Rippy's Bar & Grill stands on the corner of 5th and Broadway at 429 Broadway, a block from the Ryman Auditorium and across the street from Bridgestone Arena. The Nashville Downtown Partnership listing describes two levels and three stages built around hickory smoked ribs and live music.
The bar suits anyone who wants real barbeque with their honky tonk rather than a beer only room. People set on a quiet cocktail lounge should look off Broadway. The pull here is the ribs, the location by the arena and the open air rooftop.
The two floors stack a ground level bar and stage under an upstairs room and a rooftop, with three stages keeping music going across the building. The kitchen runs hickory smoked ribs, pulled pork and Southern plates rather than bar snacks alone. That barbeque focus sets the room apart from its music only neighbours on the strip.
The drink to order is a cold draft or a longneck to go with a rack of ribs or a pulled pork plate. There is no cover charge, so the house bands play for tips through the day and night. Most groups treat the barbeque as the anchor and the music as the backdrop.
Daytime brings tourists and event crowds before games and shows at Bridgestone Arena, while the rooftop holds up as the calmer pick once the lower floors fill on weekend nights. A weekday afternoon, away from an arena event, is the easiest window for a table and a clear view of the band.
Yelp reviewers, read across the recent pattern with more than a thousand reviews, return to a few notes. The ribs, the rooftop and the arena adjacent location draw the warmest comments, the barbeque sets it apart for first timers, and the main complaint is the crowd and the price on event nights. Reviewers point newcomers to the rooftop and an early table before a game.
It suits a group that wants barbeque with its country music, fans heading to a Bridgestone Arena event, and anyone after a rooftop on the strip. Pair it with Acme Feed & Seed in Nashville or Tin Roof Broadway in Nashville, and see where it lands in our guide to the best live music bars in Nashville.
The barbeque is the anchor that sets the room apart. The kitchen runs hickory smoked ribs and pulled pork rather than the light bar food common on the strip, which gives groups a reason to sit for a full plate. Reviewers treat the ribs as the order to build a visit around.
The location drives the rhythm of the day. Sitting across from Bridgestone Arena, the bar fills before games and shows, then settles once the event crowd moves on. An early table away from an event night is the calmest window.
The rooftop is the reward at the top. The open air deck pulls the warmest comments from reviewers, who point newcomers there for air and a clearer line on the band once the lower floors fill.
The two level layout gives groups a choice of room. The ground floor runs loud and close to the street, while the upstairs and the rooftop offer more air and a clearer line on the stages. Reviewers steer larger parties upstairs.
On drinks, the program stays simple and cold to match the food, with drafts and longnecks rather than a cocktail card. Most tables build the visit around a rack of ribs and a round of beer before the music takes over.
Sources: Rippy's Bar & Grill official site (2026); Nashville Downtown Partnership listing; Visit Music City listing; Yelp reviews (n=1,170+); Google Maps reviews.