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Brown's Diner
- Hours:
Mon-Fri 11 am - 10 pm
Sat 11:30 am - 10 pm
- Takes Reservations:
- No
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Private Lot
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Lunch
- Music:
- Live
- Best Nights:
- Mon, Sun, Sat
- Happy Hour:
- No
- Alcohol:
- Beer & Wine Only
- Smoking:
- No
- Coat Check:
- No
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Good For Dancing:
- No
- Ambience:
- Dive-y
- Has TV:
- Yes
- Caters:
- No
About This Business:
Join us for lunch, watch the game, enjoy our Happy Hour and Daily Specials. We offer a full menu until 1:30am. Menu available at BeanRoll.com .The Gold… read more »
35 reviews for Brown's Diner
Review Highlights
35 reviews in English
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Review from James H.
Nashville, TN
3/26/2012
Like what I put on my Tin Angel review, I was away from Nashville for a few years, and now I'm back, and a lot of my old favorites are long gone. But Brown's Diner, which has survived many decades in the same spot, is still there. It never was one of my all time favorite Burger places, but I'm getting sick and tired of upscale chain burgers, and the people who eat them, and so, maybe a few years ago, this would have gotten 3 stars, it now gets 4.
The place still is small and feels like even a good cleaning couldn't get all the grease to go away. Like the decor, the servers and some of the customers (like me) look like we have seen our better days. But we are still haniging in there.The burgers are good and greasy and get yours with the fries, you can get your weekly allowance of grease in one meal. You better make it a cheeseburger and add a cold draft beer and start humming Jimmy Buffett, because this is darn near paradise for this old wanna be beach bum. -
Review from Patten F.
3/22/2012
There's nothing out of the ordinary here. It's not fancy.
And that's why it's spectacular.
I recently went to Brown's for the first time in 15 years...and other than having a tiny (TINY) bit of a redesign due to the fire, nothing about it has changed.
You still get a real cheeseburger (always with the pickles toothpicked to the top), fries and a drink for around 8 bucks.
You watch TV on the same TVs they had when I went there 15 years ago (although they were new then).
The service is friendly, the food is cheap, fantastic, greasy and not even remotely good for you.
Seriously. It's Brown's and it's Nashville.
Do it. -
Review from Jamie A.
Greasy, cheesy, beefy goodness! Add hot, crispy shoestring fries and a cheap cold draft beer and we're in business!!
Seriously, few burgers are as tasty as the cheeseburger with grilled onions at Brown's. Why not five stars? If you like bacon on your burger, you are SOL. I'm fine without the bacon, but it would be nice if it were an option.
On a sunny day (like today!), the patio is a great place to kick back...and on a cold or rainy day, the bar is a great hang as is the dining room attached to the trailer.Listed in: Neighborhood Favorites
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Review from Meredith M.
Nashville, TN
3/5/2012 1 Check-in Here
Youre either going to love or hate this place.
Personally, I hated this place but I loved their cheeseburger.
It tastes just the way a cheeseburger should:
Cooked on a flat top grill with that cheap cheese our of the plastic wrapper
and the plain white bun. Perfect blend between the grease, mayo and tomato.
I'll come back again but only when its warmer so I can hopefully eat my cheeseburger outside. Seriously, this place should be ashamed of its interior. There is a difference between old and cool vs neglected and disgusting.
And the guy that works the bar... what the hell is his problem?
3 stars based on the burger only. I would give the diner 0. -
Review from Rachel S.
2/29/2012 1 Check-in Here
I gotta be honest, I can't agree with the notion that Brown's has one of the best burgers in town. It was alright.. but it wasn't as flavorful as, say, the local-fed burger at Fido. And I am NOT shunning Brown's burger because it's not organic/local-fed/cow-friendly/tree-hugging.
The chili was quite good, as were the fries. Combining everything in a whole massive sloppy pile - hamburger, fries, and chili - would make for a hearty and tasty experiment.
It's cheap, which is awesome. It's just not my thing. I look forward to trying Gabby's.
Oh, and slllooowwwwww serviiiiice. -
Review from Becky R.
Franklin, TN
1/5/2012
One of Nashville's most well known Dive bars. This place has some serious character. The restaurant literally sits on a double wide trailer parked in the middle of a parking lot!
I have eaten everything on their menu - love the burger and fries - its just so cheap and so delicious. The catfish is actually pretty darn delicious as well.
