When we saw Dotson's Restaurant, we knew right away that this was the perfect spot to begin our adventure. The first thought when you see this place is "hole-in-the-wall". After squeezing into the very small parking area, and passing two older couples who were patting their bellies and had toothpicks hanging from their mouths, we made our way in through the front door. We seated ourselves at a booth right by the front door. Note for anyone else who visits Dotson's... don't sit in the booth by the front door in the winter. Brrrr!!!!
It wasn't but a minute until we were greeted by our very friendly waitress who gave us menus and took our drink orders. The dining area was small with booths along the walls, a few small tables scattered around and one long table in the back for larger parties. Everyone there looked comfortable and happy. I also noticed a booth with four teen-aged girls who looked as if they had been eating there their whole lives. The older gentleman that was running the register, and could have possibly been the owner, went over to the girls table a couple of times and told them stories to make them laugh... kinda like an old grand pappy would do. :)
After examining the menu, which by the way was autographed by Wynonna Judd, we both decided to order country lunch plates. I ordered chicken-n-dumplins with green beans and fried okra. Nate ordered meatloaf with mashed potatoes topped with gravy, and creamed corn. In about 5 minutes, our food was delivered, piping hot and absolutely delicious! Both dinners were served with cornbread muffins which were also divine. I must say that the creamed corn was some of the best I have ever tasted and is a MUST have! The only thing I have ever had that compared was home made, fresh from the field. After our tasty meal, we topped it off by sharing a slice of coconut cream pie with "mile high meringue". It was heavenly! We didn't even hesitate long enough to take a picture of it. Sorry! The total for our meals, including sweet iced tea and dessert was $21 and change. Outstanding!
In talking with our waitress, we learned that you might just run into a country music star while dining at Dotson's. She said she served Kenny Chesney a couple weeks ago, George Lindsey (Goober) is a regular, and she had also heard that Keith Urban had been in a few weeks ago. Dotson's has been in business for 65 years!!! Imagine the stories those walls could tell!!
We would definitely recommend a visit to Dotson's Restaurant if you're ever in the Franklin, TN area. Dotson's prefers paper over plastic so be sure and bring cash or a personal check... no debit/credit cards are accepted. Bring a friend and your appetite and get ready for some gooooooooood food!
Nate and I give Dotson's a rating of four out of five drumsticks.
