It doesn’t matter what your travel itinerary looks like; you’ve gotta eat. That’s why I always like to have a few bars and restaurants bookmarked when traveling to a new place. I’m sure you’d rather try an authentic establishment than a chain, which is why Nashville’s Live Oak comes so highly recommended. What is Live Oak, and should you go?
Live Oak is a bar and restaurant on Music Row in Nashville that has an extensive beer menu and plenty of live entertainment whenever you visit. Whether you meet up with your friends or make new ones here, Live Oak is a Nashvillian social hub!
If you’re interested in learning more about Live Oak, this is the guide for you. I’ll take you through the restaurant and bar’s history, its menu, what kind of live entertainment is featured here, and throughout, talk about the many reasons you should plan a visit.
Let’s get started!
What Is Live Oak in Nashville?
Live Oak is a Nashville bar and restaurant with live music, sports viewing, and plenty of entertainment all year long.
The bar has the distinction of being a part of Music Row, a famed part of Nashville between 16th and 17th Avenues South, aka Music Square East and Music Square West.
Music Row was created in Nashville in the 1950s and helped transform the city into Music City, USA, as it was known back then.
Some of the recording studios built around that time are still there to visit to this day, but more on that to come.
A variety of restaurants and bars have the good fortune to be located on Music Row, and Live Oak is certainly a favorite among them.
What’s on the Food Menu at Live Oak?
When your stomach begins rumbling, head on over to Live Oak to satiate your appetite. Here’s what’s on the menu.
Appetizers
To start the night off right, select from a varied appetizer menu full of bar fare.
- Potato skins with bacon, sour cream, and cheddar cheese topping house-made every day
- Onion rings cooked golden brown and crispy
- Chips and salsa with optional queso dip (for an additional fee)
- Cheese quesadilla with sour cream, guacamole, pico, lettuce, queso, and cheddar cheese
- Veggie quesadilla with black olives, corn, black beans, onion, and tomato
- Steak quesadilla with sour cream, guacamole, pico, lettuce, queso, and cheddar cheese
- Pulled pork quesadilla with sour cream, guacamole, pico, lettuce, queso, and cheddar cheese
- Chipotle chicken quesadilla with sour cream, guacamole, pico, lettuce, queso, and cheddar cheese
- Boneless or traditional wings, including Nashville hot dry rub, mango habanero, buffalo, sweet chili, BBQ, or naked with ranch or blue cheese dressing
- Loaded chicken nacho with sour cream, jalapenos, black olives, onion, tomato, chipotle chicken, and cheddar cheese
- Pulled pork nacho with jalapenos, black olives, onion, tomato, pulled pork, and cheddar cheese
- Fried mac n’ cheese bites with chipotle crema
- Bavarian pretzel sticks with honey mustard and beer cheese
- Mozzarella egg rolls with sweet chili
- Jalapeno egg rolls with ranch, bacon, cheddar cheese, jalapenos, and cream cheese
Handhelds
If you’re looking for a meal that fits neatly in your hand, the sandwiches available at Live Oak ought to satisfy you.
All meals come with waffle fries, and the burgers are cooked medium-well unless you request differently.
Here’s what’s hot from the kitchen.
- Chicken sandwich with lettuce, onion tomato garlic aioli; served grilled or crispy
- Pulled pork sandwich with pineapple salsa and slow-cooked pulled pork
- Traditional gyro with onion, lettuce, tomato, tzatziki sauce, lamb, and pita bread
- Hangover burger (half-pound burger) with mustard, over easy egg, bacon, and American cheese
- Chicken pita with ranch dressing, onion, tomato, lettuce, and grilled chicken in a pita
- All American burger (half-pound burger) with onion, lettuce, garlic aioli, and optional avocado and bacon; choose from Swiss, blue, pepper jack, or American cheese
- Chicken tenders served with ranch, sweet chili, BBQ, mango habanero, or buffalo dipping sauce
Scratch-Made Street Tacos
That’s right, Live Oak makes delectable street tacos from scratch every day. You won’t want to miss these menu offerings!
- Avocado taco with pico, chipotle crema, and breaded avocado
- Black bean taco with cilantro, queso fresco, chipotle crema, onions, green peppers, corn, and black beans
- Pulled pork taco with sweet chile sauce and house-made pineapple salsa
- Chipotle chicken taco with pico, crema, cheddar cheese, lettuce, and pulled chipotle chicken
- Steak taco with salsa verde, queso fresco, pico, and flank steak
Salads
If you’re in the mood for a lighter, healthier meal, Live Oak has plenty of salads to choose from.
The available dressing choices are balsamic, blue cheese, southwest ranch, honey mustard, Italian, or ranch.
You can upgrade your salad into a wrap for an additional fee; you then get waffle fries on the side.
Bring on the salads!
