The Burger Tour

The cornerstone of cuisine in the New World...the DNA of the American restaurant experience...a backyard legend...THE BURGER. Since the beginning of culinary times, the mighty burger has withstood harsh criticism to become the quintessential food of choice for millions of people for many generations. We decided to also pay homage to the genius that is the burger by taking you on a tour of the top burger joints in the area. So let’s start the Cypress Burger Tour!

Burger Basket
1004 N Washington Ave | Brownsville TN

Hours of Operation
Monday-Friday 10:30am-8:00pm
Saturday & Sunday-Closed
 

For the first stop on the Burger Tour, we visit the bustling town of Brownsville, TN. Known for its scenic natural landscape and friendly citizens, it’s no wonder this dive has the most charming and friendly of atmospheres. Situated at the edge of town, The Burger Basket has become the town hub of cuisine winning the 2016 Tennessee’s Best Burger awarded by the Tennessee Economic & Community Development (TNECD). Though the restaurant is known for its award winning burger, its expansive menu features some of the juiciest burgers this side of the Tennessee River with topping combos that will please every shade of your taste pallet. “When people come out to get something to eat, they want their money’s worth...people come in and they want a lot of food at a reasonable price...that’s what we try to give them,” says restaurant owner Ron Hart. Ron and his wife Angie started nine years ago turning an old auto body shop into a charming restaurant. “It started with just a basic burger and fries and then it just kept growing and growing...every time someone would ask for something, we would put it on the menu.” Ron has been in food service most of his life, being part of a culinary dynasty. “My mom...my sister...two aunts...my grandmother was a dietician... I have a cousin, who passed away who’s mom is still running his restaurant in Dixon...it’s just bread into me.”

Creating the atmosphere for a restaurant is not easy but this couple has created a fun environment that is comfortable enough for anyone to come in and have a meal with family, friends, or coworkers. Football memorabilia and unique artwork created by Mrs. Hart decorate the walls of this charming space. “She’s very creative...she built the tables...it was a start-from-scratch restaurant.” Ron not only give credit to his wife’s creativity, but he also lauds her baking skills as well. “My wife does all the cakes...she’s gotten first place ribbons...she does phenomenal chocolate pies. She calls it her part time job...but as soon as she gets here, she goes to baking.”

Aside from the amazing atmosphere of the building, Burger Basket offers a truly delicious burger experience, worthy of the accolades and awards it has received. But not only is the food good, the owners and staff are some of the nicest and most humble people around, adding to the entire experience. “We’ve been blessed, the community has given us unbelievable support...they’ve really gotten behind us.” Stop in and check out the place...it is worth the trip to Brownsville.

Off The Hoof
12013 US HWY 70 | Arlington, TN

Hours of Operation
Monday-Thursday 11am-9pm
Friday & Saturday 11am-11pm
Sunday 11am-8pm

Imagine biting into a juicy burger complete with all the fixings, with a tender and delicious patty of buffalo meat! If you can imagine this, then you have traveled to the second stop on our Burger Tour. Off The Hoof in Arlington, TN offers a southern dining experience with just a tinge of western flare. The menu is a collection of different meats that are truly all off the hoof. “I told my wife that I wanted to do different meats like buffalo and wild boar and elk...and she goes ‘well that’s off the hoof’ and I said well that sounds like a good name!”

Off The Hoof is the burger lovers dream. With specialty burgers like The Buffalo Burger or The Lee Burger, your stomach is only fitted to enjoy the delicious hand-dipped fried pickles or Frickles, or the tasty onion strings. “I love burgers,” said owner Ronald Files, “but I needed to add my own niche to it so here you have it, Off The Hoof.”

The Gin Lot
13301 HWY 76 S | Dancyville, TN

Hours of Operation
Monday 6am-6pm
Saturday & Sunday-Closed

Next, on the Burger Tour, we visit the tiny town of Dancyville, TN, right inside the Haywood county line. As soon as you pull into the lot you quickly learn that this is not just a hoppin’ burger joint or your run of the mill country restaurant, but this is the town meeting hall. Folks of all shapes, sizes, colors, and appetites come in to sit, talk, and dine with people who are described as family. “Everybody always called this corner The Gin Lot…people just love it,” says Mary Logan. She and her sister Regina Williams and cook Laura Welch run the place through it’s day to day functions. “We do fine in here...we just work together...everybody knows what we have to do, nobody has to tell anybody anything, they just come in and we all work together.” And when these three queens of the kitchen get together, they create culinary magic for everyone. Their cheeseburger is delightfully fresh, but light. I’d like to think it’s because the beef isn’t as processed, but it does not leave you feeling uncomfortably stuffed. Juicy, tender, seasoned perfectly and served hot off the grill, these burgers are a piece of heaven between two slightly toasted buns.

Not only do these ladies do a mean burger that comes straight from the farm (Winchester Farms down the road actually!), but they also serve other amazing entrees and delicious desserts that remind you of that down home cookin’ mama used to do back in the day. Their fish is truly some of the best fish in West Tennessee. “They come from Haywood County, they come from Fayette County, they come from Jackson, they come from Memphis...they come from everywhere. We’ve been blessed. God has blessed us.”

Burger City
54 McLaughlin Drive | Munford, TN

Hours of Operation
Sunday-Thursday 10:30am-8pm
Friday & Saturday 10:30am-10pm

On our last stop of the burger tour, we land in our sister town of Munford, TN...home of the famed Munford High Marching Band and now the almost as impressive Burger City Double-Cheeseburger.

Walking into this burger joint is like stepping back into the 50’s, a time when burgers, fries, onion rings and American made cars thrived. “Everybody loves the 50’s” exclaimed Gene Fletcher, owner of this burger joint. Being only eight months old, Burger City holds the record as the youngest on our tour, but its food does not reflect that in taste. With decadent onion rings, delectable fries, creamy milk-shakes, and a burger that sets itself in a class all on its own, Burger City is cementing itself into the culinary landscape of south Tipton county. “You can have a quality burger…[now] they've all gone corporate,’ says Fletcher, who has his business down to a science. “We’re always improving...we’ve got new things coming to the menu...we just added snow cones...and our milk-shakes are all made by hand.”

“My goal, when you bite into that burger is that it's going to be thick and it’s going to be juicy,” says Fletcher, and he has not let up on that promise in eight months and that why the people keep coming back.

Let us know if you take The Burger Tour! Be sure to take pics and tag us on Facebook and Instagram! For more information on these restaurants, call us here at the Cypress office at 901-940-3139 or send us an email at contact@cypressmag.com.