.

Duross cites his employees as Marina’s true point of pride. “The thing that’s really great about Marina’s,” he said, “is that it’s a really close family.” Some servers have worked for the restaurant for more than 5 years, Andrea, one of the hostesses, has been at Marina’s for 8 years. Roger, one of the cooks, has been with them for four years. One employee just left after 12 years. It’s that kind of close-knit environment that sets Marina’s apart.

Lovebirds, take note. If you have been wanting to take your significant other out for a special evening at a nice restaurant, check out Marina’s. Every Thursday night they have a special for $28.95 that includes one appetizer, two glasses of any wine they stock and two entr’es of your choice with soup or salad and bread. Try pulling that off at any other restaurant in town. Plus, you can enjoy that fine meal in a beautiful building on the square with Antebellum-era brick and classy brass lanterns hung on the walls.

As you may have guessed, Marina’s does tend to fill up, especially on Thursdays and weekends, but step outside to Wall Street next door or Liquid Smoke for a couple of drinks and Marina’s will call your cellphone when your table is ready.