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

[Vjcvette]

Well I spent a lot of time at the Orange Tee in 77 and 78 and I also worked at the Bakers-Peters House in 77 and 78
and I believe that the Orange Tee was on the right just a little ways from the Bakers-Peters house on the left.

 

[vader]

Baker Peters seemed like a cool place. I was in Knoxville in the early 90s and I don’t recall ever going.

 

[SpecialKVolfan20]

I remember there was a radio station that had an RV as a mobile studio. Seems they would broadcast from there before the games, too. Anyone remember?

WDVX did and maybe still does?
East Tennessee's Own WDVX — History & Mission

 

[mad4vols]

WDVX did and maybe still does?
East Tennessee's Own WDVX — History & Mission

Great link, thanks for posting.

 

[EricStratton]

WDVX did and maybe still does?
East Tennessee's Own WDVX — History & Mission

That was their studio when they were working out the complete grift. The one I’m talking about was before the nonprofit boom. Think it was WOKI.

 

[Thunder Good-Oil]

WDVX did and maybe still does?
East Tennessee's Own WDVX — History & Mission

The camper was their permanent broadcasting studio, not a remote unit.

Tony Lawson worked at WIMZ when Phil Williams was there. PW often mentioned Tony “The Bear” Lawson on the air.

There was a big dust up over control of WDVX about 15 years ago. I think that Lawson had donated a lot of his own equipment to get it off the ground.

 

[tbh]

Darryl’s was one and the China Inn, plus Casa Ga Artas Mexican restaurant (spelling). I really liked those three restaurants.

Man, I remember my parents talking about going to Darryl's and Casa Gallardo pre-me after they had relocated to Knoxville from Atlanta (a move for which I am forever grateful).

One story I recall in particular was them having a night out at Darryl's (I think...although not 100% certain) and they had a shrimp cocktail as an appetizer. Within a few minutes, Mom was puking her guts out in the restroom. Apparently that was one of the ways I announced my eventual arrival, haha.

 

[Vjcvette]

Darryl’s was one and the China Inn, plus Casa Ga Artas Mexican restaurant (spelling). I really liked those three restaurants.

I went to all of those restaurants when I lived and worked in Knoxville in the late 70's

 

[Vjcvette]

I found an add that my Mother had saved, it was announcing the opening of her dance
school in Knoxville in 1955, and she also had one in Lenoir City.

 

[mad4vols]

I found an add that my Mother had saved, it was announcing the opening of her dance
school in Knoxville in 1955, and she also had one in Lenoir City.
View attachment 474101 View attachment 474102

Don’t remember which dance school my sister went to in Knoxville, but I remember she took tap, ballet and baton

 

[Vjcvette]

Don’t remember which dance school my sister went to in Knoxville, but I remember she took tap, ballet and baton

Well when my Mother married my Dad shortly after that, she gave it all up and became a Navy wife and followed him around the world, but
thats what love will do....

 

[feathersax]

Yes. Bill Jenkins. Seems like he played an actual bass guitar with his feet.

Bill Jenkins. A favorite memory is him playing "Rocky Top "& other Vol favorites dow on West End prior to Tennessee-commode-door game. All 8 vandie fans frowned in unison.

 

[Majors]

Checkered Flag Sports Bar
Hunter Brothers

both in Powell

 

[TrumpedUpVol]

Can anyone confirm whether or not a Ruby Tuesday was ever located in this building (approximately 1836 Cumberland Ave)? There was a period where the building housed a bar called RT's, and I had always heard that it received the name because it was the site of the first (seems unlikely, given that everything points to 716 20th Street above Stefanos) or at least an early location of the restaurant chain... but I can't find anything at all to support that claim.

 

[mad4vols]

Can anyone confirm whether or not a Ruby Tuesday was ever located in this building (approximately 1836 Cumberland Ave)? There was a period where the building housed a bar called RT's, and I had always heard that it received the name because it was the site of the first (seems unlikely, given that everything points to 716 20th Street above Stefanos) or at least an early location of the restaurant chain... but I can't find anything at all to support that claim.

We need our resident Knoxville historian @Thunder Good-Oil for this.

 

[Wireless1]

It seems to be gone in 1985. The previous aerial pics are way back in 1969. It was the Orange Tee. I don’t remember a par 3 course, but maybe a couple of par 3 holes. Seems like there was a green just north of the little building. Pat Ryan was born in 1955 and was on the Jets roster starting in 1978. I’d never heard that he was involved. The driving range was going strong around 1979/80ish. He would have been in his early 20s. I believe that the Hinds family was the owner or one of the partners of the driving range. Later there was a different driving range in the same area just to the NE (NW of the Pontiac dealer (Howard and then Grayson)).

I thought that the Orange Tee was just across from Ebenezer but looking at the aerials it might have been slightly farther east on one side or the other of Ten Mile Creek. The property was about the same elevation with Kingston Pike. Town and Country shopping center (east side of Peters Road) and the Krystal seem to be a bit too elevated for it to have been directly across from Ebenezer.

Some of the poles that held the nets might still be on the right hand side of the property. There is still a lot of open, undeveloped space in that area. Lots of long time property owners as well so the driving range owners probably were leasing the ground.

