In a city where bars and restaurants fronted by some of country music’s biggest stars abound, Robert “Kid Rock” Ritchie wasn’t afraid to put his own touch on a honky tonk of his own. In October, Kid Rock opened a rock n’ roll honky tonk on Nashville’s lower Broadway, and it’s unlike anything the city has seen before.
Ritchie, along with his long-time friends Al Ross and Steve Smith, partnered on the project that would give Music City a honky tonk and steakhouse with a rock & roll focus. Ross and Smith own the infamous Tootsie’s lounge and other popular lower Broadway hangouts so were the perfect fit to help Ritchie get his vision off the ground.
“I like that…the history they’ve had here and they’ve been doing this before the big conglomerates started coming in and pouring in their money. They are invested in not only living here, but invested in Broadway and businesses around it,” Ritchie said of his partnership with Ross and Smith.
The project was a labor of love for the determined trio who first purchased the property in 2014. When the building was deemed unsafe, it was torn down and completely rebuilt. The result was a one-of-a-kind, $20 million steakhouse that highlights Nashville’s “thriving rock scene with a classic honky tonk feel and quality food.”
The four-story venue features a bar and a stage on every floor. It also has a rooftop deck with a large mezzanine overlooking the raised stage on the first-floor. Huge windows on every floor give the building an open, airy feel and they can be opened when the weather is nice, making the venue “one big patio.”
The steakhouse, aptly named Kid Rock’s Big Ass Honky Tonk and Rock n’ Roll Steakhouse, opened in October and all signs point to it being the hottest place in town to hang out.
Kid Rock joins a long list of celebrities with their names on Music City eateries. Jason Aldean, Dierks Bentley, Florida Georgia Line, Alan Jackson, John Rich and Blake Shelton are just a few of the country music stars with restaurants near Kid Rock’s. While Kid Rock may not seem a likely fit for the country music capital, remember that he has long been friends with some of country’s biggest stars and has even collaborated with some of them, including Kenny Chesney, Jamey Johnson, Martina McBride, Hank Williams Jr., and Willie Nelson.
We think Kid Rock’s Big Ass Honky Tonk and Rock n’ Roll Steakhouse is the perfect excuse for a trip to Music City. How about you?