Longhorn Steakhouse 
Longhorn Steakhouse is straightforward meat-and-potatoes fare done with style. This new location is in the
Target complex at Old Hickory Blvd and I-65 south of Nashville. Surprisingly small in seating area, this mid-scale steakhouse specializes in what you would expect: beef, chicken, fish and shellfish. Because it was a Friday night at 6:00, we had a 45 minute wait in the tiny waiting area.
The Lactose Line
While many of the menu items are naturally lactose free, most of the menu items are well-described. Their
website menu has good descriptions of most items, but an email to their customer service returned saying that they could not provide detailed nutrition information for their menu items (a great way to find the hidden lactose.)
Best Lactose-free options:
Most items can be customized to remove any dairy ingredients except for the obvious ones (cheese sticks!) Our baked potato arrived dry as ordered. Our salmon salad, ordered without cheese, arrived with no appreciable amount of cheese on the salad, but with a few bits stuck to the bottom of the salmon - evidence that the server caught the kitchen's mistake and wisely rectified the situation.
Map and Directions:
at Longhorn's siteRating:
3.5 out of 5 lactose-free stars. There is still a good amount of customization that has to be done at Longhorn for many of their items, but Flo's Filet is scrumptious and the service is great.
FuLin's Asian Cuisine 
FuLin's Asian Cuisine mixes Asian cultures in a semi-upscale atmosphere. Located in the brand new
Target complex at Old Hickory Blvd and I-65 south of Nashville, this restaurant focuses on Chinese dishes, sprinkling in influences from other Eastern cuisines including a full-service Sushi bar. The restaurant name comes from the
concept of "fu" combined with the head chef's name: Lin.
The Lactose Line
FuLin's asian menu is almost completely lactose free except for the requisite ice cream desserts. Items on the menu are not very well detailed, relying on the customer to know what is usually served in mainstream Americanized chinese dishes. Although my mongolian beef was completely lactose-safe, it was lifeless and extremely oniony... and seemed a bit overpriced for what I received. My table mate's sushi was done extremely well with a firm texture and delicious seasoning.
Best Lactose-free options:
Pretty much everything except dessert. A fruit plate is available. FuLin's did not have an online menu that I could find, or even a website, so no advance planning is available.
Map and Directions:
at the Bellsouth Yellow Pages siteRating:
4 out of 5 lactose-free stars. FuLin's is a lactose free zone, but unfortunately needs to be docked a star for its lackluster entree and an unfortunate substitution of hand sanitzer for soap in the women's restroom, causing us to be concerned about other possible health violations. FuLin's does have tremendous potential, and may just be experiencing grand opening growing pains.
Green Hills Grille (Cool Springs) 
Green Hills Grille has been a Nashville favorite for a decade and a half. They have set the trend for "casual fine dining" in Nashville, and everyone else follows. A favorite with the open-collar-with-jacket and cashmere-track-suit set, the menu and service that began at the original Nashville location usually set it apart from the majority of restaurants. Unfortunately, on the most recent visit to its Cool Springs franchisee, we found a departure from our expectations.
The Lactose Line
Green Hills Grille's menu is
on their website, and most of the items are described in fairly good detail so that you can infer the lactose content of any given dish. Two major exceptions: their trademark Tortilla Soup is finished with cheese, so be sure to ask to omit that from an order, and their "Green Hills Greens" are anything but... being mostly a cheese delivery system, and not worth ordering without it.
On this visit, our server took about five minutes to get around to our table to take our orders. We watched him write down our order for the fish sandwich
without cheese, with the tartar sauce on the side, and with steamed vegetables. Thirty minutes later, when the order finally arrived, the sandwich had cheese and tartar sauce on it, and fries as a side item. Fifteen minutes later, when the replacement sandwich came out, the fries had turned into vegetables, the cheese had disappeared, but the tartar sauce was on the bun.
Best Lactose-free options:
Brunch: Smoked Salmon Eggs Benedict (without sauce), Eggs Benedict (without sauce)
Appetizer: Tuna Tutaki, Tortilla Soup (without cheese)
Salad: Chinese Grilled Chicken Salad
Sandwiches: Best Grilled Burger in Cool Springs, or any (ordered without cheese)
Sides: Spiced Apples, Black Beans, Seasoned Rice, Thin Cut Fries, Steamed Vegetables, Snappy Corn, Asparagus
Entrees: Baby Back Ribs, BBQ Salmon (without grit cakes), Herb Roasted Chicken (without potatoes)
Pasta: Pasta with Roasted Pepper Marinara Sauce
Dessert: Raspberry Sorbet
Map and Directions:
at the Green Hills Grille siteRating:
2 out of 5 lactose-free stars. Green Hills Grille is one of our favorite restaurants, and we will eventually go back to give them another chance, but the extreme inattention to our order, the low number of naturally lactose-free items, and the two menu landmines reduces its score for this review.
