Marie’s Olde Town Tavern

I’ve heard it is closing and what a travesty that would be. It is the perfect smoke filled, loud ass, karaōke, dive bar. Sadly it has been on the ghetto side of downtown and now that urban renewal has made its way there this place will likely become a casualty of gentrification. If you haven’t been, go. Take cash, drink a PBR and grab a bag of pork rinds from behind the bar. You won’t regret it.

This place is a classic, Southern, down-​home dive bar. Pictures of Elvis and Priscilla line the walls. I drank Miller Lite at $ 2.50 per bottle as local folks got up and karaōke-​d to a wide variety of music. Show tunes, hit songs, rap songs, pages of Frank Sinatra and Elvis. The place was filled to capacity with an interesting and lively group of participants and voyeurs alike. I was so mesmerized by the Impressive Catalog of Songs that I never got up to perform. The curly-​haired man at the bar says Marie’s has been there since 1992. This place has classic cheap paneling, microwave popcorn, and a lot of down home cigarette smoke. In Tennessee, if they card everyone (& they do) and the bar is 21+ they are allowed to smoke. Makes sense, right? (Not a big fan of the smoke.) Anyway, friendly server kept the beers coming and the empties going. Cash only, people.

Love it — the staff was great, and the karaōke was hilarious. I will say, I hateeeee that everyone was smoking inside (gag me), and there’s no outside area. But props for being an amazingly kept secret, Marie’s and you keep doing you. Reader, bring cash and it is only beer but it’s cheap.

About 700 square feet of epic dive. This is the Knoxville answer to the place to go for beer (cash only) and enthusiastic karaōke.
It is really a place for stopping by that you «know of» but don’t want to brag that you are a regular too… so I like it…
The staff is friendly … the karaōke host is a bit nutty… but I think it comes with the territory of hearing «don’t stop believing» for the zillionth time…

Got cash onhand? Drunk Karaōke and cheap beers, Marie’s is a good place to go when you have a fun group who want to stay out late belting Journey.

The «son» who does the karaōke will make you feel uncomfortable if you are a woman, and don’t expect him to be fair with his line-​up. He puts his friends first and young girls he fondles who are tolerant of it second.
On a positive note? The women who work there are always friendly and attentive. The father is nice, and if you’re into experiencing a «dive bar», this place is perfect. It is a smoking establishment, so don’t wear any clothes you don’t mine getting smelly. Also, it’s cash only and you’re not going to get a beer better than a Heineken. Everything is in bottles and cans. Beware of the hipster hordes. They will come and descend on the place all at once and you’ll be stuck listening to off-​key 80s pop songs the rest of the night.

the eptiomy of a dive bar. Damn, you’ve been going strong sitting right next to the hip trend fixed gear public house.
4 PBR tall boys = $ 10. CASH ONLY. enough said.

Hidden Gem of a dive bar in downtown Knoxville. This place has done a good job of keeping itself a secret and therefore being a less Hipster version of Toot’s. Cheap Beer and POPCORN. Yes, you see right, free popcorn. Ain’t no one mad at that. Drunk Karaōke to be had by all. When you don’t want to run into someone you know in the old city, go ahead and enjoy the people watching from Marie’s. it’s prime time.

Marie,
I was on my way to the bar next door however your presence was way to powerful and drew me in. I have not smelled like smoke or have had that burning eye sensation like I do now for many years. There have been many times I have thanked our wonderful government for telling small businesses what to do and how to go and shove it when it comes to smoking in their establishments. Yet, you have reminded me of what was the whole reason it is to be free in this country… despite them telling you that you can only serve beer. The clientele that too are attracted to your beauty are amazing people who show only good will and high hope. You run an outstanding operation and I will be back many times.
Thank you,
Mike