All the Best Bars on Broadway Nashville

Wondering which bars actually deserve your one night on Broadway? Lower Broadway in Nashville is home to the five block stretch where live music never stops, this famous music strip running packed full of people 365 days a year. All the Best Bars on Broadway Nashville sit shoulder to shoulder here, classic country spilling out one door, new country blasting from the next, celebrity owned honky tonks holding their own against the old guard. Bachelorette parties, out of town visitors, locals chasing a good time, everyone ends up here eventually, and no two nights on this bar crawl ever look the same, so before you pick a direction and start walking, here’s exactly where to go first.

We Grouped the Best Nashville Bars on Broadway for You

I’ve lived in Nashville my whole life, walking this five block stretch enough times to know it’s the heartbeat of downtown Nashville nightlife, not just another bar strip, and I built this guide with genuine hope you’ll have a really good time. This isn’t a scraped bar listing, it’s a real Broadway guide built with genuine hope you’ll have a really good time, whatever your type, whether you’re traveling in for a Nashville getaway or just visiting. I grouped every major bar by what makes it worth the opportunity, and chose carefully, many didn’t make the cut.

This list covers bars only. For everything worth doing on this Nashville strip, food, shops, and daytime stops included, see our full dedicated Broadway Activates guide.

Classic Honky Tonks on Broadway

Robert’s Western World

Known as one of Broadway’s most beloved honky tonks, this spot on the main strip keeps traditional country music alive with Nashville’s top musicians and bands taking the stage most nights. Here’s your insider tip: don’t skip the infamous $6 recession special (a fried bologna sandwich, bag of chips, Moon Pie, and cold PBR), still the best deal in Nashville, hands down.

Tootsies Orchid Lounge

Tootsies Orchid Lounge is a world famous honky tonk and country music institution, right in the thick of Broadway’s main strip across from the Ryman. Four stages, three bars, and a wall covered in hundreds of photos make up the Tootsie’s Wall of Fame, honoring legends like Patsy Cline, Willie Nelson, and Johnny Cash who all played here. That purple exterior isn’t subtle, and it shouldn’t be.

Legends Corner

Legends Corner is a Broadway bar at 5th Avenue, and it delivers exactly what you want from a classic dive bar experience, no frills, just country music and fantastic bands doing their thing. The real draw is the mural of country music legends on the west facing outdoor wall, though it got some heat when a Taylor Swift likeness got swapped out for Brad Paisley. Broadway drama, even on the walls.

The Stage

The Stage is a proper dive bar on Nashville’s main strip, and the large dance floor here gets used. Look up near the front door and you’ll spot an original oil painting of The Highwaymen that once hung in Waylon Jennings’ own Nashville home, that’s the kind of gritty pedigree you don’t find at the flashier spots. Country music runs all night, no polish, no pretense.

Nudie’s

Nudie’s is named for Nudie Cohn, the tailor behind decades of flashy stage wear, and this three story live music establishment is packed with pop culture clothing and rare country memorabilia tied to Hank Williams, Elvis Presley, Gene Autry, Johnny Cash, John Lennon, Bob Dylan, and Elton John. Cohn’s own custom pink Cadillac El Dorado hangs above the main stage, and the longest bar in Nashville runs the length of the room right up to the bar entrance.

Honky Tonk Central

Honky Tonk Central is a 94,000 sq. foot bar on Lower Broadway, and it doesn’t play small, think pub food, live country music, and three floors that never really quiet down. Opened back in 2010, it’s owned by the same folks behind Tootsies Orchid Lounge across the street, so you know the bones are solid.

Merchants

Merchants Restaurant offers something Broadway doesn’t have much of, a genuinely refined dining experience, with New American and New Southern dishes served up away from the honky tonk noise. Step inside and the music hits before your eyes even adjust to the dark everywhere else on the strip, but here it’s quiet enough to actually hear your dinner conversation. That contrast alone makes it worth the stop.

Layla’s

Layla’s is the one bar on Lower Broadway that’s still doing its own thing, Nashville’s only female owned bar, running since Layla Vartanian opened it in 1997. Look up and you’ll see vintage license plates covering the whole ceiling, and if you time it right on a Sunday afternoon, her band Yesterday’s Makeup is probably still up there playing. This is the spot to bring someone who says all the honky tonks look the same, they don’t, come here and see why.

