And it sounded great! Grass-fed burgers in a trendy neighborhood south of Nashville. A restaurant owned and operated by the owners of the Frothy Monkey coffee house down the street. (Popular with the college crowd. Food from local farms on their menu. Good stuff.)
An upscale burger joint seemed the perfect place to meet up with my cousin and his fiance when they stopped into town.
The sidewalk was teeming with people waiting for a table when we arrived. Granted, it was a Saturday and the weather couldn't have been more perfect. So we waited. And waited. But finally we were seated on the patio.
Which was preferable to me in the first place, but it became increasingly preferable as we walked through the dining room to our table.
People were jam. packed. into that place. Elbow to elbow. I pity the servers in there.
Looking over the menu, it was obvious they offered much, much more than just your average, run of the mill burger. We're talking Tuna Tartar, Crab Cakes, Tomato Basil Soup, etc.
But their specialty is definitely the burgers.
As much as I was tempted to order the Marathon Quinoa & Black Bean Burger, just for a change of pace, I knew I couldn't leave Burger Up without trying their Triple L Classic (All their beef is sourced exclusively through Triple L Ranch in Franklin, TN).
Yum. Big yum.
The other tempting menu options? A Lamb Burger with wilted arugula, peppermint dijon, and boursin cheese. Or the Citrus Salmon Burger with cilantro lime creme fraise and shaved red onion. But at $13 and $11 respectively, I had to pass on those. Even if they come with fries, that's a pretty hefty price tag for an entree at a burger joint.
Here's how I would break down my experience at Burger Up:
Pros:
Excellent food. You just can't deny it.
Great location. Right down the street from the trendy & historic 12th South neighborhood.
Cons:
Relatively slow service.
Prices on the high end. You definitely pay for the atmosphere.
My final verdict?
The creative menu options and local ingredients would bring me back on a special occasion, but for just 'grabbing a burger,' I would be more likely to opt for something just as delicious, but a bit easier on the budget--like Gabby's Burgers & Fries.
Want to check out Burger Up for yourself? Here's the info:
Burger Up
2901 12th Ave. South
Nashville, TN 37204
www.burger-up.com
Check out other reviews on Urbanspoon:
I guess you're right about prices and everything else. When Ben and I went, my parents paid, so I didn't notice the prices as much as I normally would have.
ReplyDeleteBut I got the lamb burger, and I have to say, it melted in my mouth. It was incredible. Maybe I just don't eat burgers enough, but I honestly thought it was the best burger I had ever had.
The thing that impressed me the most, though, was that my mom, who grew up on a farm and had cows and eats beefburgers way more than I do, said: "Wow...I can really tell a difference. This is a good burger. This is real beef. It tastes like beef did when I was little."
Anyway, that made a difference to me.
Thanks for the post!
I guess the prices were kinda high, maybe? All I know is if the guy that owns my restaurant (where I work) owned Burger Up, those burgers would cost $18. $11 at P.I.T.S. will get you a tiny pizza with one topping....
ReplyDelete"I remember when I was a boy and you could go see a movie for $4.99!" -Me, when I am a grandpa
It's true, the prices weren't extraordinary. I am definitely planning on going again (and Audrey, I think I will try the Lamb Burger!).
ReplyDeleteI guess my thought is that if someone just wants a burger (and not one of the unique menu options like lamb or salmon), then why pay upwards of $9 when you can get a burger & fries that are just as delicious for $6.50 from Gabby's?
I'll work on getting a review up for Gabby's so I will have something on the site to compare it to ;)