Nashville is known for its honky-tonks, but it’s certainly not limited to what you find on the brightly lit and crowded Broadway strip. Similarly, Memphis isn’t all Beale Street blues clubs.

The best bars make you feel welcome, wherever they’re located. They’re a respite from the hustle and bustle of the day, a third place to relax and enjoy a drink, maybe chat a bit if you’re so inclined (though sipping a glass of wine quietly in the corner is certainly a mood).

You’ll find all of that and more in this list of Tennessee’s best bars, compiled by the USA TODAY Network food and drink writers who frequent them. And once you’ve visited all of these, check out your out-of-state options with USA TODAY’s Bars of the Year list for 2024.

Boneyard | Chattanooga

Details: 26 Station St.; 423-713-5000; boneyardbar.com

Ask the locals, the ones who pour the drinks, make the food and distill the whiskey, where they go on their nights off, and this spot will inevitably turn up on the list. This is not your classic cocktail bar, nor is it a hole in the wall. It is instead a bike shop by day and a slightly punk rock, somewhat industrial but very comfortable celebration of drink and music at night. You’ll find a small but excellent selection of wines and big boozy cocktails including the Firing Squad, with mezcal, amaro, lime and cherry. To eat, grab Asian street food-style noodles, smash burgers and wings from the in-house food truck. Stick around for music that encompasses everything from karaoke to garage metal. — Mackensy Lunsford, The Tennessean

Whiskey Thief | Chattanooga

Details: 102 Walnut St.; 423-269-8555; whiskeythiefchattanooga.com

For unparalleled views of the city and river, head to this bar on the rooftop of the Edwin Hotel, the type of hotel that has its own signature scent in bespoke candles. Whiskey Thief is not precious, though. It’s a gorgeous hang and free of retention. It’s easy to while away a comfortable happy hour here with a bourbon flight or glass of wine and a charcuterie plate. Don’t be afraid to put yourself in the hands of the bartenders, and don’t be concerned if they recommend the lychee-based, brightly colored Meditation in Blue; it’s actually good. — Lunsford

Boyd’s Jig and Reel | Knoxville

Details: 101 S. Central St.; 865-247-7066; jigandreel.com

There aren’t enough days in the year to try all the whiskey at Boyd’s Jig and Reel, which boasts more than 1,000 bottles. Jenny Boyd, wife of University of Tennessee System President Randy Boyd, has been playing fiddle nearly 30 years and decided back in 2011 to bring her love for Scottish music, culture and cuisine to Knoxville. She found the perfect place, right on the prominent corner of Jackson Avenue and Central Street in downtown’s scruffy Old City, and musicians have flocked to the pub over the years to perform on its intimate stage. In addition to the beverage options, authentic Scottish decor and beautiful wooden finishes, the food menu also hits the spot. Boyd’s toad in a hole is great for snacking, but beware of the burning English mustard. Feeling extra hungry? Don’t let the haggis, neeps and tatties scare you. It’s all tasty, and the entree also comes with a surprisingly refreshing field green salad. — Ryan Wilusz, Knox News

Preservation Pub | Knoxville

Details: 28 Market Square; 865-524-2224, scruffycity.com/preservation-pub

There are two kinds of “Pubby Buddies.” There’s the signature $5 menu item at Preservation Pub — a shot of whiskey and a PBR — and then there’s the friends you make while dancing to jam band music in the smoke-filled first floor and while sharing drinks from the rooftop “shot shack” trailer (or the magic beer tree). Owner Scott West, whose career is back on track after a money laundering conviction, considers the divey Preservation Pub and its nightly live music to be the “heart of the heart” — that is, the pulse that makes Knoxville’s pedestrian plaza Market Square come alive as one of the most-visited parts of the Scruffy City. — Wilusz

