Four Great Honkytonk Breakfast Options in Nashville

Broadway at 10 AM is a different animal than Broadway at 10 PM — the neon's still on, the bands are already playing, and a handful of honky-tonks open their kitchens early enough to let you eat while the pedal steel warms up. Here are the four best breakfast spots on Lower Broadway that still have live music going when your coffee hits the table.

1. Robert's Western World — 416B Broadway

History: Started life as a Western-wear shop where you could buy boots, a cheap beer, and hear a band all at once. It slowly flipped into a full-on honky-tonk and is widely considered the best traditional country bar on Broadway. BR549 got their start on this stage.

Ambiance: Real-deal traditional honky-tonk — worn wood floors, neon-lit boot displays above the booths, and zero of the tourist-bar gloss. Sunday Morning Gospel Fellowship with Father Ron Blakely and his family band starts at 10:30 AM, no cover, and transitions into straight honky-tonk country by noon.

Breakfast/food: Not a breakfast menu so much as a pre-noon lunch menu — but it's Broadway's most famous cheap bite. The legendary "Recession Special" (fried bologna sandwich, chips, Moon Pie, and a PBR) runs about $9. Burgers and a massive fry basket round it out. Coffee is not the point here; a morning PBR is absolutely acceptable.

2. Acme Feed & Seed — 101 Broadway

History: The three-story building dates to 1890 and operated as Acme Farm Supply — a working feed and seed store — until 1999. Farmers came in for seed corn and live chicks (they ran a poultry hatchery on the third floor) right up until the turn of the century. It reopened as a bar-restaurant-music venue in July 2014 and is a designated historic landmark.

Ambiance: Exposed brick, original wood beams, big windows looking straight out onto Broadway and the river. Three floors: ground floor is the restaurant and main stage, middle floor is a sushi bar, rooftop has its own music programming. Live music on the ground floor kicks in by late morning on weekends.

Breakfast/food: Weekend brunch Saturday and Sunday until 3 PM. Chicken 'n' waffles, pumpkin pancakes with Gifford's bacon and real Vermont maple syrup, biscuit sandwiches. Entrées run roughly $14–$22; a full brunch with a cocktail lands around $30–$40 per person.

3. Dierks Bentley's Whiskey Row — 400 Broadway

History: Part of the country-star artist-bar generation that remade Broadway in the late 2010s. Dierks Bentley's Nashville flagship opened in 2018 in a purpose-built multi-story space; the rooftop has become one of the more reliable Broadway outdoor views.

Ambiance: Modern artist-bar polish — lots of barn wood, open stairwells between floors, the rooftop with the skyline view. Live country bands start mid-morning on weekends; the brunch room is the main floor where the music is loudest.

Breakfast/food: Brunch served Friday, Saturday, and Sunday until 2 PM. Southern-inspired plates: country fried steak and eggs, breakfast burritos, bananas foster French toast, plus a serious Bloody Mary program. Brunch entrées typically $15–$24; a proper sit-down brunch with a drink is in the $30–$45 range.

4. Jason Aldean's Kitchen + Rooftop Bar — 307 Broadway

History: Another of the current wave of Broadway artist bars — Jason Aldean's opened in 2018 across three levels in the heart of Lower Broadway. The rooftop has become known for the skyline views and evening DJ sets after 9 PM.

Ambiance: Three levels of live entertainment — live country acts on the lower floors from the moment the doors open on weekends, rooftop with Bloody Mary service and the view. Louder and more party-forward than Acme; less traditional than Robert's.

Breakfast/food: Sunday brunch only, 10 AM – 2 PM. Fried chicken 'n' waffles, hearty egg scrambles, biscuits and gravy, and Bloody Marys with a serious kick. Brunch plates run about $14–$22; budget $30–$40 per person with a cocktail.

Bottom Line

If you want the real thing — honky-tonk in its oldest Broadway form with live gospel — go to Robert's on a Sunday at 10:30 AM and order the Recession Special. If you want a proper brunch plate with live music in a historic room, Acme is the right answer. Dierks and Jason Aldean's are the modern-artist-bar versions with bigger brunch menus and louder daytime bands. All four are within a five-minute walk of each other on Lower Broadway.

Sources: Acme Feed & Seed, Dierks Bentley's Whiskey Row, Jason Aldean's Kitchen, Robert's Western World