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All the United States Tennessee Nashville Brown's Diner
AO Edited Gastro Obscura

Brown's Diner

This beloved cheeseburger-slinging trailer holds Nashville's oldest beer license.

Nashville, Tennessee

Added By
Diana Hubbell , Rachel Rummel
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The OG cheeseburger.   Diana Hubbell for Gastro Obscura
The sign at Brown’s Diner.   Diana Hubbell for Gastro Obscura
Live music has a long history here.   Diana Hubbell for Gastro Obscura
The pro move is to order Tots with your cheeseburger.   Diana Hubbell for Gastro Obscura
The interior bar at Brown’s Diner.   Diana Hubbell for Gastro Obscura
Take a big bite.   Diana Hubbell for Gastro Obscura
The original 1920s trolley car.   Diana Hubbell for Gastro Obscura
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About

First housed inside an old mule-pulled trolley car, Brown’s Diner has changed hands three times since 1927 without losing its charm or its original ethos. Customers now have the option to dine on a covered patio area next to the old trolley, but the interior of the diner remains a time warp. 

The concise menu sticks to the classics—Frito chili pies, wings, fried chicken plates—and does them well. But the cheeseburger, Brown's claim to fame, is what an old-school fast food burger aspires to be: a slender patty with a hint of char on the outside and a pink interior, blanketed in American cheese and Duke’s mayo. It costs less than $10, tastes like a million bucks, and can (and should) be ordered alongside a basket of ultra-crispy Tater Tots.

The diner also bears the unusual distinction of having Nashville’s oldest beer license. Throughout its lifetime, generations of recording artists—from John Prine to Vince Gill—have played on its small stage and knocked back a cold one at the bar.

Related Tags

Burger Americana Diner

Know Before You Go

The diner hosts regular live music events and performances. Keep an eye on their social media for upcoming events.

Community Contributors

Added By

Diana Hubbell, rachelrummel

Published

June 2, 2023

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Sources
  • https://www.tennessean.com/story/entertainment/dining/2020/12/30/browns-diner-one-nashville-oldest-restaurants-sold-new-owner/4086596001/
  • https://thebrownsdiner.com/
Brown's Diner
2102 Blair Blvd
Nashville, Tennessee, 37212
United States
36.130659, -86.802281
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