Ordered a regular and a crust burger, with curly fries, and a chocolate shake. The burgers are solidly basic, and very delicious! These alone are a wonderful reason to eat here! 5/5 for flavor, even if they aren't as customizable as your whims may be inclined. The fries... well, in my opinion, they just exist as a side. The chocolate shake did not skimp on the flavoring, and was a delightful dark chocolate, which is uncommon in the world of shakes. 5/5 on this, as well! Come here for the burger and shakes, maybe not-so-much the fries read more

Joyland - Regular burger with curly fries and a crust burger. - New American Near Me - Nashville, Tennessee

The food took forever. They were out of ketchup. The sodas were out of flavor and tasted like water. I received a chicken and biscuit but after taking a few bites realized it wasn't gluten free as I had specified. The kitchen and restaurant were messy. I will never go back. read more

Oof. This is why we can't have nice things. Check my profile. Despite having over 2400 reviews, a statistically-curious small amount of them are 1 stars. Granted, I used to be extremely circumspect with my review ratings and star distribution but the experience I had at Joyland warranted the ding. I was really and truly disappointed in my experience and would never come back. Picture it: late spring. The birds are chirping. The heat's creeping in. People are starting* to (responsibly) get out and about. I was at my home office, click clacking away on my keyboard and dropping bon mots in Zoom calls. It was early-ish in the afternoon when I clicked on my GCal to see what I was doing next and I noticed it: canceled meetingS. That's right: not one, but two canceled meetings. This meant a freed-up afternoon. This meant a break from screens. This meant... I had time for a real lunch. I'd waited a year to have a real, out-in-the-world lunch and I had a list of places to hit up. Chief among my picks was a neighborhood haunt headed up by a celeb chef. 'This is gonna be awesome.' I put on a pair of running shoes and made my way over to Woodland. The patio was decently, but not overly, populated. I thought about eating there but committed to coming home and eating. After all, I didn't have all afternoon free. I just had an hour and a half to myself and my stomach. Knowing that my time was limited, I'd done my research ahead of time. I knew what to order. I walked in and was greeted by the manager. She welcomed me, walked me through the menu and took my order. I didn't even flinch at the price for 'fast food' because I knew what I was getting myself into. I wandered to the far corner of the dining room and took out my phone to make my wait tolerable. There was only one other person in the room (and the people on the patio were eating) so I didn't think things would take long. I was wrong. The kitchen is in the middle of the room and in full view of everything. When I visited, people were still pretending to adhere to protocols so, you know, masks, distance, etc. The gentleman making my food (after a substantial break in time after the other patron in the dining room left with his order) after emerging from the back/walled off portion of the dining room had neither a net/hat for the hair hanging over his ears and eyes, nor a mask worn over his mouth (rather, it was under his nose) nor gloves on the hands for the food he was handling/making. For me. In full view. After touching/rubbing/etc. (as one does and we all had to be reminded not to do over and over in news stories and mailers; you did it just now, didn't you? Touched/rubbed something/your face). I was more sad than mad. I'd waited a year for this meal and it wasn't to be because of simple hygiene, much less, pandemic-era protocols. To her credit, when I explained the situation to the manager, she was mortified. She addressed the staffer (immediately), she refunded my money and she offered to make my food herself. I appreciated her and her efforts to make a bad situation better. But, I was done. My appetite was gone. My window of opportunity was fast closing. And, my chance to eat at a Brock venue that was singular, unique and not insanely-priced was over. I walked back home, poured myself a glass of water (remember: it was late Spring and warm outside) and sat down to my laptop to click clack and Zoom on an empty-ish stomach. *Never stopped around here and the health stats bear that out. read more

Biscuits for all! I was on the hunt for gf fried chicken and/ or biscuits for my kid who is gluten free. Joyland brought the goods. We ordered pickup and it was ready and the order was correct. Extremely friendly service on a rainy Saturday morning. The regular fried chicken and biscuit with hot honey was delicious- not dry. Great flavor. Hash browns are crispy with a hint of scallions. (Those are gf too.) According to my son the gf fried chicken biscuit was so good- it was one of the best biscuits he's ever had and compared it to Callies in Charleston. The menu changes over at 11am to lunch- I don't think they have reg and gf biscuits after 11 but they have gf fried chicken on a stick and other items. When in Nashville is worth the 2 mile drive from downtown. read more

