Nations Bar and Grill

This is a great neighborhood bar that still does things the way they should be despite everything around it becoming modernized. The bartenders are awesome, the food is really good, the atmosphere is very comfortable, and lots of screens to catch the games. We don't smoke but we noticed that they did have a section for smokers that was "outside" but protected from the elements.

Cool little dive bar off the grid with some cool locals. Gives off the vibe of an after 5 o'clock hard blue collar working crowd who may look a little rough around the edges but underneath they are all great people. All are welcome at Nations! If you go, make sure you check out the covered patio around back. Most wouldn't know it was there as it's mostly hidden and hard to see from the street! Great place!

The food was fantastic, the service was great for that dive bar esthetic. Will be back.

Great music Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday nights! Gotta try the daily specials, especially the fried pork chops, mashed potatoes, and green beans on Mondays. They are adding Irish folk music on Thursdays later this month. All welcome!

This is my favorite bar in Nashville. Honestly, I don't want anyone to know about this spot because it's so good. Kendall, Bobby, Ben, Dakota, and Paulino on the wings.... Unreal staff, unreal food, unreal music, unreal vibes. Don't come here because I want it all to myself. But also come here because it's awesome.

Nations is such a cool place, the space is clean, lively, and fun and the service awesome. The food was good, but not great. Chicken tenders were a bit over done and lacking some general flavor but overall the vibe is 👍🏻

Burger was cooked to perfection and the side cut potato fries, amazing! Everyone was friendly and my Gimlet hit the spot. Thank you “ Nations” for making this transplant from NOLA feel a bit of home away from home❤️

Found this place on Google while in the area for weekend and decided to give it a try!! First, the welcoming vibe was outstanding !! Our server was amazing from recommending drinks and entrees to the best local establishments to visit away from the Broadway area. Second, the food was KILLER and affordable!! The queso tots were totally the perfect food for lunch after a night out drinking the night before! My chili burger was out of this world, and the burros was bigger than my husbands hands. This place is a perfect example Of why not to judge a book by its cover! Stop in for a visit, you will not regret it!

My husband and I had driven by this place a hundred times before we finally stopped in. Yes, it is a dive bar but that is part of the charm. It's a great neighborhood spot without all of the bachelorette parties and tourist nonsense. Our bartender was super friendly. I can't remember his name but he called everyone "Buddy" and it cracked me up. Great service--he kept our drinks full and checked in on us throughout the night to make sure we were all good. We ordered the hot pretzel and a burger with tots. Best pretzel. That should have been my meal. The burger was good--not greasy, did not fall apart. The tots were delicious. I was definitely not expecting my food to be as great as it was. We will be back!

Stopped in here about 730pm after going to the Texas/Candy game. Read other reviews and decided it would be a good spot to try. When we walked in, was not expecting what we came into from reviews. It is more of a dive bar vibe. We had to ask about eating and sitting. The bar tender was very nice and quick to help us. She seemed as if she was doing everything. Got us drinks very quickly. The menu is small but has good selection. We had Rueben, bacon wrapped smoked wings and burgers. The Rueben was good and not greasy. It wasn't overly stuffed and very good. The bacon wrapped smoked wings were not my style but everyone else loved them. If you like smoked items these are a must. The burger is marked as award winning. It was an outstanding burger, so I see why it was award winning. The tater tots were slightly overcooked. I'm sure they get crowded for football. Don't be discouraged when you walk in, worth a try.

Typical old bar. The only food item I enjoyed were the fries. They're different than any I've had before in a great way. The spicy chicken quesadilla was completely flavorless. Our food took about an hour to come out. Wouldn't recommend unless you're going just for drinks.

Stopped in for a quick bite. Kendall greeted us, and she welcomed us to the bar. Told her it was our first time in, and she made us comfortable. Wings and burger were very good. Fries were very good. Very homey feel. Will be coming back soon.

Great local spot. Food and service always nice. For your standard fare it's a good option.

If you are looking for friendly staff, a charming dive bar atmosphere, and THE BEST chicken tenders - look no further than The Nations. Seriously, order the chicken tenders. Moist chicken that falls apart easily coated in a crispy and peppery breading paired with delicious seasoned fries, you won't be disappointed.

Came here after Waffle House was closed and so happy we did, probably some of the best food I've had at a bar in so long! The bartender was so friendly and funny, will definitely be back! The music was great and the bar was spacious. I 10000% recommend the grilled cheese!

I've been going to the nations for many years, probably since 2017/18. i've seen it go through many, many phases. the service has ebbed and flowed, the food is generally spot on but i stopped going for awhile. since the current gm, kendall, has taken over i have been there weekly and it has become a staple of my week that i look forward to and tell everyone i can about. she has single-handedly turned this bar around into an attraction with their saturday bluegrass night that is nothing to turn your nose up to. truly, the most enjoyable night of my week and i can't stress enough how magical it is. 10/10 would recommend. the nations is my bar. period. thank you kendall.

