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For restaurateur Matthew Gonzales, the premise for Ground is simple: Provide an affordable, family-friendly dining spot where you can customize American favorites from start to finish. Burgers, salads, and spuds provide the foundations; the Cool Springs eatery offers a plethora of ingredients from which to choose in building your meal. Moreover, Ground embraces a farm-to-table philosophy, sourcing those ingredients locally and regionally. Opened in September 2015, the independently owned restaurant has garnered a following for its fresh food and welcoming vibe. Folks in the know will tell you Ground has the best burger in Franklin.
Superlatives aside, what we'll tell you is that they build a mighty delicious burger, which is grilled to order and assembled per your design. Accompanying your personalized stack are Ground's hand cut frieshot, crisp, and seasoned with the right touch of salt and pepper.Ground's custom touch isn't limited to burgers, though. That baked potato loaded with shredded Swiss, green onions, bacon, and sautéed mushrooms you've been dreaming about is there for the asking. Or perhaps it's a sweet potato you'd fancy, dolloped with cinnamon-sugar tinged butter.
Can't decide? Choose from the roster of Ground specialties. The 'Not Your Ordinary BLT” features the burger, cheddar, and BLT fixins', griddled on Texas toastan extraordinary patty melt. For something zippier, try the Four Alarm Fire, where the burger's been stuffed with jalapeños and pepper-jack cheese, and topped with onion straws and spicy ranch. From the baked spud department, the buffalo chicken potato is a popular choice, the russet brimming with fried chicken bites napped in Louisiana Hot and cool ranch sauces.
On the lighter side, creative salad bowls come generously filled and dressed with house-made vinaigrettes. Roasted tomato is delicious over Aaron's Gulf shrimp salad, a mélange of lettuces, black olives, tomatoes, cucumbers, red onions, red peppers, parmesan, and eight large shrimp. Tangy strawberry brightens the apple walnut salad: mixed greens, sliced Granny Smith apples, toasted walnuts, bacon, and blue cheese.
Kids 12 and under get special treatment, too. For every $10 you spend, you earn a free kid's meal, redeemable on Saturdays.
330 Mayfield Dr, Ste. D4, Franklin; 615-905-9350; groundrestaurant.com