Nashville's Best Burgers

Classic Burger

Kayne Prime Burger at Whiskey Kitchen

Named for its incorporation of the same prime ground beef used at its sister property, this one is a simple execution of meat, bun, and raw toppings. You could load it up with bacon, a variety of cheeses, or even bacon and an egg, but the highly seasoned patty on a soft bun stands just fine on its own.

Pair it with: An order of Tennessee Whiskey Yam fries
118 12th Ave. S., 615-254-3029; mstreetnashville.com | $9.75

Classic Burger

Seamus Burger at Gabby’s Burgers & Fries

Set inside the former location of Hap Townes Restaurant near Greer Stadium, Gabby’s can be tough to find. But when you locate it, head straight for the Seamus, a classic single-patty, five-ounce burger made from loosely ground grass-fed beef that’s tossed on the griddle as a ball and then smashed down into a roughly shaped burger. It’s as simple and tasty as they come.

Pair it with: Gabby’s custom “kickin’ ketchup, x93 which ratchets up the heat, as well as a side of the addictive sweet potato fries
493 Humphreys St., 615-733-3119; gabbysburgersandfries.com | $6.95; $7.50 with cheese

Classic Burger

Grilled Cheeseburger American at Pinewood Social

It makes sense that a funhouse combining bowling and booze would put serious effort behind its burger, too. This all-American version at Pinewood Social brings together two patties with melty American cheese over a layer of crisp, shredded iceberg, sliced onion, pickle chips, and a slather of mustard and mayo.

Pair it with: The broccoli appetizer, which is fried, dusted with sea salt and lemon zest, and served with almond garlic dipping sauce
33 Peabody St., 615-751-8111; pinewoodsocial.com | $13

Classic Burger

Thumper Burger at Charlie Bob’s Restaurant

This firmly pressed 12-ounce patty is set between the softest, most anonymous white-bread bun you’ve ever tasted and dressed with American cheese,‎mayo, mustard, lettuce, tomato, onion, and pickle. The retro restaurant’s synthesis of the char-grilled “backyard burger x93 served in a low-fuss luncheonette offers cheap thrills and gooey, cheesy greasiness. (We mean that in a good way.)

Pair it with: Fries are optional. Milkshakes, however, are a must.
1330 Dickerson Pk., 615-262-2244; facebook.com/charliebobseastnashville | $7.95 ($5 Thursday Special)

Classic Burger

The Hamburger at Brown’s Diner

This venerable converted-streetcar diner has a kitchen flattop that’s been seasoned with decades of grilling, which means loyal patrons—everyone from college students to songwriters—are always greeted with the heavenly scent of seared meat. As for the burger itself, it’s a hot, greasy patty topped with a just barely wilted lettuce leaf and raw onions. Load it up with ketchup and mustard and it’s a total steal.

Pair it with: A frosty cold longneck
2102 Blair Blvd., 615-269-5509; brownsdiner.com | $4.25

Locally-Minded Burger

Double H Farms TN Stack at Capitol Grille 

Plenty of restaurants use grass-fed beef in their burgers, but how many raise both the grass and the cows? The staff at the Hermitage Hotel runs Double H Farms in nearby Dickson County, where they tend their own herd of cattle. The finished product ends up in a delightful double-patty burger topped with pickled green tomatoes, confit red onions, and roasted garlic aioli.

Pair it with: A napkin, preferably tucked into the collar, to catch any drippings
Hermitage Hotel, 231 6th Ave. N., 615-345-7116; capitolgrillenashville.com | $15

Locally-Minded Burger

Local Burger at Fido

Locally raised beef and lamb, caramelized fennel, aged cheddar, fig aioli, and crispy fried onions might sound a bit fancy for a burger purist. But don’t be too quick to judge—this combo is one of the best between two buns in Nashville (fancy or otherwise).

Pair it with: Sweet potato fries pulled through a dish of heat-kickin’ horseradish sauce.
1812 21st Ave. S., 615-777-3436; bongojava.com/fido-cafe | $11

Locally-Minded Burger

Tennessee Burger from Burger Republic

There are so many reasons to love the Tennessee Burger, starting with the Jack Daniel’s honey bourbon sauce, which adds a sweet and savory flavor to the Angus beef. Next up, it’s a slice of American cheese sprinkled with a Memphis-style barbecue rub, which gets topped with a few slices of maple-glazed Benton’s bacon and quick-fried onion crisps.

