Creamery Park Grill – Knoxville TN

Following our safari adventure northeast of Knoxville at Circle G Ranch, (For more on that experience, see last Friday’s Blog), it was time for lunch.  I had another ‘Lifestyle’ 2 for 1 discount that we could use.  Another plus is that our restaurant of choice was a bit out of our normal range on the far north side of Knoxville…and we seized the opportunity as this dining spot was almost on our way home.

This is a street view of the Creamery Park Grille in the Fountain City neighborhood of Knoxville.  This restaurant has been around since 1994, so next year it will have been in business for 20 years…no mean feat in the restaurant business!

The first settlement at the site that is now Fountain City was Ft. Adair, a post built in 1791 to protect settlers and trappers from the Cherokee Indians.  A settlement grew up around the fort and it was called Grassy Valley.  In 1828, a grandson of John Sevier, (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Sevier), built the Fountain Head Methodist Church which in turn was followed by the Fountain Head Revival Campground… These revivals would draw up to 2,000 people.  In 1885, the campground was relocated and the land was sold to a developer.  A 50-room hotel was built and the town continued to grow.  But when a post office was established, the name ‘Fountain Head’ had already been taken by another town, so ‘Fountain City’ was chosen instead.

Here’s a view of the sidewalk and the covered outdoor tables for those who don’t mind eating next to a roadway and parked cars. 

Trip Advisor gives Creamery Park Grille 4.5 out of 5.0 possible points.  Eighteen patrons rated this restaurant either excellent or very good…while 1 rated it average and another diner gave it a poor review. http://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g55138-d414100-Reviews-Creamery_Park_Grille-Knoxville_Tennessee.html. 

This is the interior of the restaurant.  It isn’t a big place, that’s for sure!  But, it is cozy and to some degree it feels like someone’s home, certainly not like the well-known restaurant that it is…

After 3 years of significant resistance, Fountain City was annexed by Knoxville in 1962 as that city focused on expanding its tax base.  At the time, Fountain City was the largest unincorporated suburb in the USA.  At the ceremony marking the actual annexation, Fountain City’s leaders staged a mock funeral and surrendered a symbolic sword to the mayor of Knoxville.

Laurie ordered the Beer Battered Cod Plate, which came with 2 sides ($10.99) For her side dishes, she chose coleslaw and the Cheesy Potato Casserole.  She loved the fried cod, the coleslaw was very nice and the potatoes were excellent!

The menu includes a number of starters such as soup, quiche, sweet potato French fries, spring rolls and onion rings.  There are also 6 salads to choose, which can be ordered as a half-sandwich/salad combo. 

I ordered the Chicken Fritter Platter, which came with one side ($9.99) Basically, this consisted of 4 chicken ‘tenders’, breaded and deep fried and cup of coleslaw.  The chicken was accompanied with mustard sauce.  The breading was nice and crisp and the portion was plentiful…but the chicken lacked any definitive flavor.  For my taste, it was just OK…

The menu at Creamery Park Grill also includes a number of sandwiches.  These include hamburgers, grilled chicken, Triple Grilled Cheese, a Crab Cake Sandwich, and a choice of egg, tuna or a Chipotle melt.  Platters and other items include a BBQ platter, crab cakes, shrimp and grits, a pasta dish and a Mongolian pork chop. 

This is another photo of the restaurant…looking back toward the windows where we were sitting.  The black board adds a little more of that ‘homey’ feel to the ambience. 

The price was right, we liked the warm and casual ambience of the place, the service provided by Andrea was very pleasant…and as noted previously, our food ranged from excellent to good…very competent. This restaurant prides itself in serving as many items made with local products and/or ingredients as is possible. 

Creamery Park Grille is located at 114 Hotel Avenue in Knoxville Tennessee.  Phone: 865-688-4607.  For more information, including a look at the menu, just click on the following:  http://www.creameryparkgrille.com/Creamery_Park_Grille/Welcome.html.

Just click on any of the photos to enlarge them…

Thanks for stopping by and sharing our lunch with us!

Take Care, Big Daddy Dave