Whether you’re a country music fan or not, Music City has a lot to offer in terms of food, drink, and entertainment, as well as a little culture. And even if you’ve lived in Music City most of your life, you might get a kick out of seeing the best of your home town through the eyes of a man who has truly gotten around this city, the Nashville Grizzlies’ own Jeremy Dykes!
DOWNTOWN
Country Music Hall of Fame
Nashvillians are quick to point out that our music scene is FAR more than country music…and that’s true. However, we ARE the home of country music and there’s no better place to get a taste of country’s roots than the Country Music Hall of Fame & Museum. Rotating exhibits currently include features on Dylan, Cash, & the Nashville Cats and Australian transplant Keith Urban. (You can get a great cocktail or two in the lobby too.)
Tootsie’s
Even in the middle of Lower Broadway’s neon glitter, it’s hard to miss the pink walls of Tootsie’s Orchid Lounge, the grand matron of Nashville’s honky-tonk scene. Anyone who’s anyone in country music has probably signed the walls, and odds are good that one or two of ‘em will be in the crowd…and might even be talked into doing a song or two.
Robert’s Western World
A couple of doors down from Tootsie’s is Robert’s Western World, home of the coldest PBR & best fried bologna sandwich in town. (Don’t knock it ‘til you’ve tried it!) Robert’s is usually packed, but the music is worth it. Don’t leave without picking up one of their famous cowboy boot koozies.
Honky Tonk Central
So if you tell a local you’re going honky-tonking, don’t let ‘em know you’re going to Honky Tonk Central unless you want to hear a nice Southern ‘Bless your heart'…we’ll all be quick to tell you the place is not a REAL honky-tonk. That said, it IS a really fun place to grab a beer and hear some of Music City’s great cover bands…and the balconies overlooking Broadway & 4th are a great for hanging out & watching the tourists go by.
Paradise Park
Just like Honky Tonk Central, none of the locals consider Paradise Park to be a honky-tonk…it’s just too big & nowhere close to seedy enough to qualify. That said, it’s THE place to land at the end of a long night of LoBro barhopping for some nice greasy trailer park grub. Have a grilled Spam & cheese or patty melt and a side of tater tots to help soak up some of those PBRs.
Johnny Cash Museum
The House of Cash, a museum honoring the Man in Black, used to be a thirty-minute drive from downtown in Johnny Cash’s home in Hendersonville. (The house featured in Cash’s video ‘Hurt’.) The house was sold in 2003 and burned to the ground in ‘07. Luckily, the tons of Cash memorabilia had been removed and in 2013, found a new home at the Johnny Cash Museum downtown. It’s a must-go for any true fan.
Jack’s Bar-B-Que
Bar-b-que in the south is a point of regional pride and a lot of contention. Many cities are known (and famous) for a particular style of BBQ…for the type & cut of meat used, the variety of sauce, the sides served with it. When folks think of Tennessee BBQ, they usually think about our western neighbor: Memphis is famous for pork (ribs or pulled) with a tomato-based sauce...and you’d be hard-pressed to find a different style there. Nashville takes a different approach: we’ve embraced styles from all over and we do them all very well. On Broadway beneath a flying neon pig, you’ll find one of the elder statesmen of Nashville BBQ, Jack’s. With the best beef brisket this side of the Mississippi (the pork’s killer too) and sauces from all over, Jack’s always finds a spot high on lists of Nashville’s best ‘que. (Don’t leave without having a piece of chess pie!)
