Maneet Chauhan Says the Best Burger in Nashville Is Hiding Out at This Tex-Mex Restaurant

The next time you visit Nashville, Tennessee, Maneet Chauhan says with a smile, “your first stop needs to be my restaurant,” referring to Chauhan Ale & Masala House. “But then go over to the Redheaded Stranger and have that burger. It is absolutely delicious,” she continues during the "Burgers" episode of Food Network’s Top 10.

“That burger” is something that Maneet admits she has “dreams of.” And she’s not alone in her adoration of this sandwich. Fellow chefs Eric Adjepong and Aarón Sánchez join Maneet in raving about it. Together, these Food Network stars declared Redheaded Stranger’s taste bud tour de force worthy of the No. 4 slot on our coveted list of the top 10 burgers in America.

Before we dive into the burger itself, let’s talk about where you can find it. After opening in 2019 with a name that pays tribute to a 1975 Willie Nelson song, Redheaded Stranger went on to appear in a 2022 episode of Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives. At the time, Guy Fieri said of chef Bryan Lee Weaver and team, “They don’t really follow any rules — just the ones they make up.”

By doing just that, chef Bryan and restaurateur Michael Shemtov have been amassing a diverse and devoted fan base, including Michelin reviewers (who deemed Redheaded Stranger worthy of a Bib Gourmand nod in 2025) and plenty of Nashville natives and transplants (including Maneet), as well as Eric and Aarón. Aarón followed Maneet’s advice and stopped into Redheaded Stranger for their signature burger and calls the menu item “life-changing.”

Admittedly, the burger is an outlier on the Redheaded Stranger menu. The low-key spot is renowned for its Southwestern and Tex-Mex fare, like tacos, burritos, crunchwraps and totchos. Still, chef Bryan couldn’t resist introducing a dish that combines the best of the “fast-food vibe” with flavors that remind him of his birthplace: Fort Worth, Texas.

We won’t tease you any longer. The detour-worthy sandwich is Redheaded Stranger’s Double-Hatch Green Chile Cheeseburger. This towering dish starts by searing two locally raised beef patties on a flat top. After seasoning the patties with salt and pepper, Bryan tops them with a cast-iron grill press to promote a strong sear. While the beef sizzles, he drops a few half slices of locally sourced, thick-cut bacon on the griddle, too. (“I like to put them next to each other so all the juices meld together,” the chef explains.) Simultaneously, Bryan toasts the insides of a bun so each component will be warm and ready at the same time.

After flipping the beautifully browned burgers, Bryan tops each patty with a generous scoop of what he swears is “the star of the show” — roasted hatch chiles. Since roasting accentuates the natural sugars in the peppers, you need not sweat about this burger if you’re not usually keen on foods with a kick. Roasted hatch chiles are beautifully balanced and offer the flavor of chile and a lovely smoky quality without overwhelming you with heat, Aarón confirms. To mellow out the spice even more — and layer on additional flavor and decadence — Bryan crowns each patty with two slices of American cheese. Eric declares this “the perfect background singer to the star of the show.”

It all comes together in a symphony of Southwest-meets-greasy-spoon goodness. First, a toasted bun. Then, a chile-cheese patty, followed by two half slices of crispy bacon. The second chile-cheese patty enters the chat before another layer of bacon and a drizzle of creamy, tangy and herbaceous Southern-style ranch. The coda? The pillow toasted top bun.

Described as “a nostalgic, happy, warm hug for your soul” by a Redheaded Stranger diner, you’re going to want to prepare a thick stack of napkins when (not if) you visit. This chef-approved burger is savory, smoky, cheesy, drippy and dangerously delicious.