Rippy’s Bar and Grill

Rippy’s Bar and Grill sits right at 5th and Broadway, close enough to Bridgestone Arena that you’ll spot the crowd overlap on game nights. The main dining area here leans into barbecue related food and keeps musicians on stage most of the time, while the east area with big screen TVs makes it one of the better downtown Nashville bars with dancing or just watching a game with a beer in hand. Broadway lets you carry a drink between spots on this strip, but the rules aren’t unlimited. Nashville’s open container rules explained covers exactly what’s allowed before you start bar hopping.

Celebrity Owned Bars on Broadway

Jason Aldean’s Kitchen and Rooftop Bar

Jason Aldean’s opened on Lower Broadway in the Summer of 2018, and the Three Time ACM Entertainer of the Year built four full levels of southern food and good times. The main restaurant level has a 1961 4020 John Deere tractor parked at the large bar (yes, really), while My Kinda Party up top claims the largest rooftop patio on Broadway with panoramic views, dancing, and live entertainment running well past dark.

Lainey Wilson’s Bell Bottoms Up

Lainey Wilson’s Bell Bottoms Up took over the old FGL House spot on 3rd Ave just off Broadway, and this western themed honky tonk wears its Louisiana influenced menu and Lainey Wilson memorabilia proudly across its multi level venue. The rooftop here is one of the better ones in downtown Nashville, go for sunset if you can time it right, the view’s worth the wait.

Eric Church’s Chiefs

Eric Church’s Chiefs spreads across multiple floors, each one built as a tribute to Eric Church’s love for music, and it doesn’t feel like a gimmick once you’re inside. The Neon Steeple is the real find here, a private Ryman Auditorium themed room built for live shows and residencies, tucked just steps from the actual Ryman. Nobody’s a stranger for long once the band takes requests, and that’s true on every floor of this iconic venue.

Morgan Wallen’s Bar

Morgan Wallen’s This Bar sits on 4th Ave, close enough to the Ryman Auditorium that you can walk it in five minutes, and this Broadway honky tonk wears Morgan’s love for Tennessee and his fans on every wall. Multiple levels stack up bands, bars, and solid food options, and cold beer, warm crowd, a stage that never really stops, that’s the whole point of this place.

John Rich’s Redneck Riviera

John Rich’s Redneck Riviera runs 8,000 square feet on Broadway, and every corner of this honky tonk pays tribute to America’s military and first responders, not just decoration, it’s baked into the whole concept. This multi level destination stacks multiple stages of live music on top of a rooftop bar with views that make the climb worth it.

Garth Brooks’ Friends in Low Places

Friends in Low Places is Garth Brooks’ own honky tonk on Broadway, built around two main stages of live music that never really let up. The main stage on the first level is one of the biggest on the strip, while the lower level slows things down a bit. Head up to The Oasis, the tropical themed rooftop, and grab a spot on the patio, the crowd shifts by the hour, tourists early, locals late.

Miranda Lambert’s Casa Rosa

Casa Rosa holds the title of first female artist’s bar on Broadway’s Honky Tonk Highway, and this four level complex brings a little Texas to Music City with proper Tex Mex dining. Three floors of live music lead up to a rooftop bar, and the Pink House inside shows off Miranda’s memorabilia in a way that feels personal, not just for show.

Blake Shelton’s Ole Red

Ole Red is Blake Shelton’s honky tonk built for music lovers, food lovers, and fun lovers alike, and the flagship location actually opened first in Tishomingo, Oklahoma back in June of 2018. The Nashville spot followed that May, and it holds its own with a large stage for live music, multiple levels, and a solid rooftop bar up top.

More Country Star Owned Bars on Broadway

Dierks Bentley’s Whiskey Row

Whiskey Row sits right at 3rd and Broadway, and this honky tonk gastropub stacks three stories deep. The main floor carries a stage for live music and a large bar area, the second floor turns into a dance hall with a DJ Booth, and the top floor rooftop bar delivers panoramic views clear across Lower Broadway. It smells like whiskey and history the second the door opens, and that’s not an accident.

Luke Bryan’s 32  Bridge

32 Bridge runs 30,000 square feet as a full multi level entertainment facility, packing 6 levels, 8 bars, 3 stages, and 2 restaurants into one building. The rooftop bar, nicknamed the Nut House, ranks among the largest downtown, and the main restaurant serves up Southern cuisine and American cuisine alongside Luke’s personal favorite, sushi (yes, sushi, on Broadway).

