Howdy Nash
Howdy Nash
The complete Broadway bar guide. 15 honky tonks and celebrity bars, live music schedules, what to order, how to tip the band, and a 5-stop bar crawl plan.
A Nashville honky tonk is a country music bar with no cover charge, live bands from 10am to 3am, and a tip jar instead of a ticket booth. Lower Broadway has 30+ of them packed into 5 blocks. This guide ranks the 15 worth your time, explains how live music actually works on Broadway, and gives you a bar crawl strategy so you spend more time at the good ones.
Almost every bar on Broadway runs the same model. Three floors, three stages, three different bands playing at once. Bands play 3 to 4 hour sets and the bar rotates 3 to 4 bands per stage per day. They play almost entirely covers (Garth Brooks, George Strait, Hank Jr., Travis Tritt, plus current hits). The band keeps every dollar in the tip jar.
You walk in, find a spot near a stage, order from the bartender, and tip the band $5 to $10 per song request. The bar gets the alcohol money. The band gets the tips. No cover, no ticket, no minimum.
422 Broadway. Painted orchid purple, 3 floors, 3 stages, the most famous honky tonk in the world. Opened 1960. Willie Nelson, Patsy Cline, and Kris Kristofferson all hung out here. The back door opens into the alley behind the Ryman, which is how the Opry stars used to slip over for a drink between sets. Order a High Life and tip the band on the second floor. Map
416 Broadway. The local pick. Real-deal traditional country, no top-40 covers, no pop crossovers. Brazilbilly plays the back stage Tuesday through Saturday. Order the recession special: fried bologna sandwich, chips, MoonPie, and a PBR for $7. The cowboy boots on the wall are for sale. Map
428 Broadway. Walls papered with framed gold records. Smaller than Tootsie's, easier to find a spot near the stage, and the bands often play across all 3 hours without a break. Family-friendly during the day, rowdier at night.
412 Broadway. Big dance floor in the middle, stage at the back. Real two-stepping happens here, unlike most of Broadway. Cheap drinks, no cover, and a balcony upstairs for people-watching.
418 Broadway. Smaller and grittier than the others. Tin ceilings, dive vibes, hardcore traditional country. The crowd skews local. The bands here are some of the best on Broadway because the locals will boo a bad cover.
329 Broadway. Three floors of country covers and a rooftop. The rooftop is one of the most photographable views of Broadway. Drinks are $4 to $5 more than Tootsie's because of the view. Best between 4pm and 7pm before the line gets long. Map
421 Broadway. Owned by country star Alan Jackson. Three floors, rooftop, and the bands play more 90s and 2000s country than the older bars. Newer (opened 2014) and feels more polished. Good first stop if you are easing into the night.
306 Broadway. Slightly smaller. Walls of guitars. Solid bands. A good back-up when Tootsie's and Robert's get too packed.
Country stars discovered the gold mine on Broadway and built bigger, flashier multi-story venues with food, rooftops, and brand merch. Touristier than the classics, but the rooftop views and the food make them worth a stop.
301 Broadway. Six floors, including a third-floor music room and a rooftop bar called Sunset Bar. Best rooftop view of the whole strip. The food is solid (the smoked nachos and chicken sandwich). Cover-free, but expect a line on the rooftop after 6pm.
311 Broadway. Four floors. The rooftop bar is glassed in, so it works year-round. Country covers downstairs, mix of country and pop upstairs. Burgers and southern food on the menu.
221 Broadway. Five floors, including the world's largest functioning guitar-shaped bar. The vibe is loud, branded, full of selfie sticks. Rooftop has a giant disco ball. Not for everyone, but the energy is undeniable.
300 Broadway. Four floors, named after Blake's song. Sunday gospel brunch is a real moment. Bands lean newer country and modern hits. The food (chicken-fried steak, smoked wings) is better than most Broadway kitchens.
120 3rd Avenue South. Off Broadway by one block. Four floors plus a rooftop with mini-golf and a sand bar. More of a club vibe upstairs, country covers downstairs. Best if your group wants something other than 10pm Garth Brooks covers.
400 Broadway. Country star Dierks Bentley's multi-level Broadway bar, with live music, a rooftop, and a full kitchen. A polished, rebuilt space in the heart of the strip, and the rooftop is a solid spot for a drink over the Broadway crowd.
312 Broadway. The newest celebrity bar on the strip, opened by country star Kane Brown over Memorial Day weekend 2026. Four levels and 11,400 square feet in the former Valentine's space: a main floor with a full stage, a mezzanine overlooking it, a third floor with walnut paneling and platinum records, and a rooftop with skyline views.
101 Broadway. Not a traditional honky tonk. Four floors of food, drink, and live music in an old farm-supply building at the end of Broadway. Rooftop has the best skyline view on the strip. Sushi on the third floor (yes, sushi in a honky tonk building). Worth a 30-minute stop, especially at sunset.
Howdy Nash is the free travel app that keeps your group together on Broadway. Share live location via a 4-letter code so nobody gets lost between Tootsie's and Robert's.
Most groups walk into one bar, drink for 3 hours, and never see the rest of Broadway. Use this 5-stop plan to hit the best ones in a single night.
Skip-the-line pub crawls on Lower Broadway, local hosts, group-friendly tours. Free cancellation on most bookings.
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