Knoxville Night Spots

[voldog29]

it's sad to me that after 10 pages Ivy's on Lake and later on the strip has not been mentioned. as the manager there for years i know many of you had your first drink there.
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[MystifyingVol]

At least you remember it. If I could add up all the $$ spent there :blink:

OCI- Get there early and get the front booth or the one by the can.

RIP O'charleys- I spent many a summer afternoon on that patio.

Longbranch- learned to play foosball against the V-Roys there.

Arnold's (later Flamingo's, I don't know now) had some great live bands.

All time fav is Toddy's. Go get drunk and play horseshoes, GoldenTee or darts. Too many nights there.

All of the above k: Is Toddy's still around, I thought I saw a "mega Toddy's" last time I drove down Kingston.

Thursday night was for Spicy's and all you can eat wings and pitchers of Killian's Irish Red.

I also loved Animal Hour at Hawkeye's.... my wife and I actually went there on our first "official" date.

 

[vader]

I enjoyed re-reading this thread. Once again, good times.

Wow. This was a blast from the past. I remember reading this, but this was created on my second day here at the Nation. I was still lurking and too intimidated to post. I am going to move it to the pub soon so it does not get buried quickly.

 

[TheVol]

All of the above k: Is Toddy's still around, I thought I saw a "mega Toddy's" last time I drove down Kingston.

Thursday night was for Spicy's and all you can eat wings and pitchers of Killian's Irish Red.

I also loved Animal Hour at Hawkeye's.... my wife and I actually went there on our first "official" date.

I first hooked up with my wife at Mr. Papa's $1 Long Island Ice Tea night. Great place for underage drinking along with Benji's Deli. They would sell to anyone. Animal Hour was a great way to start an evening before stumbling to the strip.

 

[tsvol06]

It's pretty cool to hear about all of these bars from the early 90s. I started in 01 and from then to 06 the strip really went downhill. There was a really cool bar simply called "The Pub", it was on Lake behind Wendys. O'Charleys was fun but it went away. Tap Room is gone; I shed a tear over this one because I lived in this old house off lake that I could look out my back door and see it.

I think Downtown and the Old City are improving. Speaking only about the strip the good bars now are:

Roaming Gnome-formely Charley Peppers. This bar gives me hope for the strip. Still looks like Charley peppers. They have a bunch of coches, flat screen TVs is the only difference. All the waitresses dress like school girls (and they have some good ones :good!. They have some sort of drink special every day (even weekends which is rare). Very good specials during the week. I think they offer 1.50 bud lights bottles about all the time. They also have surprisingly good food.

Cool Beans- the only constant during my college years and the present. Awesome bar, I can't tell you how many millions of Natty light pitchers I had there. During the school year it is crowded on most nights. Has the reputation to be everyone's last stop before last call. They actually have fixed it up over the last year or so. Flat screen TVs (which was nice when I couldn't find a Northern Illinois ticket for less than $20. Great place to watch the games.

OCI-I don't know if I like it better or worse now. They basically have taken over the whole building structure that used to include Tap Room and while I was there a tanning bed. Also there is a huge patio in front of the former tap room very cool to hango out on during the summer. But the thing is that I always liked the small cramped OCI, seemed to have more character and was easy to meet people (girls). Still a good bar anyway you look at it.

Half Barrel- Used to be Hamburger Henrys, then Beer Seller, don't know what it was called back in the day. It is beside the Suntrust Bank and across from the First Tennssee. This summer they had all drafts $2 every day. They ended that when school started. Haven't been in there in a while but I know people who really like it. I think they now have a patio with roll up doors. Good specials during the week.

Hanna's- good specials during the week. Not usually that crowded in Fall but usually is in Spring. It has been around for a while (10 years or so). Sometimes has bands. Good place but I like others better.

New Amsterdam- Used to be RT's. I was in there a little while back, and it was pretty full. (saw Steven Pearl in there) It was actually really fun. They have a dance floor upstairs and I don't know if it gets really fun or not. When it was RTs it used to be jammed in there. You could bet that you would see 10-15 football players in there after the game on Sat. night.

