Gone but not forgotten: Knoxville area restaurants and retailers we miss.

[TNnative]

Anyone remember when the Marriott Downtown was the Hyatt and they had a really cool Sunday Brunch up on the top floor?

We would go when friends and family would visit from out of town and I remember as a kid being so excited to ride the glass elevators.

I caught a cab from Hyatt Regency to return to Campus after the Boston concert. Me and my floormate in Hess figured that was a sane place to call for one to get back. Brad Delp got out of his limo, came up to us, and carried on a 15 minutes conversation with us. That was the "Don't Look Back" tour in 78. Every time I have been back there, I go back to the main entrance to remember it. Especially after he committed suicide. Super sad, because he really was a super nice guy. No ego at all.

 

[TNnative]

Hungry Fisherman
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That's it.

 

[Thunder Good-Oil]

Guy holding the ice cream cone is Swenson's. Not sure if it's the Downtown West location or another one in town.

I guess I missed on that one. I was thinking the Quarterback when they moved to Papermill Road.

 

[Thunder Good-Oil]

Sure, absolutely, we would go maybe once every three months for the Sunday buffet. There were families like us plus what appeared to be starving grad students getting their only non-ramen meal for the week. Awesome buffet with bottomless champagne.

They had a bar on maybe the second floor, can’t remember the name, but we called it Que Tacky.

The bar on a pedestal in the Hyatt lobby might have been called Tiki or something similar. Short name iirc.

 

[WallyBalls]

Who can name any of these old Knoxville restaurants?
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Is that first one the Roman Room?

 

[MAD]

Is that first one the Roman Room?

The first one is Brothers Nazeeh Aqqad, left, and Nabih Aqqad, owners of Ali Baba's Time Out Deli.

 

[WallyBalls]

The first one is Brothers Nazeeh Aqqad, left, and Nabih Aqqad, owners of Ali Baba's Time Out Deli.

Ahhhh, ok. I should have known that. I saw Volburger and went with it (i realize about 2 dozen places have "volburgers" but I thought one guy looked like George at the RR).

 

[TNnative]

The bar on a pedestal in the Hyatt lobby might have been called Tiki or something similar. Short name iirc.

I believe it was called the Tiki. It made sense on the general structural design and dimensions, but not on decor. Tasteful for that time period.

 

[VolNExile]

Yep, the Tiki Hut.

Remember the 'Hyatt House'? Unique downtown Knoxville hotel opened in 1972

• 

 

[MAD]

Yep, the Tiki Hut.

Remember the 'Hyatt House'? Unique downtown Knoxville hotel opened in 1972

• 

I remember in the lobby they had a pong game, I thought it was the coolest thing.

 

[NEVolFan]

Sure, absolutely, we would go maybe once every three months for the Sunday buffet. There were families like us plus what appeared to be starving grad students getting their only non-ramen meal for the week. Awesome buffet with bottomless champagne.

They had a bar on maybe the second floor, can’t remember the name, but we called it Que Tacky.

Oh yeah... many a Sunday brunch with a good buzz on the champagne... I always topped it off with a strawberry crepe, pan fried so nice.

 

[bigdaddy]

Sam & Jerry's maybe ?

That’s what I was thinking. Right before the church.

 

[Coug]

 

[Dumbledorange]

...Brother Jacks...

Qui, qui!

 

[Zues1]

Buffet in the Merchant Road area? Duff's maybe?

 

[Coug]

Buffet in the Merchant Road area? Duff's maybe?

Duff's Smorgasbord. I'm not sure where it was exactly, it was before my time. A friend was telling me about it so I did some digging.

 

[TNTUBA]

I grew up in East Knoxville. Went to Carter. There was a small restaurant in the middle of 4 way in called "Lightnings" I'm sure the memory of its greatness is a bit over stated due to nostalgia, but I really miss that place.

There was a small joint not far down the road from there call the Tackle Box that was also pretty solid.

Used to be a joint near the Pizza Palace called Tic Toc that had good BBQ

Not far from Tic Toc there was an old school pit BBQ joint called Scruggs Real Pit BBQ. Some of the best ribs Ive had. Closed about 8 years ago but the sign is still there.

When I lived near Cedar Bluff I used to frequent Baker Peters, Rookies and Baileys but they are all gone now.

The Charlie Peppers in the Old City was right by the front door to the apartment I shared in under graduate school. Spent a lot of time there and Patrick Sullivan's.

The pizza joint in East Town mall from like 30 years ago (not the one that recently closed....but the OLD one) was legit .

Used to be a really nice billiards club off Chapman Highway called "McDonald's Billiards" they had legit 12' snooker tables....dunno if they are still there or not and there was a Old School skating rink at Chapman and John Sevier.

While I was getting my under graduate degree I worked at the Radio Shack on Chapman highway for 4 years. It's gone...and now they all are.

Had a first date at the Steffano's out west. I think there is a strip mall there now.

Used to be a Pizza Joint beside the dollar theater on Kingston pike called Roman's. Owners name was Dave. Pizza was good but his Chicken Parm sub was out of this world. Place that is there now is decent, but not the same vibe.

Man...that was a trip down memory lane and an acknowledgment that I am legit OLD now.

 

[Thunder Good-Oil]

There were 4 Stefano's in West Knoxville that have closed. West Hills, Cedar Bluff, Farragut, and Turkey Creek. TC closed shortly after opening.

