Franklin's Melting Pot. I love it. Every sector of the people-watching rainbow is represented at the Pond.
You've got crotchety old men huddled over their beers watching sports highlights at the bar.
You've got some serious big-booty sistas "dropping it like its hot" to early 90's hip-hop.
You've got 20-something gay boys making out on a couch I would hate to see under a blacklight.
You've got your karaoke crew, showing up every Thursday night to sing the same songs to the pumping fists of the same crowd. (One guy ABSOLUTELY SLAYS that song by the Darkness that used to be popular in the mid-2000's)
You've got the whole cast of characters. I see the same faces there every night. They exchange hugs, smile, catch up with each other, and of course they do a bunch of shots.
You've got some of the friendliest bartenders in the business (and I've been in a LOT of bars in a LOT of different towns). Seriously, these guys/girls know how to make you feel welcome.
You've got the merchandise. The beer selection is pretty darn good. Lots of New Belgium stuff on tap, but I generally rock a Laughing Skull. Yuengling is usually on special for about $2.50. Lots of different bottles of liquor on the wall, the ladies seem to love the Tennessee Honey by Jack Daniels.
You've got the decor. The vintage tap-handles on the ceiling and the Marilyn Monroe paintings on the South wall get a thumbs-up. The tattoo flash koi logo is everywhere. Kind of Ed Hardy-esque so thumbs down.
Wandered into The Pond for a quick drink on a Saturday afternoon. Â Ended up staying rather late. Â Shay and April were great bartenders. Â Attentive and engaging in conversation. Â This place is just a down to earth, hole in the wall, neighborhood bar. Â In a city like Franklin, it's good to find a spot where people are just people. Â There are all walks of life hanging out, having conversation, and enjoying a cold beverage. Â The band playing on Saturday night was simply awesome. Â They were far better than I could have imagined. Â Met a guy who had just moved into town, had some good conversation, and left feeling like I'd met a new friend. Â Highly recommend!
Review Source:Unbelievably cool hidden gem in a strip mall in Franklin of all places. And when I say hidden I really mean it because being unfamiliar with the area I almost couldn't find it. Was my GPS on the fritz? Wouldn't be the first time. No, it's there, it just isn't readily visible from Hillsboro road. Â Even the second time I went I still had a hard time finding it.
The inside is dark, almost dingy, and unfortunately really smokey. That last part is real turnoff for me but the charm of this place is still worth it.
I've been here for a couple of "Saturday Night Specials" and I've seen everything from  an attractive suicide girl dancing with a hula hoop to a full on burlesque ensemble to a live band and also several amateur comedians. Maybe it was the abundance of booze (we'll get to that in a minute) but I've laughed uproariously every time I've been there. The host/MC of the Saturday special, Randy, is also rather funny.  You can check on Facebook for the particular lineup every week. The shows are supposed to start at 10 but in my experience they are always start late. It is best to arrive early because by 10 the place has always been standing room only and on one Saturday I was there the place hit capacity. It's really not that big.
The ambiance of this place is really great in a WTF kind of way. I think another yelper said the inside looks like what you would expect in a high school party basement and I couldn't agree more. There a few tables and several couches... it's kind of strange but it all works. Be careful if you are drinking anything other than beer because the drinks are stronger than what you pour yourself at home. Bourbon on the rocks? Okay. Here is a whole glass of bourbon and a couple ice cubes. It's easy to get twisted quick, fast, and in a hurry.
I can't see myself going here every weekend but this place is a fantastic change of pace to do something out of the ordinary and is totally worth the long trek down to the butthole of Franklin.
Ok so I would have never have known this place was here if I hadn't locked my keys in my truck at Kroger. Â I saw an open sign, came in and fell in love.
Really friends bar back, after picking on me, made me some strong drinks, the music was amazing. Â They had one of the best bluegrass bands playing I've heard in awhile.
Super comfy couches, large bar area and great locals made me fell like I was home. Â It's a dive bar dream come true. Â if your looking for some good ol people, some kick ass tunes, and a cold beer, swing in here, I do every time I'm in town. Â
*note if your a bleach blonde yoo hoo girl go to tin roof where you'll find your people.....
Since a friend and I got off work early on Friday, we decided to get our nails done. Â Of course, this is a holiday weekend so there was a wait to get our nails and pedicure done. Â So, my friend suggested we get a quick drink at here. It was great! Â
I had a great time! Â This place reminded me of Courtyard Cafe (a neighborhood bar reminiscent of Cheers). Â It was a place where everyone knows your name. Â Although there was only 5 people there (keep in mind, we were there around 3:30), it was great! Â
I would definitely recommend this place for a low-key great time!
Who knew the Frank-diddy had dive bars? I guess its a left over relic from when Franklin used to actually be a farming community? Either way, very nicely done dive efforts Franklin, I really like this dodgy place.
Couches I'd be scared to sit on? Check. Mediocre entertainment nights? Check. A well-priced well-drink (see what I did there?) that is pretty much booze and more booze? Check. Horrid food you'd only want to eat after 4 of aforementioned strong drinks? Aaaaaaand check. (to be fair my friends ordered the sicker bar items, there were some a'ight looking things up for grabs)
After finding the place in a strip mall parking lot, making my way past ID check and  pulling up a wobbly chair with my shot strength bourbon I tremendously enjoyed the people watching and random stuff on the walls. Oh, yeah - there was a show that night too on a tiny little stage so I imagine they have regular shows, but the real show is the bar and patrons itself. If I lived in the 'burbs this would be my place fo' sho'.
I showed up, there was a Burlesque show going on, place was flooded with non-regulars that were there for the show (I know because I was one and recognized several people).
Awkwardly placed stage causes the entrance to the place to feel like you're entering either a haunted house or a low-budget gentleman's establishment.