Pair it with: House-fried chips (see the sidebar below) and an adult milkshake like the Spiked Reese’s Malt, which gets a shot of peanut-butter-cup-infused vodka
6900 Lenox Village Dr., 615-499-4428
11th Ave. S., 615-915-1943; burgerrepublic.com | $11.25
Photo by Mark Boughton

Locally-Minded Burger

The 1808 Burger at 1808 Grille

1808 Grille’s three-quarter-inch Black Angus patty (sourced from Louisville) gets its flavor from a good crust of salt and pepper. Draped over that is a layer of melted aged cheddar and a pile of Old Bay–laced lettuce and cabbage slaw, topped with a thickly cut slice of tomato grown by local favorite Farmer Dave. That’s all doused in a house-made “secret sauce x93 (hint: It has the familiar tang of Thousand Island dressing) and piled on a brioche bun for a filling, vinegar-laced bite.

Pair it with: A tiny fryer basket of garlicky shoestring fries
Hutton Hotel, 1808 West End Ave., 615-340-0012; 1808grille.com | $11

Locally-Minded Burger

The Wash Park Burger at Biscuit Love Truck

Biscuit Love owners Karl and Sarah Worley were already making some of the city’s best biscuits—and then they went and one-upped themselves by stuffing ’em with a custom blend of ground beef from Bear Creek Farm. Topped with pimento cheese and Benton’s bacon jam, the Wash Park is a delicious, fatty bite that elevates the entire combination to a culinary masterpiece.

Pair it with: The optional fried egg on top. Trust us.
Follow them via @biscuitluvtruck; biscuitlovetruck.com | $9

Locally-Minded Burger

The Local Burger from Flyte World Dining and Wine

Chef Matt Lackey carefully sources all of his ingredients from the state of Tennessee, including the 60-day dry-aged beef from Bear Creek Farm. For the beef blend, he uses New York strip, rib eye, and short ribs, which essentially makes this a steak on a bun—a deliciously salty pretzel bun, to be exact.

Pair it with: One of the Belgian bottled beers on offer
718 Division St., 615-255-6200; flytenashville.com | $12 (available only in the lounge)

Totally-Over-The-Top Burger

Husk Cheeseburger at Husk Nashville

By now, we’ve learned that chef Sean Brock doesn’t do anything halfway—meaning the well-researched burger at Husk is an epic masterpiece. It starts with a solid foundation of double patties made with Double H Farms beef, raised by Brock’s friend, chef Tyler Brown. Those are positioned between oozing slices of American cheese, a ketchup-and-mayo-based special sauce, onion slices, and house-made pickles. 

Pair it with: House-cut potato wedges, which are perfect for sopping up the happy spills of excess sauce
37 Rutledge St., 615-256-6565; husknashville.com | $11

Totally-Over-The-Top Burger

Tango Burger at Hard Rock Café

A massive steak knife inserted into the bun punctuates the arrival of this six-inch-tall behemoth. You’ll need that, along with the huge pile of napkins that comes with it, in order to minimize the pure sloppiness of this sandwich. Two patties are stacked and topped with slow-cooked sloppy joe beef, a slice each of American and Monterey Jack cheeses, and a fistful of blue cheese crumbles. Consider this your chili cheeseburger on steroids.

Pair it with: Seasoned fries dipped in a sidecar of sweet-and-sour barbecue sauce
100 Broadway, 615-742-9900; hardrock.com | $14.95

Totally-Over-The-Top Burger

Brisket Burger at Martin’s Bar-B-Que Joint

Pat Martin is one of the best pitmasters in the South, and it’s hard to beat his whole hog barbecue. The hidden gem on the menu, however, is his brisket burger. It’s a custom blend of ground beef with thickly sliced grilled onions, classic American cheese, barbecue sauce, and a scoop of Martin’s tender, smoky beef brisket on top. It is a sum that is greater than its parts.

Pair it with: An order of light and tangy coleslaw on the side
3108 Belmont Blvd., 615-300-1181; martinsbbqjoint.com | $7

Totally-Over-The-Top Burger

Top Hat Burger at Riffs Cafe at Highland Ridge

A slice of cheddar cheese and a mound of bacon-onion hash create a “top hat x93 of sorts on this thickly ground beef patty—hence the name. And while the hash is certainly out of this world, the house-made brioche bun and Riffs’ sauce take it to another galaxy.

