Scruffy City Hall — Restaurant in Knoxville

Paid $22 before tip for a Bacon, Egg and Cheese biscuit, a BLT, a small plain coffee, and a dirty chai latte.

The BLT was fine, the small black coffee was fine but we were never offered a refill. Nor were we offered napkins, or silverware.

Why would I need silverware? I'll break down my biscuit experience for you.

The biscuit was terrible. I couldn't even pick up my food to eat it because the biscuit was so dry it crumbled apart in my hands, hence, silverware. Not only that but it was flavorless. A pinch of salt wouldn't hurt anyone here and I'm not sure who was responsible for this. It was honestly so bad that I went to their site and looked up their menu before posting this review just to make sure it wasn't vegan or gluten free. If it was and I didn't notice then that would have been my fault, but the site says it is a 'buttermilk biscuit'. Buttermilk and Sand, maybe. For a town that has a biscuit festival this was shameful. See my image and judge for yourself. Biscuits shouldn't just dissolve in your hands like that, in my opinion.

What little bacon I was given (it looked like one strip cut in half) was thin and rubbery. I don't know how you get bacon so thin to be cooked and rubbery, but it was. Apparently we have that technology. I'm not sure how on earth you can be surrounded by so many places that serve Benton's Bacon and still try to get away with whatever this stuff was.

The 'fluffy egg' was flat, rubbery, and so over-cooked that it was brown.

The cheddar cheese was fine but there wasn't enough to hold this thing together.

For 4 bucks and some change you can get a WAY better biscuit from McDonald's.

The dirty chai was indistinguishable from a regular cup of coffee with some cinnamon sprinkled in. It certainly wasn't a latte. The best thing I can say about it is that it was caffeinated.

The best thing I can say about this place is that it was conveniently located, service was good, and I didn't have to wait in line to...

Bartender told me I wasn’t disabled enough to use their elevator. Firstly I’ve been to Bernadette’s crystal gardens before on my birthday and was using my walker and was taken to the roof bar via their elevator. This day it was pouring rain and I couldn’t bring my mobility aid, my mom went up to the bartender named Jackie to ask if someone could take me up to the roof and she was told it’s not allowed because I wasn’t in a wheelchair or crutches my mom explained I’m chronically ill but was still told no. Luckily a security guard named Abby was not gonna let her ruin our night and happily took me up the elevator and told me I did not need to explain my disability to her. Goes to show what a little kindness can do. We also went to the second floor and any time I needed an elevator the bartenders were happy to call someone to take me in it. When I left I went up to that bartender and told her what she did was discrimination and illegal as I paid to get into that bar so they legally have to have an accessible route by ada law. I lifted up my T-shirt to show her the multiple medical devices and tubes on my stomach keeping me alive. I cannot walk stairs I am a fall risk. She refused to listen and just kept cutting me off saying a very insincere “sorry” since I was speaking loud enough for the rest of the bar to hear what she did she tried to hush me and another bartender called security once I started talking. Funny how you can call security for me just saying out loud what you did wrong but you couldn’t call security to unlock the elevator like everyone else. It takes a second of kindness to be a good person but instead my night was ruined...

I was extremely disappointed by my recent experience at Bernadette’s. My wife and I stopped in around 6:30 to enjoy an appetizer and a few drinks while waiting to meet friends for dinner nearby. I entered first, had my ID checked, reviewed the menu, and then returned with my wife—both of us showing ID again. We ordered food and drinks at the bar and were later joined by our friends, who also ordered drinks.

Shortly after 7:00, I briefly stepped out to put our name on the waitlist at The Brass Pearl next door. When I returned minutes later, the same doorman I talked to earlier yelled out for me to get in the line again because they were now charging a cover charge—even though I had already been inside, had a drink at the bar, and my party was still there. I explained the situation respectfully but was told I needed to get in line and pay. When I kept walking in to inform the bartender, I assumed common sense would prevail. Instead, a short while later we were approached by the doorman and someone else and our entire group was told we needed to leave. The bar was practically empty, and we were clearly paying guests. Even the bartender seemed surprised.

I have a group of business owners coming in the end of this month and staying downtown. I plan to introduce them to Knoxville's vibrant bar scene and certainly would have included Alice In Appalachia, Bernadette's and Scruffy City, but due to the behavior of Mr. Wests employees last weekend, I will introduce them to the many other establishments that I feel will appreciate our business. There are too many other establishments in Knoxville that truly value...