Run don't walk to Joyland for their wonderful breakfast menu. The coffee was delicious. Rich and satisfying. The biscuits were a true reflection of Sean Brocks southern roots. I could not make this in a 100 years. The egg was perfection and an artistic cube. Maybe sous vide? Just delicious. read more

Joyland - Egg and cheese biscuit! Sublime - New American Near Me - Nashville, Tennessee

Great Smash Burger, however the prices are a little high for the quantity you get. Just a bit bigger for the price would be nice. Friendly service and nostalgic atmosphere. read more

2.5 I llove a good biscuit but what makes a good biscuit is the true question. Is it the ingredients or the area where you come from. Should the biscuit be light and fluffy or dense and heavy. Today's biscuit consisted of 4 ingredients the flour, butter milk, salt and pepper. I personally felt it had a little too much pepper. The biscuit was somewhere in the middle not too light or too dense. I did find the butter and locally home made jam did help cut down on the pepper flavor but not enough for me to go back for seconds. read more

Joyland - New American Near Me - Nashville, Tennessee

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Had to check out Sean Brock's Nashville concept bc we were here from Charleston! Loved everything from the seasoning and crunch of the fry on the chicken, to the crispy edges of the patties on the Crustburger. And the chocolate malt didn't disappoint either! read more

Joyland - Joystick with bbq ranch sauce; Crustburger with hashbrown waffles! - New American Near Me - Nashville, Tennessee

Wow. These burgers are so good! Everything was fresh to order and the sauce they put on the burgers was delicious! Curly fries were amazing and I also like the aesthetic of the restaurant. It was retro and funky. Service was fast and friendly! read more

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First just need to say outright... Sean Brock is a personal hero of mine so when we landed in Nashville we came straight to Joyland. (We will need to visit Audrey's at another time sadly) There's not too much to it. This is all a matter of preference in how you like your burgers. If you like thick patties with LTOP this place isn't for you. But if you love thin smashed fried patties with melty cheese thin sliced onions and a damn good spread, this burger is your jam. Guess what... that's exactly how I like my burgers. And I loved and savored every single bite. Everything is made to order so be patient. Honestly, if the wait for my food was a little quicker I would have gone back in line and ordered another one. On a lesser note my curly fries were average fast food curly fries. But the burger is damn damn good! Enjoy! read more

Joyland - Double Crustburger with Curley Fries - New American Near Me - Nashville, Tennessee

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Really enjoyed the Vanilla rum milk shake. The chocolate bourbon milk shake was good too. The crust burger was delicious. The gluten free chicken sandwich was the absolute best! Highly recommend. read more

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One of our food tour stops. It was delicious. I like the interior design it was fun and very colorful. The staff was friendly accommodated 14 hungry tourists read more

Joyland - Celebrity Chef Sean Brock's Crustburger - New American Near Me - Nashville, Tennessee

The woman at the register was very nice and patient with us and the aesthetic of the restaurant is fun. The food is just average. I feel like for the prices we paid, I wanted a burger that was better than something at a fast food restaurant. The curly fries are very good. The prices are pretty steep and you pay extra for cups of sauce that aren't even filled all the way. I definitely didn't hate the experience, but I don't think I'll be back. read more

Joyland - New American Near Me - Nashville, Tennessee

Ok so I liked this place but definitely it's not your typical juicy burger so if you want a juicy thick burger this is not your place. Food was good but I wasn't expecting a flat burger lol. The chicken on the stick was ok. Service was good and place was clean and the ambiance is relaxing. Plenty space inside and they also have a few tables outside. You come to the window/counter to order and they will bring it to you to your table. They have a few beers and also fountain drinks. Only paid parking space or street parking. Come and check them out! read more

Amazing food and service! Crustburger is really special... it's like a smash burger, patty melt and grilled cheese collided. Biscuit and homemade jam take me back to the days of visiting my Grandma in South Georgia and her cathead buttermilk biscuits, but these are even better. Super sweet, attentive and superb service from Leroy. Nostalgic place that definitely brings back all the feels of childhood! read more