- House salad with croutons, black olives, cheddar cheese, onion, tomato, and your choice of dressing
- Grilled or crispy chicken salad with croutons, black olives, onion, tomato, cheddar cheese, grilled or hand-battered chicken tenders, and honey mustard dressing
- Black and Bleu salad with bleu cheese crumbles, red onion, tomato, steak, and blue cheese dressing
- Southwest salad with tortilla strips, onion, green pepper, corn and black bean mix, chipotle chicken, and southwest ranch dressing
Brunch
On Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., Live Oaks serves brunch. Here’s what you can order.
- Hangover Burger, an eight-ounce Angus patty with a fried egg, bacon, and cheese of your choice; served with rosemary potatoes
- Breakfast burrito with cheese, meat, bell peppers, potatoes, and scrambled eggs; served with salsa and sour cream
- The 615 Plate, which is three eggs served with rosemary potatoes, toast, and your choice of meat
- Breakfast tacos (three), served with rosemary potatoes, pico, cheese, your choice of meat, and scrambled eggs
- Steak and eggs (two eggs and a six-ounce steak) with rosemary potatoes
What’s on the Drink Menu at Live Oak?
Are you feeling kind of thirsty? Live Oak has a huge beer menu, including cans, bottles, and fresh beverages on tap with that crispy, foamy flavor you love. There’s even a wine menu!
Cans
- White Claw (assorted flavors) hard seltzer with 5 percent alcohol from Chicago, Illinois
- Truly (assorted flavors) hard seltzer with 5 percent alcohol from Boston, Massachusetts
- Tecate pale lager with 4.5 percent alcohol from Monterrey, Mexico
- Pabst Blue Ribbon pale lager with 4.7 percent alcohol from Los Angeles, California
- Original Long Drink cocktail with 5.5 percent alcohol from Finland
- Lone River Ranch Water Original hard seltzer with 4.5 percent alcohol from Midland, Texas
- High Noon Hard Seltzers with 4.5 percent alcohol from Memphis, Tennessee
- Guinness dry stout with 4.2 percent alcohol from Dublin, Ireland
- Busch NA with 0.4 percent alcohol from St. Louis, Missouri
- Busch Light Apple fruit beer with 4.1 percent alcohol from St. Louis, Missouri
- Busch Light pale lager with 4.1 percent alcohol from St. Louis, Missouri
- Bearded Iris Homestyle IPA with 6 percent alcohol from Nashville
Bottles
- Twisted Tea Original malt beverage with 5 percent alcohol from Cincinnati, Ohio
- Stella Artois Pale Lager with 5 percent alcohol from Leuven, Belgium
- O’Doul’s Non Alcoholic with 0.5 percent alcohol from St. Louis, Missouri
- Modelo Especial pilsner with 4.4 percent alcohol from Anahuac, Mexico
- Miller Lite pale lager with 4.1 percent alcohol from Milwaukee, Wisconsin
- Michelob Ultra pale lager with 4.2 percent alcohol from St. Louis, Missouri
- Lagunitas non-alcoholic IPA from Petaluma, California
- Heineken pale lager with 5 percent alcohol from the Netherlands
- Dos Equis Especial pale lager with 4.4 percent alcohol from Monterrey/Orizaba
- Corona pale lager with 4.6 percent alcohol from Anahuac, Mexico
- Coors Light pale lager with 4.2 percent alcohol from Golden, Colorado
- Budweiser pale lager with 5 percent alcohol from St. Louis, Missouri
- Bud Light lager with 4.2 percent alcohol from St. Louis, Missouri
- Angry Orchard Crisp cider with 5 percent alcohol from Cincinnati, Ohio
On Tap
- Yuengling Traditional Lager with 4.5 percent alcohol from Pottsville, Pennsylvania
- Yee-Haw Dunkel with 5.5 percent alcohol from Johnson City, Tennessee
- Tennessee 1927 IPA with 7.5 percent alcohol from Nashville
- Shiner Bock with 4.4 percent alcohol from Shiner, Texas
- Monday Night Dr. Robot sour ale with 5 percent alcohol from Atlanta, Georgia
- Mill Creek Juicy Daze NE/Hazy IPA with 6.5 percent alcohol from Nolensville, Tennessee
- Little Harpeth Chicken Scratch pilsner with 6.2 percent alcohol from Nashville
- Leinenkugel Summer Shandy with 4.2 percent alcohol from Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin
- Lagunitas IPA with 6.2 percent alcohol from Petaluma, California
- Jackalope Bearwalker brown ale with 5.1 percent alcohol from Nashville
- Fat Bottom Knock Out IPA with 5.9 percent alcohol from Nashville
- Blue Moon Belgian White witbier with 5.4 percent alcohol from Denver, Colorado
- Blackhorse Vanilla Cream Ale with 4.8 percent alcohol from Knoxville, Tennessee
- Black Abbey The Rose blonde ale with 4.5 percent alcohol from Nashville
Wine
- William Wycliff Brut champagne from Modesto, California
- Barefoot White Zinfandel with 8.5 percent white zin from Modesto, California
- Barefoot Pinot Grigio with 12.5 percent pinot grigio from Modesto, California
- Barefoot Moscato with 9 percent Moscato from Modesto, California
- Barefoot Merlot with 13.5 merlot from Modesto, California
- Barefoot Chardonnay with 13 percent chardonnay from Modesto, California
- Barefoot Cabernet Sauvignon with 13 percent cabernet sauvignon from Modesto, California
Does Live Oak Have Happy Hours?
