“We love going out, and Nashville has so many great places,” says Marcus Buggs. “We wanted to be part of that. Opening a bar has been in the plans from the jump.”
When Buggs and his wife Jennifer opened Coneheads, the Dickerson Pike purveyor of fried chicken in a waffle cone, their bar wasn’t supposed to be far behind. The bar would be an extension of Plane and Simpl, their catering company that makes its own syrups and mixers. The tornado and then the pandemic delayed things, but in January 2022, the couple opened Plane Jane, a stylish lounge tucked under Coneheads.
When you turn off of Dickerson on to Eastmoreland Street, you’ll probably think you missed it. There’s the black Coneheads building and a slope down to the back parking lot and an alley. Then, you turn into the lot, and it’s like a movie set — Plane Jane beckons, and she’s anything but plain. It’s a neon-and-velvet oasis with seating for 50, a smart cocktail menu, fun music, Banksy-style art and a small food menu. You’ll immediately feel lucky and smart for finding your way there.
Plane Jane is just one of a few new Nashville watering holes that offer such insider-y delight. If you’re looking for somewhere new to have a drink — beer, wine, spirits or mocktails — try one of these options to wet your whistle.
Plane Jane
Plane Jane
1315 Dickerson Pike
Open Tuesday-Sunday; daily happy hour 5-7 p.m.; all-night happy hour Tuesdays
Buggs reached out to Geist’s Freddy Schwenk to help develop Plane Jane’s cocktail menu, which includes several twists on classic drinks. The new food menu includes Coneheads’ fried cauliflower, tater tots and a new creation that may be the ultimate drunk food: a Nathan’s hot dog dipped in Coneheads’ waffle batter. (Heads-up: Plane Jane is cashless, so come card in hand.)
Le Loup
Le Loup + Jacqueline
1400 Adams St.
Open Thursday-Saturday
The idea of Le Loup is to offer beautifully crafted cocktails in an aesthetic powerhouse without it feeling like a speakeasy, according to beverage manager Kenneth Vanhooser. Mission accomplished at this bar, perched above The Optimist in Germantown. Being inside Le Loup feels like sipping a drink from inside a velvet-and-marble hug: There’s some detail to look at in every corner. Fortunately, you have many options of what to drink while you take it all in. There are more than 50 cocktails on the menu, including forgotten classics, originals and a section of formative drinks with information about who first created them and where they were first served. Le Loup opened in January; its outdoor (and downstairs) sister, Jacqueline, opened this month with frozen drinks perfect for pairing with Nashville’s hot summers. Look for New Orleans-style snowballs and Japanese kakigōri.
Far Better Spirits
Far Better Spirits
330 Harrison St.
Open Thursday-Monday; special events in the evening
TJ Fritz thinks he and his daughter may run the smallest distillery in the country, with less than 500 square feet. Named after a Teddy Roosevelt quote, Far Better Spirits is tucked into a tiny corner near the Sounds’ First Horizon Park. The tasting room opened in April and is bigger than the distillery space — 900 square feet. Come here during the day to sample the distillery’s section of spirits, mix your own custom spirit or have a crafted cocktail. Favorites include a small-batch Tennessee Straight Bourbon Whiskey and Hand-Crafted Gin. The Fritz family (including TJ’s wife and another daughter) also leads food tours and hosts evening events for groups, including cooking and painting parties.
Bay 6
Bay 6
1101 McKennie Ave.
Open daily; daily happy hour 3-6 p.m.
This tiny cocktail bar is tucked into the sixth bay in The Wash, the new micro collection of food and drink businesses with a shared outdoor space in a converted car wash. Mixologist Beau Gaultier whips up cocktails — classic and custom — and serves craft beers and natural wines, plus spirit-free concoctions. House Thai orange creamsicle kombucha, anyone? You can sip your drink in the stylish micro bar space or take it outside to the communal Wash patio.
The Vic
The Vic
2512 Gallatin Ave.
Open daily; happy hour 4-7 p.m. Monday-Friday
First things first: New signage, from both the back parking lot and from the Gallatin Avenue side, makes it easier to find the door to The Vic, the lower-level bar next to the Gallatin Hotel (under the Emerson Hall event space). The vibe is intentionally 1970s basement. It does have that look, but with more natural light and no musty smell. You’ll find a rotating selection of 12 local beers on tap, plus wines and cocktails — there are 40 bourbons and 40 tequilas on hand. A Jiffy Pop flight harkens to the 1970s too, with the added twist of hot-chicken seasoning. There’s a trivia night and plenty of TV screens for watching various games. The Vic hosts Formula 1 watch parties, so you know where to go if that’s your thing. While guests at the adjacent hotel get a free drink token in their room, The Vic has become a local hangout since opening in December. “We want to be your neighborhood bar, the kind of place where the bartenders know who you are,” says director of hospitality Joe Guerra.
Overlord
2503 Gallatin Ave.
Open daily; live music Wednesdays
One of Melvil Arnt’s French outposts, Overlord is a 1940s-style European bar that pays homage to soldiers who fought in World War II. (The name comes from Operation Overlord, better known as the Battle of Normandy.) Drink a Thyme Gimlet or from a carefully selected wine list while admiring the craftsmanship of the space. Bring a picture of a friend or family member who served in WWII, and Arnt will hang it on the wall as a remembrance.
A previous version of this article referred to Bay 6 as "Bar 6." We regret the error.
