There are two ways to do football season in Nashville. You can head straight for Nissan Stadium, or you can claim a table, order something good, and watch every play surrounded by a roomful of fans.
And on any given football weekend, downtown gives you plenty of reasons to choose option two.
Some of the best Nashville sports bars are right downtown, which means skipping the stadium doesn't mean missing the game-day energy. You can spend Saturday bouncing between college games, settle in for an NFL Sunday, or grab food before walking across the river for a Titans game. If you're staying at Noelle, you're already in a particularly good spot for all three.
Here are the downtown bars actually worth considering when the game is the main event.
DraftKings Sports & Social for the Full Sports-Watching Setup
DraftKings Sports & Social Nashville is built for the days when one TV simply isn't going to cut it.
Located on Second Avenue North, the downtown sports bar centers the action around a large LED media wall, with additional TVs throughout the space so multiple games can run at once. That's especially useful during college football Saturdays and NFL Sundays, when keeping up with one matchup often turns into keeping an eye on three.
The menu covers game-day territory with wings, burgers, nachos, and other shareable options, while the bar pours cocktails and plenty of beer. Unlike some downtown spots where getting a table on a busy football weekend comes down to timing and luck, DraftKings Sports & Social accepts reservations.
If your idea of the best place to watch football in Nashville involves big screens, multiple games, and knowing you've got a place to sit before kickoff, this one checks the right boxes.
Barstool Nashville When You Want Game Day LOUD
Barstool Nashville isn't trying to be the quiet neighborhood pub where you politely watch the fourth quarter.
Located on Second Avenue, the venue has more than 50 TVs, live music, and plenty happening beyond the game itself. VIP tables are also available to reserve Thursday through Sunday. That's a useful distinction on a packed football weekend when showing up with a group and hoping for the best isn't much of a plan.
This is one of the sports bars in downtown Nashville to put higher on the list if you want the crowd to be part of the experience. Think big games, big reactions, and a place where you can stick around after the final whistle instead of immediately figuring out where to go next.
Almost Friday Sporting Club for a Different Kind of Sports Bar
Almost Friday Sporting Club in SoBro lands somewhere between a classic sports bar and a full-blown night out.
The 5,500-square-foot space was created by Almost Friday Media and is unapologetically built around sports, food, drinks, and hanging out. TVs cover the game-watching part, while the current menu includes wings, nachos, loaded tots, burgers, and a Nashville hot chicken sandwich.
There's more to do than stare at the screen, too. Almost Friday has beer pong and classic arcade games, and its college football game days have included competitions such as flip cup and pop-a-shot. Reservations are available, making this a useful option for groups that want to know where they're landing before the game starts.
Broadway Brewhouse for a Nashville Classic
Sometimes the best game-day bar isn't the newest one.
Broadway Brewhouse Downtown has long been a downtown choice for sports, cold beer, and a menu that goes considerably further than the basics. Wings and burgers are here, but so are po'boys, Tex-Mex dishes, sandwiches, and the bar's famous Bushwacker.
It's a straightforward choice when the goal is to grab a beer, get something substantial to eat, and watch the game without leaving Broadway. Broadway Brewhouse doesn't accept reservations, which is worth knowing before you build your Saturday or Sunday around a particularly big matchup.
Make Lona the Pregame Stop
Watching the game at a sports bar doesn't mean every meal that day has to involve wings.
Lona at Noelle gives guests another option before heading into the downtown crowds. The modern Mexican restaurant from chefs Richard Sandoval and Pablo Salas serves dishes made for sharing, along with margaritas, tequila, and mezcal. Dinner options include carne asada tacos, Baja-style fish tacos, traditional guacamole, and ceviche.
That makes Lona an easy pregame move before heading to a nearby bar or making the 15-minute walk from Noelle to Nissan Stadium. Grab tacos and a margarita, then decide whether the rest of the day calls for stadium seats or a barstool.
Stay Downtown and Keep Your Game Plan Flexible
The best thing about watching football in downtown Nashville is that you don't have to decide between "stadium day" and "bar day" before you arrive.
Noelle sits on Fourth Avenue North, one block from Broadway, with Nissan Stadium and many of the best sports bars in Nashville within walking distance. Watch an early college game downtown, head to the stadium later, grab tacos before kickoff, or stay planted in front of more than 50 TVs all afternoon. Football season doesn't require much more of a plan than that.
Make Noelle your downtown home base and keep the rest of game day open. Book your Nashville stay and put yourself close enough to follow wherever the crowd, kickoff, or next big game takes you.