Went with two other couples that had not been there before. Â Great service from Rick, who was very knowledgeable of all the specials and menu. Â Started with the onion ring app, which was fantastic. Â For my meal, I ordered the fish tacos, which were very good and a lot of food. Â My wife ordered the halibut, which she enjoyed but said it was a little dry. Â The others ordered the filet (polished them off) and prime rib (ended up bringing some home). Â The chocolate mousse was nothing special; however, the white chocolate bread pudding was phenomenal.
Review Source:NO NO NO I use to like this place, I don't know what changed. We went with reservations & took forever to get greeted at our table. We weren't sure who our server really was until the end. Â The drinks were good the food not so much!! The food was very salty. The worse part was the service! We will not be returning and I would have asked to see a manager but we just wanted to get out of there after waiting so long. No money was wasted thank goodness because we had a gift card! Oh & the male server kept calling us guys.. I am clearly a beautiful woman. That slang wasn't classy. There are many wonderful (& classy) restaurants around in the area. So don't waste a good night out at Saffire.
Review Source:Great place to take out-of-town visitors - great food, good vibe, solid service and consistent. Â They have a neat bar and a variety of cocktails, and live music in the main room. Â Try the Hellfire! Â For dinner, both the fried oysters and fried avocado are amazing. Â I ordered prime rib, but they had run out so I got the NY strip instead. Â It was excellent, and the kale and mashed potatoes on the side were good. Â My wife got the Creole shrimp and grits, which we both loved. Â The grits were smooth and creamy, and the Creole sauce on the shrimp was delicious. Â We didn't have room for dessert, but we'll have to go back because I'm sure it would have been equally good.
Review Source:Saffire is a favorite of ours. My wife and I have lived in the Nashville area for the last four years and this is a go to for date nights and any other excuse we can make. TomKats does an outstanding job providing a great ambiance and service. Vinny's menu is top shelf.
It is important to take a quick step back and address the service. Saffire was one of the first restaurants we tried when we moved to Nashville, since then we have also tried most of the popular restaurants around and even found a couple word-of-mouth only types. In four years there has been a natural turnover in the staff, but it is consistent and enjoyable! These servers and bartenders are the best! They quickly become friends and remember us each time we go in. I have never had a bad/poor/ok/mediocre experience here and the food is always reliable.
I would love to give this place a 5 of 5 but it would be nice to have a little change in the menu. The daily pasta is always tasty and the new drink menu is top 3 in the metro area, but the menu is predictable with little variety. It is clear from the quality is delivered that Vinny has a real talent. It would be great to see a whole new section on their menu and it be difficult to get into this place once again!
Food is average for the price. Cheese plate doesn't have enough of the cat shaped crackers. The shrimp appetizer is a copy of the Bam Bam shrimp from Bonefish Grill, and has decent amount of crunch on the outside. The pasta in the Country Carbonara was over cooked and the sauce was too salty. If you are using ham the seasoning needs to be adjusted accordingly. Shrimp and grits were good.
Review Source:I went to Saffire on Sunday March 3 for the first time.
we shared the lettuce wraps and bacon cheddar soup for appetizers and had the Saffire Martini. The food was so delicious!! The soup tasted home made ant the lettuce wraps really could be an entree. We loved the complimentary biscuits and corn bread, especially with the soup.
For the entree, we had the fish tacos made with Mahi Mahi. We got the rice and beans on one and had the grilled asparugus and grits on the other. Again, delicious and super filling.
We will definitely be back and my guy friend said this may become 'our' place.
We ended up making reservations at Saffire on a Friday evening over Restaurant Week - their menu looked exciting and had a solid mix of dishes with no real "throw-aways" to make it a three-course, so we hoped it would be worth the somewhat long drive from our usual "five minutes away" lifestyle.
