Smeraldo’s

Reviews

• Shandi E.

  star star star star star 19 July 2026

  Thoroughly enjoyed my first visit this evening. The food was fabulous. The owner and his brother were delightful.

• Kelsey L.

  star star star star star 14 July 2026

  The best! Most authentic Italian food you'll find in Nashville! All made in house such a tucked away little gem with correct portions (not excessively large). Beautiful bar and pool table options! Absolutely a must go!

• Christa C.

  star star star star star 13 July 2026

  Absolutely the most authentic Italian chef in Nashville.
  What a unique find in A city full of restaurants .  The entire experience is worth waiting on your home cooked meal . Full Bar, great people ! Don't miss out on the experience of Smeraldo's!

• Frank L.

  star star star star star 12 July 2026

  Why is this place dead? The outside looks so shady, next door is a sketchy motel, you enter through the back and that's where things start to look a bit better. It almost felt familiar like a home up north where you walk in on a different level. Inside the door there are stairs to go up or down and the restaurant is down stairs, up is event space for banquets.
  
  We were in Nashville for a game and NYE and there were 13 of us. Calling around trying to get reservations somewhere for 13, 2 of which are vegetarian and another that I'd very pick is tough! Luckily everyone eats Italian and so I started searching Yelp. At the time this place only had 39 reviews but I think all except a few were 5 star. I called ahead and asked if we could get in on short notice with 13 and they said they could accommodate us.
  
  So we get there and the passengers with me are unsure judging the place from the outside. Once we got in they started to feel a little better but we walk in and the place is dead. No one in there but the bartender and the owner. We come to find out that the bartender, Luigi, is the son of the owner/chef.
  
  They welcomed us in and we started talking with them at the bar as the rest of our party showed up and we were all checking the place out. They have a couple pool tables, a small stage and dance floor, a juke box with mostly older country hits, a nice sized bar, and a pretty large area with tables and chairs for dining.
  
  The decor is old Nashville and since it was the day before NYE they still had Christmas decorations up. So looking like old Nashville you would expect it to be dirty and dusty but this place is pretty clean. The bathrooms were probably the cleanest I've seen in Nashville and way better than we are expecting so a bug A+ there from us all, especially the women.
  
  So being so clean and having all these amenities we were thinking there has to be a problem with the food. We were having such a great time already with the place to ourselves and we figured you can't really mess up pasta, cheese, and sauce. Our expectations were blown away. The owner/chef cooked all our food himself while we kept Luigi busy with drinks and  when it started coming out he went to help. I got the lasagna and it's not traditional, it has pieces of pasta instead of layers and it's baked in a ceramic bowl. It was delicious and I got to taste the eggplant parmesan and the raviolis. We had a few different dishes and everyone only had great things to say. They brought out extra garlic bread and spaghetti just to be sure we are all full. What a treat, excellent meal!
  
  The highlight of the experience, however, was our hosts. Luigi and his father, I cannot remember how to say has name for the life of me, were fantastic! The father has a really thick Italian accent. He told us stories of the old days when Madison, the area, was the actual center for music in Nashville. Elvis had a house right down the street and legends like Johnny Cash and George Jones frequented the place. He says he always kept their presence low key and they appreciated that. They've had this place for 36 years and it shows how proud they are.
  
  The owner was telling us how the place used to be an upscale plantation style steak house and took all 13 of us on a tour of the building. He took us up to the foyer where the guests enter through these beautiful double doors and then up to the banquet rooms that are separated by a giant double sided fireplace where he says the guests used to smash their empty glasses into the fire like in the movies. He then took us back to the kitchen where he showed us his workspace and where he is curing his own meat! He also has a secret spice recipe he uses and let us smell a sample and it smelled great. When we were leaving for the night he gave all the ladies a small "to go" container of it to cook at home with!
  
  So we had a unique experience and I was the hero for finding the place but we really want to thank Smeraldos for having us. I wouldn't expect everyone to have this same experience if it's busy but they really took care of us and we talked about it for days. Check it out for some great Italian food and clean restaurant.

• Danielle R.

  star star star star_border star_border 1 July 2026

  First of all, inside of the restaurant is extremely creepy. It reminded me of the setting from the "From Dusk Til Dawn" movie. My meal was just ok, but over priced for the portion size. For $18 I was surprised to find out that the noodles that came with my meal was given to me at "no charge." I guess normally the noodles are sold separately, and considering we were there only customers that night, I guess we caught a deal. I assumed it came with the meal, otherwise it would have been a small plate of red sauce and shrimp. The bread is not complimentary, so I was kind of tricked there when asked if we "prefer plain or garlic bread." I found out when I received my bill that it was $3. The kids meatballs tasted like canned spaghetti-o's. The service was good, but for almost $60 considering what I received, as well as the ambience, I won't be returning.