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Categories: Italian, Steakhouses [Edit]
Neighborhood: DowntownMon-Thu. 11:00 a.m. - 11:00 p.m.
Fri-Sat. 11:00 a.m. - 12:00 a.m.
Sun. 11:00 a.m. - 11:00 p.m.
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MAKE SURE YOU HAVE THE SOUP AND CHEESY BREAD!!!
It is a must! The cheesy bread they give you, I found myself devouring it! Then my soup came with even more cheesy bread and I was in heaven! I couldn't stop wanting more! Thankfully, I ordered a salad cause I was so into the soup and cheesy bread! Gotta make sure you have it!
I luved this place. I had the ribeye steak. Very flavorful, juicy and tender. My steak came with alot of fat......which made it so GOOD!
The ambience is very casual and relaxed. The prices are very reasonable and service is excellent.
Great place for a Big Meal before hitting the bars!
Wow... after reading a lot of these reviews, I can only assume that it is hit or miss with this place. Maybe it's the cook of the night, or maybe the taste buds, but it seems no matter who you are the review is a bit different. And understandably so.
That said, I loved this place!!
I was a member of the Robins AFB Honor Guard and we had performed a funeral for a retired military member who had passed early that morning a bit South of Nashville, and were staying over that night in the Nashville area. None of us knew the area so just decided to take the downtown exit and see if we could discover anything for dinner that night.
On our drive we discovered the Spaghetti Warehouse and Demo's, we figured either it was going to be spaghetti night so we flipped a coin and it was Demo's for the night. I think the coin was looking out for us! :-P
I had a ribeye steak with a side plate of Spaghetti with Meat Sauce. Some people at the table also did a combination steak and spaghetti, while other did straight up pasta of some type, with different sauces all around. The place was packed because the Titans had played the same day (or were playing - sorry not sure) but there was a LOT of conversations bouncing around between tables. (Titans vs the Ravens if I remember right).
So, I'm going to knock out the bad first (which was limited for me). The wait was a bit long considering we were more than ready to eat. In Demo's defense though, it was a game day/night so the place was bumpin and we had a party of 8. They sat us at some connected tables, but didn't plan it very well, even with the 8 seats we were almost sitting on top of one another. Lastly, and again they were VERY busy in their defense, the waiter wasn't as helpful as I would have liked. Our guy must have been covering 8 to 10 tables and running between then to get the next guest/group seated.
However, and I have no shame in saying it... This was by far the best steak I've ever had!! And I've told people that for years (been 3 to 4 years since I was there) when I'm asked. I'm in Boston now and have had some pretty high end steaks (Ruth's Chris, Smith and Wollensky, KO Prime, etc), and still I crave another ribeye steak from Demo's. It was cooked and seasoned to perfection, very juicy and full of flavor. I couldn't find a reason to complain about it, other than it was on a plate alone so it looked lonely and didn't have any real presentation.
Taste is more important than presentation though, by far.
The spaghetti wasn't the best I've ever had, and doesn't' deserve to be placed on a pedestal... but it tasted fine and actually complimented the steak very well. Nothing GREAT to say about it, but at the same time, nothing BAD to say about it either. It was good.
Overall, I'd definitely go back to Demo's for another steak dinner. I'd just hope to have the same experience, though a bit less crowded. ;)
Read the reviews as I was waiting for my meal. I find it odd that other reviewers mention the reasonable prices then evaluate the food as if it were a high-end restaurant. With a few exceptions you get what you pay for in restaurants. The highest priced item on the menu is a KC Strip at $16. I ordered it. It was very large, flavorful and yes, a bit salty. Worth $16? Every penny. Again, servers are friendly and efficient.
Maybe I've just had bad luck every time I've been to Demos', but I tend to think it's just not that good. The people that work there seem pretty nice (service has never been really bad), but the food is barely mediocre. The last couple of times I've visited, I got the spaghetti w/ alfredo sauce, and then spaghetti w/ mushroom sauce. I prefer my pasta al-dente, but theirs was very soft. The alfredo tasted like it was poured out of a jar, and they used canned mushrooms. Bleck! I just can't stand mushy, canned mushrooms in anything. It's just not that hard to use fresh mushrooms. The salad was nothing but iceberg lettuce....no tomatoes, cucumbers, carrots....nothing. I think the waiter said afterward that you have to add that stuff to the salad, at around 50 cents each or something. That seems a little weird but oh well.