The staff is friendly and down to earth. Tell the bartender that you read about this place on Yelp - and he will have no clue what you're talking about =)Listed in: Best Burgers In Nashville
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Review from David O.
1/13/2012 1 Check-in Here
Brown's history at this point is probably what keeps it around. There are better burgers to be had in town, but the classy dive burger bar in town.
I wish I could say it was a great earth shattering burger, but its just a burger. A good burger, but still just a burger.
I have no complaints, and wouldn't tell you not to come here I just couldn't find anything other than the atmosphere to set it apart from the rest. Also, NO BACON! -
Review from Jann S.
Nashville, TN
1/18/2012
This place isn't just decorated with beer signs to look like a dive. The creaky old bar stools, John Prine records decorating the walls, surly guys behind the bar, and sugar-sweet waitresses are the real deal.
Nothing beats their frosty mug of Bud. And like many Nashvillians before me, I'm a big fan of the cheeseburger and fries. On lighter days, I've had the hamburger, a classic, with yellow mustard replacing the mayo that comes standard on the cheeseburger. Both come with a big red onion ring, lettuce, and tomato, and a generous helping of pickles on a toothpick stuck through the middle.
The bartenders and waitresses have all been there for years and so have some of the guys around the bar. I love to sit in the bar when they have music, but it's usually so good that you have to get there early to nab a good seat in the narrow trailer. They have blues, bluegrass, folk, rock, and Americana acts. The bartenders only book bands that they personally like, and luckily for the rest of us, they have great taste.
The menu is small, and I was once told "If you want a menu, you can't have the cheeseburger." Coffee and soup are only available in the winter months, and you will have to sweeten your own tea. It all goes with the no-frills, no-hype attitude that makes the place great.
Last note, the new beer garden is a nice touch for a sunny day, but I still prefer the ambiance inside the old trailer. -
Review from Billy L.
Old Hickory, TN
3/19/2012
Best hamburger in town. Always consistently great food and service.
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Review from Will M.
7/25/2011
This is truly a dive bar, where there's a bunch of locals slowly drinking beer, lots of men with facial hair, and a line cook making burgers.
The atmosphere is old, the place is circa 1927, but their burgers are decent. Ingredients are standard, what you'll find around the US, frozen ground beef, and fries, and standard white bread bun.
Yet America's best food is the hamburger, and the science to the mass produced foods, appeals to the masses. Everything is done right, in the right proportions, from the lightly steamed bun, seasoned hamburger meat, onions, lettuce, tomato, pickle, and mayo; crispy fries that are soft in the center, to the tiny glasses of cokes, and quick refills, and friendly service.
This is America in a nutshell, if you took a time capsule to it. As a whole, when you focus on just the taste and how it makes you feel, it's on par with burger up. Sure you can taste the quality of the meat, but it tastes good. You pay less, and expect less, but come out satisfied because you come as you are and leave pretentiousness behind.
Dive bar and diner lover's rejoice! -
Review from Jill R.
Nashville, TN
5/25/2011
I don't care what anyone says - this place is great. I love that the fact that you can go in there, no pretentious bullshit, and get a great burger, fries, chili year round. And nothing beats a frosty mug full of Budweiser to compliment that 4 dollar cheeseburger.
Don't expect the fancy, gourmet burger - the only toppings you're getting here is the classic LTO, ketchup, mustard, pickles combo. And it'll be cooked well done (I know, I know, a travesty).
The waitresses are attentive, efficient, and don't mess around. You can get in and out under $15 bucks if you want. Probably under $10 if you don't order for a family of six and drink like I normally do. Take care of your servers! -
Review from Lucas P.
Nashville, TN
5/30/2011
I ate here for lunch today and must say it was an ok experience, this joint has been open since 1927 and seems to cater to the "locals" that dine here. Very fast, friendly service. The menu was limited to pub food - burgers, fries, dogs. I selected the cheeseburger and the dog. Both were good, nothing too stellar...but not bad. The best part was the crowd, interesting all around! There was a live band just starting up as I was leaving which also seemed cool, but being a small joint I would imagine loud.
Summary: total dive bar, great service, great atmosphere, sit at the bar and know you are in part of the restaurant that has survived since the 20s. -
Review from Benjamin S.
Nashville, TN
7/7/2011
This place has what is quite possibly one of the smallest menus I have ever seen, but for the few options they have, they make really good food.
