There's a new burger place in Murfreesboro.  I know what you are thinking.  Oh no!  How many more burgers can Murfreesboro provide?  But believe me your world is about to be changed.  Smashburger hails from Denver and is laying claim to the east by placing a store here in our town.  Located on Thompson Lane near Samurai and Jim & Nick's, Smashburger provides a strong location with a great atmosphere and high quality ingredients.

Straight from the menu:

"At Smashburger, we believe that smashing is better.  Our handcrafted burgers are smashed, seared and seasoned to order, using our fresh, never frozen 100% Certified Angus Beef... our artisan buns, freshly chopped produce, flavorful sauces and variety of cheeses and designed to deliver a great-tasting, juicy burger you can taste in every bite."

The lovely Lora Smiley and I went to Smashburger in the middle of the afternoon on Sunday.  Atmospherically we were stunned.  First thing inside the door is the long entryway that no doubt will service many Murfreesboro natives for many years.  The manager, Joseph Henry, greeted us quickly and we made out way to the menues to order (don't worry if you can't find them... it's a huge SMASHBURGER sign).  I ordered the BBQ Chicken for $6.99.  We decided to finish it off with a Classic Chocolate Haagen-Dazs milkshake for $3.99.  We couldn't help it.  The shake leaped off the menu and begged us to take it home.

They call it a Smashburger because that's exactly what they do, smash the burger.  Each patty begina as a large meatball.  The cook then throws the meatball on the grill and smashed it, capturing the flavor and texture while quickly cooking the burger to perfection.  it is fast and efficient and you can certainly tell the difference.  We were served full plates in just a few minutes and man, oh man, let me tell you something.  Smashburger has figured out both the art and science to burgers.  Each bite of the burger was explosive with flavor and zeal.  The bacon was thick and juicy.  The fries were a perfect complement.  The shake, oh Haagen-Dazs shake, you are the love of my life.  It was astounding.

I ate nearly as fast as they cooked and have rarely walked out of any restaurant so full.  In total we spent less than $20 for what turned into a phenomenal date afternoon.  This is the place to take a good friend, a great love, or perhaps the business client you are really trying to impress for the big proposal.  I know I'll be back again and again.  Enjoy!

The Sandwich Factory is located at 116 Chaffin Place (off Old Fort Parkway and Thompson Lane) in Murfreesboro.  The restaurant can be reached at 615-494-1211 or visit them online at www.sandwichfactorytn.com.

If you have been keeping up with the Murfreesboro music scene, you have no doubt heard of Root Road.  They are a local, talented group of inspirational musicians that sing original music across the Nashville area.  Singer/guitarist John Gilkes has been recommending The Sandwich Factory in Murfreesboro for a few months now.  He loves it.  So after enough convincing, we decided to go.

We walked into The Sandwich Factory at 12:45.  The restaurant had a few tables occupied and we were greeted walking in the door.  The layout is sort of like a cafe and local restaurant all tied into one.  The walls are covered in vintage posters of New York City skyscrapers and other images that just warm the heart.  Walking in the front door, you go to the right, order and pay all at the same location.

The menu ranges in price from $4.99 salads and regular sandwiches to $7.99 "Be the Boss" do-it-yourself sandwiches where you choose the bread, meat, cheese, veggies and sauce.  It did not take long for us both to decide on the Thick Cut Smoked Slab Bacon Burger ($5.99) which comes with chips or fries.  As an extra, I ordered chocolate covered bacon ($1.99).  It sounds strange, but actually tasted GREAT!  Imagine the sweet and salty taste of chocolate-covered pretzels and add the taste bud satisfying meaty bacon.  There's your bliss.

The burgers took four minutes to cook and serve.  Let me fill you in on a Murfreesboro secret, these burgers are amazing.  i can't quite tell what they do to season the beef in the hamburger, but it gets two thumbs up.  The patties (yep, two of 'em) were cooked to perfection with all fresh toppings of Swiss cheese, chrisp lettuce, tomato, onions and dill pickles.  The Kaiser Bun wasn't too bad either.  Each bite was fantastic and filling.

The service was great and prompt.  The price was very good for the amount of food received.  The taste was stunning.  The ambiance was warming, but still a little staggered.  All to be expected from a newer local restaurant.  Their burgers rival the best in town, Red Robin, Five Senses, etc.

If I were you, The Sandwich Factory should be added to your "must visit" list for 2012.  Take a friend, get a killer meal and enjoy some quality conversation while you try to find room for those last few fries.  Two thumbs up, no question.  Enjoy!

