Dan H.
Yelp
First off, I can not give a place a 5 Star review if I have not eaten there. This review is therefore a 4/4.
My wife was searching Nashville bars on Tik Tok and for some reason Red Door Saloon showed up.
It is located in a good area in Midtown surrounded by other bars/restaurants and hotels. There is some street parking and three parking spots at the actual building.
From the outside, the bar does not look very welcoming. Admittedly, it may be different during the summer, but we had trouble finding the actual entrance because there are three or four ramps that lead to doors. The curb appeal is lacking but once inside you do not really care. There is an outdoor food truck that serves Po' Boys and other food items that I assume is open during the summer and looks like it would be a cool thing to try out.
Once inside, we found a very large space that seems to be designed to accommodate a lot people. By reading other Yelp reviews, I believe this bar gets a good night crowd. We went on a weekday around Noon. Inside, the decor is a mixture of Chicago items and skeletons. The owner is from Chicago so that makes sense. I am not sure what the skeleton part is, but it wasnt a problem. The bathrooms were clean and there is plenty of seating by the garage doors that look out on to 19th Street and are a nice feature when they are opened.
Paula was our bartender and she was prompt, knowledgeable and friendly. In between orders, she could be seen wiping down the menus and running a vacuum along some ledges in the bar. It is okay to be a dive bar. It is not okay to be a dive bar that is dirty. Red Door Saloon is definitely clean! Our draft beer and bottled beer was cold and she was able to recommend some local favorites from Tailgate Brewery which has a location nearby.
I would like to come back and check out the night life sometime and try the food. The more and more we go to Nashville, the more we stay away from Lower Broadway and this bar is a gem in Midtown that we will certainly return to.