Pair it with: The Midas Fries—hand-cut, twice-fried Yukon golds. There is no better accompaniment.
555 Marriott Drive (Building Two), #105, 615-669-8782; facebook.com/riffscafe | $8

Totally-Over-The-Top Burger

Bozzi Burger at The Palm

Four generations of Bozzi men have successively co-owned and helmed (with three generations of Ganzis) the Palm since its founding in New York City in 1926. Fittingly, the Bozzi is the venerable steakhouse’s most popular burger, a sturdy stack of 12-ounce prime grade beef under an ooze of aged gouda, crowned with a tangle of crispy fried onions and stuffed between a lightly toasted, barbecue-sauce-slathered sesame bun that’s speared with a pickled pepper and olive. Officially, it’s on the lunch menu only, but insiders know the Bozzi is always in the house.

Pair it with: A Palm martini, of course
140 5th Ave. S., 615-742-7256; thepalm.com | $14.90 - lunch menu; $18.90 - Prime Bites dinner menu
Photo by Mark Boughton

Totally-Over-The-Top Burger

Cheese Burger at The Pharmacy Burger Parlor and Beer Garden

This one may look like a classic, but it’s actually a messy delight thanks to the use of three über-melty cheeses: yellow cheddar, Swiss, and Gruyère. (Because if you’re gonna take a burger over the top, why not do it with cheese?) The burger also gets high marks for its chewy, toasted Provence bun.

Pair it with: A side of crunchy-yet-creamy tater tots and a strawberry ginger ale
731 McFerrin Ave., 615-712-9517; thepharmacynashville.com | $8.50

Totally-Over-The-Top Burger

Super Deluxe Burger at Fat Mo’s

When you want to go big, you gotta go to Mo’s. How big is their Super Deluxe? Weighing in at 27 ounces and measuring four inches high and five inches wide, this tri-patty tower is jacked up with bacon, barbecue sauce, jalapeño peppers, grilled onions and mushrooms, lettuce, tomato, pickle, and the usual condiments. This burger is so big, the to-go box fails to contain it.

Pair it with: Sides are superfluous, though a roll of Tums isn’t a bad idea.
Various locations; fatmos.com | $10.04; $10.91 with cheese

Pimento Cheese Burger

Tennessee Patty Melt at Kitchen Notes

The traditional patty melt gets a new spin with the addition of mild, melted pimento cheese, a special creamy white sauce, onions caramelized in George Dickel No. 8, and a couple of bacon slices for good measure. Sandwiched between two slices of rye, the combo hits all the right sweet and sharp notes.

Pair it with: House-made potato salad, which gets a salty-bitter kick from grainy mustard
Omni Nashville Hotel, 250 5th Ave. S., 615-782-5300; omnihotels.com | $13

Pimento Cheese Burger

The Southern Burger at The Southern Steak & Oyster

A Bear Creek Farm beef patty stands as the base for The Southern’s take. They top it with pimento cheese made from Kenny’s Farmhouse cheddar as well as cured-in-house jalapeño bacon. They also toss on a few thinly sliced fried onion rings and sandwich it all within a Provence bun.

Pair it with: An order of sweet potato fries smothered in bottle-aged Texas Ketchup from the restaurant’s Southern Sauce line
150 3rd Ave. S., 615-724-1762; thesouthernnashville.com | $14.50

Pimento Cheese Burger

Grilled Cheeseburger at Rotier’s Restaurant

Skip Rotier’s classic French bread burger and instead head toward the grilled cheeseburger—but don’t forget to request the off-the-menu pimento cheese, which adds heft to an otherwise standard combo that arrives on a classic soft bun. There are the recognizable toppings, too: tomato, sliced onion, lettuce, and pickles. With the pimento assist, it’s a combo that’s kept folks returning to this institution since 1945.

Pair it with: A plate of oversized onion rings
2413 Elliston Place, 615-327-9892; rotiersrestaurant.com | $5.50

Pimento Cheese Burger

Masami Ranch Wagyu Burger at 360 Bistro

One of the highest-priced burgers in town is also one of the most indulgent. To get the ingredients just right, the 360 staff blind-tasted everything from the beef (high-quality wagyu grown in the U.S.) to the brioche (baked by local guy Bobby John Henry). There are slabs of bacon and bacon jam, plus that necessary pile of pimento cheese, which ties it all together with a spicy kick. The resulting sandwich is a sweet, salty, meaty masterpiece—pricey but worth every penny.

