Entry No. 26 — the Nashville file — filed under: oddities
Ernie's Boondock
No website, barely a social media footprint — just a basement dive tucked beneath the Up-Down arcade bar, stocked with taxidermy, pool tables, darts, and a coin-toss game called Toad in the Hole.
The story
Most of the people pounding buttons on retro arcade cabinets upstairs at Up-Down have no idea there's a wood-paneled cellar lurking right under their shoes. Slip past the flashing marquees and head down into the basement at 927 Woodland Street, and you'll drop out of the 1980s right into a classic roadside dive that feels like it was plucked off a rural highway and buried under East Nashville.
Ernie's Boondock operates with almost zero digital footprint, leaning heavily into a low-lit, taxidermy-adorned aesthetic. The interior is packed with mounted animal heads staring down at pool tables, dart boards, and Midwestern dive-bar staples like Hamm's and Schlitz on draught—served up with an Oklahoma-style pour that leaves a thick crown of foam on your pint.
Beyond the pool cues, the real draw here is the oddball pub entertainment. Alongside vintage oddities like a 'Monkey Bash' trivia machine, you can take a turn at Toad in the Hole, a rare traditional pub game where you hurl heavy brass coins into a lead-topped box. It’s built for long, deliberate hours spent out of sight from Five Points above.
What it's like
Head down the basement steps below the Up-Down arcade into a dim, wood-paneled hideout that feels completely separate from the noise upstairs. The air smells like draft beer and damp cellar wood, with pool balls clacking in the background. You can order food right at the bar or grab a bite from the food truck parked out front. Line up early on weekends if you want to claim a pool cue, or duck in on a Tuesday night when you can quietly throw coins at the Toad in the Hole game without a line behind you.
The move: Duck downstairs from Up-Down's arcade lights into the dim taxidermy-lined basement, rack a game of pool, and take turns losing at Toad in the Hole.
- 📍 East Nashville (Five Points)
- 💸 $$
- ⚡ Up for anything
- 🌗 Indoors
Where: 927 Woodland St, Nashville, TN 37206
Hours: Added 2026-07-20 — confirm current hours before you go.
Pair it with
- Attaboy — Follow up basement Hamm's and pool tables with tailor-made, high-end cocktails behind an unmarked door nearby.
- Regions Beyond — Pair subterranean dive bar games with a short stroll over to Five Points' Victorian spiritualist parlor.
- Coral Club — Contrast the dark, wood-paneled cellar vibe with an elevated, candlelit lounge up Gallatin Avenue.
Good to know
Where exactly is Ernie's Boondock located?
It sits in the basement space directly underneath the Up-Down arcade bar at 927 Woodland St in East Nashville's Five Points neighborhood.
What is 'Toad in the Hole'?
It's a traditional pub game where players toss brass coins or discs across the room, aiming to drop them into a hole cut into a lead-topped box.
Can you get food at Ernie's?
Yes. You can order food directly at the basement bar or hit the food truck parked outside the venue.
Does Ernie's Boondock have a dress code or cover charge?
No cover and no pretense—it's a relaxed, low-key dive bar.
Plan a visit & invite your people →
Further reading: speakeasiesusa.com · theinfatuation.com · Instagram · Yelp
last checked: 2026-07-20