Full disclosure on this one, guys – I have been to Emmy Squared on numerous occasions at this point, and it has quickly become one of my favorite spots to visit out of my usual rotation of stuff here on the East side of Nashville. They’re known for their burgers and Detroit style pizza, but they have a sneaky good sandwich menu, drink menu, beer list, and ungodly waffle fries. At this point, I’ve tried a tad bit of everything from the menu, but my previous trips were on special occasions and date nights, on which I am strictly forbidden from working and ordered clearly to just enjoy the meal and enjoy the evening without thinking about the next thing I have to do for SoBros Network. This trip happened a couple of weeks ago, and it was a bit different. Aura, my mother, and I were in between trips to Crafty Bastards and some bridal show at the Nashville Fairgrounds that we ended up bailing on because of how crowded it was. Not a date night. Not a special occasion. So, that gave me the green light to snap a couple of photos and finally get Emmy Squared into our catalog of Nashville Reviews. Let’s get into it. For more on Emmy Squared, check out their website here.
Pics
Ratings
Food: 8.12/10 – I’ve yet to have a bad dish at Emmy Squared. In fact, I’d go as far to say I’ve never had something that was just ‘okay’ or simply ‘satisfying.’ Every meal I’ve eaten there has stood out, and been memorable. In terms of the quality of the food alone, and not the overall restaurant experience, it’s not unreasonable to say that Emmy Squared is among the elite in the city. The Nashville hot katsu sandwich was great – a unique, creative, different take on the Nashville hot chicken craze. I’m not usually a fan of bread and butter pickles on hot chicken, which is what these pickles closely resembled, but it worked to sort of sweeten the sandwich to contrast the tang of the ‘Bama white sauce and the bite of the radish. It might sound odd, but it really works well together. And, of course, the waffle fries quite simply never fucking miss.
The chopped cheese burger is an interesting take on the classic American cheeseburger that is every bit as satisfying as the greasiest diner burger you can find…except this one didn’t have me handcuffed to the bathroom for 24 hours after consuming it. We’ve also had their margherita pizza with sausage added to it – we simply couldn’t resist the urge to try it out based on the pictures we saw on Instagram when we first discovered Emmy Squared, no matter how good the burgers looked. Detroit style pizza is an emerging trend, and I dare say that nobody in Nashville does it better (I’ll hear your arguments for Pegasus Pizzeria). The food itself has been the highlight of any trip to Emmy Squared for me.
Booze: 6.73/10 – $13 cocktails are pretty much the standard in Nashville these days – hell, probably even cheaper than your favorite trendy bar out in East Nashville. But, it is the quickest way to get my cheap ass to say, “well, I’ve got whiskey at home.” That said, if that’s not a turnoff for you, then you’re probably going to love Emmy Squared’s drink menu. Also, they have a solid beer list, and any establishment that keeps Castle & Key gin on hand is going to get an above-average booze rating in my book.
Value: 5/10 – Look – this is a reminder of the golden rule of ‘Nashville Reviews’ on SoBros Network. Three entrees and three sodas cost us $86 tip included. That’s a date night for two of about $57. It might seem a little expensive, but…here we go…you get what you pay for. As long as the meal is corresponding with the price tag, it’s a fair value, in my opinion.
Atmosphere: 7.89/10 – The Green Hills location is exquisite, and the service has always been impeccable. It feels like a fine dining experience without the stuffy environment.
Overall: 6.94/10 – It’s a hell of a meal. There’s no denying that. For me, the price point keeps it out of the regular rotation, but we make a point to head out to Green Hills to get out of the rut of our usual Mount Juliet/Hermitage rotation. What I would say Emmy Squared does particularly well is putting a spin on classic favorites – pizza, burgers, and hot chicken. They’ve effectively cornered the market in this city on Detroit style pizza (…again, until more people start finding out about Pegasus…), and their burgers can hang with any of the burger big dogs in town. If money doesn’t mean shit to you, and you’re not a regular old average peasant like me, you can eat at Emmy Squared four times a week, get four completely different dishes, and be satisfied every time. *chef’s kiss*
And, we get the rare double review so I can add their hot chicken to my Nashville hot chicken power rankings:
- Flavor: 3/10 – Altogether, the sandwich was bursting with an interesting combination of flavors, but if I’m grading the chicken alone, it was not nearly as flavorful as your favorite hot chicken establishments in town. A lot of straight heat, and that’s about it.
- Texture: 7.3/10 – Just absolutely amazing – the breading was crisp, but not crunchy, the chicken was cooked perfectly, but not dry. To me, in unison with all of the toppings, it had a phenomenal mouthfeel.
- Heat: 6/10 – It’s solid heat for the sandwich…you certainly don’t want the heat to overpower the flavors coming from all of the toppings, so I get it. On its own, I’d probably prefer a little hotter for a ‘hot’ level of heat.
- Fixins: 6/10 – I absolutely loved the juxtaposition of this sandwich with the bread and butter pickles, the radish, and the ‘Bama white sauce. It really made the dish work.
- Overall: 5.58/10 – (7th out of 10 on the current Nashville hot chicken rankings)
CURRENT NASHVILLE RESTAURANT RANKINGS
- Butcher & Bee (8.5/10)
- Nectar: Urban Cantina (8.44/10)
- Barcelona Wine Bar (8.23/10)
- M.L.Rose (8.19/10)
- Von Elrod’s (8.17/10)
I’m always looking for new spots to try – don’t be afraid to hit the comments with suggestions!
Stoney Keeley is the Editor in Chief of The SoBros Network, and a Dogs Playing Poker on velvet connoisseur. He is a strong supporter of Team GSD, #BeBetter, and ‘Minds right, asses tight.’ “Big Natural” covers the Tennessee Titans, Nashville, Yankee Candle, and a whole wealth of nonsense. Follow on Twitter @StoneyKeeley.
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