Alley Taps Nashville: Printers Alley Honky Tonk Guide 2026
- Chase Gillmore
- Jul 25
- 13 min read
Alley Taps is a live-music honky tonk bar at 162 Printers Alley in downtown Nashville, open seven nights a week with cover bands, draft beer, and a speakeasy-style setting that draws a mixed crowd of locals and visitors away from the more crowded Broadway strip. It opened in 2018 and has held its footing in Printers Alley ever since.
Key Takeaways
Alley Taps is located at 162 Printers Alley, Nashville, TN 37201, in the Historic Core neighborhood between Church Street and Commerce Street.
The venue holds 120 to 150 people and runs live country and honky tonk music seven nights a week, according to an IndieOnTheMove venue profile.
Weeknight hours typically run from 2pm to 3am, with weekends from noon to 3am, and the bar goes 21-and-up only on weekend nights.
Alley Taps opened in 2018 and is registered as Alley Taps, LLC, per its Better Business Bureau profile.
Nashville pulled in an estimated 17.39 million visitors in 2026, per Tourism Economics data cited by Visit Music City, which keeps Printers Alley venues like Alley Taps consistently busy.
The closest Stay Nashville property to downtown nightlife, Luxe Cowgirl 538, sits just three blocks from Broadway and a short walk from Printers Alley itself.
If you're mapping out a Nashville trip for 2026 and keep seeing "Alley Taps" pop up in searches for downtown bars, you're looking at one of Printers Alley's steadiest live-music rooms. It's not new, and it's not a secret. It's simply a bar that has quietly held its ground since 2018 while flashier venues on Broadway cycle through owners and rebrands.
This guide covers what actually matters if you're planning a visit: the address and hours, what a night there sounds and feels like, how to get there without getting turned around in the narrow alley, and the details competing guides tend to skip, like when crowds peak and what's worth eating nearby before or after. We'll also flag where to stay if your group wants Printers Alley and Broadway both within stumbling distance.
Where Exactly Is Alley Taps and What Neighborhood Is It In?
Alley Taps sits at 162 Printers Alley, Nashville, TN 37201, in the Historic Core neighborhood of downtown Nashville, according to the official Downtown Nashville business directory. Printers Alley runs between Church Street and Commerce Street, one block off the main Broadway corridor. As a result, it's close enough to walk to from any downtown hotel or rental in minutes, but tucked away enough that first-time visitors sometimes miss the entrance entirely.
The nickname for the bar's specific spot inside the alley is the "other side" of Printers Alley, near where it meets Church and Commerce. Historically, Printers Alley was Nashville's print shop and publishing district in the late 1800s and early 1900s, and it later became a nightlife strip known for supper clubs and burlesque houses well before Broadway's honky tonks took over as the city's main tourist draw.
That history matters because it explains the vibe. Alley Taps carries a speakeasy-style feel, narrow brick walls, low lighting, a sense that you've stepped off the main drag into something a little older and a little less polished than the neon-lit bars two blocks over. If you've walked Broadway and wondered where the quieter, more local-feeling bars are, Printers Alley is the answer, and Alley Taps is one of its anchors.
What Is the Most Iconic Bar in Nashville?
Nashville's most iconic bars are generally considered to be the Broadway honky tonks like Robert's Western World and Tootsie's Orchid Lounge, both known for live country music and a decades-long presence on the strip. Alley Taps isn't competing for that "most iconic" title, but it's carved out its own reputation as the go-to alternative one block removed from the Broadway chaos.
Specifically, Robert's Western World has been slinging fried bologna sandwiches and traditional honky tonk since the 1990s, and it draws a line most weekend nights. Tootsie's, with its purple exterior, is arguably the most photographed bar facade in the city. Both are worth a visit, but both come with the trade-off of packed floors and long waits for a barstool.
Alley Taps offers a similar live-music, cover-band format, country and honky tonk seven nights a week, but in a smaller room (120 to 150 capacity) tucked into Printers Alley instead of fronting Broadway's foot traffic. If your group wants the honky tonk experience without elbowing through a Friday night Broadway crowd, Alley Taps is the practical middle ground: same genre of music, noticeably calmer door.
Alley Taps, Nashville, TN
How Do I Get Into the Hidden Bar in Nashville?
Printers Alley is often described as Nashville's "hidden" nightlife strip because it's a narrow side alley rather than a storefront on a main street, and finding the entrance takes a bit of local knowledge the first time. To reach Alley Taps specifically, walk from Broadway toward 2nd Avenue, continue to Union Street, then turn into Printers Alley itself. The entrance sits at 162 Printers Alley, on the left as you walk in from the Church and Commerce side.