Pair it with: A doll-sized basket of full of fries
6000 Highway 100, 615-353-5604; 360bistro.com | $20

Pimento Cheese Burger

Tennessee Farm House Burger at M Restaurant and Bar

A surprising number of ingredients pack this reasonably sized lunch item: a single fried green tomato, a fried egg, pimento cheese laced with bits of jalapeño, a slice of bacon—and we haven’t even mentioned the half pound of Hereford beef or the soft brioche bun. And despite the deep bench of fixings, it’s a handheld feast that stays remarkably tidy with every bite.

Pair it with: A side of crunchy potato chips and a crisp dill pickle spear
209 10th Ave. S., Suite 223, Cummins Station, 615-678-1591; mrestaurantandbar.com | $12

Pimento Cheese Burger

Nash Vegas at M.L. Rose Craft Beer and Burgers


Served on a sweet potato bun and topped with barbecue sauce, the Nash Vegas gets a dollop of pimento cheese and a scattering of fried sweet tobacco onions. The onions add just the tiniest bit of crunch to the umami-rich combo.

Pair it with: Sequins and something off the bar’s long list of craft beers
2535 Franklin Pk., 615-712-8160; 4408 Charlotte Ave., 615-750-2920; ml-rose.com | $11.95

Non-Beef Burger

Marathon Burger at Burger Up

This hearty quinoa and black bean patty gets capped off with locally grown lettuce, tomato, red onions (ask for them caramelized), and a cilantro-lime crème fraîche. You can even opt for a gluten-free bun—or just go bun-less.

Pair it with: A fried Vidalia onion tower drizzled with house-made ketchup
2901 12th Ave. S., Nashville (615-279-3767); 401B Cool Springs Blvd., Ste. 200, Franklin, (615-503-9892); burger-up.com | $10

Non-Beef Burger

Veggie Burger at PM

PM’s traditional beef burger might get all of the acclaim, but their veggie version warrants some too. It’s coated in the same thin, peppery barbecue glaze as its meaty brother, as well as the spicy wasabi mayo—which, we think, actually works better when accompanying the vegetables.

Pair it with: The massive, meal-on-their-own steak fries
2017 Belmont Blvd., 615-297-2070; pmnashville.com | $9

Non-Beef Burger

Bison Bacon Cheeseburger at Ted’s Montana Grill

“Eat Great. Do Good x93 is the mantra at Ted’s Montana Grill restaurants, which offer the biggest bison menu in the world. We’d like to tack on “Be Better x93 to that, since bison is richer in taste, higher in protein and nutrients, and lower in calories and fat than beef. If the latter two don’t concern you, pile on the bacon and cheese.

Pair it with: The 50/50 side—you’ll avoid having to choose between fries and onion rings.
2817 West End Ave., 615-329-3415; tedsmontanagrill.com | $14

Non-Beef Burger

Liverpool Street Lamb Burger at Fleet Street

Combining all the best aspects of a British gyro street cart vendor, this burger is made with house-ground lamb and Moroccan spices, harissa yogurt, sweet-pickled red onion, fresh mint, and cucumber. Although it might be a little unorthodox for burger traditionalists, it’s a tasty and surprising treat.

Pair it with: A side of mushed peas for a full-on British invasion
207 Printers Alley, 615-200-0782; fleetstreetpub.com | $10.75

Non-Beef Burger

Bonnaroo’s Most Wanted at Pied Piper Eatery

This vegan patty is made up of rice, mushrooms, onions, beets, garlic, and one or two additional ingredients the restaurant prefers to keep secret. It’s then glazed with ginger syrup. Thanks to the beets, the burger actually looks like a perfectly medium-rare beef version after one bite. And even though it’s designed to be meatless, they’re cool if you want to throw a little bacon on top.

Pair it with: Pied Piper’s impressive mac and cheese
1601 Riverside Dr., 615-228-2795; facebook.com/piedpipereatery | $8.95

Non-Beef Burger

Duck Burger at Table 3

A grilled burger is about as all-American as it gets, but exchange the cow for canard and you’ve really got something French to go with those fries. Table 3 grinds duck trim with fat from locally sourced dry-aged beef and voilà—their distinctly flavored, utterly sophisticated, simply divine duck burger. It’s served on a house-made potato bun and perfectly complemented with a smear of thyme aioli, creamy Boursin cheese, and if you’re in the mood, a fried egg. Chef Tom Sommer recommends ordering it medium for the best texture.

Pair it with: Pommes frites, bien sûr
3821 Green Hills Village Dr., 615-739-6900; table3nashville.com | $15.75 at lunch; $16.50 at dinner

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