Journey to a Better Understanding

McDonald, Levy & Taylor, PLLC

Knox County District Attorney General’s Office

This month, we leave the home barbeque pit and return to our roots in this article to check out a really exciting new option off Cumberland Avenue, or as we all refer to it – the Strip. Katie and I had the opportunity to check out Peyton Manning’s new Saloon 16 on Lake Avenue attached to the Graduate hotel. For those of you not familiar, this location sits in the area right behind Gus’s Good Times Deli and the Golden Roast Café. It’s close to campus and yet not directly on Cumberland Avenue. If it were a normal year, I have no doubt this place would be regularly packed on game days because it has everything you would expect from a bar with a name oozing with nostalgia: UT sports memorabilia all over the walls, an old-school jukebox full of country classics with a little rock’n’roll mixed in for flavor, and a menu packed with items and beverages serving as references to some of our favorite people and places in Knoxville.

We went to Saloon 16 on a Saturday afternoon to avoid the crowd. As we darkened the doors for the first time, I couldn’t help but feel a bit of excitement because this place is a shrine to Tennessee sports and all those fun memories on the Strip before and after our favorite games. The bar has orange and white checkerboard glass-paneled chandeliers over it donning “Rocky Top” with a significant selection of beverages behind the bar. The ceiling appears to be copper-tiled. There are leather-clad booths all along the back wall of the dimly lit seating area. There are generous televisions for sports viewing. In the back, there is a seating area with couches resembling an old college apartment with checkered fabric curtains and all. Saloon 16 is like a cross between Old College Inn (OCI for those that remember), Back Door Tavern, and the Copper Cellar. In short, Peyton & company nailed the look and feel.

The menu didn’t disappoint either. Now, this place is not the spot for a nice date night steak dinner. However, whatever it lacks in refinement it more than makes up for in rich, local cultural call-backs. The selection is standard fare Knoxville bar food with some great names and unique references – cheese bings (another call back to OCI greatness), Rocky Top Pork Rinds, Haywood & Gus’s Meat & Cheese Plate, Cutcliffe’s Crinkle Fries, Zane & Creed’s Mac & Cheese, and Faye’s Fried Chicken Basket are just a couple of examples. The drink menu had three options on tap with a cocktail list with titles like Toddy’s Jack & Pepsi, Pat Summit’s Royal Sprite, Deanna’s Strawberry Margarita, and Peyton’s own Sweetens Cove Tennessee Treasure featuring his new brand of Tennessee aged bourbon titled after the Pittsburg, Tennessee nine-hole golf course treasure, Sweetens Cove.

Because we were just dropping in, we ordered cheese bings and a

couple of drinks. I can report the deepfried cheese squares were hot and tasty and the drinks ice cold which is all anyone can ask of in this type of spot. We will definitely be back to try more of the other great menu options. Katie and I had to walk around and look over all of the memorabilia on the walls. There are pictures from some of Peyton’s biggest moments and victories while at Tennessee. A dartboard and old-school jukebox can be found in the back. I’m not talking about one of the new-aged jukeboxes where you pay for your songs on your smartphone and select among every choice available on the internet – this is the real thing packed with country and rock classics. As we walked out the door, we both commented this place will undoubtedly be a local favorite going forward. This fall, football season will be undeniably different. There won’t be the familiar sight of tailgating, the Vol walk, or watching the team run through the T. At this point, most of us are just hoping to make it through the season while maintaining the health and well-being of the young men representing the University of Tennessee. Although things aren’t the same this year, if you’re looking for a touch of nostalgia, fun, and a touch of normalcy this fall – Saloon 16 is a great place to drop in for a bite to eat, a cold drink, and a celebration of all that is Tennessee sports.