There is a short window every year when eating a burger at a picnic table still makes perfect sense, and in Tennessee that window closes fast. Once the cold settles in, patios empty out and screened porches get a lot less inviting.
This list covers six walk-up and counter-window burger spots from Nashville to Kingsport to the Chattanooga area, each with its own reason to make the trip. Some are old-school shacks, some lean on local beef or smash patties, and one has been serving its signature burgers since 1956.
Save it, share it with your burger buddy, and try to hit a few before the jackets come out.
1. Grillshack Fries and Burgers – East Nashville, Nashville, TN
Riverside Drive in East Nashville is home to one of the most stripped-down burger setups in the city, and that is exactly the appeal. Grillshack is a roadside joint where you order at the counter and eat in a detached, screened-in porch or outside…