Welcome to the world, Audrey Burger.
On June 15th, 2024, Audrey Nashville, of chef Sean Brock fame, unveiled a brand new burger — found exclusively on Monday nights for vinyl community night. On Instagram, the burger birth announcement described it as “made with @bearcreekfarm Beef and @broadbenthams Bacon on a toasted Sesame Seed Brioche Bun with fresh Tomato, Lacto Tomato Syrup from @thelabataudrey, shaved Vidalia Onion compressed with Beef Garum, Special Sauce, Special Pickle Chips, and served next to Beef Fat Fries.”
As your self-appointed Burger Queen, I had to try it out, so here’s your full, detailed review.
👀 First Impressions
I walked into Audrey around 8 p.m. on Monday and followed the signs for "Vinyl Community Night," which was up the stairs to the bar. I will admit, I was initially worried I was interrupting something. The bar was relatively quiet, and people were mingling, which was lovely — but threw me off. Still, I was very brave and walked up to the bar to order the highly-anticipated “Hickory Grilled Cheeseburger & French Fries." I snagged an open table and had a rosé spritz as I waited to feast.
🍔 The Burger
- First thought was … wow, that’s smoky. This burger’s mother is certainly a hickory tree, and its father is a steakhouse.
- This is a big burger, and I was glad it was served with a giant steak knife sticking out from it.
- The “special pickles” are delicious. I’m not privy to exactly what secret ingredient makes them “special,” but they’re on the sweet side, and I was thankful for the solid layer of pickles on the bottom of the burger. Pickle haters beware.
- You may be asking, “What is beef garum?” I learned today that it is fermented beef trimmings, and it’s what makes these Vidalia onions so flavorful.
- Having admittedly forgotten the detailed description of this burger, upon tasting the french fries, I thought, “Man, these really taste like Xiao Bao’s beef fat fries.” I was then proud to learn these are indeed beef fat fries, and that I clearly have a sensitive, accurate french fry fat palette. They’re reminiscent of old-school McDonald’s fries, and have the perfect crispy-on-the-outside, soft-on-the-inside texture.
The full Vinyl Community Night menu, as seen on the bar top. (Grace Fuisz / City Cast Nashville)
🎶 Vinyl Community Night
Here’s the scoop, according to the bartender: If you have some vinyl at home (or if you want to stop by one of Nashville’s many great record shops beforehand), you can bring it to Audrey every Monday and have the DJ spin your records! I personally will be bringing my two copies of the "Grease" soundtrack next time.
Go forth and feast, friends!