For me it's my favorite place to go for a burger! Always consistent, and the service is always great! Friends have tried the Reuben and steak sandwiches which are also great. I love the scoop shaped fries so tasty! Great beer selection too! The place might not look great on the outside but who cares, the inside is what I'm there for.

We came here as out of towners visitings nashville for the first time. Its a dive bar atmosphere but the food was delicious. Trinney the bartender was wonderful he gave us great recommendations.we were bought a round of shots and beers. Great first stop on our nashville trip!

My wife and I were literally threatened by one of the bartenders husband. Nobody intervened and only one person bothered to apologize on his behalf and it wasn't even his wife who was working doing the apologizing! We did not interact with this man at all, he came to me and accused me of being racist and threatened me because I have a beard. We were literally just sitting there chatting. I know Nashville has been changed a lot in the 23 years I have lived here, but experiencing something like this in a neighborhood bar is a disgusting sign of the changes that have come to this town. Hatred and anger are winning over love and acceptance. I really would love to spend my money here, it's a lovely place, but I will not subsidize hate with my patronage. If a manager or anyone addressed the issue directly, it would have been resolved. Instead, our only solution was to politely pay and leave. Hatred sucks man.

Here from out of town and decided to stop and have a drink at a local bar down the street from where we are staying. Worst service ever. The staff was arguing amongst themselves. We were there for 15 minutes and no one served us. Asked someone that was serving in the back area if they had miller products and he threw a menu at us and saod i don't know. We finally got up and left. Only gave Them a 1 star rating because there was no 0

Such a cute spot great to sit on the patio for a beautiful day! We had the burger and it was absolutely fabulous! Get the fries and if you like blue moon try their version "Mill Creek Lil Darlin"

Nations is a good time. I had never been to this area of Nashville before, and this offers a firm introductory of the atmosphere you'd come to expect - easygoing, no frills, and neighborhood people. I found the Nations Bar and Grill to be a good time, but not something I could do all the time. You have to be a certain type of mood to come here. I love dive bars. The Nations is definitely a prime example of a dive bar, but a lot cleaner and a lot less seedy as some dive bars I have experienced in my day. Being that I have only been here one time, I can't really expand much on their food offerings. I did have their loaded tots, and that is enough to feed a small village. Their drinks are strong and cheap. Come for happy hour. You won't be disappointed. Outside patio is smoking. If you're sensitive to that sort of thing, this patio might not be place you need to venture. I hate smoking. I dealt with it though because they have darts and I love darts! It was pretty busy for a Monday, and the servers kept up with the needs of the patrons pretty well. Clean bathrooms! I am a bathroom snob, and do write about them in my reviews. 5 star from me for your bathrooms! lol Worth visiting again.

Super cheap drinks, good food. Really friendly staff! No smoking signs outside but everyone smokes.

Looks to be a local place. Did not have to wait to be seated. Most folks are sitting around the bar. Hamburger was excellent. Fries were fresh cut. Would highly recommend

Awesome dive bar. Visiting from out of state and this place was close by our air bnb. Bartender tinny was super accommodating and even offered up the whole bar shots to celebrate us being here. Super nice people super great atmosphere and their wings are fantastic. Pricing is def reasonable/ cheaper then others. Would highly recommend here!!

A true neighborhood spot, The Nations is full of folks who are just looking for some well-made food and inexpensive drinks. Their happy hour is my favorite in town, with half off wine and well cocktails. Their service staff is friendly on the whole, and we've gotten very lucky with bartenders who allow us to extend our happy hour past 7 pm when he noticed we were ordering far too many drinks at a time to get the cheaper pricing! You can tell that folks meet here regularly to socialize and relax; it has a very down-home, welcoming vibe that accepts you as long as you don't expect white-glove service! The most pertinent negative here is the smoking, which is allowed and quite prevalent. It does make it a bit difficult to enjoy your time out on the patio when the air is often clogged with smoke. Folks are generally respectful of non-smokers, but it is their haunt and they will (and do!) do as they please. With that in mind, The Nations is a comfortable, friendly neighborhood bar that will make you feel at home.

I really like this joint. I've dropped in a few times for a bite to eat and a cold one. The burger is really good and comes highly recommended. We finally ventured down for brunch and were not disappointed. The hangover hash was the perfect mix of potato, meat & peppers. Very tasty. The King is a really unique breakfast sammy served up on a tasty cinnamon biscuit. It's a little on the sweet side, but definitely a treat. It's very comfortable sitting inside at the bar or at one of their cool tables, but the patio is the place to be. They've done a great job creating a casual & very dog friendly outdoor space. It looks like they're almost done with construction on patio #2 which will double the size. Can't wait! Lastly, the entire staff is friendly and helpful. I've dealt with 2 different servers and 2 or 3 different bartenders. They've all been attentive and pleasant. We'll definitely be back!

