Will I be slightly embarrassed when I tell my friends to meet me at a bar called Hubba Hubba Tiki Tonk? Yes. Will I do it anyway? Also yes. When Dave Young still owned Crying Wolf, he had an idea for a pop-culture tiki bar. Then the space he was eyeing was damaged by the 2020 tornado, and the intervening years brought other projects. Young spent much of the pandemic in Seattle, helping a friend open (what else?) a Nashville hot chicken place. Crying Wolf chose not to renew its lease (RIP, burgers and brunch).
During his time in Seattle, Young befriended Chris Jones and Dave Flatman, owners of Screwdriver, the city’s leading rock ’n’ roll bar. Screwdriver’s vibe made Young feel at home — it was similar to what he had pictured for Hubba Hubba, complete with imagery featuring 1980s sitcom icon Alf. In an offhand comment, Jones told Young if he found a new space for Hubba Hubba, they should team up together. So when Young discovered the soon-to-be-vacant space at 922 Main St. in East Nashville, a partnership was born.
In October 2022, they opened Hubba Hubba, an East Side explosion of color and whimsy. Each and every piece of art on the walls (and ceilings and floors) has meaning to someone on the team. That includes the aforementioned Alf (wearing a Hawaiian shirt), Prince, Elvis Presley and Burt Reynolds. The bar currently has two brightly colored, uber-embellished rooms, and a back patio is in the works. As you wait for your crafted drink — complete with obligatory umbrella — you can scan the LPs tacked to the ceiling and painted leaves on the floor. The drink menu includes some tried-and-true tiki drinks, such as the citrusy sweet Planter Punch and the classic Mai Tai, plus a rotating selection of seasonal drinks. A menu of shots will be added soon.
Despite being open for just a few months, the bar feels like it has been there since Alf ruled the airways. Bartenders and patrons know each other by name, and the place exudes the “let your freak flag fly” essence — East Nashville at its best. Hubba Hubba is open seven days a week, starting at 4 p.m., as any good neighborhood hangout should be.
