Chez Guevara's great, if not revolutionary

Photo by Greg Wood

Andrew Riffle and Kate Lockeridge are all smiles at Chez Guevara.

KNOXVILLE — Going out on a Sunday night with a threat of snow usually makes for less than ideal nightlife experiences.

But those were the circumstances surrounding my friend Lisa's birthday celebration, and our evening at Chez Guevara couldn't have gone better.

We accumulated a large crowd and took over several tables in the center of Chez's dining area, where a smorgasbord of chips and both red and green salsa awaited us. Incidentally, before going out that evening we discovered that it was the anniversary of Prohibition being repealed, which we celebrated with a surplus of margaritas. (I suppose it would have been more appropriate to celebrate with an American drink, but at least it was alcohol.)

Whenever I'm at any Mexican-themed establishment I feel compelled to order a margarita, even though tequila and I have a volatile past. Although Chez's margaritas are good, I can safely say I've had stronger, though I guess ultimately that's not a bad thing.

As far as dining atmosphere goes, Chez's is unparalleled. Artwork featuring vibrant brown hues, ranging from contemporary to classic, surreal to straightforward, adorns the walls - making every square inch pop out under the dim ambience. The paintings and photos mostly feature Native American and Mexican themes, and I lost myself staring at an illuminated framing of the Last Supper. Music played slightly louder than speaking volume, appropriately fitting the excitement level of the room, which is lit by small lamps hanging from the ceiling.

The age range of customers ran the gamut, as did party size. Despite the less-than-ideal circumstances, Chez was packed and I'm not surprised. Even though I personally don't end up there much, there's heavy buzz surrounding the place. Everyone raves about Chez's food, and any time the place is mentioned someone else comments on how amazing it is. For a place packed into a shopping center in the Bearden area, keeping an extremely low profile, its reputation is enormous.

As our evening went on and we discussed old times (parties during college, and our borderline-reckless past with shooting off fireworks), I began to notice why the place's reputation is so good. It's a comfortable environment where you can feed off the energy of those around you, but it's not too loud or overwhelming.

Even with our numerous drinks during dinner and the ongoing birthday celebration, our time at Chez felt more like a dining experience than a nightlife one.

But my few prior trips proved that Chez has a nightlife experience to offer. Later in the evening it's usually calm and quiet, which is a stark contrast to its dining experience. It's easy to sit at the bar, grab a few Miller High Lifes (a beer that has advertisements hanging up all around the venue), and chat with strangers. The lighting is consistently dark, being just a step darker than most bars. Looking into it from the street makes it seem uninviting, but I've always found its drinking crowd to be friendly and open. It seems like after the dinner rush the early-evening beer drinkers shift into a lower gear while unwinding, and I have no problem with that.

I rarely end up at Chez and I'm not sure why. It never crosses my mind to head there. Every time I go it's someone else's suggestion, and usually it's just a stop on the way elsewhere. It's a great place to pop in for a brief drink or two.

But now I've seen two sides of it - its lively, dining experience and its relaxing nightlife environment, though I still don't feel like I understand everything Chez has to offer given its enormous popularity and rave reviews. I feel these reviews are warranted given my enjoyable times there, but I'm still drawn back by some intangible quality.

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