Kid Rock’s Big Ass Honky Tonk

Kid Rock’s Big Ass Honky Tonk & Rock ‘n’ Roll Steakhouse owns the corner of 3rd Avenue and Broadway, and it earns every bit of its reputation as Nashville’s loudest bar and rowdiest bar. Five floors, four stages, six bars, this crowd never really thins out, which makes it Nashville’s top spot for dancing all night once the bands hit their stride and the honky tonks around it start winding down.

Hank Williams Jr’s Boogie Bar

Hank Williams Jr’s Boogie Bar sits inside one of Nashville’s oldest buildings, dating back to pre Civil War times, and that history gives it a different feel than the bar next door. This multi story bar centers on live music same as its neighbors, but it’s a touch more laid back, less chaos, more room to actually hear the band. The rooftop up top is genuinely one of the prettiest on Broadway.

Jelly Roll’s Goodnight Nashville

Whatever you’re picturing for Jelly Roll’s Goodnight Nashville, go bigger, four stories stacked up including a highest rooftop that claims the highest perch on Broadway, and a first-floor main room with soaring ceilings that’ll actually make you stop and look up. There’s a working tattoo shop inside if you’re feeling impulsive, and the gritty tattoo-themed decor matches the guy it’s named after. Head up to the third floor for Buddy’s Backroom, a reservable cocktail lounge doing elevated drinks in a speakeasy-style setting, quieter than everything happening below it. Country music runs 365 days a year here, plus a full bar and Southern-style menu if you need to eat before the night really starts.

Kane Brown’s On Broadway

Kane Brown just opened the newest celebrity bar on the strip, dropping into The Valentine’s old spot on 22 May 2026. This four-level venue runs 11,400 square feet, a main-floor live stage, a mezzanine for better views, and a third-floor lounge if you want a slower pace. The rooftop handles brunches, DJ sets, and events once the sun goes down.

Tanya Tucker’s Tequila Cantina

Tanya Tucker’s Tequila Cantina brings actual outlaw-country royalty into the mix, Tanya Tucker’s own five-decade career covers the walls in memorabilia, and the western-glam room feels earned rather than staged. The extensive tequila list isn’t for show either, order the tequila flights if you can’t decide, or a signature margarita if you can, the kind of low key start that’s part of why Nashville is perfect for a girls trip, and it’s smaller than the mega bars around it, more intimate vibe, better balcony views over the whole strip.

JBJ’s Nashville

JBJ’s blends rock ‘n’ roll with country right at the corner of Broadway and 4th Ave, and this Jon Bon Jovi and BPH Hospitality venue doesn’t do things small. Two rooftop patios, live bands on nearly every floor, and a main stage on the first level give you views stretching from the 1st through 4th floor, easily one of the best bars in Nashville with a view.

Multi-Level Bars and Rooftop Venues on Broadway

 

Whiskey Bent Saloon

Whiskey Bent Saloon keeps the crowd moving with live country music on the main floor, backed by a built in stage and Broadway’s largest whiskey selection. Multiple bars and a VIP Loft give you room to spread out, and the Frontier Room upstairs handles private events for up to 400 guests. Bartenders pouring fast, boots on the floor, a band already three songs deep, that’s a normal Tuesday here.

Acme Feed and Seed

Acme Feed & Seed is a four story honky tonk and diner planted right at First and Broadway, and every floor earns its keep. The first floor runs on live music and local bands, the second floor turns into a cocktail lounge with games and TVs for large groups, the third floor is a full concert hall with Reservable event space, and the fourth floor rooftop patio has a full bar and some of the best views in Nashville, west toward Broadway, east toward the Cumberland River and Nissan Stadium. The second floor lounge here is the closest thing Broadway has to a game room. For Nashville bars where you can shoot pool on and around this strip, we put together a separate list.

AJ’s Good Time Bar

Here’s a fun one for the history nerds, AJ’s Good Time Bar sits in the oldest building on Broadway, which used to be a Civil War hospital and later Nashville’s first record store, before it became Alan Jackson’s tribute to the genre he helped define. Three floors of live country music stack up top a rooftop bar, and honestly the building’s backstory is half the reason to stop in.

Tin Roof

Tin Roof sits inside the old Hatch Show Print building, one of those only in Nashville details that makes the place feel like it’s in on a secret. The Better Than Bar Food menu backs up the name, and with live music most nights, it draws an easy mix of locals and out of towners without trying too hard. You came for a drink, you’ll stay for the show, that’s just how Tin Roof works.