Saffire was spectacular. The venue is really awesome - the Factory in Franklin - but with a jazzed up interior, candles on the tables, plate window-and-brick walls and I think a giant overhead fire engine water tank. They had live music when we arrived - and arriving to the tune of a full band playing the Flintstones theme song is pretty fun - and we all agreed that while they were loud since we sat directly behind them, really really enjoyed the band anyway and were still able to hear each other at either end of the table. For noise level concerns - there was a very small baby at the next table and the couple there didn't seem to have any issues either.
Our waitstaff was all very friendly and we were well-served despite our intention to order from the slightly-less-expensive menu and the fact that gratuity would be included regardless for our 7-person group.
The food was the real star at Saffire. I had my first gumbo - big flavors that were delicious - The Ribbon salad that I honestly scraped off of my plate and couldn't stop enjoying...yes we shared and delighted over our salads. It was maybe 85% iceberg lettuce...I'm told that's low-brow, but Saffire made it something that I'd honestly drive back to order any night of the week for a meal.
Our entrees arrived - hot, perfectly cooked, portions so large we did the to-go boxes. I had the Fish Tacos - delicious at first bite where I could almost taste the smokiness in the air the moment before I bit down - and tried the fried chicken - wow. Crispy, hot, gravy, my mind melted a little bit....until I reached over a snagged a bit of the peach-glazed pork chop and my mind came back to life again - juicy pork with a flavorful brilliant glaze that made me happy I had good friends who didn't mind the second bite I snagged from their plates. Â
All-around, Saffire had a flavor punch that we loved in every dish. The restaurant itself is fun to dine in, the entertainment was loud but lovable and our service was really spot on.
Saffire has never disappointed - from the bread they initially bring to the table, to the drinks, to the main courses.
This time around I had the Autumn Ribs, and it was great. At the risk of sounding like a judge on MasterChef, the dish was hearty, soulful, and had all the right flavor profiles.
Seriously. If there is one place to eat outside of Nashville it is Saffire, the sister restaurant of The Southern. Â The Dilla of the Day is out of this world, only to be overshadowed by the Legendary Fried Chicken.
Awesome Cocktails. Kid Friendly. Â The wait staff is awesome, but Scott is our personal fav, he always raises the bar of their top notch service.
PRO-Tip: Do not refuse the biscuits offered when you sit down.
PRO-Tip #2: get the Mexicosmo at least once.
If all of that was not enough to get you to go, they also have the best salad you have ever consumed. The Saffire Ribbon Salad. Sometimes I get that  AND the 'Dilla!
The atmosphere is laid back and the service wonderful. We had the lobster empanadas as an appetizer; it was a surprisingly sweet because of the spicy salsa as well as the lobster filling. For our entree, my boyfriend had the spare rib, which was good, but the star of the evening was the popular pork chop dish that I ordered. It was smoked before it was cooked, and the thing was at least 14 oz. I couldn't even finish it. It was beyond delicious though, and my boyfriend was happy to eat my leftovers. We had several cocktails, but my favorite was the spiced old fashioned. Warmed my insides on the crisp, fall night. Â Definitely a must go to if you are ever in the Franklin area!
Review Source:Overall: Cool spot off the beaten path with interesting food & expensive wine.
Food: We went for dinner on a Sunday night with 2 of our good friends which was great because we got to taste twice as much food! Appetizers may have been my favorite part of the meal.. the lobster empanadas were creamy, crispy and actually had chunks of lobster in them! Don't be scared off by the jalapeno in the description, I could see a few but I couldn't taste them at all. Our friends got the shrimp and that sauce - so great! It was creamy without being heavy and had a little kick at the end. The entree breakdown: chicken fried chicken, black & blue pasta, catfish & peach glazed pork chop. I think my favorite was the pork chop - thick cut, moist and flavorful and the peach glaze was perfect. I ordered the black & blue pasta and it was probably the least impressive of the bunch. I could have easily made a better version at home.
Drinks: We went on a Sunday so it was half priced wine -- and thank goodness it was. The mark up on bottles of wine appears to be absurd. A bottle of Kim Crawford sauvignon blanc was $52 *blink* *jaw drop* *scowl* really? At the store, it's maybe $13. Kris pinot grigio was $40, at the store it's $13 ish, maybe less. I don't mind paying more for wine in a restaurant, but I was pretty put off by the mark up here.