McCleod's- Right beside Stefano's Pizza. This is the same McCleod's that was in Market Sq. If you want careokye (sp?) this is where you go. They have good drink specials and was crowded both times I was in there.

Bar Knoxville (formely Liquid, Mike and Willy's) and Magic Sushi (formely The Cube and SoHo) are both awful. Bar is for the local 18 year olds to see how trashy they can look. Magic Sushi, well look at the name, can you believe they try to pass it off as a nightspot. There was a video game bar this summer I read about that I never went to; it was called something like Fort Sanders Yacht club. Not sure if it is still there.

 

[Daddy Gee]

What was that place over near the corner of 11th/Forest (open all night if you would just knock on the front door)? Circa 1988... I think it may have moved over to Middlebrook?

Another couple of places that I hung out at were The Spot (a little further west than Toddies) and Union Jacks. Not sure if they still exist or not.

No. It's a retail store of some sort. I loved that place. Many dart games there. The people who worked there (at least in the mid-90s) were the customers, too....

Another classic: Breakfast at the Varsity Inn.

* sadface * I also remember many winter nights upstairs at Hawkeye's. Sunday nights w/ Crawdaddy; we were always there!!!!

I lived at 13th and Highland and went to law school. I would hate to attempt to count the 100s and 100s of meals I ate at Vic and Bill's. Craziest thing I ever saw was Bill threw some moonshine on the grill about 4 A.M. one morning. He was one wacko, funny old guy.

Is it Bill who still works at the one out on Broadway (wears glasses-worked EVERY night!)?

My next roommate was a "Pike" not sure which was worse.

ha They're closed for business for the moment, aren't they? Saw a big demster-dumster out front the other day....

I first hooked up with my wife at Mr. Papa's $1 Long Island Ice Tea night. Great place for underage drinking along with Benji's Deli. They would sell to anyone. Animal Hour was a great way to start an evening before stumbling to the strip.

Mr. Papa's?? Where was that? Sounds familiar...

 

[Ghost of Archvol]

Some good ones there. I used to work at Stefano's and all the punk rock chicks there would make me go to Longbranch after closing. Killed many a liver cells there and at Hawkeye's Animal Hour

Moose's Music Hall had a brief appearance after the Lap/Library went down. Saw some decent bands there (for that era of music). They still had the section of goal post after the 1982 Bama game over the bar. I think it was hauled up Cumberland 1/2 a dozen times. I wonder where it is now?

Whether you were into techno or not, the Underground was quite a site to behold. Loved when they dropped the girls from the roof on the trapeeze swings, shadow dancing and the hottie in the Supergirl outfit on the elevated stage. There was an in-between period where they had a 1/2 pipe in there (weird). I went to the Boiler Room several times, but I can't really remember anything that happened there.:unsure:

The Roman Room had the best lasagna ever.

LaPaz (Chez Guevera) is still the best Mexican restaurant in K-town

OCI's

Toddy's

Longbranch

Flamingo's

Tap Room

that place in the 4th and gill area

Polar Bar (Hannah's)

Chili Pepper's

Union Jack's

The Library/Lap

and the rest of those places that change ownersip every 6 months

 

[Ghost of Archvol]

I remember the Pub. I think it started out as San Antonio Taco Co. then was turned into a place called Jonathan's. It closed down after that and when it re-opened, it started hosting a lot of musical acts. I saw Drivin' 'n Cryin' twice there on their comeback tour. Many good memories there and an easy walk back to my nerd dorm (Melrose).

It's pretty cool to hear about all of these bars from the early 90s. I started in 01 and from then to 06 the strip really went downhill. There was a really cool bar simply called "The Pub", it was on Lake behind Wendys. O'Charleys was fun but it went away. Tap Room is gone; I shed a tear over this one because I lived in this old house off lake that I could look out my back door and see it.

