The votes are in. After a close battle with Cledis Burgers & Beer Garden in Round 3, Bad Luck Burger Club has been named the best burger in Nashville by our readers.

Now that you’ve crowned a winner in our bracket challenge, let’s get to know the burger champion.

The burger biz

Bad Luck Burger Club owners Andy Atkins and Cody Driggers launched the business in May 2021 as a self-described “super secret smash burger pop-up.” It’s safe to say the secret got out. Atkins and Driggers upgraded to a food truck less than a year later.

The menu is simple with one standard burger — the Bad Luck Burger — made with two smashed beef patties, double American cheese, caramelized onions, dill pickles, and a signature “Lucky Sauce” on a toasted potato bun. If you prefer a meatless spin on the classic, the grilled cheese is dressed with the same ingredients, sans burger patties.

Be sure to follow @badluckburgerclub on Instagram for specials (like this donut burger from earlier this year), the weekly schedule, and other updates.

Honorable mentions

Nashville is a foodie city and we’re fortunate to have some incredible burgers beyond our bracket. We counted hundreds of submissions from our audience, and while only eight burgers made it, some of the other top contenders were M.L.Rose, Joyland, Dino’s, Redheaded Stranger, Brown’s Diner, and Tennessee Brew Works.

Bracket introduction

With the NCAA Men's and Women's Basketball Tournaments just around the corner, we’re joining the fun of bracket competitions with a face-off of our own.

Last year, y’all helped us name the best independent concert venue: The Bluebird Cafe. This year, we asked you to share your favorite burger in Nashville. Now — thanks to you + the help of a random generator — we have the official lineup for our bracket.

Round 3

Things are heating up in Music City. Bad Luck Burger Club + Cledis Burgers & Beer Gardenare going head to head to be crowned the champion of burgers after over 1,000 reader votes narrowed down the Final 2 contenders.

See your pick to the finish by voting in our final poll now through Thursday, March 30.

Round 2

We’ve got some passionate readers. After 2,325 votes, here are the burgers moving on to the next Round:

Who will face off in the championship? Cast your votes now through Monday, March 27.

Here are the eight burger spots going head-to-head. | Graphic by NASHtoday

Round 1

Who’s in the running

Going head-to-head in the first round are:

How it works

We will host several voting rounds within our newsletters and social channels to determine Nashville's best burger. Who moves on is up to you. Vote for your favorites, and the burger with more votes moves on. Simple as that. We’ll go until we have a champion, which will be announced in our Friday, March 31 newsletter. You will be able to vote once per round.

How to participate

Vote for the burger you’d like to see advance to round two using this poll. You can vote for all four spots or as little as one. Once we count all the votes, we’ll share an updated bracket and new poll in an upcoming newsletter.

Want to fill out a bracket to see if you can guess who will win? Download and print the image above to take the competition up a notch. If your bracket is correct, send us a photo for a shoutout + bragging rights.

Ready to cheer your “team” to victory? Vote at this link.

Submissions

Friendly competition, anyone?

With the NCAA Men’s and Women’s Basketball Tournaments just around the corner, we’re joining the fun of bracket competitions with a face-off of our own.

Not a sports fan? No worries. Our bracket will focus on a hot topic among locals. Last year, y’all helped us name the best independent concert venue: The Bluebird Cafe. Now, we need your help to decide Nashville’s best burger.

In order to get our initial lineup of eight contestants, we want to know your favorite burger around town. Tell us with this survey + stay tuned to learn how to participate in the tournament.