Preservation Pub a top U.S. bar: Everything to know before you go

District XII Social Club | Memphis

Details: 6642 Winchester Road; 901-422-3372; d12socialclub.com

Named partially in reference to the home of the main characters from “The Hunger Games,” District XII is a bar and nightclub like no other in Memphis. The club from duo Brent Hooks and Tony Smith was designed to fill a gap they noticed in the city’s nightlife: a space for millennials to enjoy. “It’s by us and for us,” Hooks said. Between a first-rate cocktail menu, freshly cooked wings and flatbreads, diverse music selection, constant party atmosphere and décor Hooks described as “simple, but classy,” DXII is worth a weekend out. Just make sure you reserve a booth. — Jacob Wilt, The Commercial Appeal

Earnestine & Hazel’s | Memphis

Details: 531 S. Main St.; 901-523-9754, earnestineandhazel.com

The word “iconic” gets thrown around a lot these days, but it’s an entirely apt description of this bar. The building Earnestine & Hazel’s calls home is nearly 100 years old, always packed, somewhat grimy and certainly haunted. And it’s the best dive bar in Memphis. The ’30s-era pharmacy, hair salon, and later café and brothel was revived in the mid-1990s, quickly becoming a go-to spot for great music and great times. Grab a famous Soul Burger and listen to live music from local artists downstairs, or head upstairs into a moodily lit side room to chat and drink with friends for hours. E&H’s is a must-visit spot for dive bar lovers. — Wilt

Fox Bar | Nashville

Details: 2905B Gallatin Pike; thefoxnashville.com

This East Nashville bar has a hidden feel, located on the backside of a building fronting nondescript Gallatin Pike, where most drivers are headed elsewhere. That I-can’t-believe-I-stumbled-on-this-place vibe continues inside, with a gorgeously moody interior that somehow feels upscale Roaring ’20s speakeasy and Western saloon all at once. The bar stock may be intimidating, but the bartenders are anything but, and they’ll walk you through an impressive selection of whiskeys and unusual sprits made into craft cocktails such as the Sunday Gravy. That one’s a surprise hit, made with sun-dried tomato, gentian, dry sherry, bay leaf and parmesan rind for a delightfully savory and unforgettable drink. — Lunsford

Lipstick Lounge | Nashville

Details: 1400 Woodland St.; 615-226-6343, thelipsticklounge.com

Lipstick Lounge is an icon of once-gritty East Nashville. Now pricey homes surround it. But the bar, which opened in 2002, serves as a reminder of when the neighborhood was less polished. When it was a haven for artists and musicians who hadn’t yet struck it big. When it was proudly home to a come-as-you-are attitude. Lipstick Lounge is still that. It’s a colorful, raucous good time, with thumping music and costumes everywhere, even on a Sunday afternoon. Customers come for a huge menu of hangover drinks like the peach schnapps-based Flying Phyllis Diller, an ode to the queen of one-liners whose gay fan base is immense. Yes, Lipstick Lounge is a gay bar, but foremost it’s “a bar for humans,” its owners are fond of saying. It’s a bar for anyone who likes to have fun in a welcoming but wild atmosphere. — Lunsford

Lipstick Lounge a top U.S. bar: Everything to know before you go

Robert’s Western World | Nashville

Details: 416 Broadway #B; 615-244-9552; robertswesternworld.com

This 25-year-old Broadway bar could be considered a honky-tonk OG. It’s certainly one of the few bars on Broadway frequented unironically by a measurable number of locals. Robert’s is worth fighting the crowds. On that stage, country stars are born, go big and then come back again after their shows on the big Bridgestone Arena stage. Behind the bar you’ll find plenty of cold beers, whiskeys and signature cocktails, plus one nearly world-famous fried bologna sandwich. — Lunsford

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ODESSA — Texas last week began dividing $1 billion in taxpayer approved money among different types of water infrastructure and supply projects.

Most of the money will go toward low-interest loan programs to help cities and water systems upgrade drinking water systems and water conservation projects.

