Nashville restaurant inspections: See how Lower Broadway's bars and honky tonks scored

Todd A. Price, Nashville Tennessean
·3 min read

The honky tonks and bars on Broadway are a hit with travelers, music fans and screaming bachelorettes. But how do they score with Tennessee state health inspectors?

Bars, whether or not they serve food, are classified by the state as "food service establishments" and subject to the same heath requirements as restaurants.

The bars on Broadway can be sprawling. And each kitchen or bar at an establishment receives its own inspection score on a 100-point scale. For each violation, a point is deducted.

The Tennessean analyzed a year's worth of inspection reports, from August 2022 to 2023, for bars and honky tonks on Broadway. Listed below are the lowest, highest and average scores for each of those bars. The average includes all the inspection reports for the various bars and kitchens at a single business.

Places to avoid: Which Nashville restaurants had the worst health inspections? The 150 lowest scores

In Tennessee, most restaurants and bars do well on their health inspections. The Tennessean found the median score last year was a 97.

See our explainer to learn more about health inspections and how to understand the scores. The Tennessean also created a searchable database of inspection scores from the last 12 months. Full reports are available on the Tennessee Department of Health website.

Acme Feed & Seed

64 = lowest score

100 = highest score

92 = average score

101 Broadway

Charles “Wigg” Walker performs at Acme Feed and Seed in Nashville , Tenn., Saturday, Jan. 7, 2023.
Charles “Wigg” Walker performs at Acme Feed and Seed in Nashville , Tenn., Saturday, Jan. 7, 2023.

AJ's Good Time Bar

96 = lowest score

97 = highest score

97 = average score

421 Broadway

Blake Sheton's Ole Red

89 = lowest score

100 = highest score

97 = average score

300 Broadway

Fans crowd inside Spotify House at Ole Red to watch Mitchell Tenpenny as weather shuts down stages during the 50th annual CMA Fest in Nashville, Tenn. on Sunday, June 11, 2023
Fans crowd inside Spotify House at Ole Red to watch Mitchell Tenpenny as weather shuts down stages during the 50th annual CMA Fest in Nashville, Tenn. on Sunday, June 11, 2023

Bootleggers Inn

89 = lowest score

99 = highest score

94 = average score

207 Broadway

Broadway Brewhouse

77 = lowest score

99 = highest score

91 = average score

317 Broadway

Dierks Bentley's Whiskey Row

74 = lowest score

100 = highest score

92 = average score

400 Broadway

Florida Georgia Line House (aka FGL House)

87 = lowest score

100 = highest score

95 = average score

120 Third Ave. South

FGL House on Wednesday, July 26, 2023, in Nashville, Tenn. TC Restaurant Group operates FGL House, Luke’s 32 Bridge, and Jason Aldean’s kitchen and Miranda’s Casa Rosa honky-tonks, along with other food, beverage and retail operations in Nashville.
FGL House on Wednesday, July 26, 2023, in Nashville, Tenn. TC Restaurant Group operates FGL House, Luke’s 32 Bridge, and Jason Aldean’s kitchen and Miranda’s Casa Rosa honky-tonks, along with other food, beverage and retail operations in Nashville.

Hard Rock Cafe

72 = lowest score

100 = highest score

93 = average score

100 Broadway

Honky Tonk Central

84 = lowest score

100 = highest score

95 = average score

329 Broadway

Honky Tonk Central, 329 Broadway, in Nashville, Tenn., Thursday, March 31, 2022.
Honky Tonk Central, 329 Broadway, in Nashville, Tenn., Thursday, March 31, 2022.

Jason Aldean's Kitchen + Rooftop Bar

77 = lowest score

100 = highest score

96 = average score

307 Broadway

Jimmy Buffett's Magaritaville

77 = lowest score

100 = highest score

94 = average score

322 Broadway

Kid Rock's Big Ass Honky Tonk

69 = lowest score

100 = highest score

94 = lowest score

221 Broadway

People cross Lower Broadway outside of Kid Rock’s Big Honky Tonk in Nashville, Tenn., Friday, April 28, 2023.
People cross Lower Broadway outside of Kid Rock’s Big Honky Tonk in Nashville, Tenn., Friday, April 28, 2023.

