Nashville is known for its multitude of honky tonks and bars. Music Row is full of tourists and locals looking for good eats, drinks, and good times. Finding the ideal spot can get challenging when there seems to be a new dive bar on every corner. Below are a few dive bars that stand above the crowd.
Nashville is known for its multitude of honky tonks and bars. Music Row is full of tourists and locals looking for good eats, drinks, and good times. Finding the ideal spot can get challenging when there seems to be a new dive bar on every corner. Below are a few dive bars that stand above the crowd.
This rustic bar specializes in wild nights with good friends and better drinks. With events most nights of the week, there is always singing and dancing at this dive. Most of the music is rock, so it is not for the faint of heart. They also offer up a menu full of delicious Mexican fare. All the food is made of red beef chili or green pork chili served in burrito form with cheddar cheese melted over it or served on top of a heaping pile of nachos, complete with jalapenos and salsa.
This slice of Dixieland heaven sits 10 minutes outside of East Nashville. Dee's is the perfect dive for those looking to be whisked back to the 70s. The aesthetic is an old-school country, complete with neon signage, a vintage fridge, and a jukebox. The menu includes dive bar staples: Frito pies full of house-made ground beef and taco sauce, buffalo chicken tacos, and the Chicago-style beef sandwich. This bar is perfect for those looking for a game of pool, a good community, and an old-timey country party.
This rustic bar specializes in wild nights with good friends and better drinks. With events most nights of the week, there is always singing and dancing at this dive. Most of the music is rock, so it is not for the faint of heart. They also offer up a menu full of delicious Mexican fare. All the food is made of red beef chili or green pork chili served in burrito form with cheddar cheese melted over it or served on top of a heaping pile of nachos, complete with jalapenos and salsa.
This slice of Dixieland heaven sits 10 minutes outside of East Nashville. Dee's is the perfect dive for those looking to be whisked back to the 70s. The aesthetic is an old-school country, complete with neon signage, a vintage fridge, and a jukebox. The menu includes dive bar staples: Frito pies full of house-made ground beef and taco sauce, buffalo chicken tacos, and the Chicago-style beef sandwich. This bar is perfect for those looking for a game of pool, a good community, and an old-timey country party.
Mickey's is as straightforward as it gets. There are no fancy decorations, no live music, and no trivia nights. Mickey's has beer, a few mixed drinks, a jukebox, and a pool table. This bar is for those who love the dive bar experience with no frills. Mickey's is the ideal dive for socializing because of the quieter, laid-back atmosphere. They also have a deck out back for when the weather is nice. The food is a classic tavern lineup: Fried Bologna sandwiches, hot ham and cheese, and Cubans.
Another Nashville dive classic. The Villager Tavern, located between Hillsboro and Music Row, offers everything one could want. Cold beer, cozy chairs, and enough dart boards for the whole bar to play. This place is all about darts. They run a dart league that the patrons take very seriously; it has been going since the dive opened in '73. This dive is smoke friendly and has a cigarette machine from the 90s. Besides snack foods such as slim jims and potato chips, the Villager only offers one food choice: Po'boys. These sandwiches come out hot and buttery, loaded with either beef gravy or turkey breast, and piled high with swiss cheese, mayo, pickles, and lettuce.
This dive is a niche; it will swear it is the only real dive bar in Nashville. The billiard balls constantly clatter, the jukebox usually has some rock tunes playing, and the karaoke machine is powered up all weekend. Be sure to hit the ATM before Fran's; they only accept cash. They only sell pre-packaged snacks - Slim Jims and popcorn, usually. The beer is kept in a residential refrigerator, completing the dive bar aesthetic. Word to the wise; use the side door to enter the bar. The front door is there to mark out the newcomers as it opens directly onto the karaoke stage.
Wilburn is a dive with a past. Back when the original bar opened, it was full of bikers and a gritty crowd. Due to the number of bar fights and crime in the area at the time, Wilburn shut down. However, in 2018, Mas Tacos' owner Teresa Mason decided to re-open the tavern that was a neighbor of her restaurant. Since then, Wilburn has been home to a friendly establishment full of cheap beer, hippies, cowboys, good music, and anything else patrons can expect at a dive bar. The menu is small, offering bar nachos and hotdogs; however, the regulars know to hop next door for some succulent Mexican food when they get hungry.
Batter's Box is a sports-centered dive bar located downtown. This dive is full of cold cheap beer, and patrons having a good time. The bar is smoker friendly, so those who wish to avoid secondhand smoke should steer clear of this dive. The menu is focused on cheeseburgers, pizza, and wings. While they will not be winning any Michelin stars, it is all top-of-the-line regarding dive food. The cheese is always melty, the wings hot, and the burgers are always thick and juicy.