If you're coming from a rideshare, enter "Alley Taps, 162 Printers Alley, Nashville, TN 37201" as the destination rather than just "Printers Alley," since the alley is narrow and most drivers will drop you at the nearest cross street instead of inside the alley itself. Expect a short walk of a block or less from wherever your driver can legally stop.
The Music City Circuit, Nashville's free downtown bus service, also stops within walking distance of Printers Alley. Riders can get off at the Printers Alley stop and walk a short distance to reach Alley Taps, which is a genuinely useful option if you're bar-hopping and don't want to pay for repeated short rideshare trips. As of 2026, this remains one of the easiest no-cost ways to move between Broadway, Printers Alley, and The Gulch without driving.
Parking Near Printers Alley
Street parking directly on Printers Alley is essentially nonexistent, it's a pedestrian-scale alley, not a drivable street with curb spots. Your realistic options are downtown parking garages within a few blocks (expect $15 to $30 for an evening depending on the garage and event calendar) or simply not driving at all. Given how walkable downtown Nashville is and how easy rideshares are to hail, most visitors skip driving entirely and treat parking as one less thing to plan around.
What Bar Does Morgan Wallen Go to in Nashville?
Public reporting hasn't confirmed a specific bar as Morgan Wallen's regular hangout, and speculative claims about celebrity haunts circulate constantly around Nashville's honky tonk scene without solid sourcing. What's verifiable is that Broadway and Printers Alley both attract country artists and industry figures because of the live-music culture and proximity to Music Row and the Ryman.
Rather than chasing celebrity sightings, a more useful frame for planning your night is this: Printers Alley bars like Alley Taps draw a mix of industry regulars, off-duty musicians, and locals precisely because they're a step removed from the tourist-heavy Broadway strip. You're statistically more likely to end up next to a working Nashville musician in a room that seats 120 to 150 people than in a 500-person Broadway megabar with a rotating door of bachelorette parties.
What Bar Does Jon Bon Jovi Own in Nashville?
Jon Bon Jovi does not currently own a publicly documented bar in Nashville, and no verified reporting connects him to a Printers Alley or Broadway venue as of 2026. Several country artists and music-industry figures do hold ownership stakes in downtown Nashville bars and restaurants, which is part of why the honky tonk district feels so connected to the industry, but attributing specific ownership without a confirmed source risks spreading inaccurate information.
If you're interested in artist-owned Nashville venues generally, the honest answer is that the ownership landscape shifts often as artists invest in or exit downtown properties. Your best bet for accurate, current information is checking official venue websites directly rather than relying on secondhand claims, since bar ownership in this district changes more frequently than most visitors assume.
What's the Live Music and Cover Band Schedule at Alley Taps?
Alley Taps runs live country and honky tonk cover music seven nights a week, a schedule that's genuinely rare even by Nashville standards, where many smaller venues rotate between recorded music and live sets. Sunday through Thursday nights typically feature regular performers and recurring residencies, while weekend lineups may shift to different acts or bands.
Specifically, weeknight hours run roughly 2pm to 3am, giving you an unusually wide window to catch a set, whether you're wrapping up a Tuesday afternoon or looking for a late Wednesday night out. Weekend hours run from around noon to 3am. On Friday and Saturday nights, Alley Taps shifts to a 21-and-up policy, which is worth knowing if your group includes anyone under 21, since some downtown bars allow all ages before a certain hour.
One detail most competing guides skip entirely: the specific rotation of which cover bands play which nights isn't published in a fixed public schedule, and it can change week to week. If a particular band or sound matters to your plans, your most reliable move is calling ahead, (615) 922-2757 is the number listed on the Alley Taps, LLC Better Business Bureau profile, or checking their social presence closer to your visit date.
Best Time to Visit to Avoid Peak Crowds
Based on the venue's capacity of 120 to 150 people and its seven-nights-a-week live music format, the busiest windows are predictably Friday and Saturday after 9pm, when the room fills toward capacity and the 21-and-up rule kicks in. If you want to actually hear the band and hold a conversation, aim for an early weeknight visit, specifically Tuesday or Wednesday between 6pm and 8pm, before the after-dinner crowd arrives.
Sunday afternoons are another underrated window. With hours starting around noon on weekends, an early Sunday visit gives you a genuinely different, calmer experience than the same room on a Saturday night. This is the kind of gap generic listings never mention, but it's the single easiest way to enjoy Alley Taps without shoulder-to-shoulder crowding.
What Drinks and Food Does Alley Taps Serve?