 

[sportsnut624]

I grew up in East Knoxville. Went to Carter. There was a small restaurant in the middle of 4 way in called "Lightnings" I'm sure the memory of its greatness is a bit over stated due to nostalgia, but I really miss that place.

There was a small joint not far down the road from there call the Tackle Box that was also pretty solid.

Used to be a joint near the Pizza Palace called Tic Toc that had good BBQ

Not far from Tic Toc there was an old school pit BBQ joint called Scruggs Real Pit BBQ. Some of the best ribs Ive had. Closed about 8 years ago but the sign is still there.

When I lived near Cedar Bluff I used to frequent Baker Peters, Rookies and Baileys but they are all gone now.

The Charlie Peppers in the Old City was right by the front door to the apartment I shared in under graduate school. Spent a lot of time there and Patrick Sullivan's.

The pizza joint in East Town mall from like 30 years ago (not the one that recently closed....but the OLD one) was legit .

Used to be a really nice billiards club off Chapman Highway called "McDonald's Billiards" they had legit 12' snooker tables....dunno if they are still there or not and there was a Old School skating rink at Chapman and John Sevier.

While I was getting my under graduate degree I worked at the Radio Shack on Chapman highway for 4 years. It's gone...and now they all are.

Had a first date at the Steffano's out west. I think there is a strip mall there now.

Used to be a Pizza Joint beside the dollar theater on Kingston pike called Roman's. Owners name was Dave. Pizza was good but his Chicken Parm sub was out of this world. Place that is there now is decent, but not the same vibe.

Man...that was a trip down memory lane and an acknowledgment that I am legit OLD now.

I think the pizza place in east town mall was elidios if I remember correctly. He moved out to Callahan drive after leaving the mall.

 

[Ace]

I grew up in East Knoxville. Went to Carter. There was a small restaurant in the middle of 4 way in called "Lightnings" I'm sure the memory of its greatness is a bit over stated due to nostalgia, but I really miss that place.

There was a small joint not far down the road from there call the Tackle Box that was also pretty solid.

Used to be a joint near the Pizza Palace called Tic Toc that had good BBQ

Not far from Tic Toc there was an old school pit BBQ joint called Scruggs Real Pit BBQ. Some of the best ribs Ive had. Closed about 8 years ago but the sign is still there.

When I lived near Cedar Bluff I used to frequent Baker Peters, Rookies and Baileys but they are all gone now.

The Charlie Peppers in the Old City was right by the front door to the apartment I shared in under graduate school. Spent a lot of time there and Patrick Sullivan's.

The pizza joint in East Town mall from like 30 years ago (not the one that recently closed....but the OLD one) was legit .

Used to be a really nice billiards club off Chapman Highway called "McDonald's Billiards" they had legit 12' snooker tables....dunno if they are still there or not and there was a Old School skating rink at Chapman and John Sevier.

While I was getting my under graduate degree I worked at the Radio Shack on Chapman highway for 4 years. It's gone...and now they all are.

Had a first date at the Steffano's out west. I think there is a strip mall there now.

Used to be a Pizza Joint beside the dollar theater on Kingston pike called Roman's. Owners name was Dave. Pizza was good but his Chicken Parm sub was out of this world. Place that is there now is decent, but not the same vibe.

Man...that was a trip down memory lane and an acknowledgment that I am legit OLD now.

As a kid, our family would eat at Tic Toc after going to Fair. I can’t remember anything about food. I just thought the name Tic Toc was cool

 

[bigdaddy]

MCdonalds billiards was awesome and actually used to be on gay street in the 50s. My dad used to go. They kept the bench from there when they moved to Chapman. You could also by legit pool tables in there. Great place. Next time I head out to Seymour I’ll take a look and see if it’s still there

 

[pismonque]

Back in the late 80s, maybe early 90s, there was a nice little pool hall on Forest Park in front of where EarthFare is now, sort of next to the antique store that's still there. I believe it was called Felt Physics. Used to go there all the time.

 

[Coug]

There were 4 Stefano's in West Knoxville that have closed. West Hills, Cedar Bluff, Farragut, and Turkey Creek. TC closed shortly after opening.

Where was the one on Cedar Bluff? The Hardin Valley and Cumberland Avenue locations are still open. We just ate at Hardin Valley a few days ago. It was very good.

 

[Zues1]

MCdonalds billiards was awesome and actually used to be on gay street in the 50s. My dad used to go. They kept the bench from there when they moved to Chapman. You could also by legit pool tables in there. Great place. Next time I head out to Seymour I’ll take a look and see if it’s still there

McDonald's is still in business. Lot of money changed a lot of hands on those tables every weekend when I was quite a bit younger.

 

[Thunder Good-Oil]

Where was the one on Cedar Bluff? The Hardin Valley and Cumberland Avenue locations are still open. We just ate at Hardin Valley a few days ago. It was very good.

There was a very small one in the shopping center with the Dollar General store. It was by the little courtyard near the eastern end. It wasn't there long. It only had a couple of tables.

There was another Stefano's by a college, I think towards Chattanooga. I never visited that one. I only went to the one in Farragut (near Village Green) one time and never made it to Turkey Creek. I've been to Cumberland Avenue a hundred times or more.

I liked the one in West Hills across from the Gallery near the U-Haul.