Commodore Grille

Most people seem to be reviewing this place for dinner and live music, but I came here for the breakfast buffet. At $ 11.99 for a slightly upscale continental breakfast, I wasn’t impressed.
Compared to the East Coast, food in Nashville is so cheap. I can get a massive dinner for $ 10 in Nashville so the price for a mediocre buffet was too high. I had a bagel, bacon, eggs, pancakes, and an apple pastry. The bagel and eggs were on par with what a Quality Inn would serve on a continental breakfast. The bacon was actually quite good as were the pancakes. The apple pastry was pretty good too. But if you stay somewhere like a Hyatt Place, you will get a better breakfast, and it will be included in the room cost.
The saving grace of this place was the wait staff. I ate at the bar, and the guy taking care of me was really friendly. The whole staff was dressed up for Halloween, which was cute.
I wouldn’t come back here for anything other than the live music, personally.

We stayed at this Holiday Inn for 5 nights. We spent part of every night listening to the singer song writers and had dinner a couple of those nights. The music was mostly good, sometimes not so much but very little was bad. The food was good the people and service were great and we are already planning a trip back. Definitely worth a trip!

We had nice dinner while watching up and coming singers and song writers, great entertainment. I would recommend.

I came to The Commodore to play a round (May 7,2015). I was not expecting what happened! This well-​trained wait staff was awesome! Our food was not only delicious (everyone agreed, and there must have been 20 of us!) but even plated like a high end restaurant! The prices were reasonable. Staff is excellent and friendly. And the entertainment is great, too! (Nod to Debi Champion!)
I will be back! Thank you!

You don’t go to the Commodore Grill for the food. You go for the music. The menu is okay and the servers are friendly, but there’s never enough of them. But it’s your standard bar food, and not a very extensive list, so just be prepared for that. But one of the top places to hear songwriters in Nashville.

In town and staying at the Holiday Inn, I wanted to get a quick bite to eat before heading out for the famous Nashville music scene so stopped at the hotel restaurant to eat. It was the Commodore Grill on a Wednesday night. The food was good, service was good, but the music was great! Groups of three singer/​songwriters took the stage for three songs each then left for another group of three. Found out it was «Songwriters Night». When I asked what was the gig, (really, Holiday Inn?), was told, «welcome to Nashville» in a smooth Tennessee drawl.
Awesome experience ended up parking at the Commodore for the rest of the night and am looking forward to a return visit. I’m not a country music fan but these live performances were great. For anyone looking for a real Nashville experience by performers who really put it out there, check out the Commodore Grill.

The sangria was watery and tasteless, but at least it was only $ 10 a glass.
The waitress first informed me that «we don’t have sangria here». When I informed her that it was red wine like merlot, fruit, and usually triple sec and/​or brandy, she eventually brought me a water glass full of ice and a thin dark liquid that tasted faintly of fruit. The bill at the end of the night had an «open liquor» charge of $ 4 and a $ 6 «upcharge» for the sangria that the Grill refused to alter. The nachos had barbecue sauce! and service was poorer than average. What a joint.

I went to hear a Facebook friend (and others) sing. Everyone was very talented and/​or funny. I ordered the Commodore Grille Steak that came with mashed potatoes. Both were delicious. When the waitress came to take my plate, I slapped her hand (or at least pretended to)… as I was hoping for some bread to sop up the gravy — ABSOLUTELY DELICIOUS!
I am going back in a couple of days and will order the same. Just hope I get the same waitress!
The very chocolaty dessert was mighty fine, too!
I got a glimpse of a potential buffet around a corner — wonder how that thing is…
Update: I have been back twice to see the same and MORE friends perform — and order the Commodore Grille Steak every time! Always mighty, might fine! And servers are always sweet and friendly and helpful.
Updated 01÷10÷14: Had just headed some soup at home as I planned to stay in and get some work done. Around 5:00, my sister called from Nashville and told me my singer/​songwriter friends (and another new friend) were performing at the Commodore again… so I ate my soup and jumped in the car. About two hours later, I only ordered a drink and warned the waitress I’d be ordering a «CGS» to go eventually. A few minutes later, she brought out a chicken quesadilla for someone else at our table — I was suddenly hungry and just had to order one; not the frontrunner on my search for «the world’s best chicken quesadilla» but sitll, mighty good. Of course, I now have CGS waiting for me in the fridge for lunch tomorrow!
Good food + good friends + good service = a mighty great time (well worth the four-​hour drive!)

