I recently visited RAE’S for the first time, and when I arrived, I was greeted by Fred and his daughter, who were incredibly polite and customer-focused. Despite the long line, I was impressed by Fred’s friendly and personable demeanor when I reached the counter. As he made my sandwich, he shared a bit of the shop’s backstory, and we ended up laughing and having a great conversation. Before leaving, I overheard a customer asking Fred, “Are you working hard or hardly working?” to which he responded, “Neither, just a little busy but happy nonetheless.” I found his response to be a perfect reflection of the positive vibe in the sandwich shop. I’ll definitely be returning, and I’m planning to bring my family along next time. Thank you, Fred!
Black and Bleu sandwich … it was the best sandwich I’ve ever had. The flavor was amazing!! Could not imagine anything any more perfect for lunch. I will be back.
The folks in this shop make my day complete! These are not only people who throw down in the kitchen but people who genuinely care about their guests. If I am having a bad day there is zero chance I won’t go to Rae’s. The food is fresh and very high quality and of course made with love (unless Fred is making it for me LOL) <—– Inside Joke LOVE MY RAE”S FAMILY!!!
This is a fantastic place to eat. Great food, super great staff. Always so kind, polite. Cannnot beat this place, try it, you don’t know what you have been missing. 5 stars for excellence
The best sandwich shop I’ve ever been to!!! Mr. Fred is amazingly awesome, very sweet, extremely polite, very personable!!!
This is our first time ordering lunch from Rae’s. So glad we did! The order was 7 individual orders, for delivery and was well prepared. The food was awesome (especially the “Beastie Boy” Sandwich. We will definitely be calling Rae’s again soon.
Terrific sandwiches! The Thursday special soup, spicy beer cheese is to die for, so get in line by 10:00 or the line will be out the door! The shrimp bisque (Tuesday?) is also very good. Don’t forget to grab a cookie!
One of my favorite sandwich shops in the downtown area! Freddie that works there is great with remembering what your name and normal orders are! The sandwiches are delicious, they use quality ingredients and whenever you go, don’t forget to try their fudge brownies!
Amazing sandwich shop! Stopped in here on a Friday for lunch during a weekend trip to Nashville. Wasn’t a tourist place (which we love), mostly people that worked in the area. Fred is awesome and very friendly. At any restaurant, my boyfriend always asks what their hottest hot sauce is and Fred gave him a winner. 357 I think was the name. My sandwich was the Beastie Boy. Loved it!! Inexpensive too! Great first time experience here. Thank you!! Will be back again.
It was my first time in Nashville and Rae’s was the first restaurant I stopped at and can now say, I made a good decision. The staff is friendly, knows regulars by name and order, though welcome newcomers and make recommendations upon request. Conversation is abundant here, as friends, not as staff and guests. And the food matches the service; my choice was the wicked chicken- flavorful with soft bread…so good! If you are downtown looking for lunch, Rae’s is your place.
I had the best experience here! The food is amazing, the staff is extremely kind. I ordered the Monte crisco and southern BBQ Sandwich, which were full of flavor and very filling. If you have room for dessert the brownies are the way to go!
I rarely eat sandwiches because I don’t think they’re great, but this place was incredible! The Italian princess is the perfect mix between chicken parm and delicious mushrooms. I rarely write yelp reviews but had to for this place- I walked in and asked for a brownie five minutes before closing time, they said they were out. I replied I was disappointed because I had been looking forward to trying their brownies – they looked really good the last time I was there – – and this was my last stop before getting on the plane back to DC. They were so nice, they took a sample off a catering plate in the back and gave it to me for free, to enjoy on my trip! Now that’s southern hospitality 🙂
When I started working downtown, I heard from more than a few people that there weren’t really any great places to eat within walking distance from our office. There was a Subway and some middle of the road Mexican food, but not much else. Unless the food trucks came to visit us. Then all bets are off.
Regardless, I started riding a new bus route and was walking up Union (had never had to come this way before) when I saw the sign for Rae’s in the window. So I did some research and, of course, found all the good reviews. And only a few blocks from my office! I knew I had to check it out so I walked over shortly after 11 on a Friday. Despite the fact that they had only been open for 10 minutes, there was already a line of people waiting.
I checked out the menu online ahead of time so I knew what I wanted upon entering. I opted for the Italian Romeo with a side salad. Although the brownies and cookies looked super tempting, I didn’t get any. I know, I know. But there will be a time in the near future when I try at least one of them.
ANYWAY. I walked back up the hill to my office to devour my sandwich and oh man, is it good. I think the bread is what makes the sandwich so good. It’s soft, but crusty on the outside and super fresh tasting. And they make everything to order, so you know it hasn’t been sitting around for a while. On a side note, definitely get the pickles when he asks.
I can guarantee that this will not be my last time visiting Rae’s and definitely would recommend that anyone working downtown go check them out. Just try to stay away.
