Our own score. Scored by a person.
Google averages strangers. Yelp ranks whoever plays the game best. The Round is different: one number, out of ten, from someone who stood at the bar, checked the prices, and asked the only questions that matter to a local.
Every venue gets asked the same five questions. Each is worth 0, 1, or 2 points. Add them up and that's the score — no weighting, no secret sauce, no adjustment because somebody bought an ad (nobody can buy an ad).
Locals' room. Do locals actually go?.
Fair pour. Honest prices, real deals.
Character. Feels like Nashville.
Walk-in-ability. Show up, get served.
Neighborhood fit. A reason to come to this hood.
9–10 · Local Legend. Cancel your other plans.
7–8 · Solid Round. You won't regret it.
5–6 · Worth a Stop. Good on the right night.
0–4 · Just the number. No tier label — the score speaks.
Every score carries a verified date — the month someone from The Local Round last confirmed the deals, the hours, and the vibe in person. Venues we haven't scored yet show their Google rating instead, clearly labeled. We'd rather show you a borrowed number than a made-up one.
Venues can't buy a score, raise a score, or make a bad one disappear. The rubric is public, the verdicts are one honest sentence, and when a place slips, the score follows. That's the whole model — it only works if you can trust the number.