I think Downtown and the Old City are improving. Speaking only about the strip the good bars now are:

Roaming Gnome-formely Charley Peppers. This bar gives me hope for the strip. Still looks like Charley peppers. They have a bunch of coches, flat screen TVs is the only difference. All the waitresses dress like school girls (and they have some good ones :good!. They have some sort of drink special every day (even weekends which is rare). Very good specials during the week. I think they offer 1.50 bud lights bottles about all the time. They also have surprisingly good food.

Cool Beans- the only constant during my college years and the present. Awesome bar, I can't tell you how many millions of Natty light pitchers I had there. During the school year it is crowded on most nights. Has the reputation to be everyone's last stop before last call. They actually have fixed it up over the last year or so. Flat screen TVs (which was nice when I couldn't find a Northern Illinois ticket for less than $20. Great place to watch the games.

OCI-I don't know if I like it better or worse now. They basically have taken over the whole building structure that used to include Tap Room and while I was there a tanning bed. Also there is a huge patio in front of the former tap room very cool to hango out on during the summer. But the thing is that I always liked the small cramped OCI, seemed to have more character and was easy to meet people (girls). Still a good bar anyway you look at it.

Half Barrel- Used to be Hamburger Henrys, then Beer Seller, don't know what it was called back in the day. It is beside the Suntrust Bank and across from the First Tennssee. This summer they had all drafts $2 every day. They ended that when school started. Haven't been in there in a while but I know people who really like it. I think they now have a patio with roll up doors. Good specials during the week.

Hanna's- good specials during the week. Not usually that crowded in Fall but usually is in Spring. It has been around for a while (10 years or so). Sometimes has bands. Good place but I like others better.

New Amsterdam- Used to be RT's. I was in there a little while back, and it was pretty full. (saw Steven Pearl in there) It was actually really fun. They have a dance floor upstairs and I don't know if it gets really fun or not. When it was RTs it used to be jammed in there. You could bet that you would see 10-15 football players in there after the game on Sat. night.

McCleod's- Right beside Stefano's Pizza. This is the same McCleod's that was in Market Sq. If you want careokye (sp?) this is where you go. They have good drink specials and was crowded both times I was in there.

Bar Knoxville (formely Liquid, Mike and Willy's) and Magic Sushi (formely The Cube and SoHo) are both awful. Bar is for the local 18 year olds to see how trashy they can look. Magic Sushi, well look at the name, can you believe they try to pass it off as a nightspot. There was a video game bar this summer I read about that I never went to; it was called something like Fort Sanders Yacht club. Not sure if it is still there.

 

[The Dude]

An 11 year old would have been served at The Pub.

 

[Ghost of Archvol]

Awesome name drop! I spent probably two grand on the Adams Family pinball game and Bud Light there.

Sorry for dropping in late to this thread guys, but I'm feeling the nostalgia

The Electric Wizard.

 

[doozer]

are we talking Campus Pub here as the Pub?

 

[The Dude]

are we talking Campus Pub here as the Pub?

That's what I meant. It later became The Pub but I was of legal age by then.

 

[doozer]

ok, an 11 year old could drink there for sure, but they were pretty strict on who they served.

once the drink or beer left the bar though, it was fair game.

 

[Ghost of Archvol]

Do you guys remember the sports bar called Out of Bounds? It was in that very first, weird brick bldg. on Cumberland where the commercial spots start. I think it's a Smoothie King now or something. My first weekend on campus, I sat down, ordered a beer and ordered one for my 18 year old date. I bet you can't get beer anywhere w/o being carded now.

 

[Daddy Gee]

Do you guys remember the sports bar called Out of Bounds? It was in that very first, weird brick bldg. on Cumberland where the commercial spots start. I think it's a Smoothie King now or something. My first weekend on campus, I sat down, ordered a beer and ordered one for my 18 year old date. I bet you can't get beer anywhere w/o being carded now.

Yes. It was Bash Riprock's before that---4 for 1 on Thursday nights.....whew!!!!!!!!

