Patrick Sullivan's still reigns over the Old City

Photo by Keven Reed

Patrick Sullivan's makes a good gathering place for, from left, Timmy Corts, Chelsea Dunn, Mike Grisafi and Melissa Collins.

Photo by Keven Reed

Patrick Sullivan's makes a good gathering place for, from left, Timmy Corts, Chelsea Dunn, Mike Grisafi and Melissa Collins.

Norris Dryer, Kelvin Tryon and Joel Reeve, from left, settle in for some grub at Patrick Sullivan's.

There aren't many bars in Knoxville that instill a sense of nostalgia in me. I'm not quite sure why, but many of the bars here become less and less memorable over time - a haze of random sports bars and dollar beers.

Many of the most memorable bars I've visited are nestled in the heart of downtown in the Old City. On just one block you instantly have several excellent choices to pick from, whether you are just looking to have a few drinks or maybe see one a bands.

Patrick Sullivan's was actually one of the very first bars I stepped foot in when I turned 21, setting the bar fairly high for the rest of what Knoxville has to offer.

Sitting on the corner of Central Avenue, Patrick Sullivan's has become an icon for the Old City over the last 100 years or so, becoming one of Knoxville's first saloons in the late 1800s. It's apparent when you first walk in that the establishment has held on to this saloon feel over the years.

The bar and side tables stretching down the long entryway evoke a time when there probably weren't police officers on every corner and college kids roaming the streets.

When you first walk into Patrick Sullivan's, it actually appears to be pretty small. But the bar has a loft area that offers quite a bit more seating, as well as access to Patrick Sullivan's mysterious third floor.

When I first started coming into Patrick Sullivan's, I completely overlooked the fact that the bar offered live music. All of this takes place upstairs, usually for a separate, but inexpensive, cover charge.

On Tuesdays you can catch a free show from comedy troupe Einstein Simplified, while various acts perform around 10 p.m. on most Fridays and Saturdays.

Patrick Sullivan's, following in its saloon roots, offers some of the best beer to be had on draft. For the cheapskates, you can get PBR on tap next door at the Back Room Tavern. With Bass, Guinness, Boddington's and - one of my personal favorites - Harp all on draft, you can't really go wrong. Drafts will run you from $3.25 to $4.25 while domestic bottles only cost $3. Cocktails start at $4 while house wine will cost you $4.75 a glass and $6+ otherwise.

Sullivan's also offers a large selection of entrees and appetizers, available until 10 p.m. The kitchen serves up some unique pub food, as well as your standard burgers and fries. You can bet on spending about $10 bucks on a meal. Most of the appetizers will cost you in the $6-$7 range.

Patrick Sullivan's is one of the best bars around Knoxville. If you haven't been to the Old City in awhile, it might be worth it to check out the annual St. Patrick's Day Pub Crawl 8 p.m.-1 a.m. Tuesday, March 17. For a $7 cover charge, crawlers can visit Sullivan's, Back Room, Barley's, Catalyst, Crown & Goose, Hanna's, Manhattan's and Urban Bar.

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