The mighty burger provides both the ease of handheld convenience and the comforting flavor explosion experienced when the perfect combination of ground beef patty, toppings, sauces, and bun collide. Lucky for us, Nashville offers plenty of solid options for a stellar burger.

The Pharmacy Burger Parlor & Beer Garden

Beer gardens and burgers are kind of like peanut butter and jelly, they just seem born to coexist happily. Satisfying, juicy, crowd-pleasing burgers take center stage at The Pharmacy, but the housemade bratwursts and old-school soda fountain service (the milkshakes!) add to the allure of a primo patio set-up. (And all of the above make their frequent around-the-corner line worth every moment of the wait.) 731 Mcferrin Ave., thepharmacyburger.com

Redheaded Stranger

Bryan Lee Weaver’s Tex-Mex-focused temple to Willie Nelson brings dreamy patio vibes and one crave-inducing green chili cheeseburger to East Nashville, and it’s one of the most wallet-friendly burger options in town. The decadent $7 Hatch chile-loaded Bear Creek patty is gussied up with melty American cheese, ranch and locally owned Gifford’s Bacon on a Martin’s potato roll bun. 305 Arrington St., redheadedstranger.com

Joyland

Thin and crispy signature “crust burgers” became a part of daily food lexicon in Nashville after celebrity chef Sean Brock opened this vibrant quick-service restaurant in East Nashville. Joy is certainly a part of the menu here at this much-more-than-a-fast-food spot, where you can really close your eyes and point at any burger and side and be completely happy with your decision. 901 Woodland St., eatjoyland.com

Bad Luck Burger Club

One of the top locals’ picks for the best burger in town (and really fun burger branding), Bad Luck Burger Club’s food truck currently calls HoneyTree Meadery home, seven days a week. Pro tip: Order your fill of super smashed burgers ahead online and avoid the lines at peak times. 918 Woodland St. Suite B, badluckburgerclub.com

Butchertown Hall

With a bright modern industrial interior, welcoming patio and a focus on smoked meats and Tex-Mex flavors, you might not think to order a burger after perusing the menu. But that would be a mistake, as the Doddy Creek Farms Wagyu Burger is a showstopper, crowned with cheddar, caramelized onion and truffle aioli. 1416 4th Ave. N, butchertownhall.com

Grillshack Fries & Burgers

This beloved burger stand is a no-frills, tried-and-true burger spot that’s a breath of fresh air in a world of overpriced burgers. The five-ounce patties are made from Bear Creek Farms beef, and fries here are hand-cut each day from Idaho Russet potatoes and undergo a five-stage cooking process that ensures a solid full meal served out of a takeout window. 1725 5th Ave. N, grillshack.wixsite.com/grillshack

Cledis Burgers & Beer Garden

A mission for giving back and an enviable patio situation are equally on par with the top-tier smash burger selections at this Elm Hill Pike burger joint. Named after owner Shane Nasby’s late grandfather, Cledis has just been open a couple of years, but instantly felt like the neighborhood Cheers of a smash burger destination. (Coming soon: a second location in Nasby’s own Bellevue neighborhood later this year.) 1011 Elm Hill Pike, cledis.com

Cabin Attic Burgers

Before wrongly assuming that all burgers are created equal, check out this small-batch gourmet smash burger-centric concept from a seasoned chef with a Michelin-rated restaurant experience and a backstory of grilling out on his family’s patio at Center Hill Lake. J.P. Murphy’s burgers are not fussy, just a solid stack of choice ingredients that makes for a premium Nashville burger situation. 101 Van Buren St., cabinattic.com

Dino’s

Holding the esteemed title of East Nashville’s oldest dive bar (and home to a super fun Dolly-themed lemonade stand seasonally), Dino’s oozes with laid-back charm. Open until 3 am daily, it’s also one of few late-night options for a great ($8) cheeseburger and animal-style fries loaded with Velveeta, grilled onions and special sauce. 411 Gallatin Ave., dinosnashville.com

Emmy Squared

The NY-born Detroit-style pizza chain has peppered Nashville with four locations city-wide over the last few years—and that also spreads further the gospel of one of the greatest burgers in the country. “Le Big Matt” double stacks a half a pound of beef, but the Sammy sauce, American cheese and pretzel bun really make this a handheld worth remembering. Multiple locations, emmysquaredpizza.com

Husk

The stunning historic Rutledge Hill Mansion might be best known for its attention to Southern cuisine and local ingredients, but don’t let that deter you from one of the best burgers on the scene. Executive Chef Ben Norton has the restaurant at the top of its game currently, so you can’t really go wrong with anything on the menu, but definitely don’t miss the iconic Husk double-patty cheeseburger with melty American cheese. 37 Rutledge St., husknashville.com

Dream Burger

Another crowd-favorite burger from a trailer with a permanent parking spot in East Nashville, retro-inspired Dream Burger plays their short-but-solid playlist of smash burgers on Thursday through Sunday, outside Vinyl Tap. Whether you indulge in the original Dreamburger (two smashed Black Angus patties with American cheese, paper thin onions, crunchy dill pickles and mayo-based Dreamsauce) or the the California Dreamin’ which ups the ante by adding lettuce, tomato and a mustard-based version of the Dreamsauce) you can’t go wrong. 2038 Greenwood Ave., dreamburgernash.com

Brown’s Diner

For the past 97 years, Brown’s Diner has been cranking out burgers and neighborhood bar vibes in Hillsboro Village. (In fact, they claim that they’ve proudly served “Nashville’s best cheeseburger for nearly a decade.”)Though the iconic diner’s ownership changed in 2021 and it might look a little different today than its old mule-trolley roots, Brown’s still holds the title of Nashville’s oldest beer license and serves up a stellar burger that won’t break the bank–plus their live music is always top-tier. 2102 Blair Blvd., thebrownsdiner.com

Hugh-Baby’s

Pat Martin for years has offered a mouth-watering burger at his smoked meat destination, Martin’s BBQ, but now there’s its little sister, Hugh-Baby’s, to turn to when searching for a drive-thru with Southern hospitality and quality burger. Choose from a classic cheeseburger or the BBQ burger, piled high with slow-smoked pulled pork and bbq sauce. Multiple locations, hughbabys.com

Black Tap Craft Burgers & Beer

The award-winning NY-based burger and over-the-top milkshake destination planted roots in Downtown Nashville in 2023, and they definitely honored Nashville with their opening menu of burgers, hot chicken and crazy shakes. Of course, you can feast on any of their NY-born favorites, but locals are loving the Tennessee Burger—a prime beef burger with Jack Daniel’s red pepper jam, pickles, sweet potato chips and white bbq sauce. 140 3rd Ave. N, blacktop.com

Brave Idiot

Nashville loves a good pop-up success story, and Brave Idiot is just that. A pop-up turned food truck that calls the back side of arcade bar No Quarter home, Dylan cranks out fun takes on hot chicken and crunchwraps, but also a noteworthy burger on the rotating menu. The Crispy Boi is a monster of a handheld, stacked high with two smashed Bear Creek Farm patties, American cheese, grilled onions and smash sauce, while the Donut Boi adds a fried egg and a pickle stacked onto a split doughnut. 922 Main St., braveidiot.com