There’s no shortage of burgers in Murfreesboro. In a town with Buster’s, Toot’s, Burger Republic, Red Robin, Jack Brown’s, City Cafe and other locations competing for the honor of the area’s favorite cheeseburger, Bad Daddy’s Burger Bar has thrown its hat in the ring, or its beef on the grill, and has done quite well for itself since opening on Medical Center Parkway in 2019.
Bad Daddy’s does serve some excellent burger creations and offers a huge array of different toppings and combination options.
The pastrami burger has an incredible combination of flavors going on—this one features a 7-ounce angus patty topped with Swiss cheese, pickled jalapeños, arugula, a wonderful Bad Daddy’s sauce and thinly sliced, heated pastrami. I would confidently put this bad boy up against just about any other burger I have ever eaten.
That Bad Daddy’s Sauce is excellent—spicy, herby, maybe some barbecue sauce in the mix, a bit of horseradish perhaps . . . (it’s similar in a way to the ketchup / mustard / mayo combination at Red Bicycle known as RB sauce).
The Smokehouse burger, another popular Bad Daddy’s option, tops a beef patty with pulled pork, onion straws, pepper jack cheese, lettuce, tomato and barbecue sauce.
“Best burger creations in town,” local diner Joslyn Brandt said of Bad Daddy’s.
The restaurant also offers a rotation of featured burgers such as the Carolina burger, which includes pimento cheese, fried green tomatoes, house-made candied bacon jam, shredded lettuce and pickles.
For those who want something other than beef, grab a sandwich with a salmon filet, a black bean burger patty, buffalo burger, turkey burger, the soy and potato-based Impossible burger, buttermilk-fried chicken breast or grilled chicken breast.
And Bad Daddy’s encourages creativity. Create your own sandwich from all of these patty options, on brioche, a multigrain bun or Texas toast, a lettuce wrap or rye bread; choose what you want from about 10 different cheeses, and go wild with chipotle avocado crema, horseradish mayo, sautéed wild mushrooms, fried egg, pesto, pineapple salsa, jalapeño bacon, truffle aioli, teriyaki sauce and many other choices.
What’s your burger?
Additionally, and this is monumental, Bad Daddy’s has buttermilk-battered, deep-fried bacon: bacon surrounded by crispy, salt-and-peppery, fried-chicken-like breading. Boom.
“My burger came to the table with what looked like four chicken strips on it. It was the bacon. They had dipped the bacon in batter and deep fried it. There was so much batter that they were literally the size of chicken strips,” said Pete Neal.
This style of bacon may not be everyone’s thing; “Y’all need to stop this crap,” said Neal, who advised requesting normal bacon on a specialty burger that contains this buttermilk fried bacon.
Still, trying battered and fried bacon is one of those things that everyone should do once in their lives.
“Awesome burgers and appetizers,” another Bad Daddy’s patron, named Josh, said. “The bison burger was great. Deep-fried deviled eggs were good too.”
Yes, deep-fried deviled eggs. You can get both deep-fried bacon and deep-fried eggs at this place.
The Parmesan truffle fries are pretty tasty, though they do not contain an incredibly strong truffle taste.
Melissa Lourash suggests the chicken sandwich and strawberry habanero margarita.
The restaurant offers hand-spun milkshakes as well, and of course a lengthy list of candies, fruits and syrups with which customers can build their own.
If all of this sounds a little calorie-heavy for your personal fitness goals, one can still enjoy Bad Daddy’s while creating a custom salad from various veggies, fruits, nuts, cheeses and dressings.
The first Bad Daddy’s opened in Dilworth, North Carolina, just outside of Charlotte, in 2007. Since then, Colorado-based Good Times acquired the brand and has opened over 30 locations, taking it to Colorado, Atlanta, South Carolina, and now two locations in Tennessee (Chattanooga in addition to Murfreesboro).
It has a cool décor and vibe to it, and the Murfreesboro location has a beautiful covered patio for a nice outdoor dining experience.
If one likes burgers, sports, beer and rock ’n’ roll, they should find the Bad Daddy’s environment most welcoming.
Classic rock plays through the speakers (music fans can even follow Bad Daddy’s own curated in-store playlists on Spotify; music must be important to Bad Daddy), lots of TVs showing sports, a full bar, and posters paying tribute to all sorts of rebellion-symbolizing cultural figures like Steve McQueen, Hendrix, Al Capone and The Beatles.
“The sweet potato fries and house-made potato chips were excellent sides,” Gary Matthews said. “Ask for some tangy sauce with the Smokehouse to punch it up a bit,” the customer advises.
Carla Evans Crader said she was impressed by the large number of cheese, topping and condiment choices.
“It would be fun to do the math on how many combinations are available,” she said, adding she also appreciated the fruit salad—“grapes, apples, strawberries, blueberries, fresh pineapple, cantaloupe and honeydew. A huge bowl of it!
“They make their own French fries and fry them until they’re beautifully brown and crisp,” the delighted diner continued. “The burgers were divine, the sides were divine and the number of house-made items on the menu will astound you.”
Many have enjoyed the spiked shakes, craft beer selections—with brews from Bearded Iris, TailGate, Tennessee Brew Works, Founders, Jackalope, Blackstone and other area breweries on tap, along with Lagunitas IPA, Guinness, Modelo, Voodoo Ranger and other draft beer and cider options—signature Bad Ass margaritas and cocktails at Bad Daddy’s also.
“Super strong margarita,” Sarai Ovalle said following a visit.
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Bad Daddy’s Burger Bar
2243 Medical Center Pkwy., Murfreesboro
Monday–Thursday: 11 a.m.–9:30 p.m.; Friday–Saturday: 11 a.m.–10 p.m.; Sunday 11 a.m.–9 p.m.
Pastrami burger with side: $14.45; Patty melt: $8.95; Honey chicken sandwich: $10.25; Truffle parmesan fries: $6; Texican chicken salad: $13.45; Buffalo burger: $13.25
615-410-7688
baddaddysburgerbar.com
