A Cocktail Bar's Bar-Bites Smash Burger Just Cracked Nashville's Top Three

Love's Alibi, a new cocktail bar in Nashville's Gulch, scored an 8.9 on Chef Chris Kahle's burger scale and landed third on his rankings, ahead of Cafe Roze and behind only Dreamburger and Bad Luck Burger Club. Kahle filmed this as an "emergency burger review" after repeated tips from followers that the bar bites menu hid a smash burger built exactly to his taste. The tips held up. A double smash burger from a cocktail bar kitchen now sits above almost every dedicated burger joint in the city on his list.

The Tip That Triggered an Emergency Review

Kahle opens by explaining the premise: Love's Alibi is a brand new cocktail bar in the Gulch, and everyone kept telling him its small bar bites menu includes a smash burger made "my style." The spec matches his stated preferences point for point: two smash patties, American cheese, pickles, bourbon onions, blistered tomatillo aioli, all on a potato roll. The frames show the bar itself, a black-painted corner building at 901 Gleaves St with a rose-and-cocktail logo sign reading "Cocktails, Beer, Wine, Kitchen Open Late 7 Days a Week," plus a mural wall tagged @lovesalibinashville. Inside, red vinyl barstools line a long bar under red pendant lights, more diner than lounge.

How the Burger Ate

The close-up frames show a compact double with lacy, hard-seared patties, fully melted American cheese draping over the edges, thick pickle slices, and a soft toasted potato roll. Kahle calls out the char on the patties specifically, and a cross-section shot after the first bites shows the aioli soaked into the crumb with the bourbon onions layered between patties. His verdict while eating stays consistent: it looks good, it is his style, and he wants more of the blistered tomatillo mayo. He signals early that the score will be high.

The Sides Held Their Own

The fries are thin, pale gold, and salted, and Kahle labels them "McDonald's fries" as a compliment. An on-screen caption reads "it's literally McDonald's but better." He also orders the popcorn chicken bites, which arrive coated in a heavy red-orange spice crust. He identifies an Indian spice profile and praises the "turmeric hands" the coating leaves behind. For a menu positioned as small bar bites, both sides read as deliberate rather than filler.

An 8.9 Puts It Third in Nashville

At score time, Kahle recaps that the burger had everything he loves in a smash burger and that it was all executed well. He rates it at least as good as Cafe Roze, his previous benchmark at 8.8, and lands on 8.9. The final frame shows his running "Burger Rankings" note dated July 22, 2026, with a red arrow drawn to the new entry: Dreamburger 9.4, Bad Luck Burger Club 9.0, Love's Alibi 8.9, Cafe Roze/Roze Pony 8.8, then Sojourner and Turkey & The Wolf Ice House at 8.5. He closes by telling "burger fiends" to come get it.

Key Takeaways

• Love's Alibi in Nashville's Gulch scored an 8.9, third on Chef Chris Kahle's burger rankings behind Dreamburger (9.4) and Bad Luck Burger Club (9.0).
• The burger is a double smash with American cheese, pickles, bourbon onions, and blistered tomatillo aioli on a potato roll, served from a small bar bites menu.
• Kahle rated it at least as good as Cafe Roze, his 8.8 benchmark and the previous number three.
• The sides earned separate praise: thin McDonald's-style fries and popcorn chicken bites with a turmeric-heavy Indian spice coating.
• The bar is a cocktail-first concept at 901 Gleaves St, open seven days a week with a late-night kitchen, which makes the burger quality unusual for the format.

Resources

• Love's Alibi official site - cocktail bar and kitchen in the Gulch, Nashville