Service: Our waiter was a funny little man who was very attentive. He was great at making suggestions. No complaints in this department.
This restaurant has become a new favorite of mine. Our server was attentive and friendly and recommended various items on the menu. We chose a couple appetizers that didn't last long on our table among the four of us. For dinner, I chose one of his recommendations-the shrimp and grits-and I fell in love. The dish was full of flavor, was a large portion, and was still yummy as a leftover. Its not cheap, but it is well worth it for a nice evening out.
Review Source:Excellent. Started with New South Caesar that was sweet and full of flavor. Then had to try the Chicken Fried Chicken. It was fantastic.
My neighbor at the bar had the prime rib but wasn't impressed. I tend to order well because I eat in plenty of restaurants with my business travel. I chose well. My other neighbor at the bar had the pork chop and loved it. He also chose well!
The bar is a great place to eat and meet people. And, have a couple of drinks of course. Saffire is on my top 25 world wide.
Hubs to be and I came here for dinner the other evening and had an excellent overall experience.  Loved the vibe-very artsy/industrial.  When we walked out we specifically discussed that there were several moments of brilliance with just a couple of things that could use some improvement.  We both started with a delicious brown ale, accompanied with the tenderloin biscuits (truly fantastic, but could maybe benefit from a sauce just because the biscuits absorb so much liquid.  Served with really spectacular truffled fries.  yum).  Our waitress brought us out a plate of breads that were also really yummy-a corn bread and a biscuit with some heat to it.  He ordered the black and bleu burger with onion rings and I had the fish tacos.  His burger was good, but was maybe cooked a shade over what he ordered.  The fish tacos are blackened fish, and not fried, which is excellent because they are flaky and delicious and nicely spiced.  Served with beans and rice which weren't anything special.  Our waitress was super friendly and attentive, though the hostess we found to be oddly non-hospitable...perhaps she was having an off day.  Absolutely loved that there was live piano music accompanying our meal.  I thought it was  a really classy and relaxing touch.
It's a little hard to find if you've never been to the Factory before, but there are some helpful people at the front desk as you walk in who will point you in the right direction.
What is there to not love about this place? This place has a unique southern inspired menu, located in a cool historical factory building in a really cool town. This place has a nice ambience to it, and my husband and I have gone there for a spur of the moment casual dinner as well as for our anniversary dinner in much nicer attire.
We have never been disappointed in the food or service. It is a bit pricy, but it's well worth it!
I enjoy Saffire every time!
Wine Tastings, weekend special dinners,
or Tuesday night 1/2 price bottles of wine are my favorites.
No complaints on the bartenders, especially when the mix up our favorite Mexicosmo.
Never had a bad meal or bad experience at my favorite
Franklin dinner destination.
Oh Saffire...you are so delicious!
I went here with a rather large bachelorette party, and didn't have even a single hiccup you'd expect in a group
The service was great. The food amazing. I had the steak and mac and cheese. Not a single complaint and every bite was enjoyed.
For upscale southern food, this is the place to go!
Great atmosphere, and unique decor quaintly nestled in Franklin's "Factory", an old renovated mill that is a mecca for those wanting to get of the beaten path and experience new artists, theather, novelty shops, and dining. Â With Saffire you get hungry the instant you walk through the front door. Â They have a great well stocked bar with just about every spirit you can think of and Gerry, behind the bar, can put it all to work to satisfy your specific desire.
I am a pork chop conesuier and in all my life's travels I have never experienced anything like this. It's easily over an inch and 1/4 thick and comes out of the kitchen prepared perfectly each and everytime - so tender you can cut through it with a fork and it's never dry. Â You get two sides with this dish, but the macaroni is so freaking delicious I always double up on it.
The negatives to Saffire are the wines. More specifically the cost. A bottle here will literally run you 3 - 4 times store cost. So if you happen to go on a Tuesday (half price wine night) you are actually getting it for about what the other restaurants are charging any regular day of the week. Â That aside it's not a reason that should keep anyone from going there. Â
Definitely make a reservation. This place is a local favorite.
