Nashville's burger scene rewards anyone willing to leave Lower Broadway. The tourist strip has plenty of places to eat, but most of the burgers locals talk about are a short drive or rideshare away, in neighborhoods where dive bars, food trucks and chef-run restaurants sit side by side. The city leans hard into thin, griddled smash burgers, yet it also has an old-fashioned diner tradition and a few butcher shops grinding their own beef.

East Nashville is the center of it all. Across the Cumberland River from downtown, it has the highest concentration of great burgers in the city, from late-night bars on Gallatin Avenue to counters on Main Street and Riverside Drive. Germantown, just north of downtown, has a couple of strong stops within walking distance of each other. The Nations in West Nashville and the Belmont-Hillsboro area near the universities round things out. Every spot below also appears in the cards above, and you can browse more cities in our restaurant directory.

Best burgers in Nashville by style

Smash burgers

Bad Luck Burger Club is the name that comes up first. Its crispy-edged smash burger is built with the pickles under the patty and a mustardy sauce, and it now serves from a permanent spot on Woodland Street outside Honeytree Meadery. Dreamburger is a food truck parked outside Vinyl Tap that turns out paper-thin patties with a tangy smoked-tomato "dreamsauce" on a buttered bun. Brave Idiot on Main Street, tucked behind No Quarter, cooks its patties until they're deeply caramelized, and Charmers in Germantown makes a double smash cheeseburger finished with gribiche. For more, see our best smash burgers in Nashville page, and read smash burger vs. regular burger if you're deciding which style you like.

Classic and old-school burgers

Brown's Diner in Belmont-Hillsboro is the city's best-known old-school burger joint, and its signature, the 1927, is dressed simply with American cheese, Duke's mayo, lettuce, tomato, onion and pickles. Schulman's on Porter Road stacks thin patties in a traditional style that sits somewhere between a smash burger and a diner burger. Grillshack Fries & Burgers on Riverside Drive serves an old-school, open-faced burger on a butter-griddled bun. Find more joints like these on our best classic burgers in Nashville page.

Cheap and late-night

Dino's Bar & Grill on Gallatin Avenue is a dive bar with a no-nonsense cheeseburger: charred beef, cheese, lettuce, tomato, onion and pickles on a plain bun. It's a natural late-night stop after a show. Bad Luck and Dreamburger are also easy on the wallet. Our best cheap burgers in Nashville page has the full list.

Chef-driven and specialty burgers

Turkey and the Wolf Icehouse on Meridian Street serves the Mama Tried Burger, a juicy Big Mac-style build with American cheese. Redheaded Stranger on Arrington Street is a Tex-Mex-leaning spot whose Hatch green chile cheeseburger comes with bacon and ranch; our green chile cheeseburger guide explains the style. Jack Brown's Beer & Burger Joint in Germantown uses American wagyu and pairs it with a long craft beer list. In The Nations, Bare Bones Butcher is a neighborhood butcher shop that makes a two-patty cheeseburger with homemade pickles.

Local burger traditions

Nashville doesn't have one signature regional burger the way Oklahoma has the fried onion burger, but two habits stand out. The first is the old-fashioned diner burger, dressed with mayo, lettuce, tomato and pickles and served without fuss, which Brown's Diner still serves. The second is the city's embrace of the smash burger, often from trucks, pop-ups and bar kitchens that later became permanent. Bad Luck Burger Club began as a food truck before landing on Woodland Street. If you're curious about how these styles fit into the bigger picture, read American burger styles explained or our statewide guide to the best burgers in Tennessee.

Tips for visiting

Plan by neighborhood. East Nashville alone can fill a whole burger crawl, and many of its spots are a short drive apart.
Food trucks and bar kitchens can change their schedules, so check social media or the official site before you go.
Some of these places are bars, and a few are 21 and over. Check the age policy if you're traveling with kids.
Butcher shops and diners tend to keep earlier schedules than bars, so plan those for lunch rather than late at night.
Order at the counter or bar when that's the setup. Several of these spots don't offer table service.

Browse by style

Want just one kind of burger? See our shortlists of the best smash burgers, classic burger joints, cheap burgers in Nashville.

FAQ

What is the best burger in Nashville?

It depends on the style you want. For a smash burger, start with Bad Luck Burger Club or Dreamburger. For a traditional burger, Schulman's and Brown's Diner are the classic picks. For something more creative, try the Mama Tried Burger at Turkey and the Wolf Icehouse.

Where can I find a cheap burger in Nashville?

Dino's Bar & Grill, Bad Luck Burger Club and Dreamburger are good places to start, and Charmers in Germantown is another casual option. See our cheap burgers in Nashville page for more.

Where should I go for burgers near downtown Nashville?

Germantown is the closest burger cluster to downtown, with Jack Brown's Beer & Burger Joint and Charmers. East Nashville is just across the river and has the most options.

Where can I get a green chile cheeseburger in Nashville?

Redheaded Stranger in East Nashville serves a Hatch green chile cheeseburger with bacon and ranch. Know a spot we missed? Suggest a spot.