The Best Bars and Restaurants with Live Music In Nashville

Jane’s hideaway is a bluegrass and Americana themed live music bar in east Nashville that serves an elevated bar menu of Southern classics made with local ingredients.

Originally opened in 1948, Skull’s Rainbow Room is one of the most celebrated and acclaimed dining experiences in Music City. Located at 222 Printers Alley in the basement of the historic Southern Turf Building, Skull's hosts live jazz performances nightly and has a celebrated new American menu honed by chef Gannon Leary. The bar at Skull's is open until 2:00 am seven nights a week but the kitchen closes at 11:00. We recommend making a reservation in advance if you’re planning on dining at Skulls.

Bourbon Street Blues and Boogie Bar is a blues club located in Printer’s Alley that features live music seven nights a week in a Madi Gras-themed setting. The club usually features two blues acts a night that range from locals to bands on tour. More of a live music bar than a sit-down going-out-to-dinner style restaurant, Bourbon Street does still have a solid NOLA themed menu of sandwiches, salads, bowls and burgers.

Puckett’s roots stretch way back to the 1950’s in Nashville, first opening as a little multi-use convenience store in the small village of Leiper’s Fork, TN. Over the years Puckett's reputation and success have grown becoming known more for their southern restaurants that showcase live music nightly then for selling groceries. Now having grown to eight locations, each in the Volunteer State, Puckett's is a staple if you’re looking to hear some local music while you dine.

Each of the infamous Broadway honky tonks in Nashville features a kitchen serving up food in some form or fashion, what you get depends on where you go. Robert's Western World has their legendary 'recession special' which is just $6 and will get you a fried bologna sandwich, a bag of chips, a Moon Pie and a cold PBR. This has long been considered the best deal in Nashville. Most of the bars associated with country singers on Broadway double as restaurants with one or two of their floors serving traditional menus of steak and southern classics. From experience, if you're planning on eating a full dinner at any of these places, go with low expectations and maybe you'll end up pleasantly surprised. We like Acme Feed & Seed and the TexMex of Miranda Lambert's Casa Rosa for the most consistent food quality of all the Broadway honky tonks.

Assembly Food Hall at 5th and Broadway features over 30 restaurants and usually has multiple stages of live musicians playing in its huge 1000 square foot space. Assembly Food Hall is the largest indoor food hall in America and is a lot of fun to explore even if you aren’t particularly hungry. Pretty much any style of cuisine you can imagine is available somewhere in the complex.

The Twelve Thirty Club, partially owned by Justin Timberlake, is a destination inspired by the prohibition era. Located at 5th & Broadway, the multi-use club spans over 38,000 square feet and has three floors each with their own unique vibe. There's the main dining area dubbed The Supper Club which features live music nightly, the Honky Tonk which is open all day and features live music and the Rooftop Bar which is open all day and features DJs.

The Listening Room, despite multiple changes of address, has been a delightful spot known for good food and live music since opening in Nashville in 2006. The Listening Room features in-the-round style songwriter performances in an intimate setting. The menu is distinct American with a mixture of sandwiches, burgers, chicken dishes and salads. The Listening Room is open for lunch Monday-Friday, dinner seven nights a week and for brunch on the weekends.

Operated by and located just behind popular seafood restaurant the Optimist, Germantown spot Star Rover Sound is a unique destination for both live music and food alike. A concept created by Optimist founder Ford Fry, Star Rover Sound is a honky tonk with upscale bar eats and cocktails in a space designed to mimic the feel of a Music City recording studio in the 1970s.

Sambuca, located in the Gulch, is a vibrant, upscale restaurant and jazz club known for its lively atmosphere, live music, and diverse menu. Sambuca offers a mix of American cuisine with a focus on seafood, steaks, and pasta. The venue is celebrated for hosting live music performances, especially jazz, creating a dynamic and entertaining experience for restaurant-goers.

Open since 2002, Tin Roof is a laid-back, live music bar on Demonbreun Hill next to Music Row in Nashville that over the years has hosted the famous, the should have been famous and everyone in between. Tin Roof is known first and foremost for live music but they do have a delicious menu of quesadillas, sandwiches and wings. The Demonbreun location is the original Tin Roof but the brand has also opened bars on Broadway and in Franklin.

Live Oak is a live music bar that hosts country music every night, primarily featuring writers rounds but also sometimes full bands. Live Oak’s menu contains a wide range of American bar food favorites such as chicken wings, burgers, tacos and pastas.

The hardest part about eating dinner at the Bluebird Cafe isn't choosing what to munch on but actually getting in the door. Known as one of the toughest tickets in Music City, the Bluebird is featured on our list of legendary venues for good reason, the cafe hosts nightly songwriter's rounds which are incredible. On the menu at the Bluebird Cafe is a simple collection of appetizers, sandwiches, pizzas and desserts.