Tootsies Orchid Lounge

A Nashville honky tonk in its truest form, Tootsies Orchid Lounge is the place to be to hear up-and-coming artists belt their latest original songs while enjoying a buzzing atmosphere in the heart of Broadway’s rockin’ entertainment. 

The spot was originally named Mom’s when Tootsie Bess purchased the venue in 1960. Bess credited a painter with naming the place ‘Tootsies’ and the same painter who painted the place orchid in color, thus the name Tootsies Orchid Lounge. 

The lounge became the place where aspiring artists took the stage to have their music heard. Many of the artists struggled to break into the music industry, and Tootsie was known to $5 and $10 bills inside of the pockets of the writers and pickers.

Famous early visitors to Tootsies included Kris Kristofferson, Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings and Patsy Cline. 

Today, the orchid-color door welcomes in singers, writers and other performers to take to the stages and provide the historic venue with upbeat tunes and melodic ballads, sure to make Tootsie’s an experience to remember.

The walls inside the establishment are lined with photos and memorabilia, adding to the quaint, down-home southern atmosphere. 

Two stages offer artists more than enough room to perform, one upstairs, the other downstairs. 

Music starts when doors open in the late morning and can be heard twanging into the wee morning hours of the next day. You never know who you’ll meet inside the lounge; the venue is known to draw the locals in hordes while a few famous faces can occasionally be spotted bopping their heads to the music that characterizes the Music City.

The bar’s popularity has made expansion a must. There’s a Tootsies location located inside the Nashville International Airport at Concourse C, Gate 6. There, patrons can get a taste of the Broadway location’s all-star live music scene while sampling appetizers, sandwiches, breakfast and bar service.

- by Leah M. Caudle , Nashville Reporter for HelloMetro  (Click to leave a message)

Leah M. Caudle

Leah Caudle is a professional storyteller with experience in covering local, community and feature stories. While at newspapers such as The Tennessean in Nashville and The Lexington Herald-Leader in Lexington, Ky., Caudle also has experience in shooting and editing videos and photos to accompany stories. The Western Kentucky University graduate received degrees in print journalism and Spanish in 2007 and also has expertise in the areas of public relations, copy editing and proofreading.