Alley Taps operates as a bar and live-music venue rather than a full-service restaurant, serving draft beer, craft beer, and cocktails alongside its nightly cover band lineup. This is consistent with how the venue is categorized on directories like MapQuest and IndieOnTheMove, both of which list it as a classic Nashville bar and music venue rather than a dining destination.
Because Alley Taps doesn't function as a kitchen-forward spot, pairing your visit with a meal nearby is the smart move if you're planning a longer night out. Hattie B's hot chicken is a Nashville institution worth the occasional wait, and it's a short rideshare or walk from downtown depending on which location you choose. For something closer to Printers Alley itself, the Assembly Food Hall on Broadway Place offers more than 30 different eateries under one roof, useful if your group can't agree on one cuisine.
If your evening leans toward a sit-down dinner before hitting Printers Alley, The Finch Nashville offers an upscale-casual American grill menu within a short distance of downtown, and the Downtown Nashville dining directory is a reliable resource if you want a broader list of options within walking distance of Printers Alley.
How Should You Plan Getting There and Back on a Nashville Night Out?
Planning transportation for a Printers Alley night out means accounting for both getting there and the return trip, since rideshare pricing surges predictably during peak downtown hours and major event weekends. Specifically, Friday and Saturday nights after 10pm regularly see higher Uber and Lyft rates downtown, and that surge intensifies further during festival weekends like CMA Fest, when Nashville's short-term rental occupancy climbed to 67.7% in 2026, up from 64.6% the year before, according to GoodnightStay market data.
As a result, budgeting an extra $5 to $10 per rideshare during major event weekends is realistic. Alternatively, the free Music City Circuit bus remains one of downtown's best-kept transportation values, stopping close enough to Printers Alley that the walk to Alley Taps takes just a few minutes.
If you're staying downtown specifically to walk to Printers Alley and Broadway without relying on rideshares at all, location becomes the biggest factor in your booking decision. Luxe Cowgirl 538, a two-bedroom Stay Nashville apartment sleeping up to 8 guests, sits only three blocks from Broadway with resort-style amenities including a saltwater pool, sky lounge, and fitness center, close enough that Printers Alley and its bars are a genuine walk rather than a planned trip.
Is Printers Alley Worth Visiting Beyond Alley Taps?
Printers Alley is worth visiting beyond Alley Taps because it holds a cluster of nightlife venues in a compact, walkable footprint that feels distinctly different from Broadway's wider, louder strip. As Nashville's former print and publishing district turned nightlife corridor, the alley's brick facades and narrow footprint give it a genuinely different character than the newer construction lining Broadway.
For a group planning a full night out, treating Printers Alley as one stop on a broader downtown crawl makes sense: start on Broadway for the high-energy honky tonks, then shift to Printers Alley later in the evening when you want a smaller room and a chance to actually talk. Alley Taps fits naturally into that second half of the night, especially given its later closing hours (3am on both weeknights and weekends).
One honest caveat: Printers Alley isn't a quiet retreat. It's still downtown Nashville nightlife, meaning noise, foot traffic, and crowds are part of the deal, just at a smaller scale than Broadway. If you're looking for something truly low-key, Printers Alley is a step in that direction, not a full departure from it.
What Should Groups Know Before Planning a Printers Alley Night?
Groups planning a Printers Alley night should prioritize three things: confirming the 21-and-up rule applies on your visit night, budgeting for rideshare surge pricing on weekends, and picking lodging close enough to walk rather than drive. These three factors solve most of the friction that trips up first-time visitors to this part of downtown.
For bachelorette parties and girls trips specifically, Printers Alley's smaller-room venues like Alley Taps pair well with a full itinerary that also includes Broadway's bigger stages. If your crew is deciding where to stay, our bachelorette party rental guide breaks down how to match group size to bedroom count, which matters more than most planners expect when ten or more people are splitting one house.
Larger combined groups, think a joint bachelor-bachelorette weekend, benefit from side-by-side properties that keep everyone together but give each group its own space. The Ultimate Bach Pad, two connected duplexes sleeping 24 plus guests with two rooftop decks and two hot tubs, sits 8 to 10 minutes from Broadway, close enough for a Printers Alley night without a long trip home. If your numbers are closer to 12, Fern A and Fern B function the same way as standalone units or combined for a 24-guest total, each with its own rooftop deck and game room.
Mistakes to Avoid
Assuming Printers Alley has street parking. It doesn't. Plan on walking, rideshare, or the Music City Circuit bus.
Showing up after 9pm on a Saturday expecting an easy seat. The room holds 120 to 150 people and fills fast on weekends.
