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

#127
#127
The Torch restaurant and it's Bowl Special - a bowl of soup and a grilled cheese sammie for under two bucks.

The Cat's Meo, a bar/restaurant in an old house on the north side of Cumberland Ave, just west of 22nd street.

has anyone mentioned the Last Lap?

The Old College Inn...
 
#128
#128
I see that the Longbranch Saloon is still open, though it's across the street from where it used to be in the mid to late '70s. Once, a friend of mine wanted to perform on open mic night - part audition, part day-of-the-week filler, part contest. He knew two Pure Prairie League songs on the guitar which he would sing back-to-back as a medley of sorts - Falling In and Out of Love + Amie. He was too nervous to get up on stage solo, so he asked me to join him to sing harmony in places and double up lines in the chorus. We won a case of beer, which he was kind enough to bring to my place and share with my housemates.
 
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#129
#129
allvol123 said:
Killer pizza. In Shelbourne towers below Carrick.

Not great, but cheap. Could get a large for 3.99. Good deal as a freshman.
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Yeah, I can blame my freshman 15 on Killer pizza.

I also saw the Terrace Tap House mentioned. I saw the Rocky Horror Picture Show there as a freshman. Quite an experience.
 
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#131
#131
vader said:
Yeah, I can blame my freshman 15 on Killer pizza.
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Same with roadrunner pizza (think that was the name). They used to do cheap xl pizzas but the $5 calzones were deadly

Gus's used to have a delivery guy you could pay in weed or beer. Used to say "why drink and drive when you can get high and fly!" Chuck maybe?
 
#132
#132
Zayer's Department store
Millers Department Store
Almart Department on Clinton Hwy
Service Merchandise
South Pole, Clinton
Big Don's elegant junk
Mad Jacks
Cas Walkers, remember the guy that was buried alive at the Chapman Hwy location.

Smokey Mountain market hot dogs.

Freezo in Halls
 
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#133
#133
The original McKay Used Books, at least the first one I remember that was next to the Kroger on Kingston Pike near Homburg.
 
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#134
#134
utvolpj said:
That's an awesome story. We used to go with the whole team in HS for a buzz before camp and he always seemed to enjoy that
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He was a great man. Really was.

I remember his old shop before he moved to the newer building. All the awesome USAF and UT posters all over the wall. Had a space heater in the winter.
 
#136
#136
davethevol said:
Spicy's on the strip.
The Mercury Theater.
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I'd give almost anything for one more all-you-can-eat-wings night at Spicy's and a V-roys show at the Mercury.

Will have to settle for Scott Miller at the Bijou tomorrow, I guess.
 
#137
#137
Hamburger Henry's on the strip
Charlie Peppers on the Strip
Hannah's on the Strip
O'Charley's / tin roof on the strip
Riverside Tavern
The Carousel... No wait I didn't mean that, never been there honest. I swear.
 
#138
#138
kiddiedoc said:
I'd give almost anything for one more all-you-can-eat-wings night at Spicy's and a V-roys show at the Mercury.

Will have to settle for Scott Miller at the Bijou tomorrow, I guess.
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One of my favorite Mercury Theater stories is making out with some random stranger at a V-Roys show because it was her birthday and she was apparently into goofy looking big dudes. That is not the sort of thing that happened to me very often.

Scott is a great guy. I try to see him every time he comes out here to TX. Enjoy the show. The Bijou is a great venue.
 
#139
#139
doozer said:
Havana Cafe was good.

I've often thought about going to Denver or Phoenix simply to eat Garcia's. I used to work there in high school.

Would still be there if they could pass a health inspection.
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Monterey Mexican restaurant in Farragut was another great place to get Mexican food. They fought for years to keep that place open and I think they ultimately got shut down from bad health inspections(none of us ever got sick there). The bathroom always seemed to be a problem though. I think it had something to do with the infrastructure of the building.