I really want to like this place, but I just haven't had a good experience there. I used to live in M'boro, and that one was pretty much the same. Just blah. There's the Old Town Spaghetti Store in Jackson, TN, which is what this place should be like. It's the same concept, but the food at the OTSS just tastes better.
Food is reasonably priced. Nice location.
Ordered KC steak, Tasty but too salty for me. the broccoli that came with the steak was very salty too. Not sure if this is what Southern food should taste like or just his one restaurant. Next time I go, I will ask them put less salt.
The free cheese bread is very fresh and good.
Quick and friendly service.
im in nashville for two nights and the cab driver tells me i need to go here for dinner? is the scene in nashville that terrible where this place comes highly recommended?
i felt like i was at a cross between your most generic crappy italian restaurant, applebees, and sizzler. that should say it all.
id give it two stars but i was so let down that it brings it down another star.
How anybody could give this place more than one star i dont understand. I'd give it a half star if i could, or Zero stars.
My boyfriend and I were in Nashville visiting for the weekend. Both starved after a long day at Graceland and a the road trip from Memphis, we checked into the hotel and started out in search of a place to eat. Steak and Spaghetti House should've been the first sign that it would be a bad meal. Steak and Spaghetti simply don't go well together.
So the food ... BLAND BLAND BLAND. The salad was gross, the spaghetti tasted terrible, and his "seafood fettucine alfredo" tasted more like cardboard.
I'll never go back. I'm almost ashamed to say I ate there.
One redeeming quality? The service. Our waiter was super friendly and I guess becuase the prices were so cheap, he has to work extra hard for his tip. We tipped him well enough I thought.
Other than that, I felt like I was eating at a Shoney's. Don't let a crowd out front fool you people, if the wait is only 15-20 minutes for a party of 2, its probably too good to be true.
Demos' Steak and Spaghetti House is a Middle Tennessee tradition, starting out in Murfreesboro, spreading to Nashville, Lebanon, Hendersonville, and now into Alabama.
And for good reason: good food at very good prices, with a friendly staff, and makes you the center of their attention is truly a winning combination.
Now, I won't say everything was perfect, as the hostess who showed us to our table was not up to par with with other staff, and their food is noticeably salty. But the server we had was literally the best I've had in Nashville in years. He looked out for us, he brought us stuff we needed almost before we asked for it, and he was extremely outgoing and friendly.
Food was good, service was great, and the experience was definitely fun.
I have been going to Demos for years and I really love them for what they are. If you are looking for authentic Italian food, then this probably isn't your place. It's more Americanized Italian but they do it well and their service is always good.
Their lunches are always crowded and because their prices are so reasonable, they usually do a brisk business. They have it down to a science though so it goes quickly. The meals come with a salad which is a huge plus for me.
All in all I will say that whether or not you like this place will be based on what your expectation is. This is just good buttery, garlicy pasta dishes but nothing that you can write home about.
I was in Nashville for vacation. Just looking for a tasty place to get dinner when we stumbled across Demos'. The prices looked very reasonable so we decided to try it...
Yuck! the steak was over salted, and they waited until 30 minutes after ordering to let my table know that they were out of the KC strip that my girlfriend ordered. I ordered the seafood pasta. I think chef boyardee could do a better job. tasted like it was straight from the can. from the sauce to the spongy crabmeat, just not good. i am not a hard to please person, but this place was bad. The meal was comped afterward because of the confusion on the part of the wait staff. nice people, probably a good place to take the kids or your grandparents, or really anyone who wasn't raised on real italian food or good steaks.
I'd go for BurgerKing or CiCi's pizza over this place.
Bottom Line: Unbeatable prices, delicious steak & typically friendly service. Accomodates large parties & family friendly.
There is typically one thing in common between the people who complain about Demos' - they didn't order steak. Would you go to a taco stand and order a burger? Probably not... and if you do, you have a lot to learn. When a place is called a "steak & spaghettic house," then chances are you should stick to steak and spaghetti. It's as simple as that.
That being said, those two items are definitely where they shine. Their steaks are always tender and flavored great - never a need for steak sauce (as a matter of fact, they'll look at you as if you are speaking jibberish if you ask for it). Friends from all over who come to visit always say the same thing - they can't believe they are getting such a delicious steak for such a great price.
When they ask if you if you want soup or salad the answer is soup and refrain from the bread - it is like crack. One piece is never enough.
Um...not so good. I guess my first mistake was to take the recommendation of an employee at the BEST WESTERN I was staying at. Nice lady but Demos' Steak & Spaghetti House was about as average as they come.