The food is really good. You can tell someone who loves food had a hand in designing this menu. Most of the standards are on the menu and a few you wouldn't expect. It's one of the few bars in this town that doesn't force live music on you, which is nice if you're in the service or entertainment industry. The pour is heavy and with a 5 hour "Happy Hour" it's quite economical for the casual drinker. I went there a few times and had the displeasure of meeting some old chatterbox who drives an ice cream truck and isn't afraid to talk your ear off while you're trying to enjoy your meal or private conversation with someone else. He was a bit of a social mess and I was very happy to learn that management had shown him the door permanently. Now that he's gone, it appears business is up along with the overall mood. Some of the old gold rush staff are there as well as my favorite bartender from Maffioza's. If you have a chance to stop in, I recommend you try the chicken strips. They have a unique approach at a typically mundane Tennessee bar standard. The patty melt is great and you can substitute smoked portobello mushrooms for your meat on any sandwich(for all you vegetarians out there). If you live on the west side and you're not a chatty dick, this will quickly become your favorite bar and grill. Cheers *UPDATE* the portobellos were actually not what I described earlier. They were delicious no less, but 45 minutes after I finished my meal, I started to notice a strange change in the way the bar's lighting was falling across the floors and bar stools. I was both confused and compelled simultaneously. I looked down to realize that I wasn't eating my sandwich at all, but rather sucking on a bar napkin to the right of my meal, and my food appeared to remain untouched. Where was I? Was this Nashville? What new world had I entered? Would I ever be the same? Hear me out, Zagat viewers: this is a meal you take WITH you. You will NEVER BE THE SAME.

So maybe this shouldn't bother me so much but we are here at lunchtime. Our waitress is currently at a table fooling with her phone and occasionally making some coffee or leaving her table and coming back all while we are in our 20th minute waiting for our food. I don't know if the food is all made so fresh that I'm supposed to be grateful that they even let me eat here but I feel like appearances matter. She's not been back to ask how we are, or to indicate that our food will EVER be ready. I can only assume they are back there cooking it. There may only be one person cooking. Maybe I'm not hip enough for this new style of eating I'll report back when the food actually arrives. Unless I die of starvation. 27 minutes. When the food finally did arrive it was very good. A significantly large burger for the price but I'm not sure the wait and sense of isolation would lead me to return. I would at least recommend the staff appear busy when they are within view of the patrons.

I love these guys! Everyone's so friendly, great atmosphere, and great food. They're a great addition to the Nations neighborhood and I can truly say everything I've had here is soooo good! You've gotta try the funnel cake fries when you're here. They're actually life changing...

The location wasn't what I expected upon arrival but the food was good. Our server was good however, I did feel like the atmosphere could have been a little lighter as I felt a bit out of place being the only ethnic person there at the time. Note: this was how I personally felt; no one was unkind but I did not feel like it was a welcoming environment. In case anyone is wondering: I was not alone and would ordered take out instead of staying.

Stopped in at 7pm July 5 for a quick drink and bite after driving in. Long one short, bar staff tried getting a couple guys before me and then me, believe it or not, to accept an increased check because "he got the name wrong". Woops. The food was good and was made even better by the guy who brought it out whom did a great job. Tipped the cooks and not going back.

Delicious grilled chicken sandwich with chipotle mayo sauce! Good portions, but slightly over priced-- good food in a cool area!

The food is great, the price is right, but the service is variable. I've never eaten anything from here that wasn't delicious. And the cost of drinks here is great relative to the rest of Nashville. The only issue I've experienced is hit or miss service. I do understand people have off days, but it's regular enough to notice.

Such good food! We had the bacon wrapped wings. AMAZING! Loaded tots yum! Drinks! Service is great and the bartender Janet is amazing! Please come here

I used to love this bar. It's super laid back & chill. However, it appears they have let the customers have no respect for the cleanliness of this bar. They allow their animals to freely roam around & shit anywhere without holding their owners responsible. Their lack of interest to keep the bar clean has lost us as customers.

Just had dinner there and it was delicious, the smoked wings were amazing and salad was good.. I will definitely return. The only negative part was the services, the look on her face was just not attractive and super unfriendly. Negative Nelly, why even come to work.

The Nations, in general, is a cool spot now. Trendy stuff is popping up everywhere, but sometimes you just want to grab a drink and eat some greasy bar food, and this is the place to go. I've stopped in here for happy hour a few times, and it's really hard to beat. $4 wells? Count me in. On top of that, they make a mean burger and cheesesteak. Service is always quick and great as well. I've heard rumors that their brunch is amazing, and look forward to hitting that up when I can get up and out of the house early enough. In the meantime, I will absolutely be back for happy hour before then.