The Orange Tee's clubhouse is currently The Mouse's Ear. It and the High Voltage powerlines in The Common's parking lot haven't been moved

 

[Thunder Good-Oil]

The Orange Tee's clubhouse is currently The Mouse's Ear. It and the High Voltage powerlines in The Common's parking lot haven't been moved

That’s hilarious. I didn’t know that the OT and the Mouse’s Ear are the same building.

 

[Thunder Good-Oil]

Can anyone confirm whether or not a Ruby Tuesday was ever located in this building (approximately 1836 Cumberland Ave)? There was a period where the building housed a bar called RT's, and I had always heard that it received the name because it was the site of the first (seems unlikely, given that everything points to 716 20th Street above Stefanos) or at least an early location of the restaurant chain... but I can't find anything at all to support that claim.

The original Ruby Tuesday is above Stefano’s. I don’t think they were ever located in the pictured building which is just west of First TN (Horizon) Bank. There was a small Chili’s (Express?) for a couple of years that might have been just east of First TN (an old lady lived in her house on that spot before that - probably the last house on Cumberland Avenue).

The Ruby Tuesday above Stefano’s had a problem with their kitchen exit. The door opened up on the adjacent property (a roof top parking lot) and they couldn’t work out a deal and stay compliant with the city. So they shut it down. At least that’s the story I’ve heard.

 

[Thunder Good-Oil]

That’s hilarious. I didn’t know that the OT and the Mouse’s Ear are the same building.

The ME is just above the building with the red roof. I don’t remember the thick tree growth just to the East, but it was 40 years ago. It could have filled in over the decades. The open area east of the trees is where I was thinking. Wasn’t the clubhouse adjacent to the gravel parking lot? The ME spot does make more sense being across from Ebenezer Road, but the ME building is set back from Kingston Pike a bit more than I remember.

Did the OT gave more than one clubhouse building? I think that I might have played video games and drank beer there a few times in the early 80s.

There was another driving range in the mid 80s where the long warehouse buildings are in the upper right. The balls were hit westward - parallel to I-40 and KP.

 

[Thunder Good-Oil]

Alexander’s Restaurant was also in that area. Just east of the OT. Seems like it was up on a hill. I think the structure (an old house) was the American Legion building.

Another restaurant was across Kingston Pike and back in the woods. Hanna’s.. It was on the zoo guy (Jack Hanna) family’s property.

The aerial is 1969. SE corner of Ebenezer and Kingston Pike. The restaurant went into one of those buildings about 10 years later. Then the existing subdivision was there in the mid 1980s.

 

[Thunder Good-Oil]

The building that Alexander’s went into must be the lone structure on the north side of Kingston Pike. The American Legion was possibly using the space in back. It might have been an 1800s house.

 

[Wireless1]

The ME is just above the building with the red roof. I don’t remember the thick tree growth just to the East, but it was 40 years ago. It could have filled in over the decades. The open area east of the trees is where I was thinking. Wasn’t the clubhouse adjacent to the gravel parking lot? The ME spot does make more sense being across from Ebenezer Road, but the ME building is set back from Kingston Pike a bit more than I remember.

Did the OT gave more than one clubhouse building? I think that I might have played video games and drank beer there a few times in the early 80s.

There was another driving range in the mid 80s where the long warehouse buildings are in the upper right. The balls were hit westward - parallel to I-40 and KP.

Would be interesting if somebody had an old score card. The wooded area is a creek/drainage area and has grown up a lot. If you go the back way to lowes you’d see how much just over the last 10 years…it sufficient for a homeless camp. Since the OT there has been a lot of earth moved so including creeks rerouted so it’s hard to tell.

 

[Vjcvette]

The Orange Tee's clubhouse is currently The Mouse's Ear. It and the High Voltage powerlines in The Common's parking lot haven't been moved

I did not know that, but I did spend a lot if time at the OT

 

[Vjcvette]

Alexander’s Restaurant was also in that area. Just east of the OT. Seems like it was up on a hill. I think the structure (an old house) was the American Legion building.

Another restaurant was across Kingston Pike and back in the woods. Hanna’s.. It was on the zoo guy (Jack Hanna) family’s property.

The aerial is 1969. SE corner of Ebenezer and Kingston Pike. The restaurant went into one of those buildings about 10 years later. Then the existing subdivision was there in the mid 1980s.

I also went to Hanna's in the late 70's too

 

[EricStratton]

The camper was their permanent broadcasting studio, not a remote unit.

Tony Lawson worked at WIMZ when Phil Williams was there. PW often mentioned Tony “The Bear” Lawson on the air.

There was a big dust up over control of WDVX about 15 years ago. I think that Lawson had donated a lot of his own equipment to get it off the ground.

The camper was the permanent studio when they were still in their City of License, Norris, and were broadcasting from the Fox Inn rv park. Tony Lawson is a untrustworthy and dishonest person. Phil Williams is a complete failure. This is Knoxville though and Knoxville is known for its butt kissing of complete zeroes. Lawson donated nothing to the start. And to keep on topic I miss Putt Putt on Chapman Hwy., for the hole in one.