I’ve yet to post a restaurant review, but since one of the categories on the blog is Culture & Travel, posts about food are a must! So this post is meant to be a helpful review of a local restaurant, whether you’re a Nashville native or a tourist on vacation.
Puckett’s Boat House is a popular restaurant here in Franklin, Tennessee. In fact, Puckett’s is well-known all over Tennessee, with restaurants in Columbia, Nashville, Murfreesboro, Chattanooga, and Franklin. But their multiple locations aren’t the only reason why Tennesseans know the restaurant; they love it for the history and the food.
In the 1950s, Puckett’s opened as a grocery store in Leiper’s Fork, Tennessee, where you could pick up some flour on the way home, fill your car up with gas, and chat with your neighbors. Fast forward to 2002 and Puckett’s Grocery added a restaurant and music venue to the store—two pretty big changes. Two years later, Puckett’s increased in size with a second location, right down the road in Franklin. Nashville was next, and Puckett’s Boat House was opened in 2012. Puckett’s has continued to grow in its number of locations and its reputation. Songwriters, singers, and musicians come to share their musical talents in these restaurants which serve as quaint music venues. (Check out their calendar of events here.)
All Puckett’s restaurants share a small-town, at-home vibe. You might think that with Puckett’s having gotten its start as a grocery store so long ago that the homey feeling it once had has since worn off—but that simply isn’t true. Instead, Puckett’s has worked hard to keep the feeling of warm welcomes as a part of its atmosphere. One of my favorite details is the grocery store items that sit on shelves and in coolers lining the walls in restaurants like Franklin’s and Columbia’s.
Puckett’s Boat House is unique in that the Southern, country food that all Puckett’s restaurants bring to the table is combined with seafood—a “seafood spin” as they call it. And to be honest, I’m not usually one for seafood unless I’m sitting right by the ocean. But I branched out a bit at Puckett’s and tried some of their seafood, since, after all, it’s what they’re known for! (Some of you real seafood fanatics will laugh at my shrimp plate, but this was quite a stretch for me since I didn’t order chicken!)
All that said, I will often choose a restaurant for the atmosphere over the food, which might beg the question as to why I’m blogging about food. Here me out: I’ll always be honest about whether you should go for the food, the atmosphere, or, in Puckett’s Boat House’s case, both. I didn’t feel like I had to choose one over the other, although making a decision about the dish I was going to order was tough! Also, I didn’t filter these photos, so the dimly lit, quaint vibe you see is really what you get! The ceilings are low, especially compared to Columbia’s high-beamed ceilings, but the Boat House is long, giving it a old-fashioned kind of feel.
Their menu is definitely different from their other Puckett’s restaurants (where I order breakfast a lot), but this menu should be different since it’s a boat house! You can order anything from oysters to surf and turf to a salmon burger. We went for a casual early dinner, so I wanted something filling—but fun!
We started with an order of quac and pico, and though the menu doesn’t specify this, the chips are lightly dusted with a seasoning that just quite makes this order. The quac is fresh (our waitress made ours), and the pico is the perfect addition to dip your chip for a mix-up.
To be honest, I got so excited when the food came that I just dug right in! I ordered the popcorn shrimp basket. I’ve always loved popcorn shrimp, and it’s so hard to find! I couldn’t believe PBH offered it on their menu. The shrimp was fresh, and contrary to how I usually feel when I order seafood inland, I couldn’t tell I wasn’t at the beach.
I’d suggest if you go to Puckett’s Boat House, order some seafood, even if it’s your appetizer. I plan on going back to work my way up and down the menu. I guess that’s a perk of being close! And if you’re local or visiting the area on a weekend, they do a Sunday brunch from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. with some yummy looking menu additions like white cheddar whiskey grits but they also stick to staples such as eggs, bacon, and biscuits—for people like me.
Happy eating!
