Live music, beer galore, and fried chicken – what’s not to love about Nash Vegas?
“I left my hometown a hummin’,
With my ol’ guitar a strummin’,
Songs that I had wrote,
I was on my way to Nashville”
Dolly Parton – Down on Music Row
I have to admit, I wasn’t sure what to expect while heading down to Nashville for a long weekend. But with three of my best friends in tow, I knew it would be a good time.
We found an Airbnb in East Nashville, near the Five Points neighborhood. This part of town is a low-key, hipster vibe with great local bars and plenty of good food. Our first night out we headed to 3 Crow Bar where we had some good beers, played some games, and indulged in a Bushwacker (think of a Frosty but with a lot of alcohol). We then headed to The 5 Spot, a local live music venue with weekly dance parties. It’s been featured on the show Nashville, and was a blast. We happened to be there on an 80’s dance night, and the crowd and music were killer. If you’re looking for some late night eats (or another cool bar), head to Duke’s where they have an amazing New York style deli in a candle-lit bar that’s open late.
We woke up on Saturday with the need to brunch. Lucky for us, Nashville is the land of brunch. We headed to the 12 South neighborhood to check out The Flipside, a hip spot known for huge Bloody Mary’s and delicious fried chicken. We also did some window shopping in this hipster-chic neighborhood with shops like Draper James and Jeni’s Ice Cream on a nice strip. We took a walk to Grimey’s Records nearby to peruse new and used records in a cold old home.
Later that night we headed to the Live on the Green music festival held a few weekends in the summertime in Public Square. We enjoyed some great food trucks and live music. It’s a super local scene, so don’t tell anybody about it ;). Afterward, we made our way down to Broadway Street for a wild night out. Prepare yourselves for Bachelorette Party Central and plenty of live country music. We had a lot of fun at Tootsies , Rippys, and Nudies (no, these are not adult entertainment clubs as much as the names might imply).
On our last day, we headed to the Gulch for yet another brunch and some exploring. We went to Adele’s, which has a brunch buffet full of amazing food. They also had a great bacon & bourbon cocktail to pair with it. We wandered around the Gulch a bit before heading to the Parthenon, a replica of the real thing. We found ourselves at Bearded Iris Brewery which is in a nondescript warehouse with an amazing wooden bar, delicious beer, and some fun games. Afterward, we went to Butchertown Hall for delicious, upscale BBQ. Try the bone marrow here, you won’t regret it. Later we headed to Acme for some drinks on their rooftop with a view of the river and Broadway. We found ourselves heading to Florida-Georgia Line House and ended up in the middle of a 90’s dance party in an underground bar.
Though Nashville didn’t have quite as many “sights” to see, it sure does make up for it in amazing food, fun bars, and plenty of good times. I know I’ll be back.
