Cabana

Nashville has some great restaurants-Park Cafe, Zola, Boundry, Virago, Sunset Grill, etc. Unfortunately, Cabana is NOT one of them. I can't imagine what type of cuisine those who have rated Cabana highly are accustomed to. I will say the minimalist decor is trendy and fresh, but let me tell you about the food. Imagine Del Monte cream style corn...slurried with sugar. That's what the mixture that graces Cabana's fried green tomatoes appetizer tastes like. Abysmal.\r \r Still, I was looking forward to the entree, blackened tilapia. The fish was fresh, but again, it sat atop a strange brew: pumpkin bisque that did not complement the dish at all. Imagine a BLT: bologna, lard, and tuna. It's almost as if no one there as actually tasted any of these dishes. I also tried my friend's bbq sandwich....again, sugary and terrible. \r \r I realize the founders of Cabana are highly regarded and I absolutely love their other establishments. I'm hopeful that they will make RADICAL changes to Cabana's menu and get this place up to par. Pros: decor Cons: food, energy, detached service more

I went to Cabana to meet some friends for cocktails. I was there about five minutes before leaving. Talk about a bad atmosphere. You have to reserve a ""cabana"" to have anywhere to sit down because the bar is full of old men watching sports. Secondly, you have to eat dinner there in order to reserve a cabana ... its just rude to your server not to do so and its pricey. \r \r And what's with all the suits and ties?\r \r Not recommended for anything other than a semi-formal dinner party. more

We tried a variety of eclectic appetizers and entrees and found them all delightful. Drinks were good pours and the service was excellent. Unbelievably, prices were more than reasonable. All in all, a great dining experience. We will be back again and again. Pros: Service, Food, Ambience Cons: The temperature was a little cool. Some of us wore coats throughout dinner. more

Their food was horrible and overpriced! The wait staff was not energetic at all, nor did they seem suprised we didn't like the food. A group of 4 of us ate dinner there and each of us had different entrees and no one out of our group liked the food. Pros: Ambience Cons: the quality of the food is horrible. more

I went to Cabana's for a work event and sat in the back lounge area. The drink menu was good and the decor and people watching were great. I traveled between the back bar and the front bar (you can only smoke at the front bar) and think it would be great to go back with friends and reserve a cabana. I would definitely recommend reservations - we went on a Thursday night and it was hopping. We only ordered appetizers, the chips were great as well as the pizza. Watch the parking situation - I valeted my car and by the time I left the valet guys were gone! I ended up collecting my keys from the bartender and had to pushed the panic button on my remote so that I could locate my car! Pros: Ambience Cons: Parking more

This place is an excellent spot to see and be seen. Great decor, very good food, and o.k. service. Play trivia, sit in secluded curtained booths or sit in the large atrium area around back for a more tradtional dinner experience. more

Please do something about the music. Really, they need to put even a fraction of the time they put into the design into the playlists. The place is supposed to have a modern feel, but they're content to default to some garbage nu-metal or generic rap for the soundtrack? And the music is always the same, whether it's a quiet Wednesday night or Saturday night at 11. Change it up depending on the situation and get someone with some originality who will play new, up and coming tracks. more

I have visted Cabana 4-5 times now for various occasions: girls night out, birthday party, casual date night, etc. Everyime I have been completely satisfied. The hostesses can be a bit snotty, but overall the service has always been great - only once have we had a reservation. The ravioli was wonderful. The pizzas are always good - buy one get one free on Sundays! The lobster brie mac & cheese is also great. Plus they have a $5 martini menu all night sun-wed and 5-7 other nights with some great choices.\r \r Very hip, fun and sometimes live music. Will continue to visit. Pros: drinks, hip place Cons: none so far! more

I made ""reservations"" for six in non-smoking. I put this in quotation marks because 24 hours later, less than two hours before my reservation, I received a phone call telling me that we had been bumped into smoking by a larger party. Fortunately, I was able to find a table at Tayst, just down the street. We went there and had a terrific meal. \r \r Apparently these clowns need a refresher course on the meaning of a reservation. Presumably the same also goes for their sister restaurant, Sunset Grill. Pros: They have a nice website. Cons: When they call you to tell you that they've changed your reservation, they are completely unapologetic. more

