Randomly, around a fire pit with friends at the birthday celebration for my niece, we decided to test out the Pharmacy Burger Parlor and Beer Garden in East Nashville. Many of our best decisions are made around a fire pit.

First of all, The Pharmacy is just a great venue. The space is open, lovely, kid-friendly (until 9 pm) and has a fun vibe. We waited about 30 minutes and the girls ran around outside while the adults slobbered on the menu.

Our group included 2 vegetarians, 2 kids and 2 meat eaters. Once we were seated, we told the girls they could eat whatever they wanted and they both ordered a fun drink from the old fashioned soda fountain and basic Pharmacy Cheeseburgers, along with tots. We were told to order tots, not fries. So we did.

The 2 vegetarians ordered a black bean burger and a falafel burger and shared. They were both very pleased, especially by the side order of wasabi mayo that was spread on everything in sight. I grabbed a nibble of the falafel burger and was quite impressed by the texture and the flavor.

The 2 meat eaters ordered the Stroganoff burger and the Mission City Burger and shared. The silly question of possibly ordering one of them with turkey was brought up, but I quickly squashed that idea. Our first trip to the Pharmacy would be all about the beef. And the tots. And the ketchup. And the beer gravy. Yep. I said beer gravy.

But I digress… The burgers were freaking amazing. All of them. Each of them fabulous in their own right. The soft buns are made especially for them by Provence Breads. The patties were homemade, just like your daddy would have created them for a grill in the back yard. They were sloppy, big, juicy and filled with flavor. Seriously, these folks know what a cheeseburger is supposed to taste like. The burgers were so good that I forgot to take a picture. OK, maybe I ate it too quickly and realized that with just one bite left and that made me feel like a piggy so I didn’t take a picture.

The toppings and dipping sauces are also amazing. Next time I go, I will go at an appropriate beer drinking hour (is there such a thing?) and get a cheeseburger drenched in the beer gravy to enjoy with my beer (s). That may have been the best part of the whole meal…. that, along with watching Knight eat her burger faster than I did and steal her kid’s tots to dip in the beer gravy.

Since we didn’t get any pictures of the food, this picture of 5 adorable girls before the burgers arrived will have to suffice. Make this place a priority if you want a killer burger in Nashville. And save room for a milkshake