The service was pretty snappy so I'll give 'em that. Yes, I had to wait 10 minutes or so to get seated but they were extremely busy. Apparently this is a pretty happening place in downtown Nashville but I would strongly recommend anyone to look elsewhere for weekday dining.
The food was very average. I ordered the "seafood" fettuccine alfredo. Unfortunately, the "seafood" was a couple of shrimp and some crab that seriously looked like it came straight from a can. The pasta wasn't cooked very well either...it was sort of slimy.
The restaurant itself looked rather dirty. There were crumbs all over my seat which I had to wipe away and my booth cushion was detached so every time I moved I took the cushion with me. Ugh such a pain.
Also, the nastiest part (and this IS speculation but I'm pretty sure this is what happened) is when my server came to pick up my plates, she was already carrying a basket of bread which she placed on my table. She cleared my table but the bread remained. I thought she was refilling my empty basket of bread BUT, after further thought, I'm pretty damn sure she accidentally left a 1/2 eaten basket of bread on my table! What if I would have eaten that?!
Anyway, nothing special about this place. They have a lot of selection but in general, I was displeased.
Demos' is kinda convenient when your downtown for a concert. Even if there's a line you can usually get in, eat, and get out in time for the show. Some things on the menu are great and some are not. Its kinda 50/50. The chicken soup and lasagna are decent, but salads are super small and lack a lot. We always eat here in a pinch, when were short on time.
You will find that many Nashvillians say that this is their favorite restaurant. Seriously. The only way that I can explain this is that it is one of those places that you may have been since you were a kid; maybe an outing with the grandparents, with good memories of family and a special dinner out. Maybe you've GROWN to love it. It's a Nashville institution (not sure what KIND of institution, however!) I mean, lots of people like Krystal, too, but most don't consider it quality food!!
Personally, I don't think I have had spaghetti sauce out of a can that has less flavor than the Demos sauce. No joke. And then there are the steaks--- tough, over-cooked, and again, BLAND. Yes, it is cheap, but not cheaper than a can of Chef Boy R Dee and a hunk of old shoe leather. I am not trying to be mean, this is just truely how bland this food actually is.
Yes, you will probably hear lots of positive reviews about this place from Nashvillians, but, if you have not already grown to love this place, I wouldn't suggest trying your luck. Well, unless you like nursing home food and well done meat.
I don't know why, but when I think of Demos' I think of prom. I didn't take my prom date there or anything, but whenever I dine at this little Italian joint on Commerce Street, I always expect to see a couple who, though dressed to the nines in prom attire, couldn't afford a really fancy spot.
Demos' has some pretty damn fine food at low prices. As is apparent by their full name, they specialize in two things: steak and spaghetti. All of their pasta is good, really, but I personally prefer the mushroom spaghetti and the clam sauce spaghetti. It's a bit bizarre that, while they offer four Mexican entrees, the only pasta they have is spaghetti. Regardless, they prepare their spaghetti in about a dozen different ways, so, while you have no choice when it comes to the shape of your noodles, their preparation is diverse enough that you probably won't get bored.
Demos' is also a bit like a slightly more approachable Spaghetti Factory. It's in roughly the same area of town, but Demos' isn't packed into the crowded strip of businesses on Second Ave. They're both quirky, but Demos' isn't full of random train parts and so forth. Demos' is really the sort of place I'd take my parents to dinner. It's nice enough for them to be comfortable, but cheap enough for my wallet not to suffer.
Demos' has a couple other locations out of town (in Lebanon, Hendersonville and so on), but this one is probably the best. Service is good, though sometimes a bit slow. It's a pretty solid choice for lunch or dinner.
While in town for a conference, I asked a local what he liked. He recommended this place. Steak and spaghetti are not two things that I think go together, but why not give it a go? I now know that this local has no functional tastebuds, otherwise he'd never eat here.
I was there with a group of eight people. Although the restaurant was half-empty, it still took them 20 minutes to seat us. The waitress that we ended up with was obviously peeved about having a big group. The waitress was absolutely useless. When asked for recommendations, she said that everything on the menu was good. When asked what she particularly liked, she said that she liked the beer. Gosh, that was helpful.
My boyfriend ordered the bacon-wrapped filet mignon with spaghetti, I had a seafood salad. (I know, I know, I'm taking my life into my hands when ordering something that isn't red meat at a steak place, but I just couldn't face a steak that night.)
