Nashville Nugget No. 9 - Burger Up

The American eatery I dreamed about most while I was in Namibia was, hands down, Burger Up. You see, they have this unbelievable burger there...bacon, white cheddar, maple ketchup, sweet potato fries. If your mouth isn't watering right now, we can't be friends.

I resisted the urge to drive my car straight there when I first returned to Nashville because the best part of Burger Up, like most eateries, is enjoying it with friends. Burger Up is located in a storefront shop on 12 South and is cozy and intimate. It has tables lining the outside of the room with a continual bench for seats and several long tables in the center where you are seated among other diners. It's almost like a fancy schmancy outdoor picnic, just inside and the cooking & cleanup is done for you. Perfect!

So what do these friends...

...and these friends...

...have in common? They all love our friend Michelle, who - if you remember - returned to Nashville briefly a couple weeks ago in between her stints serving in Senegal. Michelle has actually bookended her time in Senegal by having a frienddinner at Burger Up before she left in 2010, and having another one again this summer before returning for 2011. Not only do we love her, but we also love her taste for good Nashville restaurants.

The great thing about Burger Up - aside from it's mouth-watering menu and trendy atmosphere - is that it sources as many of its products as possible from local farms that use sustainable practices and treat their animals well. Even the wood used in its tables and chairs is from a local lumber store. So that delicious burger (called the "Woodstock," for future ordering reference), is made with Benton bacon, white cheddar from Tennessee Sweet Water Valley, and barbecue sauce from Tennessee's very own Jack Daniel's.

Honesty box: I've never had anything but the Woodstock burger. It's too good to resist it whenever I go. But the rest of their menu is phenomenal. Let's not even talk about the desserts - Olive & Sinclair dark chocolate brownie a la mode? Whoa, baby.

Word of caution: this place is so popular that you'll be in for a loooooong wait if you go during peak dinner hours or weekends. They don't take reservations or call-aheads either. Thankfully, if the weather is nice, you can stroll along 12 South, sit outside, or get a Paleta in the meantime.

Burger Up is located on the corner of 12 South & Paris next door to Las Paletas at 2901 12 Ave South.