Nashville, Tennessee, is a city that has plenty of interesting stuff going on at night, and those who come to the city to take part in it’s bustling nightlife may find themselves overwhelmed by the incredible number of great bars to hop. Those looking to find the greatest bars in the city should look no further than this video. From Acme Feed & Seed to the Green Hour Bar, join ViewCation as we attempt to track down the best bars in Nashville, Tennessee.
Acme Feed & Seed
The first location that we’ll be taking a look at in this video is much more than just a bar. Acme Feed & Seed can claim to be one of the rare bars that are also included on the National Register of Historic Places. This is because the bar occupies a historic building by the name of the Acme Farm Supply Building, from which the bar derives it’s name. The bar was created with the intention of paying tribute to Nashville’s past while entertaining it’s residents in the present. There’s also the fact that the Acme Farm Supply Building was previously taking up prime real estate on Broadway!
Today, Acme Feed & Seed keeps the Acme Farm Supply Building alive in an incredible way, and coming in for a drink is quite the unique experience! Given both the bar’s location and the strength of it’s service, it’s not uncommon to find Acme Feed & Seed packed to capacity. Thankfully, the bar has a very spacious ground floor on account of it being housed within a building that was previously used to store farm supplies.
Acme Feed & Seed features a stage towards the back where live performances are put on routinely. There’s nothing quite likely having a drink at the unique bar and taking in some authentic Nashville music, which is something that tourists will certainly want to try. The bar has an on-tap cocktail that consists of Tito’s Vodka, grapefruit juice, elderflower liqueur, lemon, orange, and a specially made simple syrup with an essence of sage. This concoction might sound intimidating at first, but the experience it offers is undeniably comforting!
There’s much more on the menu drink-wise at Acme Feed & Seed than just the on-tap cocktail, and the bar also offers some pretty impressive options when it comes to food. As one might expect given the bar’s Nashville location, Acme Feed & Seed serves up a pretty mean hot chicken sandwich.
Old Glory
Acme Feed & Seed is a modern bar that attempts to offer somewhat of an old-fashioned experienced, while Old Glory ironically provides a drinking experience that’s a bit more modern. Still, this modern experience comes replete with a good deal of Nashville class. Old Glory was founded only recently, with the bar first opening it’s doors in the spring of 2016. While Old Glory isn’t located in a building that’s included on the National Register of Historic Places like Acme Feed & Seed is, the location isn’t without it’s historic appeal. The bar is housed in what used to be a functioning boiler room, which was used by a business by the name of White Way Cleaners. White Way Cleaners was once one of the largest cleaning businesses in the city of Nashville.
When one hears that Old Glory is housed within a former boiler room, they may imagine that the location is small. However, White Way Cleaners was a big business, and they needed a massive boiler room. The ceiling of Old Glory is 60 feet high, and the bar has two floors. The second floor even has a balcony, which is a favorite place for tourists to hang out and go people watching. The drinks at Old Glory can be a bit on the pricy side, though it’s worth it in order to get the unique experience.
Skull’s Rainbow Room
Both of the bars that we’ve taken a look at so far in this video have historical appeal on account of the buildings that they’re housed in, but Skull’s Rainbow Room has historical appeal entirely on it’s own merit. The bar has been in operation for over seven decades, and a big part of the bar’s appeal today is the fact that numerous musical legends have performed at it over the years. Some of the many notable musicians that have performed at this Nashville staple since it first opened up in 1948 include Bob Dylan, Johnny Cash, and Elvis Presley. Today, the bar continues to offer live music, though you aren’t likely to find any of those deceased legends. Still, after a couple of drinks, you may not be able to tell the difference!
In addition to live music, Skull’s Rainbow Room also puts on burlesque shows several days a week, from Thursday to Friday. These shows can get incredibly popular, and you’re liable not to make it in the door if you don’t come early enough! The menu features a full range of drinks and they can get pretty pricy, though you’re paying for the location as much as you are for the drinks themselves.
