Bars with Games in Nashville | Nashville Guru (2024)

January 21, 2024 | Advertising Disclosure | Our Partners may be mentioned in this article.

The Nashville bar scene is certainly entertaining, but sometimes it’s nice to have something else to do while you’re imbibing. Many bars have games to keep the vibe alive during your night out on the town. Whether it’s cards, pool, ping pong, or pinball, here’s a list of the top games and where to play in Nashville.

Bowling + Duckpin Bowl

Photo Credit: Brooklyn Bowl

Nashville has a variety of bowling spots that offer traditional and duckpin bowling! Brooklyn Bowl offers traditional bowling lanes and a concert venue mixed with incredible food and drinks. This is a great spot in Nashville to bowl with friends. Pinewood Social has six bowling lanes, vintage ball returns and scoring tables, and food and drinks just a few steps away. Pins Mechanical Co. and Nashville Underground have duckpin bowling, which uses ten smaller pins and lighter and smaller bowling balls.

Where to Bowl in Nashville:

Brooklyn Bowl (traditional bowling lanes)
Pinewood Social (six traditional bowling lanes)
Pins Mechanical Co. (duckpin bowling, no special shoes required)
Nashville Underground (duckpin bowling, no special shoes required)
Tee Line (traditional bowling lanes)
Eastside Bowl (traditional bowling lanes)

Board Games & Cards

Pints and games pair nicely together. Many Nashville hotspots have added board games and playing cards to their list of reasons to visit. Here are some to keep in mind.

Where to Play Board Games in Nashville:

Tennessee Brew Works: Sorry!, Cards Against Humanity, playing cards, and more.
Game Point Cafe: Scrabble, Backgammon, Clue, Monopoly, and more. See the full list of games
Diskin Cider: Catan, Sorry!, Battleship, Scrabble, Cards Against Humanity, Sequence, and more.
Village Pub: Cards Against Humanity and various board games.
: Cards Against Humanity, Jumbling Towers, Connect Four, and more.
Bar Moxy: Never Have I Ever, That’s What She Said, Chess, Scrabble, Cards Against Humanity, and Uno.

Ping Pong

Nashville has top-notice ping pong spots, including a few outdoor options when the weather cooperates. A few of these places include nets so you don’t have to chase balls throughout the establishment, too.

Where to Play Ping Pong in Nashville:

Game Terminal (outdoors)
Hi-Fi Clyde’s (indoors with nets)
Pins Mechanical Co. (indoors)
Martin’s Bar-B-Que (SoBro) (indoors)
(indoors)
(outdoors)
Melrose Billiard Parlor(indoors)
Kung Fu Saloon (outdoors)
Hi-Wire Brewing (indoors)

Shuffleboard

Table shuffleboard, or more commonly just called shuffleboard, is easily one of the most entertaining bar games. Plus it’s usually difficult to claim the board, making it a treat when it’s your turn.

Where to Play Shuffleboard in Nashville:

Kung Fu Saloon
Red Door Saloon (Midtown)
Hi-Fi Clyde’s
Martin’s Bar-B-Que (SoBro)
Hampton Social
Bar Moxy
Jasper’s
Melrose Billiard Parlor
Hi-Wire Brewing

Pool / Billiards

Can you pass the chalk? Even if you’re not a pro, pool is a fun game when you’re out and about. There are some of the best places to shoot pool in Nashville.

Where to Play Pool in Nashville:

Melrose Billiard Parlor
Bar Moxy
Lucky’s 3 Star
Wild Beaver Saloon

Darts

Darts are probably one of the oldest bar games in town, so you’ll find them at a lot of places. Get a game of cricket in while drinking your favorite brews at any of these destinations.

Where to Play Darts in Nashville:

M.L.Rose (Sylvan Park)
Beyond The Edge
Martin’s Bar-B-Que(SoBro)
Bar Moxy
Melrose Billiard Parlor
The Villager Tavern
Wild Beaver Saloon
Fleet Street Pub

Video & Arcade Games

Pop in your quarters—it’s time for a game of Pac-Man and Street Fighter II. Numerous bars in Nashville have brought back the old-school video and arcade games of the 80s and 90s.

Where to Play Video & Arcade Games in Nashville:

Game Terminal
Up-Down Nashville
16-Bit Bar + Arcade
Kung Fu Saloon
(limited options)
Bastion (limited options)
Nashville Underground

Pinball

Where there are arcade games, there are usually pinball machines, too. If you want to claim pinball wizard status, the places below will help you get there.