The Chill Spot is located at 1513 East Main Street in Murfreesboro. The restaurant is open Monday through Friday from 11:00-8:00, Saturday from 11:00-5:00 and closed on Sunday. The Chill Spot can be reached at 615-396-8641.

Ambiance – 6
Price – 9
Service – 10
Food – 9
Cleanliness – 8.5
Total – 8.5

Murfreesboro, TN – It’s been a few weeks since I’ve been able to do a restaurant review and let me say, I miss you guys! HobNobMurfreesboro has been busy this fall with the 12 Days of Christmas coming up and all the things Murfreesboro has been doing to get ready for the big 200^th birthday. We’ve been busy! So coming back out after B McNeel’s it is important to do something you guys will really enjoy. Close to the MTSU campus is a little restaurant called The Chill Spot that offers Bubble Tea. Ever heard of it? Yeah, I hadn’t either. So maybe it’s worth a shot!

Adam Kinder of Affordable Water joined me just before noon up on Main Street. We’d both been working all morning and were just famished! So my thought to The Chill Spot before going in was, “challenge extended!” Adam likes to hit the gym and I’m sure the guy could eat me if he wanted to. Just inside is the counter where you can clearly see the menu and get the necessary evil of ordering food out of the way (why can’t they just read minds?!). The menu is simple. Wraps cost $6.99. It comes with salad or chips. Adding a Bubble Tea adds $1.99 to the price. There are numerous varieties of both teas and wraps so order away! You will have plenty of opportunity to change your order each time and keep experiencing new flavors and combinations. I ordered the Strawberry Turkey Wrap and because I’m such a coffee snob, added the vanilla coffee taro bubble tea. Taro is a root that has a very pure taste similar to hazelnut. Very yummy! We sat down to see the place while we waited. The only reason I give The Chill Spot a 6 in the Ambiance category is because they are in the middle of renovations. When they are finished (we were shown the plans) it is going to be a great place to, like the name suggests, come in and just… wait for it… chill!!

Bubble Tea gets its own paragraph. The milk based tea (you may also do ice if you choose) is mixed with a sort of… jelly-like bubble substance. The look of the bubbles with the thick straw made me very nervous. You aren’t supposed to ever be able to chew a drink. But it was a very pleasant surprise! Coming from a guy who just loves to eat, it was like getting a bonus bite with every swig. I felt like I was cheating the system. Very cool! Not to mention the taste was just awesome!

The food came out in 17 minutes, a little slower for the Power Lunch but just perfect if you really like the person you are with. Now the strawberry turkey… wow. Such an exact blend of sweet and meat (say it out loud, it’s fun) to create a delectable sensation. Each bite was extremely tasty and enjoyable. Highly recommended. It was the first time in all of the HobNobMurfreesboro restaurant reviews that I have packed up a doggie bag simply to enjoy the taste again later. Oh yeah, it was just as good the second time around. The best word I can think of to tell you about it was simple, fresh! Highly enjoyable and quite filling too.

All in all, it’s a great choice. The quality is higher than the price and you will really enjoy yourself. The guys behind the counter are great and are excited to start conversation or to help you with your Bubble Tea experience. Take a friend or a valued co-worker buddy and have a great time. It’s a good Friday lunch spot or light dinner spot. Sipping on a Bubble Tea I could picture sitting outside in our picture perfect fall weather and just chatting with my friends and watching the sun go down over Main Street. Enjoy!

3 Brother's Deli is located at 223 West Main Street on the square in Murfreesboro.  The restaurant offers food, beer and periodic live music.  3 Brother's Deli can be reached at 615-410-3906.

Ambiance - 8.5
Price - 9
Cleanliness - 9.5
Service - 9
Food - 8
Total - 8.8

Murfreesboro, TN - Yeah, I know.  We've done 3 Brother's Deli before, but do you remember all that has changed since then?  I mean, the place practically burned to the ground!  Walking in, you can see a few differences from when the doors first opened.  First, the stage has moved to the other end of the dining room (it used to be by the front door).

Banker Brian (the Suntrust guy) met me at 3 Brother's right at 11:30.  There were three other tables seated, which was about ten percent of the restaurant.  We were seated right away and Amy greeted us.  She made a joke at one point to not pick on her because it was her third day but Amy, you did great.  I ordered the Stones River Club for $6.95.  The menu ranged from $4 to about $12 with a catering menu on the back.  Here is my only burn on 3 Brother's: the food took too long to make a legitimate day's lunch.  Brian was on a timed lunch and had to scarf his meal to be able to get back to work in time.  It took 24 minutes to get our food after placing the order.  In the meantime though we were entertained by being brought someone else's French Dip.