Mixed drinks looks like they were jack and jack that had been passed by coke once and got a drop or two... table I sat at with some friends had paint-thinner strength whiskey with a slight tinge of coke faintly evident. Â Looks as though they give you the alcohol and you get to bring your own coke.
The wings were meh I am told. Â They honestly looked a shade of orange I have never seen chicken. More like giant meat-shaped carrots.
Smoking is allowed, evidently encouraged.
I dug the place, I didn't spend much time there, but it was the type of place I would go to again, and want to go to when it's a nicer day.
Finding the place for the first time is a bit of a wandering parking lot adventure... if you pull in the Kroger(or Dollar General) Â entrance, just head toward the back and it's the last mini strip on the left.
The Pond is like if Cheers were cool, and had amazing music. What i mean is that the regulars at The Pond are like a family. In fact one year a bunch of us who didn't have anywhere to go had thanksgiving together at one of the regular's house.
The Pond is your best bet for music in Franklin, and even most of Nashville. Many now popular acts have graced the stage at the pond. Hell Justin Townes Earl used to play there every wednesday for a month or two straight before the release of his first record. I have also seen Tommy Crane play there several times.
The staff has always been top notch since the start. Co-Owner Justin Martin has an amazing musical and beer palette. The Pond is where I learned to love craft beers. I discovered many great breweries from Sweetwater, to Terrapin, Rogue, and many others.
Also Justin has helped invent some amazing mixed drinks. My favorite being what is called "Flick The Minnow". This drink is possibly my favorite mixed drink ever...
I have many fond memories being a musician who has played there many times myself. For a long period of time I ran an open mic there which became quite popular. Many amazing artists used to attend this random tuesday open mic, such as Kristen Cothron, Joel Meeks, Kara Langer, Peter Wells, Boomer Castleman, and many more.
I will also note I once set their stage on fire by accident. I used to take a joke shot on stage (which originally started as a dare from justin)... It was a mixture of half 151 and half tabasco sauce lit on fire... Well one time it was filled too high, and it drizzled over lighting my hand on fire... I then dropped the shot on the stage and yeah... Another time I took 6 of those shots, which are called Satan's Taints on stage. Â
The Pond's atmosphere is dark yet cozy... Lots of amazing artwork from local artist's and some from Justin himself adorn the walls. Most of the artwork is also for sale.
One thing I really respected about the pond was that they normally hired quite capable sound guys. Something very few bars tend to do. This comes from Justin's understanding of quality when it comes to music. I think a downfall of a lot of bars is their lack of quality control when it comes to music.
Hunter S. Thompson is quoted as saying "Good people drink good beer." This one sentence pretty much sums up the pond.
I like going to the Pond Monday morning and drinking buck seventy-five PBRs till I drown, black out and forget. Happy hour's till 7. I like going to the Pond during the early evening. It's like walking into a classic tattoo on a strong man's arm. Go just before the bands show up and start straggling in like they just woke up or just got off their pizza delivery job. You try the spot one who has a tattoo "twin" somewhere in the bar. Good game. The Barflies turn their head for new folks, but never for a band. You see em walking down Main with guitar cases. You know the ones, the lanky 20 somethings modeling the rags of some yesterdecade's wino. Inside, friends sit on the couches and they do not ask who or what has sat there before. They are porch couches, stoop couches, you do not ask. They are where you swallow quickly your cold drink in Thor size draughts (whether or not it won a blue ribbon in a cheat). I've drunk a different beer every time. You don't nurse beers on the couches, you drink them like you were in a contest with a giant. Nursing's what the bar's for. The bar's where you sit to get a good view of your beer, like a scientist huddled over his microscope.
Speaking of scientists, here's another fun pastime: detect the tap: Look for the coolest tap handle among the hundreds that hang from the ceiling; or make your friend (or a friendly-looking stranger) guess which one your thinking of. To some people, that's entertaining, wet or dry. Meanwhile, I'm sure some scruffthroat or other will be playing some (i)tunes that Nashville is fine with. Some one else will be eating chicken "fins", dipping each one in barbecue sauce like they were his own fingers and snapping off another knuckle between his teeth. You'll want some, too. I'm a vegetarian and I can't help myself. That was a lie, I'm not really a vegetarian. I don' t know what they would do in that case, but there actually is a big spread on the menu and most of it looks edible. Hey, drink a beer. If you're cheap like me, get your beer fill during the week when there's specials every night. (and I don't mean "special" people though there's those too some nights).
As far as Franklin goes - this is the closest thing to a Dive bar that you'll find.
They have some couches - some bar tables, and a nice L shaped bar that almost always has a few people around it drinking PBR.
There's also a deck out back with a dart board and a couple picnic tables.
Dont come into the Pond thinking you're going to get some froofroo frozen drinks - you should really stick to beer, or maybe a simple mixed drink. You'll feel out of place if you dont!
It's a great place to go when you're fed up with Franklin pretentiousness and just want to kick back with a PBR (or a Yingling) and hang with some friends.
The Pond in Franklin is a bar and venue with a space similar to Douglas Corner Cafe in Nashville.The room is long and narrow with a bar along one wall at the back and the stage at the far end of the room. Â The entrance and hallway run the length of the side of the room opposite the bar. Â The chairs and tables are pub style wooden chairs. Â The Vibe is really a 'local bar' kinda vibe. Â It doesn't feel like a dive, but as far as Franklin, TN is concerned it probably is a dive since they don't have marble floors.
I like the bar, it is really relaxed. They have a pretty good event calendar which includes the Music City Burlesque troop occasionally. Â They also host a 'bike' night so you can cruise on over with your motorcycle, park and have an evening of fun with other bikers. Â Bands from Nashville definitely have this bar in their circuit of places to play too.
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