East Nashville has a lot of personality, but few places bottle it quite like The Pharmacy Burger Parlor & Beer Garden on McFerrin Avenue. 🍺
This beloved, locally-owned East Nashville burger joint is part neighborhood gathering place, part European beer garden, and entirely one of a kind — a place where hand-crafted burgers, house-smoked wursts, and cold pours of craft beer come together in a sprawling backyard that feels like home.
How The Pharmacy Won Nashville’s Hearts
Dutch-born restaurateur Cees Brinkman arrived in Nashville in 1990 by way of flight school in Murfreesboro, originally heading for the Smokies in a 1974 Chevy Impala Wagon he’d bought off another Dutchman in Memphis.
Brinkman eventually crossed paths with co-founder Terrell Raley after a chance Craigslist encounter — Brinkman was liquidating surplus restaurant equipment stored in a vacant rental property, and Raley was looking for a space to open a restaurant.
During the construction of the space, Brinkman discovered nearly a hundred antique glass pharmacy bottles buried in the walls, because the building had been a pharmacy once.
Two original soda fountains were restored, a menu of house-made phosphate sodas and milkshakes was developed, and The Pharmacy opened its doors in 2012 as a mash-up of German beer hall, Southern backyard, and soda-fountain nostalgia in a part of East Nashville that was still rough around the edges.
Nearly everything on the menu is made entirely in-house — burgers, bratwurst, buns, and even the syrups for the house sodas.
The Pharmacy has since grown to three locations, but the East Nashville mothership on McFerrin Avenue remains the soul of the operation — the place where every new team member comes to truly understand what it means to be part of The Pharmacy family. 🍔
Food Highlights 🍔
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The Pharmacy Burger: Yellow cheddar, iceberg lettuce, tomato, onion, pickle, and yellow mustard — the OG, the blueprint, the one that started it all. 🍔
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Farm Burger: Country ham, Gifford’s smoked bacon, maple mustard, and an over-easy egg — a hearty, Southern-soul stack. 🍳
- Black Bean Burger: A black bean patty topped with Pico de Gallo, guacamole, vegan mayo, and lettuce — a favorite among plant-based diners across Nashville. 🌿
- Chipotle Slap Burger: American cheese, grilled jalapeño, chipotle avocado aioli, pickle, and onion — this one has a serious kick. 🌶️
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White Oak BBQ Burger: House-made Coca-Cola BBQ sauce, provolone, Gifford’s bacon, crispy onion straws, and pickle — sweet, smoky, and crunchy. 🔥
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Three Cheese Burger: Yellow cheddar, Swiss, and Muenster layered with tomato and roasted garlic aioli. 🧀
- Stroganoff Burger: Sautéed mushrooms and a creamy béchamel sauce draped over a Tennessee beef patty — a saucy, indulgent fan-favorite. 🍄
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The Double: Two patties stacked with cheddar, pickle, onion, and garlic aioli — no frills, just pure burger power. 💪
Atmosphere
The Pharmacy is anchored by one of Nashville’s most celebrated outdoor spaces — a sprawling, tree-canopied beer garden where string lights glow overhead, and the vibe shifts effortlessly from lazy Sunday afternoon to lively Friday night. 🌳🍺
Inside, the soda-fountain nostalgia is real — two restored original fountains, vintage pharmacy bottles on display, and a warm, worn-in energy that makes you feel like the neighborhood has been gathering here for decades.
Each fall, the space transforms for a full-blown Oktoberfest celebration — house-smoked bratwurst, Bavarian pretzels, steins of German beer, live music, and family-friendly games that bring the whole community together under the trees.
It’s the rare kind of place that feels equally comfortable for a first date, a family lunch, or a long Tuesday afternoon with nowhere else to be. 🎶
Bottom Line
The Pharmacy is East Nashville’s original gathering spot — a locally-owned Nashville burger restaurant that has been making people feel at home since 2012.
From the house-smoked wursts to the legendary beer garden, every visit feels effortless, delicious, and deeply community-driven. 🍔🌟
Address:
731 McFerrin Ave, Nashville, TN 37206
📞 (615) 712-9517
🕔 Open Sun–Thu, 11 AM–9 PM | Fri–Sat, 11 AM–9:30 PM