The burgers here are perfection on a bun, and the hot dogs.... lets just say if you leave here hungry, you came at a bad time. A truely hungry person can have a burger, hot dog and fries in one visit. The food is that good and the portions are that reasonable.
My only complaint, and the only thing that makes Rotier's better, is the lack of menu selection, particularly when it comes to deserts. However, better to have a few menu items and do them well, than a lot of items and have some inconsistency like the chain restaurants. Hence I say "Viva Mom n Pop businesses!" -
Review from janet s.
12/21/2011
cheeseburger, small round and perfect and fries and a sweet tea $8, A shack that has been here since the twenties. Simple but effective. No frills no nonsense, dark with the occasional spot of music in the next room and bud on tap. It's a state of mind.
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Review from Nickie G.
9/19/2010 3 Check-ins Here
As soon as I drove up to Brown's I knew I was going to like it. It looks like a trailer (and I guess it WAS a trailer) with a building built on to the back of it. My kind of place.
Then I walked in and was greeted with the glorious smell of fried beef from the hamburgers being cooked in the kitchen. I love that smell! Missing is the smell from cigarettes that I do tend to cherish in a dive bar, but no biggie. If they allowed smoking in the tiny bar area no one would be able to see anything.
I loved the sign that told me it has been there since something like 1927. And was that a picture of Neil Diamond on the wall? Or a really close lookalike? Love. The crowd was generally above the age of 45-ish and they were all feisty and enjoying the band. This band was the reason we were here. Although they didn't turn out to be an Irish band, it was a band manned by some older people that played only 60s English rock. And the bass player was a chick! Plus, that chick was having a birthday and she was offering everyone homemade cupcakes. Who doesn't love that.
I didn't eat but the burgers smelled pretty much amazing and I really want to come back and try it. I didn't like the fact that they only have beer and not liquor but I fully realize there's no damn room for a full bar. However, if you are looking to eat, the room they built on in the back has plenty of tables. Bathrooms....well....let's just say I hate those hand dryers with the rolly towel that just goes around in a circle. Ewww, just use your jeans to dry your hands.
The main thing I loved was drinking quite a few beers and then getting the tab for my brother and I - $23? Um, um, REALLY? Cheapest 2 hours drinking at a bar for 2 people EVER. That is what took me over the edge and made me realize I am going to really love this place! -
Review from Zim O.
9/3/2010
Devotees of the dive rejoice!
Look away feeble fern bar fans this is not the place for you, but if you enjoy great dive food and the kind of ambiance usually reserved for a Tom Waits song, then welcome home brother.
Beauty in simplicity will give you the best they have to offer: Cheese burger with fries and the coldest draft beer on the planet (its bud so the cold helps make up for its lack of flavor)
So when, as Tom would say, "you're standing on the corner of 5th and Vermouth" and you're in need of comfort food to fill the void, Brown's will do the trick.Listed in: Down Home Delights
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Review from Claire B.
8/16/2008
I remember what Brown's Diner was like when I first moved here. Back then, they made a great big greasy burger and homemade fries that you could order through a window in the side of the building. Lately it seems to have developed a legendary status that perhaps its history, but not its food deserves.
The last time I ate here it was achingly ordinary. The burger was o.k, but nothing special and the fries didn't taste anything like they used to. Our server was very friendly and made it a decent experience, but I won't be hurrying back anytime soon. -
Review from Scott r K.
Menlo Park, CA
5/16/2009 1 photo
One sure doesn't come to Brown's for the decor, but the burgers are a perfect throwback to the thick, juicy, pan-fried gems of the past. A steady flow of locals from every walk of life come through for lunch. The burgers are inexpensive and wonderful. We had the cheeseburger. Get the grilled onions too. Under the juicy patty are tomato, lettuce and mayo. On top are American cheese and the grilled onions. The whole thing sits between a pillowy white bun harpooned by a toothpick which holds pickle slices on top of the burger. The fries were just okay. Liked the hush puppies better as a side.
Hoosier Burger Boy -
Review from Paul K.
11/3/2010
When I was a little kid, I remember being in Browns. I don't remember why, I think my parents were meeting some people there.
When I was 13 or so, I went to Browns for a meeting. I don't remember why.
When I was in my late 20s I went to Browns as it had just reopened (seems like a fire or something had closed it)
The place never changes. The people grow older, the TVs get a bit newer, but the place is locked a couple of hours outside of time. It lasts eternal, it will never change. Well, hopefully.
