The East Nashville outpost of famed NYC bar Attaboy continues to be a must-stop in one of Music City’s buzziest neighborhoods.
Attaboy opened in East Nashville back in 2017, and helped turn the neighborhood into a must-stop for food, art, and nightlife. The cocktail bar itself doesn’t feel too much like a cocktail bar, especially since it forgoes menus, instead opting for conversations with the clientele. The low-lit space keeps things simple, delivering a warm, home-like vibe, but that doesn’t stop guests from pouring in. The best time to come is during opening or post midnight when barseats open up and you can get a little closer to the action.
Managing partner Brandon Bramhall tells us…
Please describe Attaboy as if you’re explaining the experience of walking through the doors and ordering your first drink.
Our ideal and goal for the guest experience is for them to always walk out of our bar feeling better than when they walked in. Our first and most important marker we try to hit is to anticipate each of our guests’ individual needs, and tailor the experience to them.
But the brass tacks is once we have table/seats ready, we bring our guests in, get them comfortable and set up with waters. From there, a bartender will come over and explain the verbal/conversational process, we typically let guests take a few moments to gather their thoughts, then we’ll chat through what they are after, focusing on flavors, ingredients, liquor base and beyond.
From there we get to work putting together the round of drinks, dropping them off and ensuring each guest is enjoying what they have.
Beyond that, each round is a reset and revisiting where they want to go next.
How would you describe Attaboy in a three-word text to a friend that you’re trying to convince to join you?
Elevated
Intimate
Consistent
Other than Attaboy, what else is happening in the neighborhood that you’re in?
We have a variety of things happening close by and within walking distance. A lot of which has opened in the last 2 years or so. It’s a great little hub and ecosystem which has plenty in a walkable distance, which is a little harder to come by in Nashville.
Several dining options with Butcher and Bee, Smith & Lentz’s pizza and beer are fantastic. You can take a quick walk to 5 Points to have a variety of experiences from fast casual at Edley’s/Bartaco, to more elevated at Bad Idea or Margot. A quick car ride takes you over to Cleveland Park with Folk, Mas Tacos Por Favor, Red Headed Stranger and Xiao Bao.
Bar wise, we have a nice variety as well, and can walk next door to our sister bar Lakeside Lounge, which will have pool, darts, games and is overall a casual hang with plenty of TV’s and space to spread out and watch some sports.
UpDown and No Quarter cover the vintage arcade and pinball niche, Basement East has live music and shows almost every night of the week as well.
Aside from Happy Hour, when is the best time to get to the bar?
While we don’t formally offer happy hour specials, the opening hours are typically the best time to grab space without waiting, I personally love the post-midnight hang on weeknights. It’s usually a little more mellow, you can get seats up at the bar and hang with the bartenders.
Describe the average drinkers that you serve?
We have such a wide range that honestly pinning it to one thing is so hard. We see all ages, but the majority would probably be between 25-45, but beyond that it’s all walks of life. Locals, folks visiting, experienced drinkers who are knowledgeable about spirits and drinks, people having their first cocktail, hospitality professionals, musicians and everything else in between.
Please tell us more about your drinks menu.
We are without a formal cocktail menu and run our entire guest experience through a verbal/conversational process. We do have an internal compendium of structured categories and drinks recipes we pull from, but it sits close to a 500 count total, so we cut out that middle man of paperwork. We stand by the approach that people know what they like better than we do, let’s just talk about where they want to be and get the best drink for them in their hands.
What’s your signature drink–or your favorite drink currently on the menu–and why should I order it?
Without the menu, there isn’t quite a “most popular” or “signature” drink. I would say we pour a good bit of Gin, Tequila and Bourbon. However, if you’re visiting us for the first time, you should order a Dark & Stormy and go from there. Bermuda rum, fresh ginger and lime with some club soda is suitable for all occasions and seasons.
How much do drinks cost?
$18
Is there anything to eat? If so – what’s your favorite dish on the menu?
We offer some simple snacks with mixed nuts and olives.
What are the distinguishing features of Attaboy?
Low lit, candle heavy lighting in the room. We tried to keep things simple with some nice textures on finishes, and walls but nothing overly adorned. We try to keep the room dark, the music lively and the service warm/welcoming. A huge standard of ours is to subvert
the expected feel of a cocktail bar of this kind, while most expect a sleepy, stuffy and possibly cold experience, we want them to walk in and feel right at home, ready to have fun with us.
What’s that music we hear playing on the Attaboy stereo?
I would say you can hear almost everything at any given time, maybe save for polka?
Hours:
Open 7 days a week, 5pm-3am
Reservations:
No reservations. Walk-ins only.
Website:
Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/attaboynashville
Address:
8 Mcferrin Ave, Nashville, TN 37206