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The Fox Bar & Cocktail Club
If you’re looking for a bar that’s going to be a bit less crowded, you might want to attempt to track down the elusive Fox Bar & Cocktail Club. The bar is notoriously hard to find due to it’s hidden location, though tourists will know that they’ve arrived once they see the giant fox head painted on the wall. Inside, the bar is about as modest as you would expect given it’s decidedly discreet location, though this modesty certainly has an appeal for the right demographic. While all of the aforementioned bars that we’ve taken a look at in this video are typically bustling at the slowest of times, the Fox Bar & Cocktail Club offers a comparatively tranquil reprieve.
The Oak Bar at the Hermitage Hotel
The Hermitage Hotel is a historical building that’s nearly as old as the aforementioned Acme Farm Supply Building. The Hermitage Hotel was opened up all the way back in 1910, and it still stands today as one of the best places to stay in the entirety of Tennessee. The hotel is located very close to the Tennessee State Capitol, and the experience that if offers is incredibly luxurious. Everything about the Hermitage Hotel is pristine, from it’s architecture to it’s famous bar.
The bar at the Hermitage Hotel is the aspect of the celebrated location that we’ll be exploring in this video, and it understandably attracts more than just the people who are staying within the hotel itself. The bar goes by the name of the Oak Bar, and it’s housed within the historical hotel’s basement. This basement is appropriately done up to look like a speakeasy from the Prohibition era. Besides the bar’s generally unique setting and expectedly exquisite service, another thing that draws tourists to the Oak Bar at the Hermitage Hotel is it’s unprecedented collection of bourbon. The bar is said to have the largest collection of bourbon in the entirety of Nashville, with over 200 different offerings.
To go along with the Oak Bar’s Prohibition-era theming, the bar features unique woodwork and other beautiful decorations that make it stand out from much of the competition. Another thing that makes the Oak Bar stand out from the competition is it’s adjacent Men’s Room. Back in the day, Men’s Rooms were common, and they offered men patronizing speakeasies the chance to do such things as get their shoes shined and use the telephone. Men’s Rooms are understandably far less common than they used to be, though the one at the Oak Bar has been preserved for it’s cultural appeal.
Dino’s Bar
If you’re looking for a bar that cuts to the chase and attempts to offer you the purest Nashville experience possible with the fewest frills, Dino’s Bar may be it. The bar was featured on an episode of Anthony Bourdain’s No Reservations, though it has still somehow maintained it’s status as a hidden gem. If you’re looking for a low-key place to get tipsy, Dino’s Bar certainly offers it. However, the thing that makes the bar stand out is it’s incredible cuisine, and that’s also why the bar ended up on an episode of the aforementioned series.
Dino’s Bar may not look it from the outside, but the location actually offers some of the best cuisine in the Nashville area. It certainly doesn’t offer the surroundings to match, but that’s arguably part of the dive bar’s charm! People come from all around to try out the hot chicken sandwiches at Dino’s Bar for themselves, and that’s only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the old-fashioned regional cuisine that it offers.
Besides hot chicken sandwiches and reasonably priced drinks, Dino’s Bar also offers such things as Frito pie, fish and chips, and cheeseburgers. You can even order a grilled cheese, which might not sound like much now but will certainly hit the spot after you’ve had a couple of craft beers.
Green Hour Bar
With all of the many bars that can be found within the boundaries of Nashville, the Green Hour Bar knew that it was going to have to find something special in order to stand out. The bar ended up doing so, and has been drawing in crowds since it’s opening with the promise of it’s absinthe. The bar even offers a traditional absinthe ritual that goes by the name of “La Louche”. If absinthe sounds like it would be a little too much for you, the bar also offers more traditional drinks. Those looking to check out the Green Hour Bar for themselves will have to wait until the weekend, as the bar only opens up Thursdays through Fridays. It’s housed within a café by the name of Tempered Café & Chocolates.
Experiencing the nightlife of Nashville is something that everyone should get the chance to do in their lifetime, and heading to any of the aforementioned bars is a great place to start! Now it’s time to hear from you: did you know that the city of Nashville is home to numerous bars that are housed within historical locations, and that one of the city’s dive bars is also believed to offer some of it’s greatest cuisine? As always, like this video to show your support, and subscribe and hit the notification bell if you’d like to be among the first to know when more ViewCation videos are on their way!