Saffire is a unique restaurant located in a unique piece of American industrial history. Â I will be honest in saying, however, that most of the "fire" in Saffire is hype. Â It holds to a very diverse menu of contemporary comfort foods with fairly large portions...maybe to a point of detriment to the cuisine itself. Â The overall flavor wasn't bad, but the seasonings tended to accentuate all the wrong things, destroying the food's balance. Â The decor was very trendy with an almost brewery-like feel and style with hard surfaces and a great view...of the bar (which was very hypnotic and flashy, mind you).
Overall, Saffire was over-hyped and over-priced for the environment and execution provided. Â It's certainly a well-received establishment by many, but not a huge fan personally.
Service: Â 21 / 30
Food: Â 19 / 30
Decor: Â 19 / 30
Winelist: Â 13 / 30; Â Limited, trendy with several high-end gems, expensive 3x markup
Saffire is a cute bar/restaurant inside the Factory in Franklin. Very large bar area as well as a special events room that we dined in. While not very fancy food, the food was good. I had a fish special with vegetables and a balsamic demi-glaze that was cooked perfectly and very tasty despite sounding simple. My husband had the "Legendary Chicken Fried Chicken" and it was good fried chicken, but I don't know about legendary. Other guests in our party had the pork tenderloin (HUGE); steaks; a house pasta (ok, but not fantastic); salmon; a lobster bisque (tasty!).
This would be a good place to have drinks and a dinner with a not so adventurous diner or a good place to bring kids, but also get the bar type/hip warehouse feel.
Margaritas were good!
Ok...we're staying downtown at the Hilton and read an article about this place. Once we find out it's a $40-50 cab ride each way we think "nah, let's just stay downtown. Then, after re-reading about the happy hour drinks and apps and the fried avocado and the sweet potato bread pudding, we say "f'it".
If you're anywhere near Franklin, the food and the experience is well worth it. Sit at the bar and befriend Jeri and Lou. Jeri is a great bartender and her recommendation for the porkchop was the call - sub grits for mashed potatoes. The portabello mushroom w/blue cheese app was a great starter, as was the chicken/lettuce cups (this ain't no PF Changs stuff).
Great food, great cocktails, great staff and a great experience. Will come again on our next trip to Nashville.
My husband and I love to come to Saffire for a fun dinner date. Â We also go after church on Sundays for brunch / lunch. Â
The ambiance is fun: Â cement floors, warehouse-y, art, good bar, etc. Â
The menu is always fun.
App's: Â Last time we dined, we had the Lobster Empanadas. Â Wow, they were amazing. Â The time before that, we had Annette's Fried Avocado, equally as delish. Â
Entree's: Â All good. Â You can't go wrong. Â I love their burgers, especially the mushroom and brie. Â My husband loves the Prime Rib, which comes with creme fraiche mashed potatoes and asparagus. Â I also enjoy the Blackened Mahi Mahi Tacos. Â I am also a huge fan of mac and cheese, and their white cheddar mac does not disappoint. Â
Dessert's: Â All good. Â Go for it, especially if you're there for a special occasion. Â
Drinks: Â The bar is great...They will make you anything. Â
Happy Hour: Â 3:00-6:30 daily. Â They have food specials, as well as drink specials. Â
Lastly, my husband and I enjoyed their pre fixe menu on Valentine's Day. Â The price was really reasonable, and the selections were delectable. Â I was almost too full to enjoy the homemade souffles - but I indulged.
As with many of the other reviewers here, I love the food, their location is very cool, very relaxing, even a little artsy. Â All good, right? Â Then comes the wait staff. Â Either they are a little over worked or they are a little too busy doing things they shouldn't be doing. Â The end result is they are not serving the diners with the attentiveness they expect.
Food: 5* Location/Atmosphere: 5* Service: 2.5* - total 4*
Saffire is the kind of place that feels cool by just walking inside. It's got a  cool warehouse kinda vibe with good lighting and kitchy art all over the walls, a nice contrast to the empty open space of The Factory.