Good vibes and an even better burger! I've been here twice now, and the servers are super friendly and attentive. I'm happy to see places like this pop up on the west side of town. Good music! Great patio with board games and cornhole!

Good. Close spot to our rental. Nice bar atmosphere and good simple bar food. Great side salad. Totchos were good. Pimento cheese and grill cheese were awesome. PBR in the can and Shiner Bock for the table. I am satisfied. I love a good bar.

It's good but overpriced. Don't expect to get cooled off though. Its 90 degrees outside and probably 78 in here.

Great vibe, fun neighborhood place. Enjoyed hanging out here with friends. The service was great!

Pretty good! It's a new restaurant so they're still working out the kinks. I've been super excited about this because my partner lives near here so we've been anticipating it for awhile. So I had high expectations I will admit. I got the hot chicken sandwich with tots. The tots were so good and the hot chicken was pretty good. Definitely spicy, it wasn't quite cooked all the way through though. My partner had the same and he liked it more than I did. I just think there are better hot chicken places around. I'm excited to go back and check out the other things on the menu. The California wrap and Pennsylvania in particular looked good. -The service was phenomenal and we really liked our waitress. -Beer selection was good, but I was hoping for more drafts. -cocktail list looked great. Will probably try next time.

I'm only giving 1 star so this post will be seen. Do not go there, not only are the bartenders rude and unresponsive but they like to blame puke (obviously human) on dogs. Not ok if you dont want lovely animals on your patio then just say it. Dont blame some drunken ass throwing up on your floor on a poor puppy. Never will I step foot back in that establishment.

Super dog friendly, awesome seasoned bartenders, local watering hole, and surprisingly great food. You can't go wrong with the loaded tots.

This place is incredible - my girlfriend and I go here often. The drinks are cheap and the food is incredible. The staff is always friendly and attentive. We will keep going back for years to come.

Best Barstaff in town! Refreshing to find Bartenders that still understand the craft of bartending. These guys and gals demonstrate hospitality and service as well as entertainment. With a comfortable neighborhood vibe and consistent hours why go anywhere else! Thank you for welcoming me to the neighborhood and thank you for already becoming my go to after work chill spot!

Foods great. Atmosphere friendly and loose. Come as you are! And of course.... we would follow James anywhere.

Nashville hot chicken week brought us here. We both loved the lighting and overall look of the place when we walked in. We sat at at a table by the window and were greeted almost right away. We ordered the chips and dip with both queso and salsa verde, two 5 dollar chicken sandwiches (special price for hot chicken week), and two beers. The queso had a good flavor, and the hot chicken was a little tangy and definitely hot! Our check total was awesome! We can't wait to come back with the pups and try out the dog friendly patio!

I was there today with some friends for the First Annual Crawfish Boil and it was well worth the price. Fun atmosphere, friendly folks and great crawfish. The bathroom was super clean, too. I'll definitely be back to check out the other menu items.

Terrible place we were told because we asked to play a song and the bartender reluctantly did and we began to dance to Whitney Houston. The manager aggressively told bartender to cut it off and he told us we were told it is too much! Not sure why? Then we were told to leave ! It was a Monday and no one was there but we couldn't even get one song. Never will return to this place

Very bad. Couldn't sit on the patio without being surrounded by smokers. The non - smoking room still had smoke coming in from the patio. Went for brunch, ordered a waffle and was given a very small plastic cup of syrup. They were out of whipped cream so it came out about 1/2 way through the meal. Wife's lunch came but was not what was ordered. So had to wait while another was prepared. New plate had little taste and wife didn't enjoy. Too many other great places to eat in the area to return here.

Always a good spot to grab a drink and watch the game! Good weekly place. Love the new menu - and giant pretzel! Had a great experience last week sharing food with a friend. Kolten was our server on the patio and he was attentive, funny, and got us everything we needed!

I walked in at 10:10 Sunday night and was turned away. The bartender (Donnie--I used the frequent this bar quite a bit!) told us that he already had last call (50 minutes before close?) before we even opened the door all the way and made us leave. I hate to be this person, but you turned away two bartenders who tip very well. I always love going to The Nations and have always had a great experience, but I this was pretty upsetting considering the game was still on and we just wanted to have a beer while it was finishing up. Luckily, we found a really great bar down the street that will be getting our service from now on.

This place was wonderful! It doesn't look like much from the outside but it was a great place to stop for brunch. We were from out of town and we pulled in here after 4 hrs on the road - the BEST breakfast burrito ever.

Just stopped in for a beer. Might have done more but the service was slow for that 1st transaction. I think they only had 2 people working, and one was the bar tender. She was more interested in talking to someone at the end of the bar. Might be a fun place to go at night. They have a large covered patio that could be fun.

I really liked the vibe of this place, but the food was subpar and the service was subpar.