Visiting Nashville for the first time so of course I wanted to hit up a restaurant by Sean Brock while in town. But I have to say that I also didn't feel like spending a ton of $$ so figured I should just check out Joyland, his casual, grill concept over on Woodland Street. Inside, the space sort of feels like an In and Out burger, a lot of whites/brights and open kitchen. I visit on a quiet Sunday evening so there was virtually no one there. It took 10+ minutes for my food so I suspect during busy periods, service could be slow. I do the crust burger combo and a Joystick (chicken thighs) and both are awesome! The crust burger is a very thin smash burger with buns flipped outside in and grilled hard. It feels like part cheese sandwich, part burger but oh so good. The crinkle fries have an extra crispety bite and crackling edges, so good. And the Joystick is a generous stick of fried chicken thighs in a Southern fried chicken batter, thick and crunchy. Overall I am impressed as to what they are putting out of that kitchen but also understand why people may be annoyed at wait/service times. But while the menu says fast food, it's far from it. It's really good chef-driven fast casual and worth the wait. Be patient and just get that crust burger combo. You'll thank me later... read more

All hipster, no substance. The food was stale/not fresh, restaurant space was grubby and disheveled, and the service was weird. Just go to Five Guys or Shake Shack if you want a fast casual burger with flavor. read more

WTF.... that impossible patty was SEASONED!!! I kid you not!! Pepper and all!! Add on, they had a dipping sauce for the burger. Yes y'all, a dipping sauce for the burger!! My butt was too scared to try it. However, it dawned on me while enjoying this flavorful burger, why not try the burger dipping sauce?!!? Only 3 bites left and I tried it!! Y'all.... in my Ohio Players' voice.... FIRAHHHHHHHHHHHH!!! Lordt that "expletive" burger went from FYE to the BOMB!!! Goodness!! I felt so freaking stupid for being a wuss for not trying it sooner! Sorry no pics of the burger. But there is no way I was about to stop while eating. We were not going to stop eating. At all! So this is what I order... the impossible patty on the crust Burger (the crust burger is like fried bread) with crinkle fries, it came with a drink. And two bags of the cornbread chips. All that for $16! I left the $2 tip because they were so friendly. But all that for $16 late at night after 10pm in East Nashville!!!! Safe to say they will be seeing me again! read more

Joyland - Decisions - New American Near Me - Nashville, Tennessee

Got the famous smashburger and hashbrown fries. It was like a grilled cheese with a very thin burger. The food was fresh, and the service was fast and friendly, but the wait in line was a little ridiculous. The restraunt itself could use a little cleaning as well... came in the middle of the day during the middle of the week and still had to wait a good 25 mins in line, so don't come starving. read more

Joyland - New American Near Me - Nashville, Tennessee

Doesn't look like much from the outside but once you go in it's a different place. The menu is small which makes it easy to choose from. The hot chicken was well seasoned and well cooked. Food was prepared fast and was definitely fresh from the fryer. read more

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Really underwhelmed with this spot. I've been once before and it was pretty good- worth trying again with the fam. Well first- no kids meals. This is totally fine considering it's very kid friendly food, but paying $14 per kid for a burger, fries, and drink hurt a little. I got the chicken sandwich this time to try something different. Honestly, it was gross. I'm not a picky eater at all but the seasoning was so off putting and it was almost undercooked- it was a little slimy and the weird tasting breading fell right off. I forced myself to eat half considering we paid $70 for our family of 5 to eat. The burgers are so tiny and the patties are crunchy... that's just not appealing to me. Thankfully the kids ate most of theirs so not a complete waste but definitely not interested in trying again. read more

Overpriced, overrated and filthy. Spent $40 to try a Joyland burger, hot dog and fries with chocolate shake. I decided to order online since the line was so long and not moving which I wasn't complaining but seemed like the more logical solution to getting my food within the hour. The restaurant tables were filthy and gross with no one cleaning tables in between customers. Trash was overflowing and bathrooms looked like a war zone. The food was very underwhelming, not tasty and expensive and very small quantity, the quality was lacking and not there at all. I saw this on a Netflix show and I think that was a different restaurant, it has to be. I really, really wanted to like this place but won't be back. Service was friendly to be somewhat positive and not make this review the dumpster fire it is. read more

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I love that they have gluten free options that taste great! I often get the chicken stick and the coffee shake is delish.