My husband and I occassionally will dine out for a date. It's ritual we try to do as a young hip married couple of 10 years. We recently moved to Franklin about a year ago from NY due to work. We often review new places on city search for great ideas. We wanted to try Cabana since we heard so many great reviews. We just left there no more than 1 hour ago.\r \r To say the least we were not pleased. The decor & service was okay, the drinks were good but the food was horrible!!!!!!!!!!!!!. We left there looking for another place to grab a bite. I think it's over hype for the new nashville scene. I was very disappointed looking for a new urban flair in Nashville. If people in Nashville think this scene is great, I am sorry to say they need to venture out a little more. Pros: drinks Cons: everything else more

Cabana is not all it is cut out to be regarding their food selection. I had their salmon, which was alright. Chilis grilled salmon taste better and cost a lot less. The atmosphere is nice, but it was ruined by a city councilman who had made a racial comment to a group of people. One of the affected person argued with the city councilman regarding this racial statement, and an employee of Cabana told him and the people he was with to clam down or they will be kicked out. I do not know why Cabana employees focused on the minority group, when the city councilman was the one who started this confrontation? I ranked their customer service below average. Pros: Atomosphere, Drinks Cons: Customer Service more

Since there was a review for bad service I had to follow up with how great our service was. We never had to wait on a drink, the food came out in a timely manner and really was good. I had the pizza and would reccomend. Pros: Food, Atmoshphere more

Don't bother trying to get a drink unless you know the bartender! I have been ignored at both an empty bar, and a half full dining room by staff that seems completely disinterested in their jobs. One exception--Earl. If it wasn't for him, I'd never even set foot in Cabana. Shame too, 'cause the food rocks. Pros: great food Cons: LAZY service more

I didnt realize what we were getting in to when we went. The ambiance surprised me. We were there from 8p-11p on Saturday. I was not expecting it to be packed with 20 something year olds. This was a meat market for them. When our table was ready, we walked past the cabanas that had curtains. Some rowdy boys went over to the cabanas and opened the curtains so that they could flirt with the girls inside. So much for privacy. Our table was in the big room in the back. As the evening progressed, the music got louder and louder. It went from being a restaurant with everyone sitting at their table to a night club with loads of people crowding around the bar. On my way back from the restroom to my table, I had to convince security that I had a table with friends waiting for me. Pros: tasty food, nice staff Cons: meat market, music too loud, small bathrooms more

Thank you Cabana for having a vegetarian option. I liked the entree, but the dessert (chocolate cake) was OK, not great. The cake was pretty dry. Our bill was $75 dollars for 2 people. Pros: vegetarian options, waitress was nice Cons: parking, parking, parking more

Cabana is a great place. The atmosphere is amazing. The concept is very creative and I can imagine that it will be great in the summer when it becomes an open air restaurant/bar. My only complaint is that on the weekends it is overcrowded. If you don't have a table or cabana there is not room to move around. You can't stand up with out getting bumped every other second. That definitely takes away from the overall experience. Pros: clientele, drinks Cons: crowded, parking more

I think Cabana is a great place all around, what every you are looking for. Party scene is great, food is well above average and pricing is great, try the venison it's as good if not better then any in town or go for the pizza which is really good, Pros: food, atmosphere Cons: parking more

The shrimp appetizer was awesome, however, the lobster corn dogs tasted strange. It was definately the lobster, not the cornmeal because we separated them. Unless you really mean to order a huge slab of ham, do not order the pork chop. The cheese grits that came with it were very tasty. The trout (ordered almond crusted ) was mediocre. I'm not an avid trout eater so I could have just been underwhelmed with trout. I love sweet potatoes so I was anxious to order the small sweet potato biscuits. They had a good texture but were cold and somewhat bland. Our server was great. She was attentive, informative and nice. And, the atmosphere was very cool. Pros: Atmosphere, Service Cons: Food, Noise more

I was very pleased with my dining experience when I came across this new place. Conveniently located, amazing taste and imaginative selections, great service, and some original drinks. Has a great atmosphere that will be an even better place to be in the spring and fall when the majority of the restaurant can become open air with floor to ceiling doors. If you are looking for a more romantic setting they have private rooms with LCD TVs and curtains. If you want NY dining without the high costs usually associated with it go here! Pros: Great value, Imaginative, Ambiance Cons: Noisy, but expected more