Brown's Diner
Diner · Midtown
2102 Blair Blvd, Nashville, TN 37212
Highlights
Classic Nashville diner serving iconic burgers & beer
Classic Nashville diner serving iconic burgers & beer
"Those who want to remember the Nashville of yesteryear, look to Brown’s Diner, which has been serving hungry locals since 1927. The trolley-turned-restaurant came under new ownership in 2020 but has continued to offer one of Nashville’s favorite cheeseburgers using American cheese, lettuce, tomato, and onion on a Charpier’s bakery bun. In a time when everything in Nashville feels new and glossy, there’s certainly something to be said for tried and true." - Ellen Fort
"One of Music City’s oldest restaurants still serving the masses, Brown’s Diner opened in 1927 and has only had three owners since—nostalgia and Nashville flair power this place. One entrance leads to a dive bar complete with black vinyl stools and, of course, a tiny stage. The other takes you into a dining room with walls covered in all sorts of Nashville memorabilia, from family photos to framed silver records. photo credit: Brown's Diner photo credit: Brown's Diner photo credit: Brown's Diner Food-wise, Brown’s serves up a breakfast menu with all possible combinations of egg, cheese, and biscuit, as well as typical diner food. Burgers and patty melts are the best options here, the latter served on excellent marble rye. Stick around for some entertainment—Brown’s regularly hosts musicians, including a residency billed as “Killer Rock n’ Roll That Grabs You by the Hips." Food Rundown Fried Pickles These crispy discs are touted as “world-famous” on the menu, and we’re here to say they are indeed awesome. Perfectly golden with the texture of a very thick potato chip, these pickles have gravitas, baby. You can also order them dusted with dry rub, garlic parm, or Nashville hot, but we like them naked. Patty Melt Ground beef in all its iterations reigns supreme at Brown’s, and that’s true of the patty melt as well. Smashed patties with the staple onion/provolone/swiss combo topped off with the only acceptable mayo in the South (Duke’s) sit between two soft pieces of marble rye in a tall-but-not-too-tall-to-bite stack. West Side Cheesesteak Not bad for a cheesesteak this far from Philly. The shaved rib eye is tender, the toppings plentiful, and the hoagie roll heavenly soft. The only thing that would have made this sandwich better would be swapping the american cheese for the classic provolone." - Bailey Freeman
"Brown’s has been operating since 1927, when it was opened in a converted mule-driven trolley car just outside of Hillsboro Village. Its narrow dining room and bar with leather-covered stools has been the destination for nearby music row execs, songwriters, stars, and everyone else for the entirety of its time, drawing all kinds of regulars for its renowned cheeseburger. It’s a simple affair — a meaty patty topped with lettuce, tomato, onion, and Duke’s Mayonnaise, with pickle chips speared atop the bun — that has kept this diner going for almost a century. That, plus the first beer license in Nashville and a crew of devoted regulars and employees who’ve been there for decades, make it one of Nashville’s low-key legendary destinations." - Ellen Fort
"Nashville’s oldest diner and dive bar recently announced the launch of its new all-day breakfast menu." - Jackie Gutierrez-Jones
"There aren’t many places quite like Brown’s Diner anymore in this town. An institution since 1927, this Hillsboro Village watering hole boasts “Nashville’s oldest beer license” and draws patrons from all walks of life for quintessential dive burgers and old Music City charm. And while Brown’s has changed hands in recent years, it still rocks a solid cheeseburger for less than $10." - Kellie Walton
