The answer depends entirely on what you are looking for. If you want traditional country music in a building with genuine history, the answer is Robert’s Western World or Tootsie’s Orchid Lounge. If you want a full-production bar experience with rooftop views and modern amenities, the celebrity-branded venues deliver that. The mistake is walking into Robert’s expecting a multi-floor party, or walking into one of the megabars expecting to hear Hank Williams.
Robert’s Western World
Robert’s is the most consistently recommended honky-tonk on Broadway by people who care about music rather than spectacle. Nashville Scene readers voted it the Best Honky Tonk in Nashville for eight consecutive years. The building previously housed the Sho-Bud Steel Guitar Company, which manufactured pedal steel guitars, and carries that heritage in its walls. Current owner Jesse Lee Jones, a Brazilian-born musician who has run the house band Brazilbilly for over 30 years, bought Robert’s in 1999 with the explicit intention of preserving traditional country music.
The music at Robert’s is old-time honky-tonk: Hank Williams, Marty Robbins, Patsy Cline, the kind of classic country that modern Nashville radio has largely abandoned. When musicians like Joshua Hedley have played there consistently for 17 years, it is because the audience comes specifically for that sound. The food is minimal and intentionally cheap. The Recession Special, at $6, includes a fried bologna sandwich, a bag of Lay’s chips, a Moon Pie, and a PBR. Robert’s is located at 416 Broadway.
Tootsie’s Orchid Lounge
Tootsie’s has the deepest historical claim of any bar on Broadway. Hattie Louise “Tootsie” Bess bought the place in 1960 and named it after the painter who accidentally used orchid purple on the exterior. During the Grand Ole Opry’s residency at the nearby Ryman Auditorium, performers would slip out the stage door and cross the alley to Tootsie’s between sets. Willie Nelson received his first songwriting gig after singing there. Kris Kristofferson swept floors in exchange for bar tabs. Patsy Cline, Waylon Jennings, Roger Miller, and Loretta Lynn were regulars.
Today Tootsie’s operates across three floors with three stages and a rooftop patio, located at 422 Broadway. A scene from the Loretta Lynn biopic “Coal Miner’s Daughter” was filmed there. The “Tootsie’s Wall of Fame,” plastered with photos of every artist who has passed through, covers the interior. The current owner Steve Smith bought the bar in 1997 after a decline that nearly closed it following the Opry’s 1974 move to Opryland.
Layla’s Honky Tonk
Layla’s is the only woman-owned and independently-operated honky-tonk remaining on Lower Broadway. It bills itself as Broadway’s premier bluegrass bar and holds to that description. The venue is smaller and more intimate than the megabars, which works in its favor. Located between Tootsie’s and Robert’s, Layla’s provides the most concentrated honky-tonk experience in the oldest section of the strip.
Nudie’s Honky Tonk
Nudie’s occupies a 100-year-old building at 409 Broadway and houses millions of dollars in rare country music memorabilia and stage costumes. The bar was named after Nudie Cohn, the tailor who made elaborate rhinestone suits for Hank Williams, Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, and Bob Dylan. The interior includes the famous “Nudie Mobile,” a customized Cadillac El Dorado insured for $400,000, and what the venue claims is the longest bar in Nashville at over 100 feet, embedded with nearly 10,000 silver dollars.
Legends Corner
Legends Corner sits at the corner where tourists enter Lower Broadway. It functions as a classic dive bar with a straightforward honky-tonk approach, daily live performances, and no pretension. For a first-time visitor who wants to understand what the street was before the celebrity branding arrived, Legends Corner is a good reference point.
The Celebrity Bars Worth Noting
Among the branded megabars, Eric Church’s Chief’s stands out for the quality of its rooftop view of the Cumberland River and Nissan Stadium, plus its dedicated BBQ floor. Morgan Wallen’s This Bar, opened in May 2024, became one of Broadway’s biggest draws quickly with six floors of neon and live music. Blake Shelton’s Ole Red, built in partnership with the Grand Ole Opry, is considered one of the more polished celebrity venues.
Sources
- Atlas Obscura, Robert’s Western World: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/roberts-western-world-nashville
- Rolling Stone, Why Robert’s Western World Is the Last Nashville Honky-Tonk: https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-features/nashville-roberts-western-world-honky-tonk-1234579609/
- National Trust for Historic Preservation, Tootsie’s Orchid Lounge: https://savingplaces.org/stories/historic-bars-tootsies-world-famous-orchid-lounge
- Tootsie’s official website: https://www.tootsies.net/
- Nudie’s Honky Tonk official website: https://www.nudieshonkytonk.com/
- FranklinIs, Visiting Nashville Broadway Guide: https://franklinis.com/visiting-nashville-tn-your-guide-to-broadway-history-honky-tonks-hidden-gems/