Photo by Greg Wood
Krista Lindsgraf and Stephen Doughty enjoy a night out at Green's Tavern.
It took me several tries to find Green's Tavern in West Knoxville. Not only is it hidden from the busy road of Kingston Pike, but the windows have blankets draped over them, and their sign is a subtle, canvas-printed banner hanging above the venue.
A few weeks ago a friend asked me if I had ever been, which I hadn't. He explained that it's run by the same people who used to manage Union Jack's - one of my favorite spots. So he didn't need to twist my arm to head down. On top of that, the small, low-profile neighborhood bar is a staple in Knoxville, and I almost always end up loving these types of venues.
But saying that Green's presence is low-key is an understatement.
The bar, which has only been open since October 2010, hides in a shopping center off Kingston Pike, just past Cedar Bluff. And as soon as I walked in, the familiar-looking bartender immediately prompted, "How did you find out about us?" I explained that it was through a friend and gave his name, which she instantly recognized. I gave my drink order and handed over my card to start a tab, which she explained was unnecessary. "If you don't pay, we'll just beat up your friend," she said, (presumably) joking.
Green's adopted the Union Jack's vibe but with an Irish flair. Guinness posters line the Irish-green walls. It has the same dark wooden pub tables and chairs, but with some swanky couches sitting by the front window.
The bar is one open rectangular room with a lengthy bar against the back, right corner. When we showed up at 9:30 p.m. there was a steady crowd of about 20 people, but there was still plenty of seating available.
At first there was no music playing, and as we sat at our comfortable booth, surrounded by the dark, calm environment, I almost fell asleep. It's that relaxing. One of my friends pointed out, "This is the kind of place where you bring your laptop and get drunk." He pointed to someone sitting near us doing exactly that and added, "See, it doesn't seem out of place at all."
It's an introspective crowd, but they're not boring. They keep to themselves, but when I patrolled the crowd looking for potential photo subjects, I found that everyone was open and happy. I talked to two couples who were more than happy to get their photo taken and tell me how fond they are of the bar.
The Green's crowd features familiar Union Jack's faces, trying out a new, more subtle venue farther west. They feature almost all the exact same beers as Union Jack's (including the ever-so-popular Ruby Lager and Hickory Stick Stout). They have a smaller cooler featuring a smaller array of imported beers in bottles.
But Green's is more laid back. That's not to suggest Union Jack's is a never-ending force of mayhem - it's pretty tame too. But Green's feels remote and secluded, yet comfortable. The crowd is friendly, yet quiet. The staff takes extra special care of you, as if you're at home.
It gets all the best aspects of a neighborhood bar exactly right, and one can appreciate it whether or not it's even in their neighborhood. It's unfair to compare Green's to its former counterpart, but literally everyone I talked to at the bar brought up that exact connection. Green's likely hasn't been around long enough to form its own identity.
With such a crowd of devoted regulars, it's looking like Green's might be quite the hot spot in the near future, and I'll be heading back frequently to check on that.
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Comments » 2
Radar75 writes:
Well, if one has never been to the oh-so-often-referred-to Union Jack's, this is a pretty useless review. Do they serve food, if so, what kind? Typical English pub fare or what? Do they have live music? If so, what kind (acoustic I hope) and when? I think Hard Cider at a Tavern is a must, do they serve this? Which ones? Any draft? Is there a Dartboard? And most important: if it's so hard to find couldn't you give us a clue by naming the shopping plaza it's in?
gregbunch#449420 writes:
Green’s Tavern is located at 9307-B Kingston Pike in West Knoxville. They are located in the Market Place shopping center between Kroger and Eddie’s Trick Shop. They are open 7 days a week from 4PM to 3AM.
They currently have a limited menu that includes: bowls of homemade chili (comes with a bag of Fritos) [$4.00], beef hot dogs (comes with a bag of chips) [$2.50] with chili if you want it [$3.00], and Bratwurst with homemade sauerkraut (comes with a bag of chips) [$4.50]. On a regular basis, Anja also whips up some homemade dishes in limited quantities. The only thing Anja doesn’t “joke about” is the quality of her food. Past dishes have included Roast Beef, Chicken and Dumplings, Chicken Noodle Soup and Cream of Asparagus Soup. These dishes rarely last long once word gets out.
The beer selection is wide ranging with 18 Drafts and 39 bottles. The Olde Hickory Drafts available include: Ruby Lager, Piedmont Pilsner, Table Rock Pale Ale, Hefe-weizen. The New Belgium Drafts available include Fat Tire Amber Ale and 1554 Enlightened Black Ale. They also have a properly poured Guinness as well as a cider on tap.
They have a jukebox, foosball table, free Wi-Fi and allow smoking including cigars. It is a 21 and older bar.
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