At least $45 million will be reserved for communities with fewer than 1,000 residents. And about $130 million will go to towns with 1,001 and 10,000 residents. The Texas Water Development Board, the agency responsible for the state’s water supply and managing this money, also set aside $20 million for high-risk projects.

Texas is losing billions of gallons of water each year due to outdated water infrastructure. Smaller rural towns that lack a taxbase are particularly behind in updating their pipes and valves. State lawmakers in 2023 asked voters to approve the $1 billion to help municipalities fix broken pipes.

While water advocates are excited for the $1 billion to begin flowing to local water systems, it will not be enough to solve the state’s water woes.

The water board said the state will have to spend $80 billion by 2070 to keep its infrastructure up-to-date, according to the 2022 water plan.

[Everything you need to know about Texas’ beleaguered water systems]

“We have a whole lot more applications that are submitted than we have capacity in any given program year to provide financial assistance,” said Kathleen Ligon, the interim executive administrator at the Water Development Board.

The water board said this week it also plans to spend up to $450 million toward existing financial assistance programs, $90 million on water loss and conservation programs, $10 million on marketing campaigns and $5 million on “educational resources and programming, data visualization tools and other initiatives” that schools can access.

The water board has already received 68 requests from cities and local water systems for this pot of money, which will be combined with existing state and federal tax dollars. The projects selected for the money will be announced in August. The board has set aside $250 million for another round of applications. It has not pushed rules on how to apply for that pool of money yet.

Communities can expect to see improvements to their systems from this new money in about a year, said Terry Fowler, executive director of the Texas Water Infrastructure Network, a trade association representing public and private construction companies.

Securing workers and contractors will be a challenge for communities seeking to improve their water infrastructure, he said. Cities, counties and water districts should have a clear idea of the projects they hope to propose.

“It’s a very busy market, we have a lot of projects going on, there’s a lot of backlog,” he said.

Fowler said he hopes lawmakers find additional ways to pay for water infrastructure projects in the next legislative session, including promoting more loan based programs whose interest could go toward the Water Development Board. He said he thinks eventually, the cost of keeping up with the infrastructure will be foot by consumers.

“I think that Texans need to understand that just because of the way things are going with our water supply and infrastructure issues, your water bills are going to increase,” he said.

Big news: director and screenwriter Richard Linklater; NPR President and CEO Katherine Maher; U.S. Rep. Pete Aguilar, D-California; and Luci Baines Johnson will take the stage at The Texas Tribune Festival, Sept. 5–7 in downtown Austin. Buy tickets today!

Consensus four-star forward Cam Ward cut his recruitment to 10 schools on Sunday and Virginia made the cut. In addition to the Cavaliers, Ward is considering Michigan State, Marquette, Mississippi State, Alabama, Kansas State, Maryland, Notre Dame, Vanderbilt, and Florida State.

Per a report from On3’s Joe Tipton, Ward has scheduled official visits to Kansas State (September 13), Maryland (September 21), Michigan State (September 28), and Alabama (October 12). Virginia hosted Ward for an unofficial visit back on June 27th, but the Cavaliers were not included in his initial list of scheduled official visits. Ward also previously took unofficial visits to Georgetown, Maryland, Notre Dame, Florida State, and Marquette.

Ward is ranked the No. 48 overall prospect in the class of 2025 according to the 247Sports Composite, which also rates him as the No. 15 power forward in the country and the No. 2 player in the state of Maryland.

A 6’7″ wing out of Largo High School in Upper Marlboro, Maryland, Ward is already having himself an incredible year. After helping to lead Largo to a state championship and becoming the school’s all-time leading scorer in the spring, Ward has continued that momentum on the summer basketball circuit, drawing attention from countless major conference programs and coaches.

Per reporting from UVA basketball recruiting expert Hooz Got Next, Cam Ward is one of Virginia’s top remaining targets in the recruiting class of 2025, in addition to Derek Dixon, Nate Ament, Chance Mallory, Mason Blackwood, Isaiah Denis, JJ Mandaquit, Matthew Able, and Jack McCaffery.