What's the oldest restaurant in Knoxville? | Know Your Knox

What is Knoxville's oldest restaurant?

That's a deceptively simple question, given how many longtime restaurants have closed in recent years and how many others have changed their name or location.

Jack Neely is executive director of the Knoxville History Project and the author of multiple books on Knoxville's history, including "Historic Knoxville: The Curious Visitor’s Guide" and "Market Square: A History of the Most Democratic Place on Earth." For more than 20 years he wrote a column called "Secret History" for Metro Pulse.

He's been asking himself this same question for years.

When the 90-year-old Regas Restaurant closed its doors in 2010, Neely set about researching which restaurant would inherit its title as the city's oldest. His research led him to Rankin Restaurant, a family restaurant that opened in 1953 and was known for its biscuits and gravy. But Rankin closed in 2022.

So the search for an answer continues, and it's complicated.

"It really depends on what counts as a restaurant, and what counts for continuity. Same name? Same place?" Neely said in an email to Knox News.

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If the title is based on name alone, then the burger joint Sam & Andy's, which first opened on Cumberland Avenue in 1946, would live up to its tagline as "Knoxville's oldest restaurant." But while the restaurant still operates in Fountain City and Bexhill, with a standalone Sam & Andy's West in Farragut, its original campus location closed in 1997.

If the oldest restaurant means the longest standing location, Neely said, there are a handful of contenders, each of which could have a claim to the title of Knoxville's oldest restaurant.

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The Original Freezo in Happy Holler

Located at 1305 N. Central St. in the Happy Holler neighborhood, The Original Freezo opened in 1942, according to Visit Knoxville, though other sources place the opening date in the late '40s. Neely has written that he thinks the ice cream shop opened in 1951.

Since that time, The Original Freezo's offerings have included soft-serve ice cream, milkshakes, burgers, grilled cheese and nachos.

If indoor seating is a requirement to be considered a restaurant, then The Original Freezo is out. Other than a couple of tables placed outside, The Original Freezo is a grab-and-go affair. Does that mean it's not a restaurant in the traditional sense? Like other distinctions, that's a matter of personal opinion.

The Original Freezo is open 8 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and is closed Sunday.

Long's Drug Store on Kingston Pike

When it comes to consistency, Long's Drug Store at 4604 Kingston Pike beats all competitors. It has operated under the same name and in the same place since 1956, according to owner and head pharmacist Hank Peck.

A post written by Neely on the Knoxville History Project website says that founder Clarence Long died in a car crash in 1966. His wife sold the business to the Peck family, which owns and operates it to this day.

Apart from its exterior, which Neely said has changed as the Kingston Pike Shopping Center has been remodeled, the drugstore looks largely the same and still operates as a restaurant and pharmacy.

In an industry dominated by chains like Walgreens, Long's still maintains its traditions. The diner menu includes milkshakes, breakfast, burgers and fries.

Long's is open 8 a.m.-6 p.m. Monday through Saturday and is closed Sunday. Its soda fountain closes at 2 p.m. each day.

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Bistro at the Bijou on Gay Street

The restaurant space at the Bijou Theatre on Gay Street, which currently houses The Bistro at the Bijou, dates back to the 1850s, making it the oldest restaurant space in Knoxville. But it has been many different restaurants at different times, and has not been continually open, Neely said.

It originally was a saloon, and in 1932 became home to Pagoda, the first Chinese restaurant in the city and one of the first in the South, according to the Bijou's website. In its current form, it is the oldest restaurant in downtown.

"The Bistro, by that name alone, with impeccable continuity, dates back to 1980, which makes it old by Knoxville restaurant standards," Neely said.

The restaurant prides itself on a farm-to-table approach to seasonal cuisine under the direction of owner Martha Boggs. It is open 10 a.m.-10 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 10 a.m.-midnight Friday and Saturday and closed on Sunday.

Ray's Place on The Hill

This entry might be exciting to University of Tennessee students, many of whom flock to this small restaurant located in the South College building at 1413 Circle Drive on The Hill, itself the oldest building on campus, dating back to 1872.

Ray's Place has been known by different names under different proprietors, but has been owned and managed by Raymond "Ray" Mowery since 1987, Neely said. Mowery died Aug. 26, 2023.

It is the latest in a string of restaurants operated out of UT buildings on The Hill by visually impaired proprietors. The 1936 Randolph-Sheppard Act, a piece of New Deal legislation, provides blind individuals with employment opportunities at cafes and restaurants in government buildings.

Though Ray's Place, previously known as Arnold's, is not an official UT restaurant, the university is obliged to house the spot since it receives federal funding. Neely estimates that a Randolph-Sheppard restaurant has been at or near this location on The Hill since the 1940s.

Mowery was passionate about serving home-cooked food to students, and the restaurant even follows a student-friendly schedule: it is open 6:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Know Your Knox answers your burning questions about life in Knoxville. Want your question answered? Email knowyourknox@knoxnews.com. 

Daniel Dassow is a reporting intern focusing on trending and business news. Phone 423-637-0878. Email daniel.dassow@knoxnews.com.

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This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: What's the oldest restaurant in Knoxville?