Wild Iris Cafe

This place is a great restaurant that requires reservations to eat at this spot without a wait. The menu is eclectic with many items to choose from. I ordered the bouillabaisse which is a French seafood stew similar to a cioppino. It was refreshing and spicy at the same time with the right amount of heat to keep you warm in the winter evenings.

This was mine and my wife’s first experience at Wild Iris. We came in with high expectations and it did not dissapoint. We split the cheese platter and it was awesome. Definitely a must have if splitting an appetizer. My wife had the tomato bisque soup and low country bouillonasse. She said both were delicious. I had the clam chowder and shrimp and grits. The clam chowder was great and the shrimp and grits were about a 7 or 8. We finished with the bread pudding and tiramisu, both were delicious. Overall, I would say that no one dish was the best that I had tasted, but everything was so good that the meal overall would probably make my top ten list. The only complaint I had was the table next to us was pretty loud. I would have liked more privacy or room between tables. We will definitely be going again.

We like to eat out fairly regularly and love to try new restaurants. I had heard of this restaurant but not had any recommendations from anyone. It was just not on the radar. We did reserve a table. When we got there they said the table they reserved for us was still occupied. That’s the first time we have heard that. I am not sure that I would have said that. There were some empty tables. The one she was going to put us in was a better spot but that was ok. The service was good. The wine was good. We both had seen someone eating the pork chop and ordered that, which was delicious. We also had the mussels as an app, and those were great. It’s at the end of a strip center and it’s just a little awkward. When a car would pull into the parking lot from the entrance in front of the restaurant, because of the hill the headlights were blinding. there was a large brick pillar in front of the outdoor seating. It was not the best ambiance. I did check out the restroom and you get to peer into the kitchen area which was super messy. That was a little off putting. Although I am not a fan of the location, we will try again.

Great atmosphere, good service, delicious food, great wine selection — what else do you need???

The food and service are both great for business lunches. I love bringing my clients to this restaurant in Brentwood. Also, in a convenient location. Highly recommended!

The Glazed Bone-​In pork chop was amazing! The sides were perfect as well. Highly recommend the service, the atmosphere, the wine and the food.

We had an awesome dinner here last night on Valentine’s day. Even though they had a couple of specials on the menu, we ordered entrees that they have on a regular basis: Lamb shank and salmon. I’ll start off by saying the salmon was cooked perfectly, very moist and just slightly underdone in the center, the way I really think Salmon should be cooked. It was served with a very good wild rice and carrot pilaf and the pecan crust on the salmon was light and thin but just enough to give it a nice little crunch.
Despite the salmon being great, the lamb shank was the highlight. HUGE piece of fall-​off-​of-​the-​bone-​tender meat. SO GOOD. And served over farro with roasted winter veggies including parsnips, sweet potatoes, pearl onions and a couple others.
The atmosphere here is great: dimly lit, not too loud, but still very lively yet sort of romantic for a date. The service is excellent. The food is delicious, fairly priced, and the portions are very substantial.
I can’t believe it took me four years of living in Nashville to try this place, but I’ll definitely be back and I have a feeling we will both be ordering the lamb shank even though I would like to try everything else on the menu!

Had the privilege of eating at the Wild Iris with my dinner club last night. Was in an odd spot but was very impressed. I had the Shrimp and Grits. Throughly enjoyed it. Grits had a lot of flavor. Great atmosphere and the waitress was very attentive to our large party. Will have to go back and try their skillet chicken and the pecan salmon. Both looked fantastic.

Last night I think I had one of the best meals I have eaten in Nashville thus far.
The Cider Brined Bone In Pork Chop, was amazing and exactly what I wanted!
The pork chop was well cooked and not dry at all and was amazing when I dipped it in the mustard jus. The sweet potato and onion hash was well balanced and savory and perfect with the chop. The parmesan brussels sprout slaw was tangy and wonderfully paired with the meal. The meal was the perfect size and just all around terrific.
The Wild Iris was not on my list of places to go, but my friend suggested it and it was awesome. The place is small and unassuming in a strip mall, but its certainly a hidden treasure. It would be a great place for a date. Its ambiance is candlelit, quite, and oddly kind of romantic without the feeling of trying too hard. Our waiter was nice and never hovered.
Basically my experience was great and I would have licked my plate, but that would be unladylike like, so I decided against it.

