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    Back Door Tavern

    4.0 (20 reviews)
    InexpensiveDive Bars, Sports Bars
    Closed 3:00 pm - 2:00 am (Next day)

    Back Door Tavern Photos

    Business Info

    BACK DOOR TAVERN ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Divey
    Moderate noise
    Outdoor seating
    Dogs allowed

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    Recommended Reviews - Back Door Tavern

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    5 months ago

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    1 year ago

    I really want to love this bar but if you are not a local it is known! But what can you do....nothing!! Bartenders do better

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    6 years ago

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    7 years ago

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    6 years ago

    Great place to just hang out. Staff is always friendly and attentive. It's like having your best friend behind the bar. Always a good time.

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    7 years ago

    Best dive bar in Knoxville. The new ownership has made this place even better. This is probably my favorite place to hang out in Knoxville!

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    9 years ago

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    16 years ago

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    12 years ago

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    11 years ago

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    11 years ago

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    12 years ago

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    8 years ago

    Helpful 2
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    17 years ago

    Helpful 2
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    9 years ago

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    19 years ago

    Helpful 1
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    12 years ago

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    8 years ago

    Best dive bar in Knoxville! Great beer selection & laid-back atmosphere

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    10 years ago

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    14 years ago

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    Ask the Community - Back Door Tavern

    Do you have live music?

    Yes! About twice a month. Follow their page on Facebook to see events.

    Don’t See Your Question? Ask Away!

    Review Highlights - Back Door Tavern

    A wonderful place to sit and hang with friends, Toddys is one of my favorite bars in Bearden.

    Mentioned in 2 reviews

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    Paul's Oasis - Hamburger Rolls - delish!

    Paul's Oasis

    4.0(26 reviews)
    3.5 mi
    $

    As a full-time fiddler, part-time karaoke risk-taker, and lifelong stakeholder in East Tennessee…read morenightlife, I audit a lot of music hubs -- blues jams, open mics, etc. And for over a decade, Paul's Oasis has remained my weekly go-to social hub and unofficial continuing-education site for all things music and mischief. Whether it's the Wednesday blues jam, the Friday karaoke ecosystem, or the Saturday-night live-band deliverable, Paul's consistently executes at a best-in-class level. My mom loves this place. My cousins love this place. My "I-don't-know-a-G-chord-from-a-garlic-knot" friends love this place. Alignment across all demographics; consider that your first indicator this establishment is doing something very right. Now, let's talk consumables. The loaded fries are a strategic advantage. The chili? Surprisingly robust. The pizza, pizza rolls, boneless wings, and their fried okra all score well above industry standard. And let the record reflect: this team has never once short-changed a serving. Portion control simply isn't part of the Paul's Oasis operating model. A quick expectation alignment: this is a smoking bar. The atmosphere carries... well, atmosphere. If you walk in wearing fresh laundry, you will not walk out that way. That's not a bug... that's the user manual. Please don't ding them on Yelp because you forgot where you were. Finally, the people. Paul, Debbie, their son, and the whole family‐run leadership suite are salt-of-the-earth operators who treat every guest like a returning shareholder. Being greeted by name here feels like a quarterly bonus. Yes, it's a locals' bar. Yes, we're intensely proud of that. And in a Knoxville whose downtown is slowly converting into a theme-park for tourists, Paul's remains one of the last great, authentic, high-trust community environments standing. Stop by. We'll save you a barstool and probably hand you a microphone.

    Was not expecting to eat here but were hungry when we were going to the wood working store next…read moredoor and decided to give it a try. Am really glad we did. The food is delicious and the staff are friendly. There is not much more that I need to say.

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    Paul's Oasis
    Paul's Oasis - Fried Okra - my fav!

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    Roger's - "Menu"

    Roger's

    3.5(16 reviews)
    5.2 mi
    $

    We went to Roger's and they have excellent music! The band Throwin' Stones was playing…read more The menu was written on a board outside and there was no paper menu inside. It doesn't have all of the items they have on the board either so you either have to know or ask. We got the pretzels and cheese and they were yummy. I appreciate that they give you enough cheese for all of the pretzel bites and the pretzels were nice and warm. You can definitely smell the smoke from outside even though smoking is not allowed inside.

    I remember Roger's Place when it operated out of a very shady motel that was torn down, decades…read moreago. It was very different from the current location. When it was at the motel, there wasn't room for 20 chain smokers to huddle up next to each other and hotbox the entire room. People keep posting on here that they "heard Roger's Place has great hotdogs," and that "they are reported to be the best in Knoxville. Of those people, I wonder "who are these people hanging out with," and "who is telling them that Roger's Place has great hotdogs?" I don't mean to offend anyone, but it would require the "lowest of standards" for someone to deem that Roger's Place has the best hotdogs in Knoxville. They appear as though they cone out of a microwave with cheap canned chili and a blanket of roughly chopped onions. Nothing special here. If you drink enough, you might start to believe the coworker who told you that they are the "best hotdogs in Knoxville." Unless you are dead set on catching emphysema, you may want to go elsewhere.

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    Roger's - Band - Throwin' Stones

    Band - Throwin' Stones

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    Back Door Tavern - divebars - Updated May 2026

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