Tootsies Orchid Lounge

Operating since 1960 near the Ryman Auditorium, the venue long functioned as a watering hole and launching pad for country music greats, songwriters, and hopefuls. Inside, the rooms carry a packed, lively energy, framed by walls covered in country music history and celebrity memorabilia. Live sets run across the different levels day and night—from ground-floor bands to a bustling rooftop bar overlooking Broadway—with quick bar orders of burgers and fries keeping pace with the crowd.