But enough about what it looks like...the food here is incredible. I've tried almost everything on the menu ( it does change seasonally) and have never had a bad meal.  My favorite thing there has to be the chicken fried chicken topped with Loveless gravy over white cheddar mac  and cheese. The chicken is always crispy on the outside but tender on the inside. Is it remotely healthy? Not a chance...but it tastes so good who cares.
This is definitely a good place to bring guests for dinner. The menu has a great variety of items and they make some mean drinks. It can be a bit pricey but you get what you pay for here.
My only recommendation is after you've had a few of those mean drinks don't hang out around the giant creepy scarecrow sculpture on the wall. He kinda scares me while sober...but not enough to run me out of there. But that's getting off topic...anyway, I definitely recommend this place to anyone!
Saffire makes the best prime rib. Period.
With it's very cute location and very posh yet cozy decor... I find myself wanting to LOVE Saffire. I'm having a hard time with that.
While their food has never let me down their service has. Now, I am in no way "wealthy" I do spend a good amount of money entertaining myself... and I make a great living... and I love, LOVE a great restaurant (at any price point). I am not sure why I was giving off the vibe that I apparently did (I was dressed nicely, designer bag, makeup on, etc...) but while inquiring about their menu and asking for a recommendation the server said to me.... "well hun, this aint no cracker barrel, so I am not sure what you want to spend". Seriously. These words came out of a servers mouth. To me. My mouth literally dropped.
Being new to the south at the time, I had no idea even what a Cracker Barrel was.... and I said just that... "What do you mean? What's a Cracker Barrel?" and he said... "Oh are you more of a Shoneys person"... still blank... I had no idea what he was talking about other than he must be insulting me with the mention of what I wanted to spend on dinner. Now, Saffire isn't "cheap" by any means, but it's not expensive either and this person was insinuating that I may have some objection to the prices listed and that they would potentially influence my dining decision. I was floored.
Instead of getting huffy about this and letting it ruin my evening I let the server know that price was not a concern and I'd need a few minutes to decide, but in the interim I ordered a cocktail... it was clear I needed a stiff drink.
A few minutes later I opted to try their often touted Prime Rib and I was very happy I did. It was cooked to perfection and about the most flavorful piece of meat I've ever had. Unfortunatly, the food was overshadowed by the ignorance of a server and it really did cloud my whole evening. If you can believe it, I wondered why he would think that about me... as if I really care, but it sort of sucked. I'd never been so blatantly judged before (at least not to my face). My whole demeanor changed. I'm the type of person who is very friendly... all the time... but especially to servers who deal with crappy customers all too frequently... I was now shut down and this intuitive douche bag server clearly picked up on it and said he was just kidding about the whole "Cracker Barrel" thing. I told him I didn't find it amusing and I didn't really care to discuss it. I just wanted my check.
I contemplated giving Saffire 2 stars and I probably should have considering I won't go back and experience their divine Prime Rib again for the sole reason that I don't want to be insulted... but at the end of the day, this was one server. Their food is excellent, their drinks are made well and the atmosphere (generally) is what you'd want on a date night with your person and for that I give them 3 stars.
I'm not spiteful, really, but I do hope he is no longer employed with Saffire. They can do a lot better.
Stopped in last night to celebrate our anniversary. Â They had 1/2 price on bottled wine! Â We found out they also comp dessert if it's your birthday or anniversary. Â Our server Paige was great. Â Marie the new manager was also very attentive. Â We enjoyed the live music (classical guitar), and the atmoshpere.
We love Saffire!
I really like Saffire -- it serves what I would term contemporary Southern fare. Â Nice wine list and usually very good seafood choices. Â We had one bad experience here with service some time ago, Â but have been back a few times since and service has been great.
