Nightlife: Sidestreet Tavern tries just hard enough

Greg Wood/Special to Knoxville.com Julia Bartmess and Stephen Doughty enjoy the friendly environment at Sidestreet Tavern.

Greg Wood/Special to Knoxville.com Julia Bartmess and Stephen Doughty enjoy the friendly environment at Sidestreet Tavern.

Greg Wood/special to knoxville.com Rollo would be more than willing to take any extra cheese off your hands.

Sidestreet Tavern knows how to have a good time.

Maybe it's ridiculous to say that about a bar, since a bar's very nature is to provide entertainment. But some places try way too hard by blaring music so loud you can barely think, or trying to pull off a live act in some back corner of a venue, or by simply trying to appeal to too wide a crowd.

Sidestreet evades these problems.

I went to Sidestreet Tavern the night it opened. Well, technically, a few nights before it opened. And ever since then it has been one of my favorite venues in town.

Over the past four years the setup has remained the same. The same rock star posters align the walls, the seating areas haven't changed, and there's still a ping-pong table and sofa in the tiny upstairs loft.

The bulk of the crowd is usually in their mid-20s (ranging up to their 40s), which can be expected from a bar that's in Bearden, only a few miles from the Strip. Tattoos and dyed hair aren't uncommon, but it's also a gathering place for more straight-laced young professionals. And recently a large dog named Rollo paced the crowd, politely implying that he would like some cheese. Even with the canine presence, Sidestreet draws in the crowd it's looking for.

Unlike many venues, Sidestreet's patrons are more focused on hanging out and chatting. Sidestreet has several TVs prominently displayed, but none are particularly central, and the sound system usually isn't hooked up to the TVs anyway. You can still watch the game, but you might not hear the commentary.

Instead, groups gather at tables to actually sit around and talk. One of my least favorite aspects of other bars is that they do everything possible to distract you from the people around you. When you have to shout over a Kid Rock song or college basketball, well, it takes away from the fun of going to a bar with friends.

Sidestreet is one of the only places where I've ended up joining someone else's party for the evening, as we bought each other shots all night long. My friend Brandon and I made a point one evening to talk to every single person in the bar. And not only was it welcomed, but many people ended up hanging out with us for quite some time.

Although this is typical of any Sidestreet Tavern experience, going on special occasions really doubles the fun.

In November of 2008, on a Tuesday night I headed down to watch the result of the presidential election. The bar was clever enough to be serving blue and red Jello shots to be taken when the result of a state was called. And with the bar's demographic being the same that most strongly supported Obama, it was quite an exciting evening with just as much shouting (if not more) than if we were watching a UT tournament game.

And similarly, months ago I went down to watch the New Orleans Saints play the Minnesota Vikings, where I learned very clearly that there are a number of Saints fans in this city. Yet while playing ping-pong as the game came to a close, two people got into a shouting match over whether or not Brett Favre should have retired. As a spectator, it cracked me up.

Special occasion or no, the place never disappoints. The alcohol selection is decent, with several bottled imports, a couple of wine choices and a full bar. And they have nightly specials to watch out for. I've had their food on several occasions and always been satisfied.

My favorite aspect of Sidestreet is their jukebox. I mostly prefer old-school jukeboxes to the Internet kind as they say more about the bar and its taste in music. But the clientele of Sidestreet is so diverse that it makes for an entertaining (and often awkward) mix. I've heard Stevie Ray Vaughn, Animal Collective and A Perfect Circle all in the same night.

With so many bars in town, as an avid nightlife-goer it's difficult to decide where to go some nights. But Sidestreet is always high on the list of options.

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