Fleming's Prime Steakhouse and Wine Bar
Fleming's Steakhouse and Wine Bar is an upscale restaurant for special occasions. Whether it's a business deal, a rehearsal dinner, a special family occasion or "just because", the dark wood ambiance, four-page wine list and top-flight menu items make this a special choice for a destination dinner.
The Lactose Line
Most of the menu items are
not lactose-free. All of their steaks are finished with butter, bernaise sauces and milk-loaded stuffings, but Fleming's does something that every restaurant should take notice of. On their website, Fleming's has
dietary guidelines for adapting the majority of their entrees to match your diet. Almost every entree is described in terms of its lactose content and whether or not it is adaptable.
When we placed our reservation, the woman on the phone asked "do you have any special requests?" I took the opportunity to mention the lactose intolerance issue, but it seemed to fall on deaf ears. She said, "well... I can make a note of that on your reservation." Our waiter took our order and he and the kitchen delivered it correctly, but I'm not sure that he really understood what "lactose intolerant" meant.
Best Lactose-free options:
Appetizer: shrimp cocktail
Salad: The Wedge or Fleming's Salad (ordered without cheese or croutons) with the vinaigrette dressing
Sides: Shoestring potatoes, asparagus or broccoli (without hollandaise), steamed vegetables
Entrees: any entree (without butter, stuffing or sauce)
Dessert: Mixed Berry cobbler without ice cream (according to the website, the crust is safe... but you may want to avoid it just to be certain.)
Map and Directions:
at the Fleming's siteRating:
4 out of 5 lactose-free stars. Because there are issues with many of the entrees, this would normally be a three-star place to eat, but the detailed information on the website for ordering and the error-free experience warrants an extra star.
Logan's Roadhouse
Logan's Roadhouse is a fairly extensive chain of restaurants that as of 1999 is part of the
CBRL group, based right here in Nashville (well, Lebanon, actually.) The theming attempts to carry out the
roadhouse idea by being concrete-floored, peanut stocked (shells are expected to be thrown on the floor), knotty pine paneled, neon beer-sign adorned and generally unkempt... while still maintaining a level of organization and cleanliness that makes you still want to eat there! At the Elliston place location, there is a bar area, an outside dining section and a fairly large indoor eating area. The
menu is straight-ahead American food: burgers, steaks, fish, salads... roadhouse fare, but up a notch or two.
The Lactose Line
Most of the entrees and sandwiches are surprisingly lactose-free. The buns are not buttered, and the (delicious) yeast rolls are safe. Because the menu items are fairly basic, straightforward presentations, there is very little hidden lactose in any kind of sauce or topping. None of the grill items are finished with butter, and the wait staff and kitchen are used to getting modified orders, so your request to omit cheese is usually heeded.
Best Lactose-free options:
Any salad ordered without cheese (except the Caesar,) anything from the grill, and as many peanuts as you want.
Map and Directions:
location list at Logan's site,
Google mapRating:
4 out of 5 lactose-free stars. Just short of perfect because there are still a couple of landmines in the salad and there isn't a dessert option. But oh, those rolls!
Torino's Italian Restaurant 
Torino's Italian Restaurant features authentic Italian food, reasonable pricing, and a wonderful atmosphere. Formerly in the Nippers Corner complex and recently ousted by the new Publix supermarket, Torino's has found a new home in Franklin that remarkably recreates the prior location's intimacy and ambiance. The
menu is classic Italian with the expected antipasti, pastas, baked dishes and desserts.
The Lactose Line
Dining at any Italian restaurant is an extreme challenge for lactose intolerant people, and Torino's is no exception. However, most of the landmines are well marked. Many of the dishes on the menu note where cheese is included, but even where the item appears safe, be sure to voice your concern to your waiter, because we didn't, and the two menu-noted cheese-free entrees we ordered came with parmesan garnishing them. Torino's trademark garlic bread balls are delicious and soaked in a garlic oil, not butter, making them an indulgent treat for the lactose free.
Best Lactose-free options:
Consult the
menu before you go. Choose the house salad (ordered without cheese), enjoy the garlic bread balls, and choose any entree with marinara sauce (ordered without garnishing cheese).
Map and Directions:
at Torino's siteRating:
3 out of 5 lactose-free stars. Three stars should be considered top-notch for an Italian restaurant. The fantastic food and atmosphere makes for a great dining experience... one which can be experienced lactose-free with a modicum of effort.
