Located just east of the square, one of Murfreesboro’s longest-running businesses serves up southern style cuisine and community tradition, just like it has since 1900.
It was a busy Saturday afternoon when I walked through the doors of the City Caf’ for the first time, the kitchen staff running full speed even though they were one member short. A mix of caf’ regulars, families, and visitors, like me, were settled at the tables, perusing papers, sipping sweet tea, and occasionally leaning over to talk to their neighbors.
It’s a welcoming scene. Tables and booths look worn but comfortable, local memorabilia graces the walls and the smell of food wafts from the back.
I sat at a booth and took it all in. Grace came by, looking busy but still smiling, with a tall glass of cool, perfectly sweetened iced tea and a menu.
The hardest part of my visit was deciding what to order. City Caf’ boasts a regular meat and three (or two, or one, if you’d prefer) selection, with a few types of chicken, liver, country-style steak, and other traditional options, with two sides and three meats for $5.99.
Their sandwich selection was tempting too, with a classic burger I think I’ll try next time I go. But for the sake of well-informed journalism I ordered the hot pork barbecue plate. I’ve sampled a good deal of barbecue in my day, and the generous helping of moist, tender pork on my big bakery roll ranks with the best of them.
My plate came with wide fries that tasted like they’d just been made, and a generous cup of light, crispy cold slaw. This certainly didn’t come out of a package. It was fresh and soon I found out from City Caf’ owner Scott Perkins that it was likely due to his recent switch to locally grown produce.
’I think the biggest change has been that we try to use locally grown food,’ Perkins said.
Perkins is pretty new to the City Caf’. Although he’s been eating there for years, he took over ownership from long-time operators Garry and Pat Simpson in September of last year.
Under his ownership the City Caf’ hasn’t changed that much, Perkins said. Part of the decision to sell to Perkins revolved around his dedication to keeping the caf’ tradition alive. He inherited the recipe for their famous rolls and kept the house and kitchen staff intact when he took over.
So, City Caf’ is still the place to go for home-style Southern cooking. It’s also the site of local political predictions (Perkins has said the predictions have been over 90 percent accurate for the past 25 years), family traditions, and, on Saturdays, bluegrass jams.
’It’s all open,’ Perkins said of the caf’s Saturday morning music sessions. ’They usually get started around 10 a.m. Someone will call out a song, and if they know it they all pick up the tune.’
The caf’ is even going green. Perkins recycles everything, he said, from cardboard and plastic to bottles and cans.
I wish I’d stopped by while they were less busy and I had a bigger appetite. My neighbor’s flat corn cakes looked delicious, and a father and son at the next table over were digging in to a big basket of rolls, which they said were delicious. At least I know what I’ll be trying next time.
THE DISH
Name: City Cafe
Location: 113 E. Main St.
Phone: (615) 893-1303
Hours: 6 a.m.’7:30 a.m. Mon.’Sat.
Prices: Meat and three: $7.35; pie (slice): $2.25; Cheeseburger: $3.95.
Website: thecitycafetn.com