It's a bar, it serves some food, all of which is ok. The attitude and the place remain the same, and I rather enjoy that. It's got its own... what that is, I don't know. you may not like what it has, but it's unapologetically there.
It's not the type of bar I imagine staying long in, this place is not yet for me, I think I have a few more years till I hear the siren call forcefully resounding in my soul that one of those stools requires the presence of my buttcheeks. I picture 60-year-old me sitting at that bar, annoyed at the lack of vegetarian options, wondering why the hell I ever answered the call and yet refusing stoutly to hang up on this opportunity.
But Browns, it's comforting to know that while everything out there changes, somehow this one little place has managed to survive in what I believe to be a perpetual 1960's pre-disco time.
Sometimes I wonder if I go in when I am older if I might meet younger me at that table in the 80's, perhaps I will warn him to avoid the clarion call of the place, or maybe implant a warning about Volkswagens and married women, I don't know what I would say, but there's a beer for that I'm sure.
You'll love it or hate it, I don't think there's any way to determine your reaction as, well, it's a place of unique beauty and wonder and where PBR was first served not to hipsters, but to people who could only afford cheap crappy beer before climbing into the ol' El Camino and heading home.Listed in: Places you can take your…
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Review from Crabby O.
Franklin, TN
11/10/2009
I don't "get" Brown's.
The burgers are decent. The rest of the menu is absolutely frightening. Think soup from a can and Sysco cole slaw...
If you think there is something "good" about a stinky and dirty place with about 6 inches of dirt on everything (don't EVEN look at the HVAC return vents) then eat up. How shittyness translates in to "character" for some folks is beyond me.
Order the burgers and burgers only (you'll need two if you are not a bird eater) and hope the waitress with the brain damage from doing drugs in the 60's is not the one you get. -
Review from Patrick R.
Nashville, TN
4/15/2008 3 photos
Brown's is yet another dusty Nashville dive that's more popular for its atmosphere and regulars than for its cuisine. The food itself isn't bad--you can't go wrong with a burger, though other items are a bit hit and miss.
The beers are cheap and the staff is extremely friendly. The servers are sweet and flirty, and I personally like their fries quite a bit. There's a bar past the dining area where you might find a legendary old songwriter...or just a row of musty old barflies. Brown's has a TV, but it's tucked away in the corner and I'm certain it's always on a football game.
Brown's is definitely worth stopping by some afternoon when you're in the mood for a greasy, fattening, sloppy hamburger, but it's not a first date type of joint. That is, unless your date happens to be as hip, down-to-earth and unassuming as you are. -
Review from Josh W.
Las Vegas, NV
6/16/2008
I've been out of the country. The people here eat schweinesteak. And they're really focused on "dekor." I miss Brown's. Great burger, cold beer, nice people. The place just is what it is; totally uncontrived. Most Germans wouldn't understand. God bless the United States!
Oh, and you can get the burger with sauted onions (pretty fancy, I know). I recommend that you do that. Ups the grease. -
Review from David C.
Dallas, TX
8/9/2010
I don't really get the hype surrounding this place. All of my friends think it's the greatest, but I'd beg to differ. I've gone twice for the burger and fries. It's decent food at a cheap price, but the level of dirtiness in this place makes it not worth it.
My word of advice? Make sure and use a bathroom BEFORE coming to Brown's. Trust me, you won't want to use theirs...it's disgusting. -
Review from Greg N.
Athens, OH
3/21/2011 1 Check-in Here
Really good hand-made burgers. Extra friendly waitresses. The kind of place that gives dives a good name. I'd definitely go back next time I'm in Nashville.
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Review from Kyla A.
9/20/2008
I have some friends who were totally obsessed with this place, so I was dragged out to experience what exactly was exciting them so. It's exactly what you would expect from a restaurant in a glorified (mildly glorified at that) trailer. The charm of this kind of diner is less than novel for a girl who spent a lot of time in rural areas of Arkansas so it wins no points for me there. The only menu option for me was the grilled cheese which was your standard Wnderbread and American. They serve those little skinny fries which I don't enjoy as much as thicker styles. I quickly quieted my complaints after the death stare from my friend.
The things I do really enjoy about Brown's are that it is casual and comfortable. It's a good place to go for a cheap pitcher of beer with friends and just relax a bit after a long day. If you're expecting much more, however, I'm afraid you're going to be disappointed. It's the same cheap food and kitsch factor as Hermitage Cafe only with a little less overall charm. -
Review from Robin S.
