Gabby's Burgers & Fries in Nasvhille, Tennessee

Gabby's Burgers & Fries in Nashville, Tennessee — Gabby’s Burgers & Fries in Nashville, Tennessee

Gabby’s Burgers & Fries, a no-frills burger spot in Nashville, is popular for its small selection of grass-fed beef burgers. The diner has even appeared on Guy Fieri’s television show “Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives.”

Gabby’s, named after the owner’s daughter, has become extremely popular in recent years with locals for its burgers, including the popular Seamus burger, named after the owner’s son.

In addition to burgers, Gabby’s is known for its homemade shakes, fresh-baked local buns, and selection of hot sauces.

Without Yelp, I would never have found this out-of-the-way burger spot in an industrial area of Nashville across the street from Herschel Greer Stadium.

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Interior of Gabby’s Burgers & Fries

When I pulled up, I was surprised to see a line out the door for such an out-of-the-way location. If people have the patience to wait in line for food, then odds are it must be good. Luckily, the line moved fast, and I quickly worked my way inside.

When I finally made my way inside Gabby’s Burgers & Fries, the first thing I noticed was how small the place was. There were a lot of people packed inside the place.

The interior reminded me of a diner on the corner of Anywhere, U.S.A. Signed photos of celebrities, gear of local Tennessee sports teams, and, no kidding, a whole wall devoted to Mr. Potato Head adorned the walls.

You had a bar with a few bar stools across the main door. Behind the bar was a small and open kitchen busy with chefs yelling out orders, grilling burgers, and throwing food into the fryers.

The amazing smells of food sizzling away on the flat-top grills permeated throughout the entire restaurant. It made standing in line hungry that much more difficult.

While you are waiting in line, it’s a good idea to decide what you want to order. The most popular items are listed on a basic menu on the wall above the cashier. Still can’t decide? Just grab one of the menus off the counter near the cashier.

When you finally reach the front, be ready. Make your order, take your number, and wait for your order.

If you can’t find a seat, wait a few minutes or check the outside picnic tables. Most people appeared to eat quickly and move on.

When done eating, remember to clean up, allowing the next guest to have space to eat.

Gabby’s Burgers & Fries Menu

The menu at Gabby's Burgers & Fries, Nashville, Tennessee — The menu at Gabby’s Burgers & Fries

The selection of burgers could have been better for a burger place. The menu had five burgers: Seamus (pronounced SHAY-mus), Gabby Burger (double cheeseburger), Chili Burger, BBQ Burger, and Bacon Swiss Burger.

I appreciated how they used grass-fed beef for all burgers. No hormones or antibiotics were added to the meat, making it healthier than corn-fed beef.

Another thing to note is that all the burgers were cooked medium well with a slight pink in the middle. If you want your burger cooked differently, just ask.

All burgers came with one side item: fresh-cut fries, sweet potato fries, pasta salad, chips, or a cup of chili (add $1.25).

Other than burgers, the menu had a few chicken burgers, hot dogs, grilled cheese sandwiches, and a vegan burger option.

The large variety of hot sauces will delight those who love a little heat. There was also a good selection of sauces and condiments, including ranch, honey mustard, wasabi mayonnaise, mustard, mayonnaise, and spicy ketchup.

Seamus Burger

I decided to go with the popular Seamus Burger ($8.24) with sweet potato fries and a fried egg ($0.75) and jalapeños ($0.35) on top.

All burgers were supposed to be cooked medium well with some pink in the middle. I assumed my burger would have some pink in the middle, but unfortunately, my burger did it. Due to it being overcooked, there was no pink in the middle of the single 5-ounce grass-fed beef patty. Overcooking grass-fed beef makes it dry. Next time, I will ask for the burger to be cooked medium rare.

The sear on the burger was perfect, but the patty had a slight steamed taste and texture from the flat-top grill. I was disappointed in the burger’s seasoning, which was bland. More salt and pepper would have made a difference.

You are missing out if you have never tried an egg on a burger. The perfectly cooked, easy egg exploded with luscious yellow yolk throughout the burger and onto the fries below.

While eating my burger, I noticed that the jalapeños were missing. One of the workers behind the counter quickly handed me a generous portion of spicy pickled jalapeños.

Another thing I have to mention is the bun. While I had no issues with the taste of the soft and lightly toasted bun, the meat-to-bun ratio was way off. There was just way too much bread for the size of the meat. I ended up eating only about half of the bun.

Even with a few issues, I still enjoyed the burger. The fresh vegetables, spicy jalapeños, and yolk from the perfectly cooked fried egg elevated the burger. With a few tweaks, this burger could have been magical.

Sweet Potato Fries

I love sweet potato fries, so it’s not surprising that I chose them over fresh cut fries.

I was surprised at how large the sweet potato fries were. They weren’t your average sweet potato fries but more big chunks of sweet potato. The caramelized potato chips were crispy and slightly burnt on the outside while remaining soft in the middle. I could tell they were fresh-cut and handmade.

The taste was a perfect balance of slightly sweet and salty. A quick dunk in the spicy ketchup, and I was in heaven. Sweet, salty, spicy—it doesn’t get any better.

My only complaint about the sweet potato fries was that they were a little too oily for my liking, and some were undercooked. Next time, I would ask for the fries to be extra crispy.

Service at Gabby’s Burgers & Fries

Since I placed my order at the bar, my interaction with the workers was limited, so I had no issues with service.

The lady at the bar taking orders was quick and efficient, ensuring the line moved quickly.

When I noticed that my burger was missing jalapeños, one of the chefs quickly apologized and handed me a side of sliced jalapeños.

Conclusion

The locals love Gabby’s Burgers & Fries. I wanted to love it also.

The burgers looked amazing on paper, and the Yelp reviews were stellar. I left feeling a little disappointed. While the burger was alright, my expectations were too high.

Even with that said, I still enjoyed this small restaurant’s burger, the fries, and the diner atmosphere.

On my next visit to Nashville, I will return to give Gabby’s Burgers & Fries another try.