The Bull & Thistle Pub

Absolutely delightful we sure did enjoy our beef Wellington. Mary our waitress was fabulous. Great evening!

If you crave good food, crafted in the old world style with great ambiance and friendly service this is the place. We live in Washington state but visit Gainsboro once a year. This is one of the highlights of the trip to Eastern Tennessee. The supreme duck was perfect as was the rabbit. My wife always settles for her favorite, colcannon. I only wished we lived closer or the restaurant was in our area. We would love to introduce our gourmet group to this fine food.

My second trip here and again top notch! This time, at my husband’s request, for his 50^th birthday dinner. We both ordered the beef wellington, which is carved tableside… incredible! 5 star dining and excellent service!

Building and atmosphere are very cool. We stopped for lunch. Food was tasty, but VERY expensive for lunch. Mixed range of food… Irish pub,. I mean, $ 15 for a burger and fries seems a little steep to me. All of the lunch sandwiches and entrees ranged in price from $ 15 to $ 46, with most in the 15 to 30 dollar range. I don’t mind paying those prices for supper, but $ 20 per person for lunch with no other options (no kids menu) is out of my comfort zone, especially in a small, one-​horse town with nothing else to do. If you go here, the fish and chips seems to be the best seller. Ironic that fish n chips is so expensive here, when it was one of the reliably inexpensive options my husband and I were able to find in pubs all over London. The chef is from the UK.

Amazing! Everything was on point. The food… taste and presentation, ambiance, and service!

This restaurant is Middle Tennessee’s best kept secret! Yes, it’s a little bit out of the way and an unusual place to find an Irish Pub. The building was built in about 1917, and fully restored. Absolutely beautiful décor and workmanship! The atmosphere is great and there is live music with a good mix of local bands on Friday and Saturday nights. It is unusual to see a restaurant in a small town with a world class chef, but that is the case. Chef Barry O’Connor is straight from County Cork, Ireland, and his menu is absolutely superb! We had the Dublin Lawyer, which is a lobster, crab and shrimp dish with an awesome sauce that is just to die for! I also loved the asparagus, which comes wrapped in bacon! Yes, BACON! Talk about a great way to get you to eat your vegetables! The bar is well stocked with a good assortment of brews, and of course, Guinness, which is what I had. There is also outdoor seating as well, although we sat inside by the stage and bar area. The acoustics are good for live music. Overall, this is probably one of the finest restaurants I have yet to dine in in middle and eastern Tennessee. I would visit again.

Husband and I went for a Valentine’s lunch. They sat us in the bar area due to being booked for reservations, but the restaurant was mostly empty, and still only half full when we left. However, I think this is a place where they invite you to stay awhile, take your time, and not rush… and we had no problems sitting at a high top in the bar area. The food we had was tasty — but it’s not really our cup of tea in terms of cuisine. We aren’t drinkers, so any craft beers are lost on us. The dessert we got, the sticky toffee pudding, was awesome. We hardly ever order dessert out, and it was a treat! Overall the restaurant is just fine, just not for us, especially being a little of a drive and a little expensive compared to our normal fare.

This is a hidden gem in the middle of nowhere! They source most if not all of their food, including meats, from local, sustainable farms. They also have an INCREDIBLE craft beer selection. If they have the Liberty Ale on tap, it is a must try! The food is delicious and always have a specials menu for lunch and dinner so you can always try something new.

Today was my anniversary and I thought this would be a nice splurge because everyone I have ever talked to raves about how wonderful the food and service was at this restaurant. So I read up on the reviews and asked people around town for even more suggestions.
I decided to go on a Sunday night around 5 and what a great idea that was. There is absolutely no wait and there were plenty of places to sit, so I chose the bar. The staff was very friendly and answered my questions and made me feel comfortable being there. The atmosphere was very nice. And I planned on just taking my time reading through the menu and asking questions and getting suggestions from the staff for the dish that I was ultimately going to eat.
I ended up choosing two items from the special menu. I started with a bowl of the summer squash and roasted parsnips soup. It was extremely feeling in a very generous portion. It was well worth the $ 6. Then I asked about two specific items on the menu. I wanted to choose between the special on the board with pancetta and sausage or the bubbles and squeak which was a regular menu item. From the evaluation, I ended up choosing the pancetta and sausage dish. I chose the French English staple and was happy I did!
The dish was served in an oversized bowl that looked like the size of a plate. When it was put down in front of me, the aroma floated right to my nose. My eyes opened really big because of the beautiful display of the food. I could hardly wait to dig in. And when I did, my palette wanted to savor every bite and eat so slowly so that it would not end. It was divine.
I could only eat half of my dinner because I had chosen to eat a big bowl of soup first. And I certainly didn’t have room for a dessert.
Overall, I’d certainly venture back here during the slower times. Weekend nights expect a wait. Food is cooked to order so be patient. Have questions or want recommendations? Ask the staff. I’ll be back!
Cons
No Celtic music playing
Bar televisions were on terrible channels my visit
Spotty Wi-​Fi
Pros
Location
Unique foods
Gorgeous presentation
Quality dining facility
Full bar availability since December 2014
Beautiful women’s room
Décor unique
Upscale dining
Staff friendly
Cash and credit accepted

