Thursday, June 12, 2014

The Pharmacy

Image source: Southern Living
Whether you spent some time online looking for the best places to eat in Nashville, or you talked to a local about the same issue, more than likely you found The Pharmacy on the top of most people's lists of best food in town.

It's that way for a reason.


The Pharmacy is a burger joint and homemade soda shop, but remove all preconceptions you have about either one of those locations. It's not greasy, nor does it smell like fat and oil, like a typical burger joint. And it isn't brightly colored and bubbly, like most soda shops. The Pharmacy, instead, is like if someone combined a pub with an outdoor barbecue joint, but replaced the barbecue with burgers -- and, well, kept the pub part the same.

The interior of The Pharmacy is your typical restaurant. When it's busy, it's packed, and there are several tables and booths for people to sit at, either near or at the bar. However, the draw of this place is its outdoor seating. Since the restaurant itself is a repurposed residence, the outdoor area feels like you're in someone's massive backyard and you caught them in the middle of a Fourth of July party (minus the American-themed regalia). Lights are strung across trees that provide shade, and picnic tables (complete with umbrellas) line up on slightly ascending levels, ready for visitors. You might end up sitting next to someone you don't know (especially if you're eating alone or with your SO), but there's no pressure to engage them. More than likely, you'll be more interested in your food once it gets there to do any talking, anyway.

The food itself is superb. I had the classic burger, of course, and it was definitely one of the best burgers I've ever had. They have a great selection of burger varieties (beef, turkey, fish, black bean, felafel, with over a dozen toppings available), but they extend the options to hot dogs (or "Wurstchen," which is more like a sausage dog) and chicken sandwiches. For a list of everything they offer, you can visit thepharmacynashville.com.

My suggestion: do like my wife and I did when we first visited the city and make your first food stop The Pharmacy. While the food is amazing, the real allure is in the community it's in, East Nashville. The area is young, fertile with artistic enthusiasm, and walking around you feel like you're on the cusp of something new and exciting. It's the perfect way to start your time in Nashville -- and when you end up moving here, it'll be the first place you think to go for a night out.

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