- Cleanliness: 5 out of 5
- Service: 5 out of 5
- Food: 5 out of 5
- Experience: 6 out of 5!!
- Overall Score: 21, which gives Old Hickory Steakhouse five plates on SK8's plate rate!
I got to spend my birthday weekend at Opryland with my friend Ashley. I went to Old Hickory Steakhouse on my 12th birthday. It was a great birthday dinner and an awesome way to kick off my birthday weekend! We had reservations (highly recommended) and were quickly seated when we arrived. I was quite surprised to see that our menus had "Happy 12th Birthday" printed on them. The restaurant has "outdoor" seating which makes you feel like you are sitting outside in a beautiful botanical garden, but actually you are inside, so there are no bugs or weather issues. Opryland was decorated for the holidays when we went and the lights were beautiful. The restaurant is very clean and the staff are all very attentive and friendly.
I had a shirley temple for my drink. We decided to have the Artisanal Cheeses for our starters. The Maitre Fromager came to our table with a huge selection of imported and fancy cheeses. After listening to the story of each cheese, we narrowed down our choices to six cheeses. They all sounded so delicious. Each cheese came with a pairing of a fruit compote or honey.
I had lobster and corn bisque for my soup. I have had this there before and it is a divine soup experience! The soup comes in an individual sized copper pot that is poured table-side into the soup bowl which has lobster chunks and corn in the bottom of it. I could eat this soup every day.
For my entree, I had an 8 oz filet mignon with a Maytag bleu cheese topping cooked to medium rare doneness. It is the most tender, flavorful steak I have ever been served. It comes with a whole roasted garlic on the side. You can eat this or just leave it as a garnish. The sides are ordered a la carte and are served family-style with generous portions to share with the table. I had garlic truffle macaroni and cheese, the bleu cheese and thyme potatoes au gratin, and the sauteed mushrooms. Each side was more rich and delicious than the last! The macaroni and cheese was my favorite. It is so good that we duplicated it at home! The only problem with the food at this restaurant is that everything tastes so good and you get full too fast! I was so full, we didn't even consider dessert, but the chef had made a special dessert for my birthday which was a surprise to me! It was a chocolate lava cake with fresh whipped cream on a decorated plate! It was delicious even if I could only eat a few bites!
My overall experience was exceptional at Old Hickory Steakhouse. I have eaten here twice before and requested it for my birthday dinner. It is quite an exquisite experience! The "outdoor" seating is in the delta atrium and the plants and trees make the environment so wonderful. Every wait staff that saw me wished me a happy birthday and the birthday message printed on the menu was an extra special touch! I would definitely recommend eating here if you go to Opryland.
- SK8's Insider Tips:
- Be sure to stir your soup to make sure you get lobster and corn in every bite!
- Use your phone to see the menu if you are at a dark table or have late reservations.
- Having the Maitre Fromager come to the table makes you feel like you are super fancy.