The food itself was good.  Good meat, well prepared and the bread and condiments were just as high quality but that can usually be expected when working with turkey.  Oh yeah!  Make sure to try the spicy pickle that comes with the sandwiches.  Oh man!  It was incredibly hot!  Brian and I were both taken back.

All in all it was pretty good.  I can't imagine suggesting it myself or going on my own.  I would definitely meet someone there if they were to suggest it on their own.  It's a good place to go hang with friends, maybe a spot to waste away the afternoon or just have a beer outside.  Enjoy!

P.S.  The Cupcake Crew made a donation to 3 Brother's Deli today.  If you have not seen or tasted what the Cupcake Crew is doing, you need to check them out here!!

B. McNeel's is located at 215 North Church Street on the Murfreesboro Square.  The restaurant can be reached at 615-896-1002.  Brunch is available on Sundays from 10:30am - 2pm.

Service - 10
Price - 9.5
Ambiance - 10
Taste - 10
Cleanliness - 9.5
Total - 9.8

Murfreesboro, TN - Alright, here we go.  B. McNeel's, the final chapter.  Many Murfreesboroans (I think that's right) contacted me about the last review's perfect 10.  "What are you thinking?!"  "You are limiting yourself!"  But I got equally as many messages that looked something like this, "I was thinking you were crazy until I went for myself.  You were exactly right.  B. McNeel's is an amazing restaurant."  Since the Sunday brunch is the one meal I haven't reported on, it was definitely worth one more review.

My friend Jonathan from Immanuel Church in Nashville joined me for this trip.  I've already described the beautiful interior, so check prior reviews fro the layout.  We walked in at 1:00pm and were led to the upstairs dining room and we were blessed to have Maggie again (she actually goes by Magnolia).  I kid you not, she is probably the best server in Murfreesboro.

The meal is easy, $14 gets you a full breakfast and lunch buffet as well as a cook-to-order menu.  There are something like 40 items in all to choose from.  For the warmup round we picked up beef tenderloin, scallops, salmon cakes, strawberries, biscuits and gravy, spicy coconut shrimp, eggs Benedict (with fresh, homemade hollondaise sauce), Belgian waffles, french toast, and a few space fillers.  yeah, it was a very good day.  I won't talk about everything individually, there's no time (but there are pictures below, so scroll down).  Know this, everything was as fresh as it could possibly be.  NO single bite lacked the least bit of flavor or quality.

A few notables on the food: the spicy coconut shrimp is still the best shrimp I've ever had in my life.  So juicy and tasty and finger lickin' good but it might be too proper a place to do that.  The beef tenderloins were succulent.  In fact, I wish I had some right now.  Bite size slices of paradise.  The french toast was incredible.  They have a very unique and incredibly tasteful preparation.  Every bite of fruit felt like it was just recently pulled from the vine, washed and placed on the plate.  I wish there was more time to go through every bite, but there' so much to say!

This is one of those places you are going to have to just try for yourself.  The same way a photo cannot truly display the beauty of the Grand Canyon or a shuttle launch, this restaurant review cannot fully communicate the angelic, and dare I say, orgasmic taste of B. McNeel's Sunday brunch.  Go THIS WEEK.  Get out of church, climb our of bed, whatever it is you'll do Sunday morning, and get down to B. McNeel's.  You get the HobNobMurfreesboro guarantee of a great experience.  Enjoy!

Garcia’s Restaurante Mexicano is located at 4183 Franklin Road, Suite 9B in Murfreesboro. The restaurant is open Sunday through Thursday, 11-9, Friday and Saturday, 11-10. You can reach Garcia’s at 615-895-6691.

Food – 8.5
Service – 8.5
Ambiance – 10
Cleanliness – 9
Price – 8.5
Total – 8.9

Murfreesboro, TN - So I live down Old Fort Parkway, or Highway 96, or Franklin Road, or whatever you want to call it. That being said, I usually don’t make it down to the Publix often. You know the one I’m talking about. Jet’s Pizza is down that way too. There’s a place on the corner called Garcia’s. We decided to check it out.

John Iaccheri, president of HobNobMurfreesboro joined me at Garcia’s right at noon. Right inside is a large water fountain and the walls are covered in one big painted landscape. It’s sort of how you would picture a happy little Mexican town.

