Restaurants in Spring Hill

At Woody’s Steak House, chefs roast prime rib for four hours, carve the succulent cuts to order, and ladle them with house au jus. The sumptuous entree is one of the reasons Woody’s Steak House has remained a neighborhood bastion for more than 40 years. Other entrees reflect a similar attention to detail, from the aged-in-house filet mignon to the pecan-smoked ribs. Meaty morsels pair with an ample wine list and, on Wednesdays, the soft melodies of piano music and murmured reminders to chew 27 times before swallowing.

The diversity of Relish's offerings—from its dine-in menu of salads and sandwiches to its bakery and frozen yogurt—represents the eatery's evolution from a small deli to a full-blown restaurant. Those early diner favorites, such as tuna melts and meatball subs, still fill bellies alongside bread bowls full of hot pasta. On the bakery side, custom cakes, gourmet cupcakes, and pies brimming with fresh fruit line the counters or await pickup for a future event. On Friday nights, the venue comes to life with the thrumming music of live local bands, followed by family-friendly Saturdays, on which kids eat free without having to pickpocket napping subway commuters.

White plates designed to hold five separate pockets of food adorn the glossy tables at Mesob Ethiopian Restaurant, where diners can sample dishes such as rich lamb stew, Ethiopian-style steak tartare with herbed butter and chili powder, and beets simmered with garlic and ginger. Pieces of injera flatbread sop up savory sauces, and sips of rich Ethiopian coffee or imported beer wash back each bite.

Fifty-year-old performance footage imparts a flickering glow over a single brave waitress, who alights a miniature version of the Grand Ole Opry's circular stage to sing a classic country ballad. Opry Backstage Grill seeks to capture the spirit of the storied country venue in every aspect, from its memorabilia-speckled interior to recipes culled from the traditions and musicians that have graced the mecca's illustrious wings. Local, sustainable meats sizzle over smoky Tennessee hickory to craft barbecue plates anointed in one of three house-made sauces, while Southern-inspired morsels of catfish, shrimp and grits, and fried green tomatoes fill mouths with more nostalgia than a postcard from their estranged baby teeth.

Looking back on a rough-and-tumble career, songwriter and artist Bobby Pinson laments the slow arrival of his success. But having written hit songs for acts including Toby Keith, Sugarland, and Rascal Flatts, it's hard to deny he's made a name for himself by feeding America's ears. Now he's striving to bring his same brand of warm honesty to stomachs.

With the help of his wife, Lucy, and recipes passed down over three generations, the self-proclaimed Panhandle Texan has opened Lucy’s Country Cafe, which liberates the aromas of homestyle cooking to drift across nearby Music Row. As Bobby twists the tuners on his guitar to bring the metallic twang into tune at live weekly performances, forks click a steady beat against plates laden with chicken and dumplings, tender pot roast, and warm sides of mashed potatoes or cornbread bought à la carte or from the all-you-can-eat buffet. Caterers race from the restaurant, bringing feasts for party hosts to pass off as home cooked when trying to prove their kitchen isn't just a mirage.

John "Chappy" Chapman watched his mother cook for their family while growing up in Alabama and New Orleans. Her techniques inspired him to open Chappy's Seafood Restaurant in 1984 and serve family-style creole cuisine. When Hurricane Katrina struck the Gulf Coast in 2005, it destroyed his restaurant and his home. Chapman hauled the spirit of creole cuisine to Nashville, opening Chappy's on Church. At the new establishment, red beans and rice, jambalaya with andouille sausage, and crayfish étouffée sizzle with as much spice as ever.

"In New Orleans, we live to eat," says Chapman. Inside the restaurant, he's cultivated an Old World atmosphere ideal for dining slowly and relishing every bite. A refinished wooden bar brings its hand-carved reliefs all the way from Belgium, leaving a bar-shaped hole in Belgium's heart. Century-old stained-glass panels and matching lamps were salvaged from a cathedral in Indiana. Bright paintings adorn every wall but one, where Chapman has hung a photograph of the original Chappy's Seafood Restaurant, surrounded by oak trees in the sunlight.