Six months after moving to Brentwood, I’m still finding my way around the restaurant scene. When my husband suggested Ruby Tuesday for a quick lunch, my first thought was:
BORING!
But, I quickly discovered that Ruby Tuesday’s newly revamped salad bar is truly the best in Brentwood, especially if you’re eating low-carb.
The Ruby Tuesday on Franklin Road is a typical American-style restaurant: dim green lighting, clubby vinyl booths, and memorabilia plastered all over the walls. It’s the type of place you associate with big cheeseburgers, french fries, and chicken tenders. In fact, I’d say it’s exactly like O’Charley’s, except for the phenomenal salad bar.
Now, don’t get me wrong–you won’t see a mile-long stretch of choices a la Golden Corral. (Thank goodness!) The Ruby Tuesday on Franklin Road features a small but thoughtfully chosen selection: two kinds of salad greens, edamame, shredded carrots and green peppers, olives, bacon, julienned beets, steamed green beans, dried cranberries, sunflower seeds and more.
The health-conscious among us will appreciate that most of the options are served raw, not pre-smothered in mayonnaise. It’s nice to add a sprinkle of green peas instead of green-pea-and-cheddar salad. I also sampled the green beans and cherry tomatoes marinated in a lighter vinaigrette.
However, if you love the variety of Southern “salads”–a term that includes anything from jello to tuna fish–Ruby Tuesday’s has a little of each. I noted chicken salad, tuna salad, and two kinds of pasta salad on our last visit.
You can also make a last trip for fresh fruit instead of dessert. The Ruby Tuesday on Franklin Road offered grapes, honeydew melon and canteloupe when we ate there last week.
The salad bar isn’t cheap, but it’s only twice what you’d pay McDonald’s for a wilted salad-to-go. Menu prices ranged from $8 for the all-you-care-to-eat salad bar, to $8.50 with soup, or $8.99 with sandwich.
I'm a wife, mom of 4, and resident of Brentwood, Tennessee. I love finding fun new things for my family to see and do in Brentwood and the Nashville area!
