Nightlife: Restaurants with Live Music

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Barley's Taproom and Pizzeria
200 E Jackson Ave * 521-0092
Barley's was declared the "best tap-room in the Southeast" by the resident beer experts at Southern Draft Beer News, a distinction that should tempt a local beer lover to see if Barley's can stand up to their own personal taste tests. Barley's also takes in some musicians a couple of times a week (sometimes broadcasting Wednesdays over WDVX) and makes excellent pizza.

Charlie Pepper's
716 20th St. * 524-8669
On Thursdays and Saturdays, when Pepper's features "Disco on the Deck" the sounds of Abba and The Bee Gees. Artificially happy college students can be heard from almost any point on the strip. Otherwise, Pepper's offers solo artists the rest of the week while they're recuperating from the hard partying that occurs on Thursdays and Saturdays.

City Brew
424 S Gay St. * 292-BREW
One of the larger businesses left on the east side of Gay Street, the Brewery is a favorite watering hole in the evenings for those who live and work in and around the downtown area. It hosts bands and solo artists several nights a week without a cover charge, with a variety of jazz, blues, rock, etc. The food is a real feature, too.

Hanna's Cafe
1901 Cumberland Ave. * 522-9933
Call to see what night the music happens. Huge beer selection.

Hops Restaurant and Brewery
338 N Peters Rd. * 692-1430
On a stretch of Peters Road that is suddenly finding itself in the midst of several night spots and sports bars, Hops hosts performances by Tall Paul on Sunday nights, from 9 until midnight.

Little City
111 S. Campbell Station Rd. * 777-Food
Jazz—call for dates,

Macleod's
501 Market St. * 546-2103
Karaoke Thursday nights. Live music varies every week.

Monterey Mexican Restaurant
11151 Kingston Pk. * 671-3119
Music Mon. and Wed. 6-9 pm.

O'Charley's
1915 Cumberland Ave. * 525-7665
A favorite hangout of UT students, O'Charley's patio is overflowing with carefree kids and good times any day of the week and almost any hour of the day or night. O'Charley's recently became O'Charley's Sports Grille, but fear not—it still offers the same acoustic patio acts that UT students have loved for years.

Patrick Sullivan's
100 N. Central * 637-4255
One of Knoxville's longest-standing restaurants—it was originally opened in 1876 as a grocery store—Sullivan's was home in its infancy to shoot-outs waged by such infamous outlaws as Buffalo Bill Cody and Kid Curry. Catty corner from Manhattan's in the Old City, and a much safer place to take the wife and kids than it was at the last turn of the century, Sullivan's opens its upstairs to local bands, with the occasional national act.

Spicy's
109 N. Central * 522-4699
Live music on weekends; call for details.

The Tomato Head
12 Market Square * 637-4067
While many small venues in Knoxville offer the eclectic blend of bluegrass/folk/acoustic rock, few do it as well as the Tomato Head, which offers an occasional indie rock act to boot. Usually offering two performers a week (you can almost always catch something on Saturday nights at 10), it not only offers good music, but an excellent menu centered around their unique approach to pizza and vegetarian-friendly cuisine. Without a doubt, it's one of the better places in town to go to hear live music, even if they don't offer it every night.