Lunch in Historic Loudon Tennessee

In the local newspaper, we’d read that the Riverwalk Grille at the Carmichael Inn in Loudon Tennessee was once again open and operating on a limited schedule.  As the current operators of the restaurant were also running the restaurant the last time we had eaten there…and we’d really enjoyed that meal, we decided to stop by for lunch…

The brick portion of this structure near the Loudon County Courthouse was build ca. 1900…but the two-story log cabin was built around 1810 by John Hudson Carmichael. (1780-1840). The building served as a stagecoach inn for travelers’ en route from Nashville, Knoxville, and Chattanooga. His sons operated the Inn, the ferry, and the stagecoach.  Two of his sons, James and Dan, fell in love with and married two sisters who were traveling on the stagecoach from Georgia to the Tate Springs Resort.

The Carmichael Inn is now called The Carmichael Event Center and it’s operated by the folks that operate the Click Funeral Homes here in East Tennessee.  As an event center, this facility is now the site for weddings, reunions, parties, corporate functions and ‘celebration of life’ memorials.  The Inn has adequate space to accommodate large and small events within the building and/or on our outdoor patio area.

The Riverwalk Grille, located inside the Event Center, offers special events catering and it’s also open for lunch Monday through Friday from 11:00 am until 2:00 pm as well as for Sunday Brunch from 10:00 am until 2:00 pm.   

We were seated in the ‘new’ section of the Inn…there is an occupied upstairs apartment… In this photo you can see a corner of the original Carmichael Inn, now partially enclosed within the newer structure.

 The Carmichael Inn can be described as an "I-house" as it is two stories tall, one room deep and two or more rooms long. It has a central chimney which opens into fireplaces in the two downstairs rooms. The structure has a gable roof and two front and two rear doors. A two-story porch runs the length of the house.

We’ve lived in this area of East Tennessee for over 4 years…and this is the 3rd or 4^th restaurant operation that we’ve seen operating at the Carmichael Inn.  We hope that this one succeeds! 

Laurie ordered the Melt In Your Mouth Patty Melt. ($8.75) It is described as “Our grilled burger served on hearty marbled rye bread topped with Swiss cheese, caramelized onions and mushrooms, deliciously grilled together”.  Laurie opted for Riverwalk Grille’s ‘Golden Chips’ versus the steak fries that normally come with her sandwich. 

Laurie really enjoyed her patty melt…and she is a patty melt connoisseur!  Even better were the homemade potato chips…just excellent!  There are 6 different burgers on the menu as well as soup and salad combos, dinner salads, starters plus items for kids to order…

I ordered the Tempting Turkey BLT. ($7.50) It is described as “tender smoked turkey, smoky bacon and Havarti cheese perfectly grilled on rustic Panini bread with fresh tomatoes and lettuce”.  The house made potato chips came with my sandwich…and I was grateful for that fact!  I could eat a big bag of these potato chips…perhaps the best I’ve ever eaten.

As for the sandwich, it was OK…but not particularly distinctive.  I really didn’t taste the bacon, a fact which, considering that it was allegedly ‘smoked’ was surprising. 

Other ‘non-burger’ sandwiches on the menu ranged from a Grilled Peanut Butter and Cheese, ($4.99), and a Smoky Pimento Cheese, ($6.75), to the Plentiful Pot Roast Sandwich, ($8.75), and the Fabulous Philly. ($9.75)

Our next visit to the Riverwalk Grille will be for brunch!  With our senior discount, the cost per person should be around $12.70.  When you consider the expansive menu offered this seems like a pretty good deal.   Better yet, we’ve seen quite a bit of positive feedback about the Sunday brunch…. The only problem is that we’ll need to diet for a day before and a day after this meal!

Carmichael Inn and Riverwalk Grille are located right next to US Highway 11 at 600 Hackberry Street in Loudon Tennessee.  It’s right at the foot of the bridge over the Tennessee River in downtown Loudon.  Phone: 865-458-0007.  For more information about the Event Center and to view the full menu for the Riverwalk Grille, go to http://clickeventcenters.com/about-carmichael.html.

Just click on any of the photos to enlarge them…

Thanks for stopping by for a visit!

Take Care, Big Daddy Dave