Enjoyed our meal and experience very much. The owner of the restaurant attended to us and was delightful and helpful. We are new residents of Nashville and are happy to find such great good close to home. Highly recommend.

Came here for Restaurant Week 2014. We really enjoyed the food and the outdoor patio. The Bread pudding was good, but I was so full that it was too much (my fault though). The food was great, especially the quinoa fritters! The only complaint and reason for 4 stars instead of 5 was the service. Our waitress was a bit rude. I would still go back, but I would request a different waiter

I visited here for a light dinner tonight. So, I didn’t get the pork chop or the grits that other Unilocalers have raved about — just keep that in mind here.
I did order the watermelon salad and mushroom ravioli ( Unilocal’s menu is not updated). They started off with good bread and a balsamic/​oil/​cheese mixture. Then to the salad — watermelon, tomatoes, almonds, cheese and greens in a very light vinaigrette. It was… meh. I found myself hunting for the almonds/​cheese and didn’t finish it. And for me not to finish something, is profound. Next up was the mushroom ravioli — zucchini and yellow squash with kale, tomatoes and ravioli. The ravioli were served in a heirloom «pomodoro» which was not sauce, but soup — water and tomatoes. I’m not usually so picky — but this was seriously ravioli submerged in tomato water. It lacked any real flavor or complexity. I was hoping the ravioli themselves would makeup for the mistake, but they were… meh. good mushroom flavor but no redeeming qualities for the dish. Again, didn’t finish this one.
The service. As others have stated, the guy with the beard is great and super friendly. Unfortunately he wasn’t my waiter. I walked in and after a minute had to ask the bartender if it was a seat yourself situation. Then bearded guy wiped down my table and took my drink order. My waitress eventually came over and never introduced herself. I was (or felt) rushed and looked over the entire time. I didn’t find out her name until I got the check. The restaurant was doing a good business, but not packed. There was no comment/​mention when I left both my salad and entrée half eaten and no refilled drink (it was tea!).
Overall, a very poor experience from both the service and food aspect. I want local places like this to succeed but I found myself wanting to react like Gordon Ramsay in Kitchen Nightmares (ABC Baking episode).

Yum! I woke up this morning and thought, «that meal was so good I’ve gotta Unilocal!»
I hadn’t been to Wild Iris for a few years. Not sure why, but we thought of it last night. We called a couple of friends at the last minute and they joined us.
We waited at the bar, my date looking for a more interesting beer than was available, had a Fat Tire. That’s really the only complaint I have for this review, is that the beer selection is a little drab.
We had quite a variety of dishes at our table, scallops for my girlfriend, chicken for her husband, shrimp and grits for my boyfriend and I had what had to be the best choice, rainbow trout. The trout was perfectly browned in a dusting of crusty cornmeal and presented on a bed of a beautiful bed of dark greens with vinegar for a nice bite. It was an entrée to finish, but I couldn’t hold it all! Everyone at the table was happy with their choice. For wine, we went with the Justin cab, which paired well enough for everyone. Our server (who was excited to let us know that the scallops had only just arrived at 5:00 p.m.), was friendly and attentive, giving us time to decide and to linger after, even though we ordered no dessert or after dinner coffees, etc. We split the check two ways and stayed just under $ 100, which is always our Friday night goal.
I suppose one could pick on such a place for having such fine food and such minimal furnishings. Maybe someday they’ll spring for a redecorating, but for now, go because you appreciate fresh fish, meats and vegetables, prepared with creative panache by a chef who can imaginatively combine ingredients without getting goofy over whatever is ‘trending’. Buon appetito! Bravo!

A metal twist tie, and barely an apology.
I’ve been dining at the Wild Iris for a long time. It’s quaint and I love meeting my clients there. Their service is ok — sometimes I feel like I’m an annoyance to the servers. BUT their food is amazing. It’s the food that keeps me coming back.
Yesterday I almost swallowed a metal twist tie (from a loaf of bread) that was in the first bite I took of my grilled cheese sandwich. I told the server, and she took my meal off my bill, but I barely got an apology.
I was shocked that the manager/​owner never came to my table to apologize. In fact, the server acted like it was no big deal.
Swallowing a metal twist tie would have been a very big deal — I think I’ve had my last visit to the Wild Iris after this experience.
So disappointing.

