Mo’Cara

Mo’Cara

1331 West Main Street Suite A
Mockingbird Center
Lebanon, TN 37087
(615) 449-2088
Web: www.mocarasouth.com

Hours
Tuesday – Thursday • 11AM – 9PM
Friday • 11AM – 10PM
Saturday • 5PM – 10PM
Lunch Hours • 11AM – 2PM

At the risk of sounding like a snob, we don’t eat in the suburbs too often. Don’t get me wrong, we’ll grab a quick weeknight – or weekend – dinner when the schedule requires it, but for purposes of this blog, we tend to visit restaurants in the city.

On this occasion, however, we had a birthday to celebrate. It was, in fact, my sister’s 50th birthday celebration, and she chose the restaurant. She chose well. Mo’Cara offers fantastic atmosphere and service, coupled with some of the best food you’ll find east of the city.

Mo’Cara is Gaelic/Irish, and roughly translates to “My Friend”. It is owned by my friend Ed Riley, who is also the owner of Two Fat Men Catering. Chances are, if you’ve eaten at a chamber or other fundraising event in Wilson County, you’ve eaten their food.

The entrance to Mo’Cara features a cozy bar area, and both Michelle and I commented that it would be fun to visit again just for a glass of wine at the bar. The dining area is warm and inviting, with a brick wall and eclectic artwork.

Our meal was absolutely fantastic. David had the Shepherd’s Pie, and it was unlike any Shepherd’s Pie I have ever seen, and I mean that in a good way. They start with a large baked potato and fill it with the typical Shepherd’s Pie filling, namely meat, mashed potatoes, carrots, and cheese. If you’re wondering what happened to the green peas, they were served on the plate and around the baked potato. It was definitely one of the more interesting – and better – Shepherd’s Pie servings I’ve ever had.

I ordered the fish tacos. which are served lightly breaded with Asian Slaw. The fish tacos are featured on “The Porch” menu, which contains lighter fare and appetizers. I wasn’t starving that night, so the fish tacos seemed like a good idea. And they were.

Michelle wasn’t sure what all would be gluten-free, so she stuck with a salad. She ordered the Apple Feta Salad and added grilled shrimp. The salad consisted of mixed greens, feta cheese, toasted pumpkin seeds and raspberry vinaigrette dressing. The grilled shrimp provided the protein and just the right flavor. The salad was fantastic, and I found myself sampling it often.

Throw in a glass of Apothic Red for Michelle and two beers for me, and the total with tax and tip came to $77.00. For the service and quality of food we received, I considered this to be an excellent value.

I highly recommend you load up the family truckster and make the drive to Lebanon for Mo’Cara.

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