Emmy Squared Pizza: The Gulch — Restaurant in Nashville-Davidson

Before some friends recommended my girlfriend and I meet them here for dinner, I had never heard of Emmy Squared. After doing a bit of research, and being a HUGE burger lover, I was pumped to give Emmy Squared a try. We dined here on a Friday night with a reservation. Note - this review is over their burger, and not the pizza.

THE ATMOSPHERE: This restaurant is TIGHT. You walk in, there's not a ton of waiting space, and the tables are very close together. However, despite it's tight-nit proximity, the space itself is very cozy - especially on a cold, rainy night. It feels like a small, mom & pop restaurant/cafe. Although, the ambiance in the restaurant is quite loud. Throughout most of the meal we were having to nearly shout to have a conversation with each other. Granted, with the space being that tight you're bound to have a higher overall noise level, but the music being played (while good) was also entirely too loud.

THE FOOD & BURGER: For an appetizer we ordered a tray of their Waffle Fries (Zia style - highly recommend). These were arguably some of the best waffle fries I have had. The cheese, unique sauce, and bacon all came together with a perfectly cooked crispy fry that had me continually going back for more. When it came time for the food to arrive, I was so excited to dig into this burger finally after reading so much about it being the "Best Burger in Nashville" online. Now, let me say that I am a huge burger lover, and I am saddened to say that this was nowhere near the best burger in Nashville, in my opinion. I actually only ate half of it (and it wasn't because I was too full). I don't use this lightly when it comes to burgers, and it's going to sound crazy, but it was actually TOO greasy. I'm talking a huge, sloppy, soggy, spongy pool of grease. Don't get me wrong, the flavor was good, but not amazing and it honestly looked and tasted like they dipped the whole thing in grease before plating it. I was so bummed to say this, but this burger is far from a great burger.

SUMMARY: To wrap things up, the incredibly loud ambiance/music, not living up anywhere near the hype, and honestly being a gross burger led me to give this restaurant 2/5 stars. I hear their pizza is spectacular, and am completely open to trying it in the future, but this was nowhere near what I expected and I honestly did not want to finish my meal because it was such a sloppy, greasy pool of letdown. The Waffle Fries (Zia-style) are...

Stop reading this review and just go now. This place is fantastic in all ways.

Alright, if you're looking for a bit more info before you go check out Emmy Squared in Nashville, here it is.

I used to live in Brooklyn, NY where this restaurant started originally but never made it in and I'm kicking myself now that I didn't try it sooner.

I knew that they were known for their pizza but when you're living in NYC and entrenched in the bar and restaurant scene you take that with a 'grain of salt'

Simply put it was one of the best pizzas I've ever had. To offer some additional context, I was born in NYC, lived there for a number years...and I've lived in Chicago (another Pizza city) for 5 years too.

The pizza at Emmy's is so good and what made it even more enjoyable was that the explanation that our server Hannah gave about it. It really helped us with our menu and ordering decisions and was impressively spot on for what hit the table.

I remember it being described as something along the lines of "A Detroit-Style, Pan-Pizza, with a crispy crust, fluffy/airy center, and a flakey/crusty cheese around the edges" It delivered on the description and more.

We went with the Roni Supreme and the Marn Blanc (one red and one white) they were both So. Damn. Good.

Someone at the table ordered the burger, Le Big Matt and once it hit the table I knew I had to order one for myself once I laid on eyes on it.

So that's exactly what I did and what a wonderful decision it was.

Don't sleep on the burger, because (bold claim coming again) it was one of the best burgers I've had...EVER!

Classic, double-patty, big-mac-style, juicy, cheesy, and pure burger glory.

This a definitely a place were the food could stand on it's own but that wasn't the only thing we loved about Emmy Squared in Nashville.

The service was fantastic. Some of the best we've received in this city since recently relocating from Brooklyn, NY.

Our server was Hannah, and her table side manor, menu explanations, and all around wonderful warm hospitality was the icing on the cake.

It was this total package dinning experience that we had on a Sunday after noon late lunch that had us sitting at the table game-planning our next visit and who we were bringing before we even left.

Well done Hannah and the Emmy Squared Nashville Team.

I can't wait to return, spread the good word, and wish you nothing but...

Unfortunately there’s no other way this review can go. I rarely leave reviews at all- let me start by saying the pizza is not horrible- mediocre at best - have had better Detroit style pizza overall.

Just as other reviewers have said, the service was horrendous. The hostess, mainly, was rude and it seemed that we were continued to be talked about and pointed at which further made us uncomfortable. She was not hospitable whatsoever- so much for southern hospitality, right? I understand people can have a bad day, but I think that poor training and accountability are a big part of this. Other reviews have mentioned the rude and horrible service as well. We were first seated outside due to supposedly being reservations for the tables still available inside - we were told they were booked until 2pm but there was no one in sight. I understand that protocol may not allow certain tables to be used but this review comes after we moved (didn’t ask to be moved from outside to inside - our server did it on his own after I inquired about when the reserved tables inside would be available). It also doesn’t take away from the hostess’ unwelcoming attitude. After being inside, more tables freed up and through waiting for our food to paying and leaving- 4-5 tables were still open. 2 other groups ended up leaving and tables that were supposedly reserved still had not been used even the people supposed to be eating at them should’ve already been there, since 2pm was the next time we could sit at any indoor table. We left just before 1:15 (got there 12:40 something about) So the tables that were reservations were not used through our entire time there. That tells me the hostess was lying for whatever reason or 3 or more groups decided to skip out on their lunch -...