Most recently Lenos y Carbon had moved into the exact same spot where Monterey's used to be but they too have closed down since. It was mentioned on their Facebook age as well about the drainage system in that little strip mall being faulty so maybe there is something to that.

doozer said:
Used to be Prince's Deli.
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Prince's Deli was at Cedar Bluff for about 10 years until they relocated to Lovell Rd. They've since closed and a bed store has taken over the location.
 
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#140
#140
Was there a Ground Round or a Steak & Ale in Knoxville? My sister waited tables at a lot of chains in K town while Attending UT in the 80's.

My boss' wedding ring set was from Service Merchandise. Very unique.

My first date with my husband was at the Terrace Tap House. I would steal a glass from there almost every time I went....

So many of these names bring back great memories.
 
#144
#144
vader said:
One of my favorite Mercury Theater stories is making out with some random stranger at a V-Roys show because it was her birthday and she was apparently into goofy looking big dudes. That is not the sort of thing that happened to me very often.

Scott is a great guy. I try to see him every time he comes out here to TX. Enjoy the show. The Bijou is a great venue.
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Yeah I was surprised when I saw them with Steve Earle at the Tennessee Theatre and afterward they were just hanging out with everybody on the steps
 
#145
#145
SpecialKVolfan20 said:
Was there a Ground Round or a Steak & Ale in Knoxville? My sister waited tables at a lot of chains in K town while Attending UT in the 80's.

My boss' wedding ring set was from Service Merchandise. Very unique.

My first date with my husband was at the Terrace Tap House. I would steal a glass from there almost every time I went....

So many of these names bring back great memories.
Click to expand...

My memory isn't to be completely trusted, but I believe the Steak & Ale on Kingston Pike was a little west of Downtown West Blvd.
 
#147
#147
Zues1 said:
Zayer's Department store
Millers Department Store
Almart Department on Clinton Hwy
Service Merchandise
South Pole, Clinton
Big Don's elegant junk
Mad Jacks
Cas Walkers, remember the guy that was buried alive at the Chapman Hwy location.

Smokey Mountain market hot dogs.

Freezo in Halls
Click to expand...

A lot of memories there...and Hills.
 
#148
#148
Maybe I missed it but I don't think anyone mentioned Uncle Sams on Alcoa Highway.

I wasn't exactly a fan, but it was a great place to pick up girls for awhile. My last experience there was being "escorted" through the front door head first.
 
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#149
#149
Coug said:
Monterey Mexican restaurant in Farragut was another great place to get Mexican food. They fought for years to keep that place open and I think they ultimately got shut down from bad health inspections(none of us ever got sick there). The bathroom always seemed to be a problem though. I think it had something to do with the infrastructure of the building.

Most recently Lenos y Carbon had moved into the exact same spot where Monterey's used to be but they too have closed down since. It was mentioned on their Facebook age as well about the drainage system in that little strip mall being faulty so maybe there is something to that.



Prince's Deli was at Cedar Bluff for about 10 years until they relocated to Lovell Rd. They've since closed and a bed store has taken over the location.
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Monterey is where the old Pizza Kitchen used to be, another gone but forgotten place. That's Northshore and Pellissippi area, behind Crown Cleaners if you're not sure of the area. Anaba sushi is good too.

Prince's was primarily at Lovell. Cedar Bluff was a second location for a while, but Lovell was the first. They both used to have $2 import bottles and fried clam strips a couple week nights. Lived off that for a while.
 
#150
#150
volinbham said:
Smokin' Dave and the Premo Dopes used to do a song called "Jake's Last Erection" since the bank was finished roughly around the time Jake went to prison.

On a few other notes:

Lord Lindsey's was not a gay club in the 80s; it was a dance club.

Orange Bowl pizza was my favorite pizza for a long time.

Someone mentioned the Half Shell - that was my first job (not counting paper boy). Started washing dishes there when I was 14.

There used to be a pet store just west of Bearden hill called "Pet Kingdom" that had all kinds of exotic animals.

Danvers was right below Bearden High School.

There was a great little ma and pa grocery on Amherst Rd. right by the train tracks that had great hot dogs. Might have been Amherst Grocery
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Wow, pulling out the hot dogs from that little grocery store...those were good
 
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