Drove from Murfreesboro to The Bull & Thistle Pub for Valentine’s day with my wife and Daughters, Food and atmosphere were wonderful along with our Server whom was very attentive and knowledgeable, only criticism is that a few of the menu items we would have liked to have were out, I had the Pub Burger and was disappointed by the Bun, I realize it is made in house but it is too heavy and dense and did not do the burger justice. We will be back. Thank you.

This is an OMGOSH experience! I look forward to returning. The food was outstanding! The choices were many and that’s why I will come back to try more dishes. Service was wonderful. We had 8 people and everyone loved their food choices! Desserts were incredible. Great ambiance too.

Sunday lunch today with 4 friends. This was our 3^rd visit and it was consistent with the past two. The service was exceptional… thanks Brandon. The food was fast, hot and very tasty. We ordered the cheese tray for the table to start… great choice! 3 of us ordered fish and chips, one ordered bubble and squeak. One ordered a pasta dish and one ordered the chicken and leek soup. There was constant sounds of contentment rising from our table for an hour after arrival. We shared tastes and everyone really loved their meals. We offer the highest compliments to the staff.

Chef O’Brien understands that simplicity is sublime– from an exquisite presentation of soup, with roasted vegetables in a lentil base, to a steak that was from a Very Happy Cow– on down to the cheese board, whose blending and sophistication were beyond compare, this is the best I have had since leaving NYC. The ambiance and beautiful restoration of the bar & restaurant is rich in detail, and to the trained eye, no expense was spared in rebuilding the structure, and making it feel like a true Celtic publik house.
Bravo, gentlemen– well done indeed! Now that they are getting their wine & liquor license will only get better.
Went on a friday night, while parties were going on– the wait was well within the norms for a high end restaurant, and the food more than made up for the wait.
BTW– i graduated Culinary Institute of America in 1980– trust me when I say t’was a good job well done by the kitchen.
Bar guys were cheerful and pleasant too.

This was my second visit, and I must say that I was highly disappointed. We were there last night for my Birthday dinner and I ordered the filet rare, I got it medium and tasteless. The portabella side was OK, but the tempura asparagus was under cooked, and also bland. My wife got the scallops, and she was pleased. The server was pleasant, but slow. My only positive is that she brought me a piece of Birthday cake with a candle and sang for me.
When I lay out $ 90 for a dinner for two (including only 2 beers and water), I expect much better.

Great service, excellent food and good beer selection. Make sure to check out the daily specials menu.

I went back to the Bull & Thistle Pub one afternoon last week. I had a taste for their Half & Half that they have on tap that IS NOT Guinness.
We entered the cool, quiet restaurant and entered the bar area on the left.
We sat at the bar and had a nice conversation with the barkeep till the restaurant started to fill up.
A very pleasant quick return to a new favorite pub.

This place is a 5 star restaurant located in the middle on nowhere TN. Worth the drive if you are anywhere close. Food and service were top notch. Enjoyed the band, the beer, and awesome food. Went there for my sons college graduation and had a very memorable evening.

Had the fish and chips. lots of food! Had the dark chocolate cake with almond buttercream, it was delish! Not a fan of dark chocolate but the almond buttercream was an excellent compliment and made me forget our was to be dark chocolate. just wish it were closer to me. Well worth the drive!

We drove 1hr & 20min to get to the Bull & Thistle it was worth every minute.
I just returned from a trip to the UK and this food was as good if not better than the food over there.
The space and service are great.
Great experience and cannot wait to go back.

What a surprise — right on the town square of Gainesboro — not at all what I would have expected in small town Tennessee.
The décor is great — nice and roomy, the owner spent a lot of dough on the up-​fit. Tuesday night, so it was really quiet, only 3 tables. The cheese plate appetizer was very good, the Calf Killer beer was excellent as well. I had the Spicy chicken pasta special — outstanding! My friend had the fish and chips– served in the traditional newspaper — again, outstanding. My only gripe was the service — our server needed a lot more training, she did not know the menu and there is really no reason the beer glass should go empty with only 3 tables. If will definitely give the Bull & Thistle another try the next time I am in town.