The Pub? was is on the second floor of that white stucco building? Seems like it was called "The Mat" around '89..... There's a printing co. on the 1st floor now.....

 

[suttree]

Ah, College Park. I actually lived in Woodmeade South, the older, "less nice" grey apartments in front of CP, '94-97. My next door neighbor one year was on the basketball team, but he didn't last long. I can't remember his name. Tall guy (forward?) from Alabama. I think he hopped ship with the coaching change.

One of my favorite memories was the big snow storm we had. We couldn't get off the hill in a car, so we had to walk to Shoney's for breakfast before sledding down the big steep drop toward College Park. Some girl actually broke her neck, I believe, when she slid into/under a guardrail.

Wow. Makes me feel young again. Many stories from that place. . . .

If we're talking about the same accident . . . then she actually broke her shoulder. The guy that came barreling down the hill after her . . she ended up marrying him. I think they had their first kid on 9.11.01. I recall later that night that we ordered pizza from Selvador Deli (white sauce spinach) and that uncle dave delivered it at 1 am or so. He ended up hanging out and throwing darts. Around 4 am when I headed back down the hill to my own woodmeade apt (224, if i recall) uncle dave was still inside talking music and throwing. I recall everything outside being so white and silent . . except for uncle dave's car (plymouth horizon or the like) that was still running (3 hours later) outside with the driver door open where you could tell that he had expected to just run in and drop off the pizza and head on to the next stop. fun times.

 

[T-TownVol]

No list is complete without a mention of the dearly departed Roman Room. George was by far the coolest bar proprietor in K-Town history.

ditto

 

[vol_in_ar]

No list is complete without a mention of the dearly departed Roman Room. George was by far the coolest bar proprietor in K-Town history.

finally something that everyone should agree on..
I loved that place

 

[dickens821]

I go to cool beans pretty regularly. OCI is awesome.

 

[vol_in_ar]

Anyone remember The Bombay Bicycle Club off Papermill and Michaels on Kingston Pike?...had a lot of good times at those 2 in the 90's...

I think they're both closed now....

also, another club on Kingston Pike not too far from West Town Mall and Michaels....can't remember the name of it now? It was a fun place too.

Went through all 12 pages to see if anyone mentioned Michaels
glad to see it made it even though it wasn't near campus

another one that was downtown was Lord Lindsay's
I remember they would drop screens down and all you would see would be silloutes dancing

 

[NochNoch]

another one that was downtown was Lord Lindsay's
I remember they would drop screens down and all you would see would be silloutes dancing

I love the smell of ecstasy in the morning!

I remember a really small jazz club down on Kingston Pike, across the street from where Corky's (I think) was.

Also, there was one place that looked like the basement of someone's house, just one big open room. They had bands play there and some kid just sat behind a desk selling Bud and Bud Light cans out of a cooler. God I miss being in school!

 

[kiddiedoc]

I remember a really small jazz club down on Kingston Pike, across the street from where Corky's (I think) was.

Also, there was one place that looked like the basement of someone's house, just one big open room. They had bands play there and some kid just sat behind a desk selling Bud and Bud Light cans out of a cooler. God I miss being in school!

4620 on the first one?

No idea on #2. Mercury Theater?

 

[vol_in_ar]

I love the smell of ecstasy in the morning!

I remember a really small jazz club down on Kingston Pike, across the street from where Corky's (I think) was.

Also, there was one place that looked like the basement of someone's house, just one big open room. They had bands play there and some kid just sat behind a desk selling Bud and Bud Light cans out of a cooler. God I miss being in school!

I'd like to know number 2..Never heard of it

 

[vol_in_ar]

How about the Annex on Lake..
I think it was run by the same folks that ran Ivy's..

 

[vol_in_ar]

It has been a few years since I have been to Knoxville but the last time i was there I went to this huge club called Cockeyed Joes. Is that place still open. It was rocken the night I was there we just won a Football game. The place was packed.

i think you mean cotten eyed joes