Where to Play Pinball in Nashville:

Game Terminal
16-Bit Bar + Arcade
Up-Down Nashville
No Quarter

Foosball

Foosball is a classic game, and the best part is—a lot of people can join in the fun no matter how many drinks they’ve had!

Where to Play Foosball in Nashville:

Melrose Billiard Parlor
Pins Mechanical Co.
Kung Fu Saloon
Hi-Fi Clyde’s
(outdoors)
The Villager Tavern
Hi-Wire Brewing

Skee Ball

Skee Ball is an old classic. Back in the day, it seemed like these were everywhere (ShowBiz Pizza Place / Chuck E. Cheese anyone?). There are still some spots in Nashville that keep this favorite around, though.

Where to Play Skee Ball in Nashville:

Up-Down Nashville
Kung Fu Saloon
Nashville Underground

Basketball

Whether it’s indoor Hoop Fever or a full-size basketball hoop, there are a few places to play in Music City.

Where to Play Basketball in Nashville:

Game Terminal (outdoors)
M.L.Rose (Melrose)
M.L.Rose (Sylvan Park)
(outdoors)
Nashville Underground
Kung Fu Saloon

Cornhole

Cornhole (or bags) is a classic tailgating game that is now commonly found at bars and restaurants with outdoor areas. There is no shortage of places to play in Nashville.

Where to Play Cornhole in Nashville:

Von Elrod’s
Game Terminal
The Hop Yard at Fat Bottom Brewing
Kung Fu Saloon
Diskin Cider
Tee Line
Bringles Smoking Oasis
Hi-Wire Brewing
The Bandbox (seasonal)

Bocce

Bocce (or bocce ball) is a historic game with ties to the Roman Empire, which was later popularized in Italy. The game is often played on grass, turf, or sand. If you can toss a ball (with good aim), give this one a try at any of these spots.

Where to Play Bocce in Nashville:

Pins Mechanical Co. (indoors)
Coco’s Italian Market
Pinewood Social

Giant Jenga

One of the most popular patio games is Giant Jenga. Within about 10 minutes of starting the game, expect a loud boom followed by a bunch of “ahhhhs!”

Where to Play Giant Jenga in Nashville:

Von Elrod’s
Game Terminal
Up-Down Nashville
Kung Fu Saloon
Tennessee Brew Works
M.L.Rose (Melrose)

Golf

You could spend your whole day on the course, but sometimes it’s easier just to pop down to the local bar for a round of golf with friends.

Where to Play Golf in Nashville:

M.L.Rose (Sylvan Park) (outdoors in the “The Golf Garden”)
Topgolf (indoors/outdoors)
The Bandbox (seasonal / outdoors)

Giant Connect Four

The 1974 game is a bit different on a larger scale. See if you can concentrate over a round of drinks while playing Giant Connect Four at these locations.

Where to Play Giant Connect Four in Nashville:

Game Terminal (outdoors)
Hi-Fi Clyde’s (indoors)
Diskin Cider (indoors)
Bar Moxy (indoors)
Up-Down Nashville (outdoors)
(outdoors)
(outdoors)

Giant Beer Pong

Everything’s bigger in…Tennessee? It sure seems that way when it comes to games, anyway! If you’re not great at regular Beer Pong, maybe you’ll have better luck with Giant Beer Pong.

Where to Play Giant Beer Pong in Nashville:

Pins Mechanical Co. (outdoors)

Shuffleboard (Floor Shuffleboard)

This is one of those games you usually just see old folks playing at a beach hotel. But when you’re in Nashville with a co*cktail in hand, it’s hard to pass up. When the weather permits, have a go at floor shuffleboard at Game Terminal.

Where to Play Floor Shuffleboard in Nashville:

Game Terminal (outdoors)

Curling

Have you ever wanted to try curling? Well, now you can at Tee Line which is the first curling facility with dedicated ice in Tennessee. No experience is required, but curling lessons are available.

Where to Curl in Nashville:

Tee Line

Sand Volleyball

Sand volleyball is hard to come by in a land-locked city like Nashville, but SandBar makes it easy to get a game in. This destination offers two sand volleyball courts, a full bar serving everything from coconut co*cktails to draft beer, plus plenty of lounge space after you work up a sweat.