With live music billowing out from nearly every window and rooftop, crowds of cowboy boot-clad partiers singing along with drinks in hand, and the occasional party tractor rumbling by, downtown Nashville’s bustling Broadway rivals the most iconic party streets in the United States: the Vegas Strip, Bourbon Street, Ocean Drive.
And nothing says Lower Broadway like the dozens of rowdy bars known fondly as honky-tonks — they’re a boot-scootin’ good time featuring cold drinks, rustic interiors, line dancing, and live country music nearly nonstop. Here are nine of the best honky-tonks in Music City, from iconic venues where you might even get to boogie with a local to new arrivals with serious sound systems and even some decent food, which isn’t usually a top concern at the classic honky-tonks. (If you’re looking for the best Nashville bars with other types of entertainment, from jazz to bluegrass to burlesque, check the map of Nashville’s most entertaining bars with live music.)
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