WHERE WE WENT:
The Pharmacy
731 McFerrin Avenue
Nashville, TN
WHAT WE ORDERED:
Pharmacy Burger, Cheese Burger, Sweet Potato Fries, Tater Tots
WHAT WE THOUGHT:
Atmosphere - 9
Menu - 8
Presentation - 7
Taste - 8
Price - 8
Service - 8
Overall - 8
Atmosphere - Situated in a relatively trendy neighborhood
in East Nashville, The Pharmacy is a hip and happening hangout for people of all sorts. You would never know it from the unassuming, plain white block building. The Pharmacy has close, cozy seating inside, an expansive patio outside, and bar stool seating nestled under the preserved pharmacy/soda fountain counter. The decor recalls the past, the days of the neighborhood soda fountain, but it also has a very hip, modern feel. This may be partly attributed to the staff who could each easily fall into the "hipster" category. It was very busy, teeming with people of all ages and appearances. It's the kind of place you want to meet up with friends for a beer after work and where your server will remember your name.
Menu
- The menu at the Pharmacy is somewhat limited in both the type and number of dishes. It consists mostly of burgers and brats. They do only a couple of things, but they do them extremely well. The burgers offered are pretty simplistic in style, but are able to be spiced up with an extensive list of toppings that include unique
offerings such as curry ketchup, stroganoff bechamel, wasabi aioli, and horchata crema fresca to name a few. The various options guarantee a burger experience tailored to each individual taste. At a place of burgers and brats, even vegetarians can find a haven with their falafel or black bean burger. They have an extensive beer menu with dozens of selections. They also carry multiple varieties of homemade sodas served original fountain-style.
Presentation - Drinks are served in plastic tumblers emblazoned with the Pharmacy's very appealing logo, a souvenir of your visit to the local watering hole. Beer is served in variously styled mugs, glasses and steins, harkening back to the biergarten aspect of the restaurant. Burgers and sides come to you in baskets lined with wax paper that also bear the logo. The presentation flows perfectly with the restaurant's overall vibe.
Taste - Both of the burgers were outrageously good. The patties were cooked to a perfect medium well and seasoned to perfection. The cheeses are mild and blend together well. The vegetable toppings were crisp and fresh. It was everything that you could want in a burger. The taste truly stood out without straying too far from the classic burger. The tater tots were incredible, with a crispy outside and tender inside and paired very well with the spicy, homemade curry ketchup. Sweet potato fries are a nice surprise at a burger joint, but an even better one when they taste as good as the Pahrmacy's.
Price
- With burgers ranging between $7 and $9, you get a deal when you go to the Pharmacy. All the ingredients are fresh and the taste is delicious. You're paying for taste and atmosphere, and you're getting a whole lot of both. They don't skimp on the portions either.
We were completely full when we left.
Service - Our server was very good. He was attentive, friendly, pleasant and knowledgeable. When he realized it was our first time there he was happy to answer our questions and provide us with suggestions.
WOULD WE GO BACK?
Absolutely! We loved it. If we lived in Nashville, this would be somewhere we would frequent regularly.
Here's a link to their website:
http://thepharmacynashville.com/
WHERE WE WENT:
Arnold's Meat & 3
605 8th Avenue South
Nashville, TN
37203
WHAT WE ORDERED:
Roast
Beef, Green Beans, Corn Bread, Mac & Cheese, Mashed Potatoes &
Gravy, Cream Corn, Country Fried Steak, Chocolate Cayenne Pie
WHAT WE THOUGHT:
Atmosphere - 6
Menu - 7
Presentation - 5
Taste - 9
Price - 8
Service - 9
Overall - 8
Atmosphere
- If you're looking for a cool joint to hang out and spend time with
friends while enjoying a casual meal, the Arnold's is not your place.
Arnold's focuses more on convenience and efficiency rather than creating
an ambiance. You are greeted by an ostensibly plain cinder block
building and the inside is Not much different. Almost nothing adorns the
walls, no interesting colors can be found. The seating is as basic as
it comes and is cramped tightly together, giving you the feeling of a
high school cafeteria. You come in, get your food from the line, sit,
eat quickly and then depart. It isn't a place you linger.
Menu - Arnold's menu varies from
day to day. The daily specials are listed on a chalk board, but there
are some staples that never change like mac & cheese. Options and
prices are clearly listed, which is good because you'll have a lot of
time to look at them while waiting in a considerable line and you better
know what you want be the serving is speedy. There are plenty of
options: at least three meat options, multiple types of bread, a wide
variety of vegetables and two or three kinds of dessert as well.
Presentation
- The presentation of the food is just as plain jane as the building.
White, cafeteria-style plates are used to plop food onto. Things are all
melded together. It just isn't particularly pretty.
Taste - One thing you need to know. Everything was hot. Literally,
every
single thing had a kick to it that you can't ignore. The flavors were
different and unique, but the heat was always there. That being said, it
was delicious. The roast beef was tender and juicy, some of the best
we've ever had. The mashed potatoes were creamy and the gravy very
flavorful. Even the macaroni and cheese managed to maintain the heat
characteristic of Arnold's. It can only be described as soul food. It
literally warms your heart and soul along with your stomach because it
just feels like home. If you don't like spicy, then it isn't for you.
Even the chocolate pie leaves you with a striking after-taste because of
the cayenne they use.
Price
- For you get, the price is excellent. $8.60 for the namesake meat
& three sides is outstanding especially considering how delicious
everything will be. Portions are sizeable, it's so scrumptious that
it'll still leave you wanting more.
Service - Food is served down a
cafeteria line, so there are no actual waiters or waitresses, but
everyone we came into contact with was friendly, welcoming and helpful.