The restaurant had only a few tables occupied and we were seated quickly. Jose greeted us right away and brought the world’s most famous Mexican dish, chips and salsa. This was some good salsa… the mouthwatering kind. It was obviously made in the restaurant, with fresh cilantro and chopped onions. My only complaint is sort of a big one. We ran out of salsa and still having a half a basket of chips and was never offered more salsa. Terrible!

I ordered the two item lunch combo and customized beef and chicken enchiladas. The food was delivered so ridiculously fast. I mean it. Less than five minutes. It looked great and the first bite was pretty good. I was a little disappointed about the lack of meat used in the enchiladas, but the preparation itself was impressive. I still enjoyed every bite. The rice was either undercooked or old and was borderline crunchy. When you go, skip the rice.

All in all, I’ll probably go back. In the scope of Mexican restaurants there’s a lot of bad. Garcia’s Restaurante Mexicano is one of Murfreesboro’s good restaurants. I’d go with friends, family, or with a date. My final piece of advice is to dine in. It is beautiful inside. Enjoy!

Marco's Pizza is located at 1208 East Northfield Blvd in Murfreesboro. The restaurant is open Monday through Thursday 11:00 am - 11:00 pm, Friday and Saturday 11:00 - 11:00 and Sunday from 11:00-10:00. Phone number is 895-9755.

Food - 7.5
Price - 6.5
Cleanliness - 9
Service - 9.5
Ambiance - 8.5
Total - 8.2

Murfreesboro, TN - This review is going to appear a little shorter because of our new style of Video Restaurant Review. How much better is hot, fresh food when you can see the steam and practically taste it! So watch the video! Here are some of the basics to wet your whistle: John and I both met up at Marco's Pizza right at 11:30. There was a little bit of foot traffic, but in general it was a little slow. The staff was all very hospitable and conversational. They made us feel very comfortable in their pizza world and we ended up having a good time.  Now hear this...Marco's makes a good pizza! I consider this a very high compliment in Murfreesboro with so many other kinds of pizza in town. They do a delicious job. It tastes very authentic, very fresh. I will definitely be returning again. The price is a little high, so I'll be selective but I'll absolutely be back and this time with plenty of friends. Now go check out the video and Enjoy!

Las Palmas is located at 2450 Old Fort Parkway in Murfreesboro. The restaurant is open Sunday through Thursday from 11:00 am to 9:00 pm, Friday and Saturday from 11:00 am to 10:00 pm. Las Palmas can be reached at 615-494-0477.

Cleanliness – 9
Ambiance – 8.5
Price – 7
Service – 4
Food – 7.5
Total – 7.2

Enchiladas Tapatias - $7.95

Murfreesboro, TN - Here goes round two. Some of you already know that I came out here more than a year ago. That experience was quite abysmal. Every category was tanked from the review. The food was pitiful, service was terrible, and ambiance looked like a cheap frat party. Suffice it to say, the review reflected the experience, not good. So when I got and email from Cheri in Murfreesboro, saying that Las Palmas really has some good things now, I promised her I’d try again.

I met Aaron Walls, recent winner of Fox’s Free pizza for a year texting contest, at 2:00 pm down Old Fort Parkway, across from Kohl’s. Las Palmas has decorated the outside of the store to look as though it were shipped in from Cancun. The interior design has drastically improved from before. Last time out, it looked as though Las Palmas was decorated from the Wal-Mart clearance aisles. Now it looks similar to, dare I say it, a restaurant. It was very clean and at the time we went in, one other table was occupied.

Juan was our server. Can’t even really use the phrase “He took care of us.” About every serving courtesy I know was ignored. He would come to the table, open his book and just stare at us. He wouldn’t refill glasses unless we moved the cup to the end of the table. Actually, at one point, Juan left my empty cup on the table while he briskly swept Aaron’s cup off the table’s edge. He never came by to check on the meal. After dropping off our food, he didn’t come back until the plates were empty.

The food was better. Not great, but better. I ordered the same thing as the last review, Enchiladas Tapatias. The chicken inside the enchilada was well prepared but the sauce used on top is still a bit unsettling. The tomato paste concentrate in the sauce has been toned down but is still overwhelming.

The price is still in the high side. High side for the food quality or quantity. It’s just simply not worth it. If the portions were larger or the taste were better. Even if the serving experience were more enjoyable, I’d be willing to pay $10.00 for the whole meal.

So the final tallies: Has the food gotten better? Yeah. Ambiance? Oh yeah! Price? No. Cleanliness? Sure. Service? Absolutely not. It may have even gotten worse. All in all, Las Palmas in Murfreesboro has gotten closer to deserving patronage. However, it’s still not enough for me to put HobNob’s stamp on it. If you wanna try it yourself, knock yourself out. But when it comes to Mexican restaurants in Murfreesboro, go anywhere else.