Who doesn’t love happy hour?
At Live Oak, the bar has all-day drink specials. It’s $7 for any Deep Eddy, a two-for-one deal on champagne bottles for $30, $3 mimosas, and $3 for PBR or Busch Light.
Does Live Oak Host Events?
What’s a tasty adult beverage and some delicious food without live entertainment? Live Oak is always here to entertain with music from all of Nashville’s most beloved up-and-comers and established acts.
On some nights, it’s only a performer or two taking the stage, but Live Oak regularly hosts Nashville showcases where dozens of artists will perform. These are like mini-festivals but at your favorite bar and restaurant.
The live entertainment is not limited to only the weekends but on weekdays as well. You can shake off the Monday doldrums at Live Oak, get over that midweek hump with live entertainment, or kick off your weekend in the best way possible!
Where Is Live Oak Located? What Are Its Hours?
Live Oak is located on 1530 Demonbreun Street on Music Row in Nashville, Tennessee 37203. You can contact the bar and restaurant by phone at 615-866-9716 or by email at [email protected].
The hours are from 4 p.m. to midnight on Monday through Wednesday, 11 a.m. to midnight on Thursday, 11 a.m. to 1 a.m. on Friday and Saturday, and 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. on Sunday.
What’s There to Do Around Live Oak?
Given Live Oak’s prominent location on Music Row, you have no shortage of famed Nashville institutions to visit just on Music Row alone. Let’s take a closer look.
Curb Records
Mike Curb started the record label Curb Records in 1963, then calling it Sidewalk Records. When Curb decided to merge with MGM Records in 1969, Curb Records was born.
Its Music Square East location made it a major name in Nashville, so it’s no wonder that artists such as LeAnn Rimes, Tim McGraw, and Roy Orbison recorded here.
You can see the Curb Records headquarters for yourself as you take a stroll through Music Row.
Little Sisters of the Poor for the Aged
Little Sisters of the Poor is a Catholic women’s institute from the 1830s.
A piece of the organization’s history is in Nashville at the Little Sisters of the Poor for the Aged, a Renaissance Revival building on Music Row.
The building is four stories in all and is on the National Register of Historic Places.
Broadcast Music, Inc.
Broadcast Music, Inc. or BMI was established in 1939 in New York City.
The organization recoups blanket music license fees for some of the biggest names in music, such as Nickelback, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Maroon 5, Dolly Parton, Willie Nelson, Ed Sheeran, Taylor Swift, and Lady Gaga.
The Nashville BMI building is very appropriately located on Music Row.
ASCAP
The American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers or ASCAP is a performance-rights organization that licenses musical rights to digital streaming services, broadcasters, and venues. The organization was founded in 1914 in New York.
ASCAP has a Nashville presence on Music Square West.
Musica
You can’t walk along Music Row and miss Musica, a 40-foot bronze sculpture of a group of disrobed figures in a circle of boulders. Alan LeQuire, a Nashvillian, created the bronze statue.
Owen Bradley Park
Nicknamed after the famous producer, Owen Bradley Park on 1 Music Square East is a small park that welcomes dogs. Since 1997, the park has been a great place to relax and unwind.
There’s a beach, but the biggest attraction is the Owen Bradley statue, which is full-sized!
Quonset Hut
The Quonset Hut is an Owen Bradley creation, his very own recording studio opened in 1954. The attached hut was a great place to film music videos, which stars like Bobby Vinton and Patsy Cline did.
Be sure to see the hut as you voyage through Music Row.
RCA Studio B
The aforementioned studio on Music Row is none other than RCA Studio B, which saw such superstars as Willie Nelson, Dolly Parton, and Elvis Presley record here. This building is on the National Register of Historic Places and a must-see!
Should You Visit Live Oak?
If by this point, you’re still debating whether you should stop by Live Oak, I say you most certainly should.
The bar and restaurant has a lot of delicious eats plus flowing beers, wines, and spirits. The live entertainment that comes through gives you a great reason to come back again and again on weekdays and weekends alike.
Plus, Live Oak is on Music Row, one of the most historic and esteemed parts of all of Nashville. You can see so much in this area, including monuments to the music of yesteryear, that you’ll be glad you took the trip to Live Oak.
Now, if you’re on a family vacation, then maybe skip Live Oak since it is a bar. Fortunately, Music Row has no shortage of restaurants and eateries to visit instead!
Final Thoughts
Live Oak is a bar and restaurant on Nashville’s Music Row. This little slice of Nashville history has some incredible eats and drinks as well as live entertainment to boot.
Plus, you’re within walking distance of Nashville’s BMI headquarters, RCA Studio B, and Curb Records.
I hope this article inspires you to visit Live Oak!