A Celtic Themed Restaurant…in Clarksville Tennessee

Back in June, we were on the road towards home and it was lunch time.  I decided to get off I-24 in Clarksville Tennessee and take our chances…just winging it!

There were lots of choices, but they were all chain restaurants or fast food outlets that we’d seen before.  Then we spotted a new one for us!  This is the Tilted Kilt Pub and Eatery in Clarksville Tennessee…

Factoids:

·       The song, “Last Train to Clarksville”, was written by Tommy Boyce and Bobby Hart, a songwriting team who came up with many songs for the Monkees.  They wrote this as a protest to the Vietnam War.  They had to keep their intention quiet in order to get it recorded, but it is about a guy who gets drafted and goes to fight in the war.  The train is taking him to an army base, and he knows he may die in Vietnam.  At the end of the song he states, "I don't know if I'm ever coming home."

·       The writers “were just looking for a name that sounded good.”  They considered using Clarksdale but then they decided that Clarksville sounded better.  They didn't know it at the time, but there was an Air Force base near the town of Clarksville, Tennessee, which actually fit their story line! (Now the Army’s Fort Campbell Military Reservation) But they couldn’t be too direct with The Monkees.  They couldn't really make an out and out protest song out of it so they “snuck it in”.

The spacious interior of the Tilted Kilt features a lot of dark wood, a big bar, Celtic related décor and TV screens… In effect it’s a Celtic themed sports bar.  They list 20 different beers and 1 cider on draft and another dozen plus in bottles.

I discovered that The Tilted Kilt is actually a franchised chain.  They have locations in 29 states as well as in 2 Canadian provinces!  The first Tilted Kilt Pub and Eatery was opened in the Las Vegas Rio Hotel and Casino in 2003.  Only 1 hour after the concept meeting, Harrah's contacted the restaurant’s founder and inquired about immediate development.  Currently, the Tilted Kilt has 103 locations open or opening soon.

Factoid:

·         Much to my surprise, Clarksville isn’t just a ‘little’ town.  The city has a population of almost 150,000 and the Clarksville TN/KY metropolitan area includes roughly 275,000 residents!

We started out with something new for us…an order of Scotch Eggs! ($8.00) Basically, soft-boiled eggs are wrapped in sweet and spicy sausage, parmesan breaded and then fried.  They are served with a horseradish cream sauce.  We really liked them and would definitely order them again!

Sticking with the theme, Laurie ordered Maggie Mae’s Fish and Chips. ($10.99) Cod filets are dipped in Samuel Adams Boston Lager batter and fried.  They came with coleslaw on the side.  This wasn’t the best fish and chips platter ever but it was a bit better than average.

Note:

·         Actual ‘Celtic’ dishes on the menu are few and far between.  Many of the ‘themed’ items consist of American pub cuisine with Celtic names…such as the Scottish Philly or the Irish Dip Sandwich.  There is a Sheperd’s Pie on the menu and Guinness stout or Guinness BBQ sauce is used with a few items.

As for myself, I ordered the Big ‘Arse’ Burger with cheddar cheese. ($10.50)  I had the coleslaw as my side dish.  It was a very nice burger, cooked medium rare as ordered and served on a grilled bun.  Grilling the bun adds that little bit of extra flavor!

So…you’re probably wondering why this restaurant chain is named “The Tilted Kilt”!  Good question!  It turns out that the Tilted Kilt is another iteration of a group of restaurants that have one thing in common…  

This was our server, Diana.  Now the meaning of the Tilted Kilt’s name may be coming into focus… I must say that Diana was a good server, very personable and helpful.  As with many of the other servers at this location, her husband serves in the US Army at nearby Fort Campbell.  Fort Campbell is the home of the 101^st Airborne Division!

These young ladies’ photos were also posted on the Clarksville Tilted Kilt’s website. (Incidentally, we didn’t see any male waiters but I understand that males wear kilts too)

 So…The Tilted Kilt is part of the scantily clad restaurant theme genre, which includes such chains at Hooters and Twin Peaks.  We haven’t eaten at Twin Peaks but we both agree that the food at The Tilted Kilt is much superior to the offerings at Hooters.  The menu has more variety as well.

The Tilted Kilt Pub and Eatery in Clarksville Tennessee is located at 2790 B Wilma Rudolph Boulevard.  Phone: 931-645-5458.  The company’s website is at www.tiltedkilt.com.

Just click on any of the photos to enlarge them…

Thanks for stopping by for lunch!

Take Care, Big Daddy Dave