Link copied
Something you'll hear a lot about Nashville, particularly from those that live there, is that it's changing. The city has gone through massive development over the past few decades, constantly moving with the times and evolving economies.
The city's bars are certainly no exception, particularly those that are situated on the infamous walkways of Broadway. Lainey Wilson is about to open up her Bell Bottom's Up Bar, Morgan Wallen's 'This Bar' is welcoming punters from Memorial Weekend and Luke Combs' 'Category 10' is joining Eric Church's 'Chiefs' in opening up a venue / bar across multiple floors.
In the age of every country music star and their dog opening up a new bar on the hallowed streets of Music City, it's getting trickier to gauge which are truly the best to visit to get the true Nashville experience.
So, to make sure you don't miss out on a special night, we've pulled together a list of the best country music bars in Nashville, Tennessee. Pull up a stool, crack open a cold one, and listen up, here's where you need to go:
Dee's Country Cocktail Lounge
Serving up good times since 2016, Dee’s Country Cocktail Lounge is our favourite country hotspot in Nashville. Cool but not too cool, it’s the preferred old school hangout for the great and the good in music city.
“I couldn’t find a classic country venue around Nashville when I moved here, so I opened one,” says Amy Dee Richardson, the joint owner of Dee’s along with Daniel Walker, who left New York in 2013 and noticed a gaping hole in the Nashville nightlife.
A short drive out of the city centre in the quaint suburb of 102 E Palestine Ave, Madison - once home to Bill Monroe and Maybelle Carter - Dee’s is a mix of pool tables, disco balls, dart boards and dangerously strong cocktails. Friendly locals mix with excitable out-of-towners on a pilgrimage to soak up some of the spirit of late ‘70s Nashville and grab some of Dee’s iconic swag.
When a band isn’t playing, then the jukebox - which is free and stocked with classic country and rarities - will keep the mood high. Celebrity regulars include Elizabeth Cook, Joshua Hedley and Margo Price, who even put in a few shifts behind the bar.
“Dee’s is my watering hole,” says Price. “You can order whatever you want, but I’m just going to give you tequila.”
- Jof Owen
Robert's Western World
Robert's Western World is arguably the best bar on Broadway. The street's go-to Honky Tonk epitomises authenticity and a good time, and is the place to be if you want to see some of your favourite artists in an impromptu and intimate setting.
It's the only place in the world where you'll be able to pull up to the bar, get your hands on a fried bologna sandwich and a PBR for $6 and see Joshua Hedley play one of his Monday afternoon residencies for the locals in attendance. It's a pretty unique affair.
If you're heading to a show at the Ryman, head on in to Robert's after at 416B Broadway, and don't be surprised if the headliner you've just been to see in the fabled mother church follows you in the door.
- Ross Jones
Chief's on Broadway
Broadway’s latest addition boasts more that just a quality bar with great acoustics. Eric Church’s Chief’s on Broadway is a venue-bar-entertainment space on steroids, a six-story monster that houses multiple bars, stages, dance floors and to top it all off, a decked-out barbecue restaurant.
The 200 Broadway haunt opened its doors less than a month ago and has already earned a reputation as one of the rowdiest joints on the iconic Music City strip. The business’ opening weekend saw country sensation Morgan Wallen arrested for reportedly throwing one of the establishment’s chairs from its sixth story, which promptly landed on the street below conveniently by a group of police officers.
Flying chairs aside, Chief’s is positioned to be an all-star spot among the many other artist-helmed Broadway offerings. To kick off its promising future, the venue is currently playing host to its namesake’s 19-night residency. A summer-long celebration of Church’s music seems a fitting introduction of Chief’s to fans and fans to Chief’s.
Something you'll hear a lot about Nashville, particularly from those that live there, is that it's changing. The city has gone through massive development over the past few decades, constantly moving with the times and changing economies.
The city's bars are certainly no exception, particularly those that are situated on the infamous walkways of Broadway. Lainey Wilson is about to open up her Bell Bottom's Up Bar, Morgan Wallen's 'This Bar' is welcoming punters from Memorial Weekend and Luke Combs' 'Category 10' is joining Eric Church's 'Chiefs' in opening up a venue / bar across multiple floors.
In the age of every country music star and their dog opening up a new bar on the hallowed streets of Music City, it's getting trickier to gage which are truly the best to visit to get the true Nashville experience.
So, to make sure you don't miss out on a special night, we've pulled together a list of the best country music bars in Nashville, Tennessee. Pull up a stool, crack open a cold one, and listen up, here's where you need to go:
- Alli Patton
Blake Shelton's Ole Red
Located right by The Ryman and The Ascend Amphitheater at 300 Broadway, Blake Shelton’s Ole Red is 50% bar, 50% venue - and 100% good times.
Ole Red’s named after the Oklahoma hitmaker’s much-loved George Jones cover, which tells the story of a man’s escape from prison with the help of a bloodhound. Themed as a classic honky-tonk with a modern, neon-tinged twist, Blake’s Ole Red bar regularly hosts live music from Music City’s brightest up-and-coming artists.
If you’re looking to elevate your experience a little, make sure to check out the famous rooftop bar, The Lookout, which boasts scenic views of Lower Broadway Ave, as well as a plethora of high-end cocktails (the Spring Blake Margarita is a must) and BBQ treats.
- Maxim Mower
Acme Feed & Seed
Sometimes the best way to enjoy Broadway is from a safe distance. Housed in an original three-story building at 101 Broadway built in 1890, each floor of Acme Feed & Seed offers something different from the last.