Nashville, TN
6/7/2008
My favorite memory of eating at Brown's is after a very late night (well, early morning) when I didn't feel so hot. It was Sunday, and some good friends called after church (see I told you they were good) and wanted me to join them at Brown's. So I did. We were a motley crew in this old run-down trailer--not what you would think of for Sunday brunch ha!
I loved it though...I was in a bathing suit and cover-up (my usual Sunday summer attire) and had a bottle of Advil in front of me, eating with my girlfriends in their church best. And all of us had big gooey greasy burgers and fries. It was the best.
We didn't care that the place was, well, maybe not backed by the health department, but it has character. And decent, cheap food. All that matters. -
Review from Jonathan R.
Brentwood, TN
8/27/2011
Cool diner. Cheap food and beer. Decent burger but nothing special. I probably won't go back.
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Review from Scott R.
Nashville, TN
3/1/2011 1 Check-in Here
The cheeseburgers are excellent again. The fires still need work but the atmosphere has not changed a bit. I love that place.
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Review from Michael W.
San Diego, CA
10/21/2008
Walk in the door in the evening and look left. Make awkward eye contact with the live band rockin' out. Look right at the real locals, whose view of the band you have just obscured with your presence. It begins. Walk through the back and find a table, get a waitress's attention, and order a burger. Not a fast-food burger, not an overgreased hockey puck, a real burger like you would make if you had time, but better. Simple as that. Honest, good, cheap, what more could you want? Grab a beer, or go crazy and order the fried catfish plate.
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Review from Misty C.
Nashville, TN
9/26/2008
I think people like the idea of Brown's more than they actually like dining at Brown's. But, I actually like Brown's. It's the type of place that this area needs more of... casual, laid back, and cheap. Well, you can't get any more casual than a restaurant in a trailer. Well actually a bar in a trailer and a restaurant built on as an addition to the trailer. And you can eat here for under $10, which makes it cheap for Hillsboro Village standards. My only complaints are that the drink glasses are teensy! I do think that Brown's gets built up as a kind of institution, but really it's just a place to get some greasy food in a greasy kind of place. Same reason you go to McDonald's or Waffle House. Only thing is, McDonald's and Waffle House are probably going to be newer and cleaner than Brown's. But they won't have same charm, that's for sure!
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Review from matt c.
Nashville, TN
6/25/2007
Your smile will be a "double wide". Slightly dusty divey old school roadside diner built out of a modified trailer with boards nailed round the bottom and a tacked-on dining room which is usually nice and cool and dark. a layer of cold cigarette smoke is stuck in the walls. kind of like a cheaper version of Rotier's. The burgers come with the pickle on top of the bun on a toothpick. The catfish platter is big and good. I enjoy a frosty mug of coors de-light often. It's the locals place to eat out.
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Review from Erin D.
Nashville, TN
12/23/2008
This place is all about the atmosphere. It's about seeing everyone from legendary artists to businessmen to nearly homeless people enjoying it. The place is made from two trailer homes and reeks of however many years of cigarette smoke. They've also got the TVs on with whatever game has been requested and news. It has a bar and a separate dining area. They pride themselves on the chili, which isn't bad but is the greasiest you can imagine. Burgers are a crowd favorite but they aren't much different than something you could get at McDonalds. The fries are skinny shoestrings, not my favorite, and they don't come with the burgers; you have to order them separately. The wait staff isn't bad, but they do take their time.
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Review from Jeff C.
Athens, AL
6/25/2007
Brown's is a Nashville legend, and some of the regulars are legends themselves.
Food reminds me of a Woolworth's lunch counter, but it's not bad. I like it better than Rotier's. -
Review from Emily Y.
Louisville, KY
9/26/2007
This is not a place to go for food every night, but it hits the spot every now-and-again. So, I give it 4 stars, because it's a great greasy-spoon. In its category, it rivals Rotier's. Hey, if I wanted a salad or a filet mignon, I'd go somewhere else.
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Review from Eve P.
Manhattan, NY
12/3/2009
This place has one things going for it: sweet, friendly staff. But that's it. Their beer selection is terrible, and the food is barely edible. I understand you don't go there for health food, but if I'm going to eat a burger or fries, I want to enjoy them, and there are plenty of places I can get much better cheap American food.