They went out of their way to make us feel at home and ensure our
satisfaction. They ran out of mashed potatoes right as we were headed
down the line, but instead of just saying, "oh well," they gave us a
number and made sure to bring some out to us at our table when they
replenished their stock.
WOULD WE GO BACK?
Yes!
If we're ever in Nashville, this will definitely be one of our go-to
places. Off the beaten path of Broadway, it seems like it's a local
secret.
WHERE WE WENT:
The Kooky Canuck
97 S. Second Street
Memphis, TN
38103
WHAT WE ORDERED:
Montreal Style Hot Dogs, The Canadian Burger w/ a Fried Egg, French Fries
WHAT WE THOUGHT:
Atmosphere - 7
Menu - 7
Presentation -8
Taste - 8
Price - 7
Service - 8
Overall - 7.5
Atmosphere - The Kooky Canuck is both fun and funky. Walking in you feel like you could have been transported to the Great White North. There are taxidermy deer heads and other game protruding from the walls, and the entire place has the feel of a hunting or ski lodge. The decor is charmingly rustic, predominantly wood, even twigs. It's a slightly small space, but it makes it feel very cozy and home-like. If you're a fan of How I Met Your Mother (which everyone should be), this is the closest thing to the Hoser Hut we've ever seen.
Menu
- The menu is delightfully well rounded. Soups, sandwiches, salads, and sides of all kinds are available. Some common, like a mushroom swiss burger, and some are distinctly Canadian fare. One of those is Poutine, a stack of fries smothered in cheddar cheese curds and gravy. The desserts are incredibly unique. The offer a variety, but the most interesting is s'mores that are deconstructed and brought out with a small campfire where you can roast your own. THE most unique item on the menu however is also the most famous. The Kookamonga Burger Challenge. The burger patty itself if 4 lb, with the entire
sandwich weighing in at a whopping 7 1/2 lbs. You have to finish it in under an hour to win the challenge and receive the meal for free. If you do, your picture will make it up on the wall that greets you as you walk in and will join the company of some of the great competitive eaters like Joey Chestnut and Matt Stoney. Pretty nifty.
Presentation -Everything we ordered was presented in a relatively plain manner. Plain dishes, nothing special. BUT, we do award style points for some of the things we've seen, like the giant skillet chocolate chip cookie and the Birthday Explosion. The s'mores campfire takes the cake.
Taste - Everything was very good! The Candian burger was super juicy, perfectly cooked. The bacon and BBQ sauce complemented each other perfectly and the fried egg with crispy edges was exactly the finishing touch that it needed. The hot dogs were sizeable and dolled up Montreal-style with flavors that melded together perfectly. The fries were exactly right. Nothing is worse than overcooked french fries. These were not. They were crispy and delicious. The only regret is we should have ordered them poutine-style to be more authentic.
Price
-The pricing was a little bit expensive, as would be expected from a place in the heart of downtown. You absolutely get what you pay for. The portions are more than enough and the taste is fantastic.
Service - We sat at the bar to watch the hockey game,
because that really is the only place with a decent view of the slightly under-sized TVs. The bartender was attentive and friendly and took very good care of us.
WOULD WE GO BACK?
Yes. It would not be a "once a week" place for us, but for special occasions or a giant beer, we would definitely return. And next time we're getting poutine.
Here's a link to their website:
http://www.kookycanuck.com/
WHERE WE WENT:
Central BBQ
2249 Central Avenue
Memphis, TN
38104
WHAT WE ORDERED:
Pulled Pork Plate, Cole Slaw, Baked Beans, Macaroni & Cheese, BBQ Pork Nachos
WHAT WE THOUGHT:
Atmosphere - 7
Menu - 7
Presentation - 7
Taste - 8.5
Price - 8
Service - N/A
Overall - 7.5
Atmosphere - Central BBQ has a homey feel to it. The picnic style seating, large windows, and Memphis-centered wall decor provide a breezy, casual feeling. The outdoor patio seating is an excellent option in decent weather. It's definitely not fancy, but it's unique and charming.
Menu - The menu is everything you would expect from somewhere with "BBQ" in its name. There are multiple BBQ plate and sandwich options available as well as an option to purchase meat and sides in bulk. There were a few surprising offerings. The boast crispy homemade potato chips with chunky blue cheese dressing and a char grilled, marinated portabella mushroom sandwich, so even our vegetarian friends can enjoy Central.
Presentation - The presentation is plain and simple. Basic plates or baskets with wax paper. The restaurant itself is completely unpretentious, as is its presentation.
Taste - The BBQ nachos are the best we've ever had. A hulking pile of chips topped with a generous portion of pulled pork, dressed with nacho cheese, BBQ sauce and dusted with dry rub (and jalapenos optionally). Absolutely delicious. The proportions of each of the ingredients are perfect. The nachos are neither dry nor soggy. The layers of flavor are awesome and the dry rub is the perfecting touch. The pork plate is juicy and delicious, with slow-cooked flavor cooked in. Central's BBQ sauce is scrumptious. The sides were just ok. The cole slaw was a bit runny, and the beans were more like cowboy beans than southern baked beans. The mac & cheese was the best of the sides, but needed some salt. Overall though we were very pleased.
Price
- Central is completely comparable to other restaurants of the same kind. Their prices resemble something like Sonny's with equal portions and a more authentic, less mass-produced taste.
Service - At Central you order at a counter and have no server, but every employee of the restaurant we encountered was friendly and welcoming.
WOULD WE GO BACK?
Yes! Central BBQ is one of our staples
Here's a link to their website:
http://www.cbqmemphis.com/home.html