Forgetting the 21-and-up weekend policy. Confirm ages in your group before a Friday or Saturday visit.
Booking lodging far from downtown to save money. The rideshare costs from a distant hotel often erase the savings, especially during event weekends.
How Does Nashville's 2026 Visitor Growth Affect Downtown Bar Crowds?
Nashville's tourism growth in 2026 directly affects how crowded Printers Alley bars like Alley Taps get on any given night, since more visitors downtown means more foot traffic through the honky tonk district generally. The city welcomed an estimated 17.39 million visitors in 2026, up 2.7% from 2026, according to Tourism Economics data reported through Visit Music City, and projections point toward 17.8 million total visitors in 2026, including 11.8 million overnight guests, per Metro Tourism and Convention Commission materials.
Additionally, Nashville International Airport served a record 25.7 million passengers in 2026, a figure that correlates with sustained downtown lodging and nightlife demand. For context, Nashville's short-term rentals averaged a 54% occupancy rate in 2026 according to AirDNA, with notably higher demand during event-driven weeks. As a result, Printers Alley and Broadway both see their heaviest nights concentrated around major events rather than spread evenly across the calendar.
What this means practically: if you're flexible on dates, a midweek trip in a shoulder month avoids both the crowds and the inflated pricing that comes with peak weekends. If your trip is tied to a specific event, book your Nashville rental and confirm your Printers Alley plans well ahead, since availability tightens noticeably as event dates approach.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are Alley Taps' hours?
Alley Taps typically runs weeknight hours from around 2pm to 3am, with weekend hours starting around noon and also running to 3am. Confirm current hours directly by phone before visiting, since bar hours can shift around holidays or major downtown events.
Does Alley Taps have a cover charge?
Published sources don't specify a fixed cover charge for Alley Taps, and cover policies at Nashville honky tonks often vary by night and act. Call ahead at (615) 922-2757 to confirm current cover policy for your specific visit date.
Is Alley Taps 21 and up?
Alley Taps becomes 21-and-up only on weekend nights, according to an IndieOnTheMove venue profile. Weeknight age policies may differ, so confirm before bringing a mixed-age group on a Friday or Saturday.
How far is Alley Taps from Broadway?
Alley Taps sits about a block off Broadway, reached by walking from Broadway to 2nd Avenue, then to Union Street, then turning into Printers Alley. The walk takes just a few minutes from most points on the Broadway strip.
What kind of music plays at Alley Taps?
Alley Taps features live country and honky tonk cover bands seven nights a week, with regular performers typically playing Sunday through Thursday and rotating weekend lineups on Friday and Saturday.
Can I take an Uber directly to Alley Taps?
You can request a rideshare to Alley Taps, but enter the specific address, 162 Printers Alley, Nashville, TN 37201, since Printers Alley is narrow and drivers often need to drop passengers at the nearest accessible cross street rather than inside the alley itself.
Is Printers Alley walkable from downtown Nashville hotels and rentals?
Printers Alley is walkable from nearly any downtown Nashville hotel or rental, since it sits directly between Church Street and Commerce Street just off Broadway. Properties like Luxe Cowgirl 538, three blocks from Broadway, make the walk to Printers Alley realistic without a rideshare.
What else is near Printers Alley besides Alley Taps?
Printers Alley holds a cluster of other nightlife venues within the same compact stretch, reflecting its history as a nightlife corridor since the mid-1900s. For dining nearby, downtown options within a few blocks include Assembly Food Hall and other spots listed in the Downtown Nashville dining directory.
Final Take on Visiting Alley Taps in 2026
Alley Taps remains one of Printers Alley's most reliable live-music bars, open seven nights a week at 162 Printers Alley with a capacity of 120 to 150 people and a cover-band lineup that's run since the venue opened in 2018. If you want the honky tonk experience without Broadway's biggest crowds, this is a genuinely solid alternative, especially on an early weeknight when the room hasn't filled up yet.
As Nashville's visitor numbers keep climbing toward 17.8 million projected for 2026, downtown nightlife districts like Printers Alley will keep getting busier on peak weekends. Plan around that reality: go early on weeknights if you want quiet, confirm the 21-and-up rule before a weekend visit, and pick lodging close enough to walk home instead of relying on surge-priced rideshares at 2am.
If a night bouncing between Broadway and Printers Alley is part of your plans, the Ultimate Bach Pad puts your whole group 8 to 10 minutes from the action, with two rooftop decks for watching the skyline before you head out. Check availability here.
Written by Chase Gillmore, Owner & Operator at Stay Nashville
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