It’s a wonderful time to be a Nashvillian, folks. Why? Because it’s Burger Week. Last year, I still worked down on 2nd Avenue and was able to partake in a bit of the action with noted friend of the brand, RHog. My winner (of the roughly 2-3 places I actually tried last year) was The District Bar and Kitchen, a hidden-in-plain-sight secret inside the Hotel Indigo downtown.
Excellent burger, and a nice clean environment if you can get over the suits and suitcases toiling about. It is a hotel, after all.
But, I’m still kicking myself for not going wherever it was that had that kimchi burger. If any reader is hip to what I’m talking about, point me in the right direction. That sounds damn delicious.
Anyway, I’m rambling. Burger Week is back – it started yesterday, actually, so I’m a day behind (#Journalism) – through July 22nd. You can check out who’s participating here, and game plan your lunches around that. But, it did get me thinking about my favorite burgers in town, and in honor of the event, I figured I’d share it with the class.
Big Natural’s Three Favorite Burgers in Nashville
3. The Ramsey Pimento Cheese Burger at Burger Up – I wrote about this back in April during our review of Tremont Tavern for Chattanooga Week. But, if you put pimento cheese on a burger, I’m done for. That’s it – down for the count. I’m just a sucker for the nice texture of a rich pimento cheese spread on a burger.
Burger Up was one of the OG “gourmet burger” joints in town. I can remember discovering them back in 2010 and thinking, “man – this gourmet burger trend…there might be something here.” I feel like a prophet now – shit, I might as well be. My point being that Burger Up has been in the game a long time now. They’ve damn near perfected their craft, but for whatever reason, I don’t read as much about them on Nashville food lists. Maybe they’re old news? Are they so 2010? I don’t know – but I’d recommend the hell out of them.
2. Cheeseburger at Brown’s Diner – I almost feel like I’m breaking some unwritten, unspoken rule here by telling people about Brown’s. At the very least, I’m not going to link anything here. I’m not going to make it any easier for you to find this place. But, I can’t write an honest list without mentioning their cheeseburgers.
There’s a definite old school feel about the place. They still have ketchup in glass bottles, and they damn sure don’t do anything fancy. There’s an old urban legend that the burgers are good because they’ve never changed out the grease. I don’t care if it’s true. Those damn things are still delicious. And, if it is true, then good – maybe no one new will go there.
It’s your standard issue, classic take on the cheeseburger. Beef, cheese, lettuce, tomato, onion, pickle. Get an order of fries and a Michelob AmberBock, and you’re set. Brown’s may be Nashville’s greatest hidden gem.
1. The Stroganoff Burger at The Pharmacy – By a lot of counts, The Pharmacy does have the best burger in Nashville. At least in my immediate social circle, a lot of folks will send you here if you ask ’em for the best burger in town. But, everyone that says that might pick a different burger off the menu as the best. This East Nashville haven actually boasts a pretty damn good currywurst, too, while we’re at it.
But, for me, it’s all about the stroganoff burger. Caramelized onions, mushroom stroganoff, sour cream, and Swiss cheese. It’s a rich, hearty, flavorful meal, and there’s just something about the way all of the flavors jive together that makes it so savory. There’s something about the buns at The Pharmacy, too. Not quite sure what it is, but they’re quite different – they’re soft, kind of starchy, but they taste phenomenal and really hold the sandwich together well.
Order it with some tater tots and grab a side of their roasted garlic aioli for dipping, and you’ll be set. Plus, The Pharmacy is one of the only places in town where you can get an ice cold bottle of Kronenbourg 1664 to wash it all down with.
Ding, ding, ding – we have a winner.
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Nashville, your boy needs some new burger suggestions. The food scene is ever-changing in Nashville, and it’s hard to stay on top of it all. Let me know where I should go and what I should try next and I’ll be sure to give you a shout-out in the next article.
Stoney Keeley is the Editor in Chief of The SoBros Network. He is a strong supporter of Team GSD and #BeBetter. “Big Natural” covers the Tennessee Titans, Alabama Crimson Tide football, the WWE, and a whole wealth of nonsense. Follow on Twitter @StoneyKeeley
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