Dining in Sweetwater Tennessee

With Laurie on the mend from her ankle surgery, we haven’t been out and about much lately…other than our drives along local backroads.  But now that she’s in a walking boot, our mobility and need to get out a bit has taken hold. 

Friends had recommended a relatively new restaurant in Sweetwater Tennessee.  Not only had they enjoyed their meals but we had also heard that it was owned by a well-respected local restauranteur.

This is the Lazy Beagle Grille in downtown Sweetwater.  The façade of the restaurant is warm and inviting and we were able to score a street parking spot right in front of the building.  Laurie took the photo from up fairly close in order to avoid being run over by traffic. (With that 'boot' on she can't run fast)  

I did find a photo of the building as it was being repurposed to become the Lazy Beagle Grille.  Basically the structure was gutted down to the brick walls and the floors.  Previously the structure housed the “City Recreation Center”, a sports bar that served burgers and had a pool table or two.  We never frequented the former sports bar as it allowed smoking.

They did an excellent job of maximizing the space for patrons, which is narrow but quite long or deep.  That center divider actually houses a couple of booths on either side while providing a design element that makes the restaurant more appealing.

The open ceiling with its wooden rafters add a sense of spaciousness.  The original brick walls and those old wide plank floors provide a touch of the past as well as overall warmth.  The building was originally built in 1910.

So…how to decorate these old 110 + year old walls in a way that takes diners to a different era…or at least a different feeling given today’s hassles, the bustle and frustrations?  In this case the answer was simple.  Take old photos…items that might be discarded…or copies of old photos, provide varied frames and cover your walls with a multitude of images from the past.  Very nice indeed.

The busy bar at the Lazy Beagle just adds to the overall ambiance of the restaurant.  The wood top of the bar looks like it’s been around for a while and the simple lighting fits perfectly.  The signature piece at the bar is the mirror and its surround behind the bar.

The mirror ‘fixture’ with its curved edges and those inlaid parallel metal strips is a classic piece of “Art Moderne or Streamline style” furniture and décor.  The Moderne style was the American ‘baby’ that arose or was a progression stemming from the earlier French ‘Art Deco’ style in the early 1900s. 

Art Deco was all about verticality plus stylized, geometric ornamentation.  Art Moderne has horizontal elements like those metal inlays, and it emphasizes movement and sleekness.  If we were talking about automobiles, think the 1934 Studebaker Landcruiser, the 1934 Chrysler Airflow and of course the 1937 Cord.

…but, once again I’ve wandered off the topic at hand!

On to the food!  As I’ve aged, I have discovered that my food consumption…or my ability to consume a lot of food at any given time…has seriously diminished.  Certainly the same is true for my much younger better half.  So, at least for this visit, we skipped the appetizers.

For her evening meal, Laurie ordered the Flat Bread French Dip Sandwich. ($15.00) It was constructed with sliced beef tenderloin, caramelized onions and provolone cheese served on a grilled naan flat bread, accompanied by a cup of au jus.  For her side, she had French fries.

Laurie liked the idea of using naan instead of a bun of some sort as it reduced the amount of bread on her plate.  It was a satisfying sandwich/creation and the meat was of a good quality.  It was a messy “French Dip” sandwich compared to one on a bun.  Her only wish was that the beef should have been thinly sliced…as the menu stated.  The beef on her sandwich was more the thickness of slices of brisket.

Since we skipped the appetizers, I thought that I’d give you a summary of that part of the menu.  Items included: Spicy Honey Cheese Bites; Mahi Tacos; Fried Green Tomatoes; Spinach Artichoke Dip; Fried Pickle Chips; Buffalo Boneless ‘Wings’, Shrimp Tacos, and; Boom Boom Shrimp.  Maybe the next time...

For my diner I skipped the sandwich menu and headed straight to the entrees.  My choice was the Wildcat Pasta. ($16.00) It was made with Andouille sausage slices, shrimp and Cajun chicken, all tossed in a spicy cream sauce and served over corkscrew pasta and finished with parmesan cheese.

This was a very satisfying dinner.  There was lots of food involved…almost too much…and there was plenty of meat and shrimp in the mix.  Our waitress did ask if I wanted the spice/heat kicked up a notch, and I did indeed!  The only issue was that if I hadn’t requested more heat/spice, I wouldn’t have noticed any.  This was a tasty pasta offering in any case and I’d order it again with some real ‘heat’ added. 

Two other entrees really caught my attention.  The first was the Shrimp and Grits for $15.00.  The second was the Fried Catfish Dinner.  I’ve had the latter entrée over in Vonore Tennessee at the Countryside Restaurant so I didn’t want to order it again without trying something else.  Note: The same restauranteur owns both restaurants.  In any case other tables around us did order the catfish…two really big hand breaded fried filets, hush puppies and 2 sides for only $13.00!

The Lazy Beagle Grille is located at 107 North Main Street (US Hwy 11) in Sweetwater Tennessee.  Open Tuesday through Sunday from 11 AM until 9 PM.  Phone: 423-836-9136.  Website: The Lazy Beagle - Sweetwater, TN (lazybeagletn.com).

I thought that it would be appropriate to end this spring season post with a photo of our bright white azalea bushes.  They live right up against our deck at the back of our home.  They must love the location with shade from our big old oak tree in the early morning, lots of sun mid-day and shade again, this time from the house itself, during the hot afternoons.  These are far and away our most bloom laden and seemingly ‘happy’ azaleas anywhere in our yard.

That’s all for now… Just click on any of the photos to enlarge them.

Thanks for coming by to see what we’ve been up to!

Take Care, Big Daddy Dave