My salad came with their house soup. Apparently there's chicken in there, but all I tasted was salt. The soup was white, and I think that there was rice in there, but it might have been salt cubes. I couldn't eat more than a couple of bites of it. The garlic bread in the baskets on the table was similarly over-salted. My seafood salad was absolutely drenched in mayo, and the so-called fruit salad that was served with it was actually a handful of rather soggy grapes.
The filet that my boyfriend ordered medium rare came out burnt. When he asked the waitress about it, and pointed out that there wasn't any pink at all in there, she said that's what medium rare was and asked him why he didn't order it rare if he wanted a bit of pink. Others at the table similarly complained that their steaks were well overcooked. The spaghetti had been boiled for so long that it could barely hold its shape, and the sauces were just as salty as everything else.
The only thing going for this place is that it's dirt cheap. But you get what you pay for. I would have been better off finding a McDonald's to eat at -- I would have been happier with the experience.
I give Demos 4 stars opposed to 3 stars because the food was inexpensive. Demos says it is a steak and spaghetti restaurant right? So why was my spaghetti so funky! I ordered just the plain 'ole spaghetti with meat sauce and it tasted a bit weird. I think the meat was just a little too greasy or maybe they put too much olive oil in it, who knows. Everyone else I was with thought the food was good, including my friend who also had the meat sauce spaghetti.
To sum it up: Demos is a decent restaurant with very reasonable prices. A good place to take a large group for some downtown dining on a budget.
If Logan's and Ole Spaghetti Factory got together and made a baby, it would look a lot like Demos'. If you're on a budget, but don't want fast food, then this is a good option. It's one of those places that includes the world with your meal price. You get surprisingly good bread, surprisingly good salad, plus a side and entree. You will not leave hungry. If I were to give you one tip about Demos', it would be "don't wait". Foolishly, I always think I can go to Demos' for a quick bite before a concert at the Ryman, and the wait is always over an hour. It's just not worth that, people. Go to Sbarro or El Rey down the street if you're in a hurry. Demos' food is mediocre at best, but mediocre is elevated to good and sometimes great when you think about the price you're paying.
The plates are the biggest sign that you are eating at a budget restaurant. They look just like ones that would be served in the cafeteria line at the old folks home.
So steak and spaghetti aren't exactly PB&J; but dang it if they don't jive together somehow.
Since opening the doors for the first time in 1989, Demo's has been a favorite of Nashville locals. Offer a wide selection of steaks, spaghettis, seafood and other specialties, Demo's has just about a little of every.
Not in the mood for either steak or pasta? Try one of the stuffed potatoes. The seafood stuffed potato is brimming with crab meat, shrimp and clams in a spectacular cream sauce. Oh, and don't you dare come without trying some of Jim's Famous Spinach as an appetizer.
Also, if you get a chance, check out their lunch specials. You will get a full plate (and full stomach), from $4 - $6 daily.
As the previous reviews state, Demos is a great place to go to get a cheap, better than mediocre dinner. Or lunch. Personally, I prefer it as a lunch spot. When I worked downtown, anyway.
You can get pretty much anything there--the obvious steak and spaghetti (obvious together only because they are in the name) as well as burgers, chicken, seafood, salads, and a few more sundries. The variety is a little odd, but it does satisfy most people--even the pickiest of eaters.
I suggest this place to anyone who is staying downtown and doesn't want to a) go to a chain or b) eat at a really pricey restaurant. And c) they have to be OK with just decent food. I think that's the best way to describe it though--not a chain, inexpensive, and food is decent. Check it out sometime!
Demos' is kind of a novelty. You can have a nice sit down dinner , an entree with soup or salad for only $5.99. And that's their dinner price. It may be one of the most affordable places to eat downtown. That being said you get what you pay for. The food is nothing spectacular. Everything on the menu is something you could whip up at home in about 10 min. Okay maybe not the steak but spaghetti with brown butter sauce or spaghetti with chili. It's also probably the only Italian restaurant that you can find mexican inspired foods. Their bread is pretty terrible but everything else was fine for what it was.
And I definitely wouldn't call this a place where locals eat. At least no one I grew up with.
Demo's, just like the names says, serves and specializes in steak and Spaghetti. You can get a side of spaghetti with anything you order. Even if you ordered a pasta as your main dish... you could still order yourself a side of pasta, and no one would think twice. This place in my mind, is the great compromiser's restaurant. Spaghetti is kind of a low brow food, mixed with the steak, the everyman's favorite meat, makes for a good place to take picky eaters. They will find something they like!
