It’s time. Your Burger Queen is here with a final review of the Nashville Scene’s Burger Week 2024. There were over 60 restaurants participating in Burger Week this year, and I can only consume so many burgers, so I had to narrow my scope. As a smashburger enthusiast, I decided to stick to smashburgers this year — and I’m getting scientific with it, folks.
Looking for the best smashburgers in Nashville all year round? We've got you covered.
🧐 The Criteria
- Burgers must be explicitly called “smashburgers” to qualify.
- I cannot go anywhere I would spend more on parking than the burger (sorry, Downtown).
- I can only go to restaurants I haven’t been to before (most notably excluding The Pharmacy and Burger Republic).
🔬 The Methodology
First and foremost, I followed the Burger Week Commandments and tried an extra side or drink (when possible) and made sure to tip based off of the original burger price. I brought buddies along to give second opinions, and I created a worksheet so we could all take notes with a standardized rubric. The rubric specifically graded each burger on bun, sauce, patty, and toppings. We also took notes on the dining experience and any extra sides we tried. Again, we’re being scientific here — Burger Week is no joke.
🤓 The Obstacles
- As Chris Chamberlain warned us in our Burger Week episode, some restaurants ran out of their special burger before I could get there. This unfortunately happened at Red Perch so I didn’t get a chance to try that one. This is extra sad because Red Perch won “Best Traditional Burger.” I’ll get ‘em next year.
- Despite Burger Week’s official partnership with Uber Eats this year, it was hard to find restaurants that had their Burger Week burger on the app. Given that prices are inflated on Uber Eats and with fees, you’re looking at much more than $7 for a burger. This made it challenging to have burgers for lunch, and, inevitably, led to less burger consumption.
- I cannot lie — I reached Burger Fatigue probably around day 3 and was slightly less excited to chow down as we got into the latter half of the week. I think I will probably be bloated for the rest of the month.
Drumroll please …
🍔 Best Classic Smash
“Smashed Porter Road ground beef patty topped with American cheese, caramelized onion and Cabin Attic’s own Special Spread”
Cabin Attic’s Surf Shack Burger and fries! (Grace Fuisz / City Cast Nashville)
I underestimated the power of a patty, and, in that, underestimated this burger. The Porter Road ground beef really puts this burger at the top for me. It was everything I look for in a classic smashburger: flavorful caramelized onions, a good amount of pickles (I’m pro pickle), and a crispy, fatty, fall-apart patty with some classic American cheese.
The only thing I’m sad about is I wanted more patties! More Porter Road! Make it a double! We got a basket of fries, too, which I would call “boardwalk fries” in the absence of a better term. They're medium thickness, very salty with only a slight crunch. Cabin Attic also gets bonus points for being at Bearded Iris, so you can enjoy a Bearded Iris Homestyle on the patio with your burg. I will be back for sure.
🤯 Best Creative Toppings
“Grilled onion smashburger, white American cheese, baby arugula, JamBox blueberry preserves, and jalapeño aioli”
Cledis’ Red, White, and Blueberry burger! (Grace Fuisz / City Cast Nashville)
Blueberries? On a burger? This is what Burger Week is all about. Changing the world. This burger was ever-so-slightly spicy, and ever-so-slightly sweet. Think fruity summer arugula salad. Think blueberry pancakes and sausage. The bun was soft but held together, and the patty was well-cooked. Bonus points for the french fries being my platonic ideal of a fry: crunchy on the outside, soft on the inside, and perfectly salted. This is the one take-out burger I had, and it survived the ride home without getting soggy, which is also impressive to me.
🏆 Honorable Mention
“Secret Izakaya Burger features a K-BBQ spiced smash patty, a crispy shallot cheese blanket, citrus and chili flavors on a sesame seed bun”
Otto’s x Secret Bodega’s Secret Izakaya Burger! (Grace Fuisz / City Cast Nashville)
I’ve never heard a phrase as enticing as “crispy shallot cheese blanket.” This guy won “Best Overall Burger” and I understand why. The flavors were top notch — interesting and cohesive. I think there were some limitations, though, in terms of the preparation since the burgers were cooked in a tent on the back patio in bulk. Personally, my patty was a little dry! I’m sorry to say it. This was the burger I was most looking forward to and — other than the patty — it met my expectations, which is why it made the top 3. I’ve heard rave reviews from other burger fans, though, and I am definitely giving Secret Bodega the benefit of the doubt that I had an outlier.
This was, of course, at Otto’s so we got drinks as our extra something. The house cocktails we tried were all delicious, but I was most excited that they were able to make a Paper Plane for me, which is my all-time favorite drink. There’s only one other place in town where I’ve been able to get one, so this gave them major points in my book.
A special thank you again to Chris Chamberlain for all of the hot tips he gave us in the Burger Week episode! I couldn’t have eaten this many burgers without you, and I know our doctors are proud of us.