On my last visit,  I ordered the fish and grits. The fish was Escolar, which I had never tried, but highly recommended by our server.  It's very much like tuna, but a white fish. Indeed, it was delicious. HOWEVER, Escolar, unknown to me and apparently the chef, causes bad digestive problems in many people. I'll save you the details (google Escolar and read for yourself), but I certainly had the bad effects of this fish within 24 hours of our dinner.  Escolar has been banned by several countries and was banned by the FDA until the early 90s.  The FDA currently  advises that "Escolar should not be marketed in interstate commerce." Saffire really should not serve this fish without some type of disclaimer. Â
On the other hand, my wife had the mahi mahi tacos, and they were excellent with no adverse digestive effects.
In sum, Saffire is a great place, but do NOT order Escolar!
Only been here once, but it was an amazing experience so I'll start from the beginning...
Went here before going to see a show at the Boiler Room Theatre (also located in The Factory) and I had an idea of what I would like by looking their menu online. Â First of all, I loved the decor and ambiance of the restaurant. Â It had a bar with TVs, but in no way did it feel like a sports bar. Â It definitely had a high middle class feel to it. Â For beginners, my date and I decided to split the Tenderloin Biscuits. These were AMAZING! Â The biscuits were homemade with bits of bleu cheese in them and the sirloin was perfectly cooked to melt in your mouth. Â Served with the biscuits were fresh-cut fries made with bits of truffle and sprinkled bleu cheese on top. Â An awesome appetizer!
For the entree, I had the catch-of-the-day, blackened Mahi Mahi served with veggies on top of their homemade cheesey grits. Â The fish was cooked to perfection. I've NEVER liked grits before, but truly enjoyed their version. Â Actually my date probably enjoyed them even more as she kept eating more off my plate! Â lol
She had the orange salmon and absolutely loved it. Â She said it rivaled her dad's salmon and for anything to come close to what a parent makes must be good.
Saffire can get pricey, BUT for me it's worth it to pay for a great meal. Â What set Saffire apart for me is that they took the time in the presentation of the meals. Â Remember, not only do you eat with your mouth, but also your eyes. Â The presentation of the meals made them taste even better. Â
I definitely recommend that you get reservations if you plan on going on a weekend night though as the place was certainly hopping!
Honestly, I am not a fan of Saffire. I've been to this spot several times and I've been disappointed every single time. Their food is mediocre at best. I haven't had anything here for me wanting to come back. Trust me, if I had my choice I wouldn't have come here second or third time. It's just that I don't want to get ripped off for mediocre food and service.
*I'm a sucker for prime ribs and this place saaaaaaaaaaks! I don't know how they cooked it; I like mine medium rare and this place was more like prime rib jerky.
This place is what you might expect of Franklin, but not necessarily what Franklin really deserves. The atmosphere is classy, the menu is trendy, and the prices are inflated accordingly. This is more of a spot to go to feel like you are part of the hip crowd than to eat good food. While I liked my food, and I sampled over half their menu, I did not feel that it was worth the hype or the price. The cocktails were delicious and their beer menu was good, but again overpriced for the value.
What really got me angry about this place though has nothing to do with the in-restaurant experience. I went there because of their website. They listed happy hour specials that were enticing. They listed my favorite beer on tap. They listed some really great sounding appetizers. On my first visit, I find that they have done away with the happy hour specials, my favorite beer, and the menu items that I was excited about. Apparently this had all been done months before I got there. If you are going to have a website, keep it updated! What a disappointment. I got something that I didn't want and had to pay twice as much for it.
The real piano player was a nice touch though. This place is not bad, but nothing special. For the money, you are better off down the street at The Red Pony.
Okay, THIS is what it's all about. Â After trying numerous "Nashville does LA" restaurants, Saffire really brings the bacon.
Funky, artsy decor with excellent food, service, and live music. Â Try the glazed porkchop or the braised lamb shank. Â They've got a solid wine list (I heart Mark West) and if you're into martini's, the cucumber martini is amazing. Â The patio seating is perfect on a warm Spring evening. Â The crowd tends to screw a bit older since it's located in family-friendly Franklin but if that's the only downside to avoiding the pretentious and mediocre Vandy haunts, then sign me up.
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