Dining in Cookeville, Tennessee, the Home of Tennessee Tech

Cookeville, Tennessee, is the midway point between Knoxville and Nashville on Interstate 40 and is the perfect place to quickly find a variety of restaurants to suit the taste of the traveling public. It's also the Home of Tennessee Technological University.

Whether you leave the Interstate at Exit 286 or 287, turn north onto Willow Avenue, then turn East if you exit on Willow at Exit 286 or West if you exit on Jefferson Avenue at Exit 287 onto Interstate Drive. Restaurants are located on both sides of the street, most are American Cuisine and all have one thing travelers want: food that's consistent and good. Re-entry to the Interstate is easy and convenient.

BUFFET - Golden Corral Buffet and Grill, 1380 Interstate Dr., Cookeville TN: Better than a biscuit from any of the fast food places and nearly as fast. Eggs (or cholesterol-free substitute) to order, pancakes, waffles, steak, sausage, bacon, hash browns, chipped beef on toast, a fresh fruit and melon bar and nearly anything else you can think of for breakfast. $15.00 feeds two people, children get a discount. Open seating, with servers to keep your drink (soft drinks, coffee, juices, milk)full and a friendly, helpful staff. Lunch and dinner includes steaks, burgers and nearly anything else including Pinto Beans and Cornbread (a local favorite).

STEAKS, BURGERS AND GREAT STAFF: Logan's Roadhouse: Great Staff, Great Food and Atmosphere, including free roasted peanuts at each table (which explains the peanut shells on the floor). Hints at the old-fashioned roadhouses found along America's secondary highways in the 20's and 30's. When management comes around (and they will just to make sure everything is perfect), they don't just "buzz by;" they'll stop and talk about you, your plans, offer helpful travel hints, even tell you about their hobbies and families. Only Drawback: Closes at 9:00 PM Local, M-Th, 10:00 PM F-Sun.

SEAFOOD:Red Lobster, 1410 Interstate Dr., Cookeville TN: Moderately pricey, but the only place in town for seafood. A bit pricey, but the food is well prepared and the service is wonderful. Red Lobster has a good selection of fresh fish, shrimp, and lobster (of course), as well as steaks (reasonable) and mix-and-match dishes to "build your own." Drawback: Red Lobster closes at 9:00 PM Local Time, M-Th, 10:00 PM F-Sun.

COUNTRY COOKIN':Cracker Barrel. Not on Interstate Drive, it's just around the corner from Outback. Worth mentioning because overall, for quality and service, it's one of the best restaurants in the area with good traditional American home cooking. Only drawback: It closes at 10:00 PM Local Time Sun-Th., Fri-Sat 11:00 PM Local.

STEAKS AND ATMOSPHERE: Outback, 1390 Interstate Dr., Cookeville TN: Pricey, slow, usually has a long wait to get seated. But with all that, it's Outback. The Other Drawback: It closes early. M-Th, 10:00 PM F-Sun.

PURE AMERICAN: Applebees, 1420 Interstate Dr., Cookeville TN: High turnover in staff and menu items and you might have two different waitpersons in one meal. Still the service is generally good and quick. Prices make this a reasonable alternative to fast food. Like most restaurants in the area, it closes early. M-Th, 10:00 PM F-Sun.