Let me start off by saying I love performing regularly at and supporting this venue. I often recommend it because they have been helpful in supplying a place for the music community to call a home, so this stinks that I have to post a negative opinion. Unfortunately, I just can’t stand by and be silent at this point.
I’m very disappointed that the $ 40/​car parking fee (for the U2 concert) kept so many friends Saturday night from attending a recording of a live performance. Many people who were coming to support the songwriters and or perform, themselves, were turned away at the parking lot entrance. The guys charging for parking spaces claimed they didn’t know… to me that’s irrelevant… THE HOLIDAY INN SELECT knew (they were charging over $ 300/​night for a room that night) and did not seem to care. Who ever is in charge of the Commodore and the Holiday Inn seems to be out of touch. I was also told that the guys collecting the parking fees did it on their own and got to keep the money… it didn’t even go to the people at the hotel (or the other songwriters who played). Sounds like a ripoff to me.
On top of all of that, the Commodore Grille did not appear to be prepared to handle the business before and after the U2 concert at Vandy. This was all a repeat of the problem they had handling the business for the trombone player convention that had two shows there the week before. I’ll be they didn’t realize at least 5 to 7 thousand extra dollars in business between those three nights in total and it won’t even show up in their computer printouts – they don’t even realize it. I’m personally friendly with all the servers and bartenders there… they got screwed with the early closing and lack of preparation… clearly a management problem.
Kudos and thanks to songwriter night hosts Rick & Tammy Stewart, Debi Champion, the staff of servers, bartenders and songwriters who persevered and endured these crazy nights, despite lack of support from the management at the Commodore Grille or the Holiday Inn Select.

This place is definitely much cooler than you’d expect for a hotel bar in a Holiday Inn Select.
Why I like this place:
1. This is a GREAT place for up and coming songwriters. If you are new in town they are very welcoming and if you just came to listen to music you might be hearing the next big thing. Its an eclectic bunch that hangs out here so it makes even more fun. They have writer’s nights here 7 nights a week from 7−11PM. On rare occasions something else is going on and takes over but you’ve pretty much have good acoustic live music almost every night.
2. They have pretty good bar food. Sandwiches and salads have been good and they make some delicious sweet potato fries.
3. Its smoke free inside. They have a nice patio area for smokers to enjoy though.
My only reason for not giving it 5 stars:
Drinks. I’ve ordered margaritas a few times and had a mystery drink delivered to my table that tasted like watered down orange juice… and with no salt. It all really depends on the bartender that is there that night.
If you’re in the area and like listening to singer/​songwriters singing their original tunes then you should definitely check this place out.

This place has tons of songwriter nights. Now these aren’t usually big names but they could be some day. I think there is always music here. I like sitting out on the patio during a nice summer night. Also, during baseball season this is where visiting minor league baseball teams stay, so you might meet the next Nolan Ryan at the bar. I believe smoking is still allowed, so be aware of that. Not sure how well known they are for their cocktails, so I’d say this is a good beer joint.

So first of all, let me say I feel cheated. When I went to Commodore Grille there was no music. Apparently they have music all the time, except the one time I come in. Fine. Personal disappointments aside, the place was still pretty alright.
It was in all aspects exactly what you might expect from a hotel bar/​restaurant only it maintained a more local feel. It feels a little apart from the main hotel traffic which is a good thing. I had a great-​tasting and indulgent plate of nachos which I would definitely eat again. It’s nice to know that people traveling to Nashville can get a taste of the local music scene without even having to leave the hotel. Plus, my Vandy pride gets me excited whenever stuff is named after our Dores.

Writers nights at the Commodore Grille are better than ever in this freshly remodeled venue. I enjoyed the pickin’ and singing with the great sound system last night. The acoustics are fine and the music is free. Now darling Debi Champion offers regular writers nights at this quality place in the Holiday Inn Vanderbilt across from the Parthenon of Centennnial Park. Debi did good last nite there as mc and sound board goddess. Kimberly King and Steve Haggard tore into some moving chords and vocals. During the day it’s a regular lounge and grille. Starting at 6am they offer an expensive top-​quality breakfast buffet popular with travelers and business folk. The grill plates and sandwiches are tops.