Are Nashville Bars Expensive?

Are you coming to Nashville to do some bar hopping? Bars are open seven days a week in Nashville. You are not only restricted to the neon lights of Broadway. Division Street in Midtown is another neighborhood with a strip of walkable bars with live music.

What do you prefer to drink? Fancy cocktails with ingredients like butter, pineapple shrub (yes, that's a real thing!), and coconut are pricey. On the other hand, if you want to get drunk on Bud Light, it won't hurt your wallet as much.

In this post, I'll break down the average prices for beer, liquor, cocktails, and more so you can know what to expect for a night on the town in Nashville.

Nashville is a hub for live entertainment. Lower Broadway is downtown, where most of the bars are. In total, it has 32 bars. Many are founded by country music stars like Luke Bryan, Blake Shelton, Kid Rock, and Alan Jackson.

Other bars are famous because they are the oldest, with connections to Music City's greatest artists. Venues like Tootsies, Roberts Western World, and Nudies.

Are Nashville Bars Expensive?

So, are Nashville bars expensive?

It's a subjective question that depends on where you go; however, I'll give you a good idea.

Let's start with lower Broadway: the honky-tonks average for a beer is between $6 – $7 for domestic beer like Budweiser or Miller Lite and $7-$10 for premium beer. Liquor shots are between $10-$15, Cocktails are $10-$20, and Wine is $7-$10 each.

On average, food like french fries and grilled cheese sandwiches range from $5 – $7, and hamburgers are about $10 – $12.

Honky-tonks don't offer happy hours because they don't need to. Happy hour is used to bring people in during slow times by discounting drinks. There are so many people on Broadway that they don't need to.

These costs are in line with other major tourist spots around the country. For example, the most popular drinks in Las Vegas are domestic beer: $7-10, imported beer: $8 – $10, mixed drinks: $12-$15.

Extra Costs?

There are other costs to take into consideration. For example:

Parking. If you are driving into town, you should check out this site. One of the closest spots to park is 5th and Broad, located on upper Broadway. To park for 3-5 hours is $20-$30.
Tips. There is no cover charge for honky-tonks on lower Broadway. You will be encouraged to tip the musicians and servers. A good rule of thumb is to double the tax. If you bought two drinks for $7 the total would be $15.50 (with a 9.75% tax). A tip of $3 would be appropriate totaling $18.50.
Uber or Taxis. Taking an Uber from one neighborhood to another, for example, Vanderbilt to downtown, would be $5 – $10.

Related: Are Nashville Bars Cash Only?

What are the Options?

Even though lower Broadway bars do not have happy hours, some places do. The following bars have regular happy hours, to name a few. Here is a good happy hour guide in Nashville.

Game Terminal, Mon – Fri, 4 pm – 7 pm. $6 draft beer and $6 Margaritas.
M.L. Rose, Mon – Fri, 3 pm – 6 pm. $1 off.
Lou Nashville, Mon – Thurs.
5 Points Diner, 4 pm – 6 pm, Mon – Fri, $5 draft beer.
Brooklyn Bowl, Mon – Fri, 5 pm – 7 pm, 2-for-1 beer.
Germantown Pub, Mon – Fri, 4 pm – 6 pm, 2-for-1 drafts & 2-for-1 house wine.
1 Kitchen Nashville, Mon – Fri, 4 pm – 6 pm, 4 pm – 6 pm select beers.
Nicky's Coal Fired, Mon – Fri, $5 house wines, and $6 Martinis.

Do You Have To Pay To Get Into Bars In Nashville?

In most cases in Nashville, you don't have to pay to get into a bar in Nashville. Specifically, on Broadway, there are no cover charges. Also, in most cases, the musicians who play live music in the bars of Broadway survive solely on tips. So be prepared for the tip jar to be handed around the bar.

Looking for a High End Experience?

Most dive bars and honky-tonks will reflect the prices list above. But perhaps you have fancier tastes?

In that case, you will be paying higher prices. The Tennessean recently published an article saying that high drink prices have “become commonplace in the city's exploding food scene.” Husk, Black Rabbit, and Sunda are among the venues with $16 cocktails on their menus.”

Nashville is diverse. You'll find American dive bars on lower Broadway, Midtown, and East Nashville, where you can get drunk the cheapest. On the other hand, for a truly luxurious experience, you have higher-end options too. For a guide on what to wear, click here.