Las Palmas Mexican Restaurant
Las Palmas Mexican Restaurant is a Nashville staple. With
multiple locations, this local chain features a huge menu of Mexican standards: tacos, chimichangas, burritos, enchiladas, and much more. Of note to lactose-consumers, Las Palmas is a white cheese Mexican restaurant, not a cheddar "Tex-Mex" restaurant. Beyond the standard combinations, there are several specialty entrees, some old-Mexico-style, and some more tame such as their new shrimp cocktail. Their lunch menu (probably their most popular time of day) offers nine specials plus the "speedy gonzales," a $3.85 taco, enchilada and beans or rice.
The Lactose Line
Like those at most Mexican restaurants, many of the dishes involve a fair amount of cheese and/or sour cream. However, due to the made-to-order (or at least "assemble-to-order") nature of the food, almost any meal can be ordered "no queso." And when the dairy is omitted, the dishes do not suffer. Ordering without cheese in many cases reveals the hidden flavors, especially their well-seasoned ground beef. In the many times that we have been to the restaurant, every time we have special ordered with dairy omitted, the order has been correct, and delivered without delay. The only exception has been certain times when the refried beans have arrived with the cheese garnish not omitted. Also, the menu is fairly comprehensive in offering descriptions of the food including whether they include dairy ingredients.
Best Lactose-free options:
Take your pick from the menu and order without cheese. For an even easier experience, choose the fajitas. Reasonably priced and well prepared, it's an a la carte way to enjoy Las Palmas and control your own experience.
Map and Directions:
via Google or
via CitySearchRating:
4 out of 5 lactose-free stars, only because there are few ready-to-order lactose-free dishes... but many easily and willingly adaptable ones.
Atlanta Bread Company
Atlanta Bread Company, located on the west side of downtown and on the Cool Springs side of Franklin, offers upscale soup, sandwich, salad and baked goods for a reasonable price. Focusing on the menu items that they do means that ABC tends to be busy for breakfast, packed at lunch, and pretty vacant at dinner... making it a good time to visit for the first time. The choices are somewhat tame, but varied and customizable to your heart's content.
The Lactose Line
The majority of the menu items are lactose-free when ordered without cheese. Their
nutrition guide (pdf) is very helpful when guesstimating the contents of the food... the higher fat items will be cheese-centric or milk-centric. Avoid the Panini sandwiches and stick to the fat-free salad dressings for a more healthy and lactose-free meal.
Best Lactose-free options:
Chopstix Chicken Salad (yum!), any "build it yourself" sandwich, fruit salad, vegetable soup, tomato soup, any of the chilis.
Map and Directions:
at ABC's siteRating:
4 out of 5 lactose-free stars
Zoe's Kitchen 
Zoe's Kitchen is a new concept fast casual restaurant that has just opened in Brentwood and Green Hills. The marketing for this new walk-up-and-order place is fairly ambiguous, focusing on their "Chicken Roll-up" sandwiches... which, since chicken is sort of the flavor velcro of the food world... could be influenced from any cuisine on earth. As it turns out, Birmingham-based
Zoe is greek and that means one thing: a ton of feta cheese.
The Lactose Line
Don't be fooled by
the descriptions on the menu, Zoe's is all about sneaking in dairy where you don't expect it. Of special note - any sandwich with slaw has feta in the slaw. On the plus side, they do include chips and a side item in their sandwich combos. The safest side is the fruit cup.
Best Lactose-free options:
Ham + Swiss on Rye (hold the swiss), Turkey Sandwich (but be sure and state that you want no cheese), homemade Chicken + Orzo soup is probably safe... but I didn't get a look at it... be sure it's not cream-based.
Map and Directions:
at Zoe's siteRating:
1 out of 5 lactose-free stars
Pei Wei 
America's favorite fast casual Asian cuisine concept has hit Nashville... well, Brentwood actually. An offshoot of the P.F. Chang's franchise,
Pei Wei is a walk-up-and-order version of the same thing you find at its sit-down-and-be-waited-on big brother. The menu is a little more Garanimals than Changs, letting you choose your core protein (beef, pork, chicken, shrimp or scallops) and then the style... anything from Mongolian to Sweet and Sour to "General Cho's style" and more.
The Lactose Line
The best part... the menu is almost entirely lactose-free. You can have your run of the entire thing and not hit a drop of milk... just avoid the crab wontons. That's par for the course for most Asian restaurants, but at Pei Wei, it's a treat.
Location and Menu:
from the Pei Wei siteFavorite Lactose-Free dish:
Lemon Pepper Shrimp
Rating:
5 lactose-free stars