Nicer inside than you would expect from the outside. Food was unique and tasty, but not amazing. Would have given it 4 stars if the the prices were lower.

We had reservations and were seated upon arriving. The waitress was great giving us time to look at the menu while bringing us our drinks and bread. The bread wasn’t warm and not as fresh as I would have liked. I ordered the tenderloin which was cooked to perfection. I also ordered a salad which was okay but skimpy. The potatoes were undercooked, cold and I had three green beans on the plate. Overpriced and very small portions. We will not return as there are too many great restaurants in the area.

I like it. It’s something different in Brentwood.
It’s dimly lit and quaint inside, and has more tables in a medium space than the store-​front size would indicate. I’ve been here three or four times and have always been seated promptly and waited on quickly.
Service is good, with well-​informed servers who know the menu and talk-​up the specials a bit. They seem to care, which is nice.
The food I’ve had is pretty good, but to be fair, not amazing in any way. It meets my expectations from the setting, the menu, and the price-​point, and I mean this as a compliment, not a detraction.
I think Wild Iris is a good change up for a lighter lunch, like a soup/​salad. They do have heavier entrees, but I don’t think I’ve ever tried them — not what I’m looking for here.

YES! Service was perfect. A very special meal.
We showed up very early for dinner… about an hour before our reservation. No problem. After we sat down, my wife said she wanted to eat outside. No problem. Nobody acted like we were putting them out to move a couple of menus.
Our waiter, a younger guy with a long beard whose name I can’t remember, was awesome. He was there when we needed him, gone when we didn’t. We had lots of questions about the menu and he answered them like he could have prepared each dish himself blindfolded. I’d tell you to ask for him, but the other waitress was similarly accommodating to the table next to us.
We started with the mussels, which were perfect. Not over-​seasoned or swimming in some heavy sauce… they were just right. Simple, elegant.
I had the shrimp and grits and my wife had the Sambar. They were both amazing. Interesting preparation on both, but not weird for the sake of being weird. Tastes that you might not put together on your own but just went together perfectly.
Then there was the chocolate bread pudding. Wow. One of the better desserts I can remember having. And again, though there were several tastes in the bowl, they didn’t fight. It wasn’t like they just a sugarbomb of decadence… it was thought-​out. Special.
Don’t let the location fool you; it is just stuck in a strip mall. The service, the food, the whole experience. it was absolutely 5 stars. We will definitely be back.

Wild Iris provided a nice intimate setting for my small group meal. We started with the cheese plate while we agonized over the menu on which everything sounded great. The cheese and fruits were good, though more non-​blended cheeses would have balanced out the flavors. I ordered the tenderloin, which was cooked perfectly. It came on a good bed gnocchi. They have a good wine list of moderate and high priced wines to wash down the food.
Our server was prompt and attentive and knew when to stop to check on us and when to let us dine in peace. The ambiance was just right for conversation. Prices are moderately high but the service and quality mean you’ll enjoy the meal without regrets.

Great Restaurant Week Deals!
You will need your GPS to find this place. It is located in a strip mall and not very easy to see.
We dined here during restaurant week and I obviously made the best food choices. Compliments to the chef on the wonderful meal. We started with veggie spring rolls for our appetizer. The main event for me was the hangar steak in a mushroom demi sauce with roasted garlic mashers and asparagus. The steak was so tender it just melted in your mouth. I don’t consider that an easy task for steak. Dessert was chocolate torte and it was as delicious as the rest of our meal.
So why 4 stars if the food was that great? The staff could use some improvement. Maybe they were very busy due to restaurant week. The person that brought the food slid my husband’s plate on the table and then mine. No smile, no eye contact. Deliver the food and run. They weren’t that busy yet. It was 5pm after all. Our waiter seemed nice enough. He smiled but he seemed as if he were struggling with the tables in our section. Maybe he was just nervous or new. He broke the stem off the wine glass at the table next to us when he set it on the table. He cleaned it up and laughed it off and the people at the table weren’t mad so I guess all was good.