I just love this place. My haven for easy and delicious takeout this pandemic. My brother actually asked me on the phone today if they sell things besides the pimento (impossible) cheeseburger because it's all I get, but honestly everything is amazing here. Today got the curly fries (so glad they brought those back!!), pimento cheeseburger, and this jimmy red corn lager, which was a delightful pairing with the burger. Other favorites include the wings (obscenely perfectly crispy and salty) with extra joy ranch on the side, the joysticks with hot honey, literally any of their hand pies (SO flaky), and their malt milkshakes. Just order anything here, you won't go wrong. Lots of dog-friendly outdoor seating that has a ton of shade and pro-tip: order ahead on their website and you can just walk in and get your food, find a great seat outside. read more

Joyland - Patio beer - New American Near Me - Nashville, Tennessee

Open late for those after bar munchies. Service is super friendly. Food is tasty. There is sitting inside with a/c or you can sit in the patio. read more

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I expected a lot from Joyland, especially since it's the child of award-winning chef Sean Brock. Now don't get me wrong, this place is great but it wasn't a "blow me away" experience like I was expecting. I'll definitely return to try some other menu items though. To really get a good experience, I ordered a Joyland Bacon Cheeseburger, Original Joystick (fried chicken on a stick) with hot honey sauce, and crinkle fries. First the burger... It's simple (Martin's Potato Roll, 50/50 Bear Creek Beef/Gifford's Bacon Patty, American Cheese, Shredded Lettuce, Tomato Jam, Duke's Mayo). I bit into it. Soft bread, creamy cheese, crispy & savory patty, tangy jam, bacon-y flavor. So what's the hold up? I didn't realize the patty itself was bacon and beef ground up together. The thing about that is I like my bacon burgers to have bacon on top of the burger. Whether the bacon is soft and chewy or crunchy and hard, it's what I prefer. When you blend the raw meats together, you kinda lose that bacon experience. I should know, because I used to experiment with grinding different meats in my meat grinder back in the day. You're just getting a bacon-essence in your burger. What surprised me the most was the Joystick. Two fried chicken tenderloins on a stick. Was it any different than Zaxby's, Chick-fil-A, Slim Chicken's, Raising Cane's, etc? Not really but the flavoring of the breading (original) tasted really good, unlike anything I had before. Salty, savory, juicy, with an additional taste I couldn't identify. I just knew I liked it. Plus the hot honey sauce was really good. Simple. Sweet sweet honey with a spicy kick. The crinkle fries were ok. Just crinkle fries and salt. Nothing to rave about. Overall my experience was good. Not great. I expect it I got a different burger, I'd appreciate it more but now I'm more interested in the chicken items than anything. I'll definitely come back for that. read more

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If you're craving a smash burger, this is the spot!!! Ordered double crust burger and it was perfect, flavor amazing and the onions were so yummy. Also ordered the curly fries and the peach hand pie, everything was scrumptious and I would eat here again. Simple done perfect. Their ranch is super good too and unique. read more

Joyland - New American Near Me - Nashville, Tennessee

15 min just to order with one person in front of me, 20 mins go by until they say we forgot your order and served the 4 customers after me, then they start my order. If i hadn't eaten all day I would have left. no compensation or anything offered, but an apology. No joyful experience at "joy"land read more

Mediocre at best. Had the hashbrown waffle fry and it was really oily. It took forever to make. Also had the crustburger and wasn't happy with it. I was definitely expecting more. Wouldn't come back. Go to Hugh Baby's for a much better price and a much better burger. They are faster too. read more

Chicken the loooooong way. Flavor was alright, it didn't taste like it was cooked long enough. I still ate the whole thing, but I wouldn't eat the whole thing again. read more

I'm from Charleston and Sean Brock was a local chef before he made it big time! His new venture into fast casual hit the spot! We had the special burger which is basically a burger (or double) with all the crispy stuff on a delicious grilled bun. They also have fried chicken thigh on a stick and delicious fries. Another winner! read more

Joyland - New American Near Me - Nashville, Tennessee

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After a trivia night at The Honeytree Meadery down the street, my friends and I stopped in for a late night snack. I was so excited to see gluten free and vegetarian options here, including the brand new Impossible chicken, which is hard to find. I got the Jr. Fried Chicken Sandwich (made gluten free for me) with crinkle cut fries and the Joy Sauce. It was delicious and satisfied the late night craving for salt and fat. My friends got the chocolate milkshake and burger and similarly enjoyed their food. The atmosphere is fun and playful - almost like a fancier grown-up McDonalds - with craveable food. I can't wait to come back! read more