I have found myself downtown more often lately for work. I wanted something good to eat. So I checked Yelp and found Rae’s very close by. I went in at an unordinary time. it was well after the lunch crowd had been through.
I ordered the Reuben. I could tell each order is made from scratch. They use cast iron skillets. The staff are very personable. My wait was not long at all. The sandwich was delicious. The bread was soft and fresh on the inside and the crust was wonderful.
I will return often! The guy will ask if you want a pickle and I suggest yes!
They made the line experience fun by joking with regulars. The best Reuben I’ve ever had.
I know a lot of you sandwich folks rave about Mitchell Deli. And, the praise is well-deserved. BUT, if you haven’t spent time at Rae’s, I don’t know that you’ve really experienced pure sandwich bliss. If you don’t it, you need to fix that now. Today. It’s almost lunch time. Rae’s caters to the work crowd and isn’t as convenient (hours, location and parking). BUT the product is every bit as magical as you might imagine and definitely worth the time and effort it might take to get there.
I came here for a work lunch on a busy Friday. It’s location on Union is no fun because you know parking is a pain around this area. [Point of Order: Nashville, we have to talk about viable public transit. It’s time and your downtown businesses aren’t getting as much as business as they should (see my Ichiban review) because you haven’t figured out the transit/parking issue. You’re, at least, two years late on this fix it.] Once I looped the block a couple of times and suggested* to a woman who was idling in a parking space that she should move, I was able to come in and see what’s happening.
There’s a huge menu board to the right, once you enter, that’s filled with specials, sandwich choices and all other goodies. Depending on the day and time, though, you may have to change your plans. I had crab cakes on my mind but arrived too late to enjoy them. Everything’s made fresh and to order. Once it’s gone, it’s gone. I ‘settled’ on the Wicked Chicken sandwich, bowl of red beans, pomegranate (hallelujah, holla back!) San Pellegrino, and a huge brownie. Lay off me; I was starving.
I didn’t have to wait too long before my food was ready and I ready to dig in. Oh, you seat yourself after going to the counter and ordering all the food. My sandwich was a stack of chicken, chipotles, lettuce, tomato, and green chili sauce. If it weren’t already hot, I could have had my fill from the hot sauce bar that adorns the pay counter. When I tell you this sandwich was incredible… child, please. I was reat’ to testify in Rae’. My red beans (to which I *did* add hot sauce) were the perfect compliment to my behemoth of a sandwich. I tried taking small sips of my soda, as this was a San Pellegrino flavor I’d yet to have. #heavenly I was so stuffed, I couldn’t fit my brownie in my belly. But, best believe, I destroyed it as a late afternoon snack later that day. Rae’s is worth me scheduling meetings downtown JUST so I can go hog-wild on the menu. Wacky hours, difficult parking and non-glam location and all… it’s just that good. Go today!
*We’re just going to call it that.
Two sandwich shops sit across the street from one another, and they couldn’t be more different, at least in regards to quality. One one side of 5th Avenue is Subway, with it’s Jared-inspired subs heaped with pounds of imported vegetables and funky sauces. For $5 you can get a footlong Italian BMT.
But, across 5th, nestled in-between a law firm and a sub-par Tex-Mex joint sits Rae’s Gourmet. For all intents and purposes (i.e., eating) it’s the only place on this corner that matters. I’ve been a fan of Rae’s for years, but today I decided it had earned a glowing five-star review, complete with all the superlatives and accolades.
I don’t normally give out 5-star reviews, but Rae’s deserves it. It’s combination of quality, value, service, and friendliness, makes it a must-visit spot in downtown Nashville. Ask any of the 55,000 downtown employees what they’re favorite downtown spots are, and you’ll hear Rae’s on almost every list.
First off, they get all the basics right. Fresh bread, high quality meats and cheeses, and plenty of delicious combinations thereof. I’m a fan of the Angus Po-Boy, which is topped with “magic mushroom,” cheese sauce, and tomato (you need a fork to eat it). Also, their take on a Reuben is legit.
But even more impressively, they do daily specials, from crab cakes to beer cheese soup. And allow me to pause for a minute to praise this beer cheese soup. Spicy, cheesy, with a hint of lager, it is ri.dic.u.lous. I’m a little sick today, and I think the combo of hot, cheesy, beer-y goodness is nudging me towards healing (insert praise-hands emoji).
When you walk into Rae’s, you get asked to call your order out from the back of the line. If you’ve been there before, you get asked if you want what you got last time. If you’re a regular, they list your usual choices and ask you to pick. By the time you pay, your food’s ready. Yeah. They’re that good. You feel just ever-so-slightly cared for in a way that makes you want to come back tomorrow. Don’t know what you want? Ask for help. They’ll get ya served up right.
I’ve yet to meet a person who didn’t like Rae’s. If you are downtown and want to eat like locals eat, stop in at Rae’s. It WILL NOT disappoint.