Whiskey River Saloon

Whiskey River Saloon stacks two floors worth of good decisions, the ground level runs a large live music stage, while the elevated Whiskey Bar upstairs pours premium bourbon selections and genuinely rare bourbon selections you won’t find at every honky tonk. There’s a mechanical bull if you’re feeling brave (or a few drinks in), and the whole place is energetic, easily an Instagrammable spot for groups and parties. Head to the top floor for indoor seating or outdoor seating with massive views over downtown Nashville, and don’t skip the full restaurant, the Nashville Whiskey Burger alone is worth the stop.

Lucky Bastard Saloon

Lucky Bastard Saloon is a multi-level honky-tonk bar and proper live music venue with two floors dedicated to live music plus a rooftop restaurant on top. The retractable rooftop bar area opens up when the weather cooperates, turning the whole rooftop space into one of the better hangout spots on Broadway. Downstairs, the Nashville Hot Chicken Shack handles the food side, think hot chicken sandwiches and hot mac n’ cheese that actually holds its own. It’s family-friendly during the day, but flips to 21+ come evenings.

The Twelve Thirty Club

The Twelve Thirty Club is Justin Timberlake’s answer to Broadway, and it doesn’t pretend to be a honky tonk, this is a proper three-story experience at Fifth + Broadway that goes from an elevated honky-tonk on the first floor up to a genuinely glamorous Supper Club with big-band energy and white-tablecloth service. Velvet booths, classic cocktails, a real dinner menu, this is co-owned with restaurateur Sam Fox, and it shows in every detail. The rooftop ranks among the largest rooftop bars in Nashville, and honestly this whole place is the upscale night out Broadway didn’t really have before. Some of these rooftops close earlier than the honky tonks below them. Check Nashville bar hours you should know before heading out so you’re not standing outside a locked door.

Themed Bars on Broadway Street Nashville

Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritaville

Margaritaville has held its spot at 322 Broadway since 2010, and this three story building doesn’t try to blend in, a piano key staircase and license plate covered Chill Bar set the tone before you even order a drink. The live music shifts from acoustic sets to a full late night scene with dancing, and the tropical menu leans into island classics without losing the Broadway edge. It’s one of the best bars in Nashville for tourists who want something different from the usual honky tonk formula.

Hard Rock Cafe

Yeah, it’s a chain, but don’t skip Hard Rock Cafe just because of that. The Reverb Room books real acts, not filler, and The Ledge out back gives you one of the best free views on the whole strip, Broadway, the Cumberland River, the skyline, all at once. Good spot to catch your breath if the honky tonks start blurring together.

Posty’s

Posty’s sits smack in the middle of the action, wedged between Jason Aldean’s and Luke Bryan’s 32 Bridge, all three owned by TC Entertainment so you can hop between them without ever really leaving the block. At 26,000 square feet with six fully stocked bars, this one brings Post Malone’s larger-than-life energy to Broadway without feeling like a novelty act, it’s a real player in Nashville’s nightlife now, not just a celebrity name slapped on a door.

Bootleggers Inn

Bootleggers Inn leans hard into its Prohibition theme, and it actually pulls it off instead of feeling like a costume. Dozens of moonshine flavors on the menu, Apple Pie and Peach are the classics, but the fruit infused stuff is worth trying too. Two floors, each with its own stage and live bands, so you’re never actually far from music here even when you duck upstairs.

FAQs About Bars on Broadway

What time do bars close on Broadway?

Most Broadway honky tonks stay open until 3 a.m., with live music running from around 10 a.m. through last call every day of the year.

Are Broadway bars kid friendly?

Some are during the day. Nashville Underground and select honky tonks welcome families before roughly 6 to 9 p.m., after which most venues shift to a strict 21 and up policy.

What should I wear to Broadway bars?

Casual and comfortable works everywhere. Broadway’s dress code ranges from jeans and boots to sundresses and sparkles, especially on weekend nights.

how many bars are on Broadway in Nashville?

Broadway in Nashville has close to thirty bars packed into a five block stretch on Lower Broadway, ranging from historic honky tonks to celebrity owned venues with live music daily.

What is the oldest bar in Nashville?

Robert’s Western World is the oldest bar on Broadway in Nashville, a honky tonk that has preserved traditional country music on Lower Broadway since it first opened.

What is the most famous bar in Nashville?

Tootsie’s Orchid Lounge is the most famous bar on Broadway in Nashville, a world renowned honky tonk known for its purple facade and legendary performers like Patsy Cline.

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