Joyland - New American Near Me - Nashville, Tennessee

Outstanding. Best burger! Fries were fly! Will definitely go back next time in Nashville! read more

Joyland - Definitely - New American Near Me - Nashville, Tennessee

Joy land overall was just ok. We got a variety of items-joy burger deluxe, crust burger, curly fries, waffle hash brown, joystick, and a coffee malt milkshake. The deluxe was just ok as well as the waffle hash brown. Tasted pretty standard to me and didn't really stick out. My favorite items were the joystick, curly fries, and the crust burger but still average. The coffee malt milkshake was prob the highlight of the meal for me. read more

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Would highly recommend this place if you want something fast and savory. Chicken thighs on the stick are great!

We wanted so much to enjoy this! It was fun trying something new and the people were nice and that's where it ends. The $9.95 crustburger was flavorful but lacking in substance. It was smaller than a kids meal from McDonalds. The chicken stick looks great but the thigh had zero flavor. The crust was nice but if you don't season the chicken it's pointless. But that wasn't the bad part. It was filthy. Every seat has hair or food on it. The tables were sticky with crumbs. The bathrooms had paper on the floor and the garbage was full. So disappointing. Won't be making another visit on our next pass throughs. read more

Joyland - Crustburger - New American Near Me - Nashville, Tennessee

Looking for the best fried chicken biscuit sandwich? I found it! It's at JOYLAND. The honey hot sauce is just the right balance of spicy and sweet. It doesn't overpower the fried chicken or the biscuit at all. The biscuit itself is divine. Fluffy, buttery, flaky goodness. Go ahead and treat yoself to a boozy milkshake too. It's such an indulgent treat. You deserve it! read more

Joyland - Fried Chicken biscuit and curly fries - New American Near Me - Nashville, Tennessee

The chicken was so fresh and made to order. I'm not gluten free but I got the gluten free version of the chicken biscuit sandwich with a side of waffle hashbrowns. Next time I need to try the regular biscuit, but the chicken was juicy and had a great crunch from the batter. read more

Joyland - Chicken biscuit (gluten free) stacked waffle hashbrowns inside - New American Near Me - Nashville, Tennessee

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Had to add a review when I saw this score - how is it so low? I've never dined in, but I've had so many amazing dinners from joyland. My partner and I order from here as our go-to "treat" night. Let's start with the vibes. Joyland is comfort food executed in a way where everything just feels special. It makes me nostalgic for being a kid and having that place you WISH your parents would take you for dinner - that is Joyland. Everything is always packed with care, and somehow, despite living in West Nashville and ordering from East, the food is always still pretty hot. When I open a bag of food from Joyland it feels like whoever packed it wanted me to have a special experience, and that matters a lot to me. Now for the food. Their crust burgers are insanely tasty. No crazy frills, the burger shines because of how it's cooked. Each bite is just wow. To the people who said the crust burger was too small...big and juicy was not the objective here. This is better than a smash burger - it's a crust burgers. It's the best bits of the burger, except the whole thing is the best bits! The waffle hashbrown gives new purpose to a potato's life. I've never been so sure that potatoes, oil, and salt were good for me as when I bite into the waffle hashbrown. Just get it. Trust me. Then the milkshakes - wowowow. Again, just get one and trust me. I can't speak for service inside, but I can say that my items are always packed with care. No smears of grease or sauce on the boxes or bag, no loose items, and tickets for each burger are meticulously placed in each box making finding your burger in the bunch easy. I'm really happy to give joyland 5 stars. They've given me so many 5 star experiences. Keep making delicious food! read more

This is a review of their biscuits and special Joyland beer only - that's all we had on our Secret Food Tours stop, but both were DELICIOUS! Wowza. This place knows what the hell it's doing with biscuits and beer. Seriously some of the best best biscuits I've ever had. The pepper quality is unbelievable. Like it's the cacio e pepe of biscuits - seriously, special stuff. And the beer, that has a sweet corn quality is incredibly unique. A must try when visiting Nashville! read more

Joyland - a plate of bread and bottles of beer - New American Near Me - Nashville, Tennessee