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Restaurants in Murfreesboro, Tennessee

Places to eat in Murfreesboro and nearby Smyrna: a directory of 192 restaurants and food businesses, sorted by part of town and type of food.

By the Only in Murfreesboro local team · Last checked:

What are the best places to eat in Murfreesboro, TN?

The best places to eat in Murfreesboro, TN start downtown, where Puckett's, Marina's on the Square and Jack Brown's Beer & Burger Joint sit just off the Public Square. Kleer-Vu Lunchroom has served soul food meat-and-three since 1976, Slick Pig BBQ serves hickory-smoked barbecue, and The Alley on Main serves steaks and seafood.

Each name links to its listing with the address, hours and phone number. Medical Center Parkway and Old Fort Parkway are the main corridors for chains and international kitchens; the tables below name picks in each part of town and for each type of food. For a shorter editorial list with a source for every pick, see the best restaurants in Murfreesboro.

Where to eat by area

Named picks in each part of town, with the street address from each listing.

Murfreesboro restaurants by area
AreaWhere to eat
Downtown and the Public Square
Downtown restaurants guide
Medical Center Pkwy and The Avenue
The Avenue guide
Old Fort Pkwy and N Thompson Ln (near I-24)
S Church St
Near MTSU (Middle Tennessee Blvd)
NW Broad St and Memorial Blvd
Smyrna
Smyrna restaurants guide

Where to eat by cuisine

Three places to start for each type of food, with a link to the full guide. For a shorter, curated list, see the best restaurants in Murfreesboro.

Murfreesboro restaurants by cuisine
CuisineWhere to eat
Southern and meat-and-three
Southern food guide
Barbecue
BBQ guide
Mexican
Mexican restaurants guide
Asian, sushi and ramen
Asian restaurants guide
Indian
Indian restaurants guide
Italian and pizza
Italian guide
Mediterranean and Greek
Mediterranean guide
Steaks and seafood
Steakhouse guide
Breakfast and brunch
Brunch guide
Desserts
Desserts guide

New restaurants

Openings and coming-soon restaurants are tracked separately on new restaurants in Murfreesboro, which is updated as businesses announce them.

Burgers

Local burger joints and chains, with hours checked on each restaurant's own site, are compared on the best burgers in Murfreesboro.

Where should you eat lunch in Murfreesboro, TN?

For the best lunch in Murfreesboro, TN, Kleer-Vu Lunchroom, Puckett's and Farmer's Family Restaurant serve Southern meat-and-three plates. Tandoor Indian Restaurant and The Clay Pit run lunch buffets. Camino Real on Memorial Blvd opens at 11 a.m. daily, and Another Broken Egg Cafe and Goodness Gracious serve breakfast and lunch until early afternoon.

These listings mention lunch service, a lunch menu, a lunch buffet or daytime hours that cover lunch. Hours change, so check with the restaurant before you go.

Meat-and-three and Southern plates

The classic Murfreesboro lunch is a plate of one meat and Southern sides.

Lunch buffets

Several Indian restaurants run a lunch buffet, and one downtown pizzeria has an Italian buffet.

Lunch menus and specials

These restaurants list a separate lunch menu or lunch specials.

  • Camino Real Mexican Restaurant — Lunch menu with plates like the Speedy Gonzales; opens 11 a.m. daily, 3359 Memorial Blvd
  • China Wok — Chinese lunch combinations downtown, 127 SE Broad St
  • The Chop House — Lunch menu, open for lunch and dinner daily, 541 N Thompson Ln

Breakfast-and-lunch cafes

These cafes serve lunch but close in the afternoon, so plan for an early meal.

Quick lunch downtown

Within a few blocks of the Public Square.

Delis and subs

Fast casual sandwich shops for a lunch on the go.

Coming soon: Chinwag at 1440 Medical Center Pkwy starts lunch service Nov. 3, 2026, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. Want an earlier meal? See breakfast in Murfreesboro.

Murfreesboro food guides

Murfreesboro restaurant FAQ

What food is Murfreesboro, TN known for?

Southern cooking and barbecue. Kleer-Vu Lunchroom has served meat-and-three soul food since 1976, and Puckett's downtown serves BBQ and meat-and-three specials. For barbecue, Slick Pig BBQ on E Main St serves hickory-smoked pork, ribs and brisket, and Whitt's Barbecue on Sulphur Springs Rd is the local location of a family-owned Middle Tennessee barbecue restaurant that bills itself as serving BBQ since 1978.

What restaurants are on the square in Murfreesboro?

On and just off the Public Square are Joanie's (13 S Public Square), Marina's on the Square (125 N Maple St, since 1998), Jack Brown's Beer & Burger Joint (113 N Maple St), Puckett's (114 N Church St), Hattie Jane's Creamery (116 N Church St), Simply Pure Sweets (128 N Church St) and The Alley on Main (223 W Main St).

Where can I get lunch in Murfreesboro, TN?

For a Southern plate lunch, Kleer-Vu Lunchroom, Puckett's and Farmer's Family Restaurant serve meat-and-three. Tandoor, The Clay Pit and Taste of India have lunch buffets. Camino Real on Memorial Blvd has a lunch menu and opens at 11 a.m. daily, and Another Broken Egg Cafe and Goodness Gracious serve breakfast and lunch until 2 p.m. on weekdays.

Where can I eat near MTSU?

On Middle Tennessee Blvd along the west side of campus, Boulevard Bar & Grille serves burgers and flatbreads at No. 2154, Bean Loft Coffee Company is at No. 2136, and Cup Pop Korean Restaurant, open since 2017, is at No. 2832. Campus Pub on Gunnerson Ave is a longtime bar near campus.

Which Murfreesboro restaurants are open late?

Jack Brown's Beer & Burger Joint downtown is open until 2 a.m. Thursday through Saturday, the Taco Bell on Memorial Blvd lists hours until 5 a.m., and the Waffle House on Armory Dr and the McDonald's on S Church St are open 24 hours. See the late-night food guide for more.

What new restaurants are opening in Murfreesboro?

Chinwag, from Hell's Kitchen Season 21 winner Alex Belew, starts dinner service Oct. 22, 2026, and lunch Nov. 3, 2026, at 1440 Medical Center Pkwy in The Fountains at Gateway. Big Bad Breakfast's Murfreesboro location at 113 E Main St is listed as coming soon. The new restaurants guide tracks other openings.

Where should I eat in Smyrna?

Margarita House has served Mexican food on N Lowry St since 2006, Champy's serves fried chicken and catfish on Isabella Ln, Helen's Hot Chicken is on Sam Ridley Pkwy W, and Curry Up Now on Rock Springs Rd is the chain's first Tennessee location. The Smyrna restaurants guide covers more.

All 192 restaurants and food businesses, A to Z

Every restaurant, cafe, bakery, bar and food market in the directory. Each name links to its full listing with hours, phone and details.

Restaurant profiles

Full guides to downtown spots: Puckett's, Marina's on the Square, Jack Brown's Beer & Burger Joint, Domenico's Italian Deli, Simply Pure Sweets, Bibles & Coffee and The Velvet Room. Elsewhere in town: 615 District (Southern Still) and Demos' Restaurant. For more around downtown, see the guide to restaurants on the square in downtown Murfreesboro.