Demo's is actually good food, too. The prices are very low, and the lunch specials are incredibly cheap, around $5. So, if you are in the mood for spaghetti....go to Demo's.
If you go to a steakhouse and don't order steak - I don't think you should write a review! :) We stop in everytime we're in town. My husband is the king of all picky eaters. He loves their steak. I do too! Better than the food is the service - it's quick and snappy! We have a two year old so the window of "good behavior" doesn't last as long as we would like - so quick service is appreciated!!!! Not to mention all the food you get for the price. I recommend this to anyone who loves steak!
I was in Nashville for a business conference, and my co-workers and I asked several locals where we should eat. The consensus was Demos. While the service was great, I was very disappointed with the food. I ordered the spaghetti with mushroom sauce. The mushrooms came out of a can! Yuck! And the sauce was bland and tasted like it'd come directly from the jar.
Personally, I'm on the fence about Demos'. Parking always sucks (because I refuse to pay), but the service was always good. I've only been twice and the first time I hated it. I had pasta and salad (Fettuccine Alfredo) and it just didn't do it for me. The last time I was dragged by a couple of friends and talked into trying the Baked Chicken Soup. I gotta say it definitely hit the spot. I'm still not sold but next time someone wants to go there I'll stick to the soup.
First, I'll preface this review by saying I AM A CALIFORNIAN. So if this skews my opinion of how food should taste, coming from foodie central, then read no more. Otherwise, go on.
We were in Nashville for a conference, and our buddies suggested Demo's. I was highly optimistic when we arrived and the line was around the block. We were quoted a 30 minute wait for a party of 10. Not bad, so we waited. After almost an HOUR, we were pretty peeved. Finally, we were called and we all went to the front. The hostess said they had to split our table, which we said was fine, because in my experience, a split table means next to each other in close proximity. They put 6 of us in one corner of the restaurant, and four of us in another corner. It was not possible to hold conversation or even throw things at one another without seriously disrupting the entire restaurant.
The one positive thing was that the manager had appetizers sent to our tables to accomodate the inconvenience and wait. They also moved the four of us loners to a closer table when it became available. That was literally the ONLY good thing about the place.
The food sucked. I ordered Chicken Medallions and a side of red beans and rice. Medallions mean small circles of tender meat. It does not mean chicken strips pan fried in seasoned salt until a crust forms. So salty I couldn't eat it. Red Beans and Rice... I love red beans and rice. Saucy, thick, a little spicy. I don't know what in the hell I was served, but it looked like rice, kidney beans from a can, and some sort of drippings/scrapings from what I can only imagine was pan fried meat.
My husband ordered a pepercorn steak. It said it came with bell peppers and onions. Sounds decent so far. What he got was a few pieces of chopped sirloin (the kind you use to make stew) that was, of course, pan fried, with some overcooked bell peppers and onions and covered in MARINARA SAUCE! Who covers steak in marinara, especially when it says nowhere on the menu that it comes with sauce. We asked for it to be sent back and the waiter looked at us like we had just asked him to gnaw off his own arm. He begrudgingly took it back to the kitchen. A few minutes later the dish re-emerged. The steak was almost blackened on one side. It was so salty and crusty that it was inedible. When the waiter inquired about the dish a second time, we explained the problem and his response was "Yah, they probably just threw it back in the pan to get the red off." WTF?!?!? How about make a new one? You can't just burn the shit out of it until the red sauce is no longer visible. Disgusting.
Anyway, absolutely gross food, marginal service, but they did take the steak catastrophe off the bill, and they were nice about compensating us for waiting and splitting our tables.
This place was just ok. We ordered seafood baked potato (good except for the imitation crab) tilapia which was dry and a grilled shrimp salad. I would not return on my next Nashville vacation. Question: is this suppose to be an italian restaurant?
Food is great.. but be prepared to wait... they do not take reservations. I never get an entree here, though... i always get the chicken and rice soup and spinach yummmmmmmmmmmm...
Excellent! Very nice setting. Great food. Reasonable prices. I had pasta, bread, salad and a glass of wine for under $15 bucks. Couldn't ask for more. It's worth seeking out.
This is a no-frills family restaurant with excellent service and run of the mill comfort food-nothing fancy
Neighborhood: Downtown
Category: Delis
Neighborhood: Downtown
Category: Bars
Neighborhood: Downtown
Category: Italian
Neighborhood: Downtown
Category: Restaurants
Neighborhood: Downtown
Category: Southern
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