In 2018, Adam and Crystal Barnes began operating a catering business under the name Southern Spoon. In need of a larger kitchen, they found one, just off of Lowry Street and Sam Ridley Parkway in the heart of Smyrna, Tennessee, and in 2022 launched the sit-down, physical version of their culinary vision.

Here, as the sunlight pours in the large, open dining room on an early fall day, the music of B.B. King, Keb’ Mo’ and other blues artists plays over the restaurant speakers.

The space feels super comfortable, roomy and orderly; in addition to the dining room tables, the area contains a small library and seating area—a cozy place to sip a cup of coffee and read—a few games, some plants, a couple of toys and even a chess board set up.

On the menu, find the classic breakfast items—bacon, eggs, steak, biscuits and gravy—along with chicken and waffles and shrimp and grits served every day (except for Monday, the one day the spot closes) from 7 a.m. until closing time at 3 p.m.

“The chicken and waffles has so much flavor to it, you have to try it,” said a recent customer, Sammy. He added that other items he tried were good also, “but the chicken and waffles were the star of the show.”

A recent Yelper said that he found shrimp and grits “very flavorful and super creamy,” while customer Tanya Goodman Sykes said “It’s nice to eat real homemade sausage gravy and not something prefab” following a Southern Spoon experience.

Customers can build their own breakfast sandwich, such as country ham, egg and cheese on a freshly made biscuit, or steak on a sweet potato waffle, if they wish.

Southern Spoon has a full espresso bar as well, grinding beans from the Frothy Monkey, and serves a variety of specialty coffee drinks, such as a chocolate-covered strawberry latte, a hazelnut cortado, lavender rose breve, chai latte and peppermint cappuccino, among other selections.

“The coffees are expertly brewed,” said one Smyrna local. “Try the almond joy or the honey cinnamon miel.”

Moving on to lunch, the meats and vegetables for the hungry man—the restaurant dishes out some elevated Southern favorites, truly some high-level interpretations of the well-known meat-and-three offerings. It feels like a chef puts care into creating a plate here (opposed to a meat-and-three plate slopped out cafeteria-style from large bins of food prepared the previous day, as the case can sometimes seem to be elsewhere).

There’s smoked brisket, fried catfish, green beans, barbecue chicken and sweet potato casserole.

Find some very good collard greens at the Southern Spoon, served with a hot, but sweet, pepper jelly. This sauce looks extreme with all of the pepper seeds lurking within, but it is actually quite sweet and tasty, though it does pack some spice; proceed with a bit of caution, but for those who like heat plus sweet, it’s a great condiment.

The breading on the fried chicken is just about perfect: so crispy, flaky and salty.

The Nashville hot chicken is a bit on the mild side by many diners’ “Nashville hot” standards, but still very, very good.

The meatloaf is not boring at all. It’s a generous slab of wagyu meatloaf wrapped in bacon.

The Southern Spoon team prepares the broccoli superbly. It’s cooked just enough so it is soft, but nowhere near mushy—delicious.

Additionally, the restaurant makes its wagyu bologna in-store.

This diner found the carrots a little crisp and underdone, and didn’t really care for the flavoring, but that was about the only item sampled at Southern Spoon so far that wasn’t totally superb.

However, those soufflé-style sweet potatoes, topped with toasted marshmallows on top—this is good stuff!—with some nutmeg amongst the flavors.

And Barnes says that the Southern Spoon makes each side of mac and cheese to order.

Now, one of these fine Southern Spoon meat-and-three plates goes for $17 (it seems like only a decade ago when the people of Rutherford County balked at a $9 meat-and-three plate price), but the portions are very large and it seems the food is made with love and pride. Still, some may find the price a little much for this type of fare.

The Barneses say they still do a lot of catering jobs, and locals can look for the Southern Spoon food truck out there, too.

Many speeding by on Smyrna’s busy Lowry Street may not immediately notice this quality addition to the Rutherford County dining scene, but it is worth seeking out (Southern Spoon sits on Plaza Drive, just off of Nolan Drive near the Stars and Strikes, Smyrna Skate Center and Smyrna Outdoor Adventure Center).

“I’m from the South and have grown up on comfort food. Southern Spoon has perfected their comfort food and taken it up several notches! A whole new level of comforting,” Diane Sauseda said. “Portions are very generous and the food is quite literally melt-in-your-mouth.”

She added that, in addition to the quality food, Southern Spoon gets “all the little touches” right, complimenting the inviting atmosphere and cleanliness as well.

For a chef-driven establishment serving upscale Southern favorites in a detailed, perfect way, along with a fine coffee bar and full breakfast offering early morning or mid-day, try out Smyrna’s Southern Spoon.

Southern Spoon
1303 Plaza Dr., Smyrna
Tues.–Sun.: 7 a.m.–3 p.m.
615-768-5333
Smoked brisket, buttermilk fried chicken breast or red-eye steak with three sides: $17; Shrimp & grits: $15; Two eggs with sausage, home fries and sweet potato waffle: $12; Truffle parmesan fries: $6; Salad topped with roasted pork: $12; Burger and side: $15
southernspoontn.com