From the moment I first heard about Burger Republic in 2015, I’ve been trying to get there to try what many call the best burgers in Nashville. Now, almost 3 years later, it has finally happened. And, it definitely did not disappoint.
While Burger Republic has multiple locations, Sonia and I opted for the Lenox Village location as it is the most convenient one to us. We went around 4 pm, and the place had a few people in the dining area with a bigger crowd sitting in the bar area. They were having happy hour, while we were there, and the specials looked to be available in the dining area as well as the bar.
Before I get into the heart of this review, I want to note that prior to heading to the restaurant, Sonia and I had a small breakfast and walked 3.5 miles to get our appetites primed for this long-awaited meal. And as expected, we were both starving by the time we got seated. Overall, Burger Republic has a nice range of choices from their shakes to their appetizers to, of course, their burgers.
For me, I was torn between “The Tennessee” and “The 96”, so in the end, I opted for the burger that came with bacon. When in doubt, always go with bacon. You have your choice of sides as well, which is almost as difficult as picking a burger. In the end, I went with “The Tennessee” and a side of tots, and Sonia got the ‘Shroomin with a side salad.
For “The Tennessee”, I can see why this was picked by Zagat’s for their 50 Burgers in 50 States. From first looks, I was a little worried that this would not be filling as the burger patty looked small when compared to the amount of fried onions in the burger, but I forgot all about it the moment I took my first bite. The mix of the fried onions, the Jack Daniel’s honey glaze, the burger, and the bacon worked perfectly together to give a ridiculously satisfying taste of smoky, meaty, and sweet. I couldn’t believe how perfectly portioned all the components of the burger are and how they work in unison together. The tots were a nice complement to the burger as well. Being born and raised in the South, sometimes, I forget that things can be fried well and sometimes they many not be. These tots were crispy with a nice pillowy potato inside and had no hint of excess oil or greasiness on them.
Sonia, who had been craving a good burger for as long as I can remember, found her “Shroomin'” just as satisfying. All the toppings tasted fresh, with the smokiness of the bacon being a highlight. She was especially fond of the patty as it was not overly seasoned but again just one of the components meant to complement the rest of the burger. Her one comment though, if she had to give one, would be that she would have liked more seasoning on the mushrooms. Just something to give them a little bit more pop. She opted for the healthier side option and was again pleased with the freshness of the salad with added praise for the honey dijon dressing.
All in all, I can see why many people name Burger Republic as a Nashville must have. While known for their burgers, it also looks like they are highly praised for their shakes as well. While I wanted the focus of this post to be the burgers, if you really want the Burger Republic experience, I would encourage you to pair your burger with one of their shake offerings.
Burger Republic has multiple locations, but the Lenox Village location is at 6900 Lenox Village Dr., Suite 22, Nashville, TN 37211. For other locations, please visit www.burgerrepublic.com.
Postscript: I guess I missed that “The 96” came with bacon though as Sonia has since corrected me that it does indeed note bacon in the menu description. All that means is that we have to go back to Burger Republic sooner rather than later.
