Ernest Tubb Bar
4.4(436)google
Youth-FriendlyNight-FriendlyIndoorLocal LifeLive MusicHistory
Overview
Ernest Dale Tubb (February 9, 1914 – September 6, 1984), nicknamed the Texas Troubadour, was an American singer and songwriter and one of the pioneers of country music. His biggest career hit song, "Walking the Floor Over You" (1941), marked the rise of the honky-tonk style of music. In 1948, he was the first singer to record a hit version of Billy Hayes and Jay W. Johnson's "Blue Christmas", a song more commonly associated with Elvis Presley and his late-1950s version.
Practical Info
Mon12:00 PM – 12:00 AM
Tue12:00 PM – 12:00 AM
Wed12:00 PM – 12:00 AM
Thu10:00 AM – 2:00 AM
Fri10:00 AM – 2:00 AM
Sat10:00 AM – 2:00 AM
Sun12:00 PM – 12:00 AM
Suggested Duration1-1.5 hours
Best TimeThis legendary mid-century repository of classic outlaw country music vinyl records and historic Honky Tonk saloon is best visited between 11:00 AM and 2:00 PM on a weekend morning. This allows a calm environment to flip through rare vintage LPs and catch authentic, old-school steel guitar sessions.
Getting TherePositioned directly on the Honky Tonk Highway spine at 417 Broadway. Parallel curb parking is banned due to heavy safety cordons; using the covered public parking deck off 4th Ave S is highly recommended. It sits just a 1-minute walk south of the Ryman Auditorium main gateway plaza.
Travel Tips
- Evolving on the footprint of the historic Ernest Tubb Record Shop, this property pairs a compact ready-to-serve ground bar with a high-decibel secondary upper drinking floor. The connective timber stairs are exceptionally narrow and lack modern crash buffers; weekend midnight rushes present tripping and crowd crush risks, necessitating handrail anchoring.
- The legacy commercial counter still distributes highly collectible, rare country Western vinyl pressings and long-out-of-print box sets. These physical archival music media are subject to an absolute 'All Sales Final' invoice clause at checkout; inspect discs meticulously for microscopic scoring or warped edges at on-site turntables before buying.
- The venue entrance enforces a zero-tolerance policy against external alcohol migration. In rigid alignment with state beverage laws, walking across the threshold with unsealed plastic cups or cracked aluminum vessels sourced from external Broadway taverns is banned; contraband liquid assets must be drained or discarded before clearing security.
Reviews
Positive
- Founded by the legendary 'Texas Troubadour,' the interior preserves a classic old wooden bar and nostalgic posters; its traditional country music style is authentic.
- Located in the prime middle of Broadway, the storefront signs are big and bold, seating layouts are relatively spacious, and paths are flat for a honky-tonk.
- Bartenders are incredibly efficient, bouncers strictly check IDs at the door, and management reacts fast to troublemakers during peak hours, keeping order well.
- It charges no cover fee; ordering a cheap local beer lets you sit right by the stage to listen to authentic live country picking all afternoon with maximum value.
Heads up
- With recent over-commercialization on Broadway, some slots feature loud pop-rock to cater to younger groups, hurting the pure raw old-country roots.
- On peak-season weekend nights, crowd density tops out; the 1st-floor bar is a wall of crowds, and waiting for the older public restrooms takes a long time.
- Independent bands on stage market their CDs and tip buckets aggressively; failing to slide a few dollars into the box creates awkward pressure if upfront.
- Broadway turns into a pedestrian zone at night, making parking rare, late ride-shares face surge pricing, and back alleys smell due to drunks.