Culvers is located in The Avenue at 2411 Medical Center Parkway in Murfreesboro. The restaurant is open daily from 10:30 am to 10:00 pm. Culvers can be reached at 615-624-6677.

Food – 9.5
Service – 8.5
Ambiance – 7
Cleanliness – 8.5
Price – 8
Total – 8.3

Bacon Deluxe Double Basket - $6.79
Concrete Mini Mint Oreo Mixer - $2.39

Murfreesboro, TN: Have you been to Culvers? Wait, who said no?! Go stand in the corner! If you’ve not been to this Midwestern chain, you have missed the best thing they’ve sent south since Eminem. It’s one of the newer additions to The Avenue, one of the first places you see coming down from Broad.

Bernard James of Exit Realty met me at Culvers right at 11:00. Since Culvers is famous for their frozen custard and also butter burgers, I decided to try `em both! The menu features $4 snack pack meals and ranges from $2.59 to $10.99. Selection varies from frozen custards to burgers and even seafood. Shaketha took my order and was a little playful, but overall pretty solemn. Probably would have helped if she’d smile a little more.

After ordering, you’ll be given a number and a drink. The station is to the left where you can completely deck out in drinks, condiments and even a nifty lid distributor that looks more like a vending machine than stacks of lids. In four minutes the food was on the table. It looked and smelled amazing. The fries have the thickness of Red Robins and the taste of TGI Fridays. Big and well seasoned. The burger…oh wow. Double stacked beef (ordered that way) surrounded by bacon, lettuce, onion, tomato, mayo, and fun-wrapped with a white fluffy bun. Each bite danced on the taste buds. There’s good news and bad news. Bad news is that you have to swallow eventually. Good news is that there are more bites!

After emptying the tray, I ordered a masterpiece, a mini mint oreo frozen custard. Check your wallet. Do you have $3.00? It’s the best $2.39 that you will ever spend. Go treat yourself. It’s small enough to get away guilt-free. It’s good enough to get lost in each spoonful. Oh man I’ve got goosebumps writing about it.

While I pack up and go back to get another custard, you should pick a day to go. Right now. What is it? Scream it out. Okay, stop. People are staring. Recommend you grab a buddy, co-worker or even a stranger on the square. Culvers is a fun environment with good prices and very tasty food.

There you go Murfreesboro Facebook Page… I talked about the food. Enjoy!

Paulie’s Italian Grill is located at 3080 South Church Street in Murfreesboro. The Italian Grill is open Monday through Saturday 11:00am to 9:00pm and Sunday from 12:00p to 5:00p. Paulie’s can be reached by phone at (615) 439-6095.

Food – 8.5
Price – 8
Ambiance – 10
Service – 10
Cleanliness – 9
Total – 9.1

Mushroom Provolone Burger - $5.99

Murfreesboro, TN: Whoa, whoa, whoa. There’s a new restaurant on South Church next to Food Lion where Pawbowski’s Hot Dogs was formerly located. From the outside, it looks like a typical restaurant: brick walls, floor to ceiling windows, etc. However, going inside works out to an Italian Café with marble tables and vineyards crawling the walls.

I went into Paulie’s before the lunch rush at 11:30. Deb came to me right away and opened a very warm heart. She is probable the kindest person I’ve spoken to all day. She helped me narrow down the delicious menu to the Mushroom Provolone Burger. The menu itself ranged from $3.95 to $12.50 and offers burgers, sandwiches, pastas, salads and desserts.

In six minutes, I was looking at a beautiful plate of tasty food. Do yourself a favor and ask for a side of the special sauce. It’s a phenomenal blend that works well on burgers or fries. I’m thinking of mixing it with my oatmeal tomorrow morning. Okay not really. But it was great.

Paulie came out and sat with me for a few minutes. That’s one of my favorite things about local places. You almost always have the chance to meet the visionary behind your enjoyment. He told me about a lot of things he’s been doing around town, including Outer Limits Ribbon Cutting at Jackson Heights Plaza Friday at 11:00. Hmm…why did the restaurant review guy talk about that? Oh Yeah! Free chance to try some of the best Italian food in Murfreesboro! Doi!

I’m telling ya. Date night galore. Single guys, find the prettiest girl you can, promise her a night she won’t forget. Girls, say yes. You married peoples…get a sitter. This is a promise for an incredibly romantic evening for a great price and you don’t have to feed those baboons at Shell Oil in the process. Enjoy!