Cool Beans Bar and Grill — Restaurant in Knoxville

If it was possible to give Cool Beans a negative review, I most certainly would. There are several factors that make or break a bar and Cool Beans is a cataclysmic failure in all departments.

The staff has had little turnover since I started going there and that is not meant as a compliment, in the slightest. They are extremely abrasive, dismissive of the customers and their needs and rude, to boot. Most of them look extremely dirty and unprofessional. The management clearly does not hold a high standard for the bar and that is exemplified in their staffing decisions. When you go to the main bar, there is a sign that basically says "Please and thank you go a long way." This entitled, sensitive, and "staff over customer" oriented approach defines the establishment, perfectly.

Management and staff do little, to no, maintenance to ensure a sanitary environment. The bathrooms are appalling and dilapidated. The decorum, especially in the ceiling, is dusty, dirty and grimy. The tables are falling to pieces and the chairs are in worse condition. The pungent smell of smoke is only out weighed by the arrogance and entitled attitude of the staff.

The bouncer is rude, fat, sweaty, smelly and propagates and allows a dangerous atmosphere. He routinely allows those who have caused altercations back into the bar after they have been kicked out. This blatant negligence allows potentially dangerous situations to become just that. If someone almost starts a fight, the last thing you should do is let them back in, no matter how much they beg and plead. When a fight then breaks out, the last thing you should do is blame the fight on customers. It is your responsibility to take care of and tend to customers and their safety, not put them in harm's way. But, then again, if you can't even take care of yourself, how do you expect to be able to take care of others?

Cool Beans is at a prime location and has endless amounts of potential. Unfortunately, the establishment is hamstrung by negligent staff, sanitary malfeasance and a management team that fails to have a vision or chooses to accept astounding mediocrity (probably both). If you want to have a good time, and find yourself on the Strip, choose an alternate location. There are several bars that are clean, with a friendly staff, and an atmosphere that is not conducive to violence.

I will never eat, drink, or spend another second in this sorry excuse of a bar and I highly recommend that you...

Kicked me out because they claimed I had a fake ID. I was 23 with a legitimate ID and the bouncer at the door had already checked my ID and let me in. It wasn't until I handed my ID to the bartender in exchange for darts that someone came out from the back yelling "Whose ID is this?", I said it was mine and he told me it was fake and I had to leave. I said it was real, that I was of legal drinking age, and even showed him my student ID and debit/credit cards with the same name, I also suggested that he call a police officer to come and verify, he said '"no, you gotta leave now" or that the bouncers could "escort me out". Also I wasn't being drunk or obnoxious, I arrived sober and was on beer #1 when this happened. I was a student from out of state so maybe they just didn't know how to verify an NC ID, but I had never had this issue the numerous other times I went here, just felt like they had something against me and wanted me out of there for any reason they could think-up. This was a decent bar at one point but that experience plus a couple of the bartenders that always seemed to have an attitude have ruined this place. Good...

If you ever find yourself at Cool Beans and don’t end up at Kevin’s bar… you’ve done the night wrong. Kevin is the undefeated GOAT of bartending — the mastermind behind the legendary Purple Hooter (beware, it goes down smooth and hits HARD), and the silent assassin responsible for more blackouts than a citywide power outage.

Whether you want to sip something sweet, dance on a table, or forget your ex’s name, Kevin’s got your back (and your next drink). Cool Beans wouldn’t be Cool Beans without him. Tip him big — trust me, your night depends on it. 🍸🍻💜

#KevinMadeMeDoIt #PurpleHooterProblems...