On the ground floor it’s a lively honky tonk with live music seven days a week, fast-casual cuisine, and 28 draft beers on tap, as well as a cracking cocktail menu and its own Acme Radio Live radio station, which champions the Nashville music scene with broadcasts, interviews, videos, and live performances. Plus the shop on the ground floor has some of the best country music merch in downtown.
One floor up, and the second floor is where you can kick your boots off and relax. With 22 TVs, it’s one of the best places to catch the game or even enjoy one of Country Music’s glamorous award show nights.
Just a stone’s throw from the Country Music Hall of Fame, sometimes Acme Feed & Seed feels like a mini museum in itself with its walls adorned with artwork and artifacts from Owen Bradley’s own collection.
The top floor is saved for the best rooftop bar in Nashville, whatever the weather. Not only does it come with rosé slushies on tap, it offers the best views of Broadway, the Cumberland River, Nissan Stadium, and the Riverfront Park in Nashville.
- Jof Owen
Red Door Saloon
Themed as a classic Chicago bar, Midtown’s Red Door Saloon has been welcoming tourists, locals and industry folk since 2002.
While the impressive menu that encompasses bar staples such as wings, pizza, burgers and hot dogs will undoubtedly catch your eye, make sure to also leave room for the Red Door’s signature drink - the famous Irish Frozen Coffee Whacker.
Located a block away from Broadway at 1816 Division Street in Midtown, Red Door Saloon’s wooden walls are adorned with a charmingly eclectic mix of oddities, relics and signs, all of which accentuate the homely ambience of the space. If you enjoy Midtown’s Red Door Saloon, there’s a sibling bar in East Nashville - known as ‘Red Door East’ - as well as a site in Destin, Florida.
- Maxim Mower
Santa's Pub
“These days, there’s two different ‘country music scenes’ in Nashville,” explains Margo Price. “The plastic, homogenised corporate bullshit you’ll find on music row and the real stuff that’s always existed mostly on the underground.”
A busy dive bar in a double-wide trailer at 2225 Bransford Ave that's decked out in Christmas decorations all year round, Santa’s Pub is as far away from the bullshit of Broadway as you can get.
The bar of choice for twenty something hipsters drinking $2 PBR’s, old regulars and Nashville’s underground country elite, on any given night, half the pub is probably in a country band, so it’s worth sticking around for the karaoke. It might even be Ed Sheeran, who took the mic after his show at Nissan Stadium last year.
Everyone from Luke Bell to Jelly Roll has filmed a video at the iconic spot, and Bon Jovi even recorded their festive song ‘Christmas Isn’t Christmas’ in there.
There's no cover charge, no food, no liquor, no wine. Just karaoke, cheap beer and a live band on Sunday nights. Perfect for an unashamedly kitschy (cash only) country night out.
- Jof Owen
Bobby's Idle Hour
“Welcome Country Music Fans” a sign above a giant plywood guitar at 9 Music Square S reads. That towering marker heralds you have arrived not only at Bobby's Idle Hour, but the place you were always meant to be.
Lauded as “Music Row's Legendary Neighborhood Bar,” Bobby's has been a Music City staple since the 1970s, providing a no-frills tavern where musicians, music lovers and just plain thirsty folks have faithfully congregated for decades. In that time, the scant digs have played host to live performances, open jams, writers rounds and more, making it their mission to support artists and share the joy of live music.
Nashville has evolved rapidly, and with it so has Bobby’s in many ways. The venue has changed hands several times and most recently been relocated just a stone’s throw away from its original spot. What hasn’t changed, however, is the local watering hole’s commitment to the music and musicians that make up its Nashville home.
- Alli Patton
American Legion Post 82
Out on 3204 Gallatin Pike in East Nashville, this unassuming bar ran by the veterans organisation is home to some of the funnest nights we've had in ol' Music City.
With no dress code, bottles and cans aplenty and donations encouraged, don't be afraid to head on down to one of the community's most welcoming of spots for their Honky Tonk Tuesdays line-dancing night, a truly joyous occasion for those of all dancing abilities.
If you're an artistic or creative type, then perhaps their songwriting workshops on a Thursday evening may be the one for you, or, if singing at the top of your lungs over a couple of Michelobs is more your vibe, there's karaoke night every Friday.
A true gem of the city, don't miss out while you are in town.
- Ross Jones
Tootsies Orchid Lounge
Turning 65 next fall, Tootsie’s is an old gal rich with history.
Willie Nelson signed his first songwriting contract after singing at Tootsie’s. Patsy Cline, Mel Tillis, Waylon Jennings, and Kris Kristofferson are some of the many names that have graced the lounge’s stage. It's even been immortalized in film during portions of Loretta Lynn’s biopic Coal Miner’s Daughter.
A bright, lavender beacon at 422 Broadway, Tootsie’s Orchid Lounge is a fun, loud and colorful venue located in the heart of downtown Nashville. There’s a dive-bar feel to Tootsie’s which contradicts how full it quickly gets on any given day and the drinks are as steep as the stairs to the three different levels of music. If you can make it to the patio, you can people watch as gaggles of bachelorettes stumble down Broadway.
One of the two original Honky Tonks on Broadway (the other being Robert’s Western World), Tootsie’s has seen some shit, and if you happen to wander in, you’re likely to see some too.
- Laura Ord
~~
For more on Country Music Bars in Nashville, see below:
