Tired of the same ol’ bar format?
You know the drill: A bar. With stools. Sometimes booths. People drinking beers. Probably some sort of hip reclaimed wood paneling. Sure, it’s nice to have some familiarity when it comes to your local watering holes, but it can be just as nice to switch it up (also, add some variety to your alcohol routine by celebrating Wine Week at Frothy Monkey). You’re gonna have a good story after a visit to one of these, y’all! Here are 5 of Nashville’s quirkiest bars.
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Where Nashville Goes To Get Weird
Santa’s Pub
Image Courtesy of Santa’s Pub
WHERE:
In the Berry Hill area on Bransford Ave.
WHAT MAKES IT DIFFERENT:
Santa’s is practically a Nashville landmark at this point. Instead of the Narnian curse (pardon our nerd metaphors) “always winter, and never Christmas”, Santa’s is the opposite: it’s Christmas ALL YEAR LONG. It helps that the bar owner looks just like Santa; he even takes pictures every year with all of Nashville’s faithful bar-goers for their Christmas cards. This place is in a double-wide trailer on a random street, boasts a no-nonsense cash-only, beer-only bar, and brings the karaoke hits coming all night long. Odds are, you know someone with a legendary Santa’s story. Especially if you’re friends with Ed Sheeran – he cut his hand open with a beer bottle at the bar, and Santa himself stitched it up for him. What a guy.
GOOD FOR:
The last stop after a night of bar-hopping when you’ve built up some liquid courage. Use that bravado to get out there and CRUSH Gangsta’s Paradise. Or, you know, “All I Want For Christmas Is You”. Mariah never fails, and after all – it’s still Christmas in there.
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When It Comes To Drinking, Go Green(House)
The Greenhouse Bar
http://nashdotnet.org/WHERE:
In the classy Green Hills hood, tucked away on Bandywood Drive.
WHAT MAKES IT DIFFERENT:
If you want a unique setting for your beer-drinkin’, get off that couch – Greenhouse has got you covered. No, the name is not misleading; this bar is actually a greenhouse, complete with tons of plants, gravel on the ground, and fire pits. Wanna get out of the cold? Step into this hotspot and you’ll feel like you’re in a slightly tropical paradise (just like Frosty in Frosty The Snowman, in the sweet spot right before he started melting to death). Bonus? Greenhouse shares a lot of menu items with The Food Company, so if you’re hungry you know you won’t be eating crappy bar food. Whoop!
GOOD FOR:
Getting your crew out of your bar rut. Send out that group text until your friends agree to try something new for after-work drinks – they’ll love this place!
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A Wee Bit Of Britain In The 615
Fleet Street Pub
fleetstreetpub.com
WHERE:
The historic (and always preserved, God willing!) Printer’s Alley in downtown Nashville.
WHAT MAKES IT DIFFERENT:
We aren’t talking rubbish…this bar is bloody brilliant. Nashville’s Fleet Street Pub will make a Brit feel at home, and it will make aspiring Brits (we see you, people who admitted to waking up at 4am to watch the royal wedding) feel downright giddy. This bar has all the markings of a true English pub: a walk-down entryway, killer fish and chips WITH the malt vinegar, endless Guinness, Mind The Gap signs, dart boards, and Dr. Who memorabilia. Don’t worry about it being too kitschy – England-to-Nashville transplants don’t think it’s too much. There are a ton of football fans that take over the bars during season and cheer on their team from across the pond!
GOOD FOR:
A birthday party alternative that doesn’t include going to a club-ish bar and getting snockered/sweating profusely in a crowd. Bring your friends and fam here for a pint and some darts to celebrate any occasion! Also, we suggest taking a Lyft to avoid downtown parking (and be able to drink all the Guinness you want).
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Bathtub Beer & Astroturf Make This Place Trashy-Chic
Paradise Park Trailer Resort
venueshopping.com
WHERE:
On Honky Tonk Lane, of course!
WHAT MAKES IT DIFFERENT:
If you’re tired of the expert mixology/people who can effortlessly pull of floppy hats and high waisted jeans crowd (you know who you are), we highly suggest a rowdy trip to Paradise Park. There is zero pomp and/or circumstance present in Paradise. You’ll find your beers in a bathtub, your feet firmly planted on astroturf (unless you have too many bathtub beers), and your group mingling throughout the multi-level venue all night long. The crowd here is fun and super super friendly, and the street food is as All-American as it gets (HELLO tots). Grab a cold one and get trashy chic, y’all.
GOOD FOR:
Treating your visitors to a spectacle. If they want to do Honky Tonk Lane and are in a party mood, this is the way to give them enough Nashville history and local flavor in one trip to last them a lifetime.
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A Smoky Place To Get Your Game On
Melrose Billiards
WHERE:
A blink-and-you’ll-miss-it “Billiards” sign is the only mark of Melrose, so look closely! The dive bar is right next door to swanky throwback eatery Sinema.
WHAT MAKES IT DIFFERENT:
Sure, Nashville has some awesome dive bars. However, some of the cities dive bars have evolved into super-trendy dive bars that know that that’s their angle. Melrose Billiards has no need for your marketing campaigns or your hashtags – it’s a true, blue dive bar. What makes it special? You can play PING PONG. The smoky walk-down joint has ping pong and pool tables galore in its expansive space. A solid gin and tonic, a jukebox with all the Willie Nelson your heart can handle, and friendly, laidback locals make this one of our fave places to relax – and of course, beat someone at pool.
GOOD FOR:
A chill weekday night when you need to blow off some steam.