Layla's Honky Tonk

87 = lowest score

99 = highest score

96 = average score

418 Broadway

Legends Corner

100 = lowest score

100 = highest score

100 = average score

428 Broadway

Ethan Ellis plays lead guitar with Blaine Bunting at Legends Corner honkey tonk as rain falls in Downtown Nashville on the fourth day of CMA Fest in Nashville, Tenn., Sunday, June 11, 2023.
Ethan Ellis plays lead guitar with Blaine Bunting at Legends Corner honkey tonk as rain falls in Downtown Nashville on the fourth day of CMA Fest in Nashville, Tenn., Sunday, June 11, 2023.

Lucky Bastard Saloon

86 = lowest score

98 = highest score

94 = average score

406 Broadway

Luke's 32 Bridge

87 = lowest score

100 = highest score

97 = average score

301 Broadway

Customers enjoy food, drinks, and entertainment at Luke’s 32 Bridge on Wednesday, July 26, 2023, in Nashville, Tenn. TC Restaurant Group operates FGL House, Luke’s 32 Bridge, and Jason Aldean’s kitchen and Miranda’s Casa Rosa honky-tonks, along with other food, beverage and retail operations in Nashville.
Customers enjoy food, drinks, and entertainment at Luke’s 32 Bridge on Wednesday, July 26, 2023, in Nashville, Tenn. TC Restaurant Group operates FGL House, Luke’s 32 Bridge, and Jason Aldean’s kitchen and Miranda’s Casa Rosa honky-tonks, along with other food, beverage and retail operations in Nashville.

Miranda Lambert's Casa Rosa

78 = lowest score

100 = highest score

94 = average score

308 Broadway

Nashville Underground

70 = lowest score

100 = highest score

92 = average score

105 Broadway

Nashville Underground Honky Tonk has arcades that include a bowling ally in Nashville, Tenn., Wednesday, June 30, 2021.
Nashville Underground Honky Tonk has arcades that include a bowling ally in Nashville, Tenn., Wednesday, June 30, 2021.

Nudie's Honky Tonk

80 = lowest score

97 = highest score

91 = average score

409 Broadway

Pushing Daisies

88 = lowest score

100 = highest score

95 = average score

570 Broadway

Redneck Riviera

84 = lowest score

98 = highest score

94 = average score

208 Broadway

Rippy's Restaurant

83 = lowest score

98 = highest score

93 = average score

429 Broadway

Robert's Western World

88 = lowest score

99 = highest score

94 = average score

416 Broadway

People walk past Robert’s Western World on Lower Broadway in Nashville, Tenn., Friday, July 14, 2023.
People walk past Robert’s Western World on Lower Broadway in Nashville, Tenn., Friday, July 14, 2023.

The Second Fiddle

92 = lowest score

99 = highest score

96 = average score

420 Broadway

The Stage

93 = lowest score

99 = highest score

96 = average score

412 Broadway

Tequila Cowboy

96 = lowest score

100 = highest score

99 = average score

305 Broadway

Tin Roof

73 = lowest score

97 = highest score

87 = average score

316 Broadway

Tootsie's Orchid Lounge

81 = lowest score

96 = highest score

91 = average score

422 Broadway

Patrons drink on the rood of Tootsies on Lower Broadway in Nashville, Tenn., Friday, July 14, 2023.
Patrons drink on the rood of Tootsies on Lower Broadway in Nashville, Tenn., Friday, July 14, 2023.

Twelve Thirty Club

95 = lowest score

100 = highest score

99 = average score

550 Broadway

Wildhorse Saloon

94 = lowest score

100 = highest score

97 = average score

120 2nd Ave. North

Whiskey River Saloon

80 = lowest score

100 = highest score

93 = average score

111 Broadway

The Valentine

83 = lowest score

100 = highest score

93 = average score

312 Broadway

Guests listen to music at The Valentine on Lower Broadway in Nashville, Tenn., Friday, July 14, 2023.
Guests listen to music at The Valentine on Lower Broadway in Nashville, Tenn., Friday, July 14, 2023.

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Nashville restaurant inspections: How Lower Broadway's bars scored