Aw, shucks! A new Old City restaurant and oyster bar lets customers peek into its kitchen

Keenan Thomas, Knoxville News Sentinel
·3 min read

Oysters will be shucked, ice will be carved and customers will be offered a peek into the kitchen when STIR Knoxville opens in the Old City later this month.

The restaurant and raw oyster bar, whose Chattanooga origins date back 2015, plans to open July 31 with a made-from-scratch menu that includes a variety of seafood, fusion dishes and craft cocktails.

The Knoxville restaurant will become STIR's fourth location when it opens in the ground floor of Stockyard Lofts at 217 Willow Ave. In addition to Chattanooga, STIR has restaurants in Raleigh and Charlotte, North Carolina.

"It's going to be a very social restaurant," general manager Myrandia Hankal told Knox News."I think people when they walk in are really going to be in awe of the atmosphere and the architecture that we've created."

The brand is owned by Square One Holdings, which also owns Balter Beerworks in Knoxville.

Square One Holdings' other Tennessee brands include The Mailroom in Clarksville, State of Confusion in Chattanooga, Massey's Kitchen in Chattanooga and Strawberry Alley Ale Works in Clarksville

Standout items on the STIR Knoxville menu

STIR will serve lunch and dinner, as well as brunch until 2:30 p.m. on the weekends. Hankal said prices will be similar to menus at STIR's other locations, which show food ranging from around $12 to $36.

STIR Knoxville concept art shows patio seating will be available along Willow Avenue when the restaurant and oyster bar opens July 31 in the Old City. General manager Myrandia Hankal told Knox News garage doors will open up the restaurant, which will have a "rustic urban feel to it."
STIR Knoxville concept art shows patio seating will be available along Willow Avenue when the restaurant and oyster bar opens July 31 in the Old City. General manager Myrandia Hankal told Knox News garage doors will open up the restaurant, which will have a "rustic urban feel to it."

The following standout items can be found on the restaurants' menus:

  • Scallop and shrimp white cheddar mac and cheese

  • Grilled salmon

  • Tillamook cheeseburger

  • Tuna poke bowl

  • Shrimp and grits (brunch)

  • Chicken and waffles (brunch)

  • Baja omelet (brunch)

All about the oyster bar in downtown Knoxville

While oysters can be ordered for lunch and brunch, at dinnertime the full oyster bar will serve up the delicious mollusk in a variety of ways: Rockefeller, char-broiled and pan roasted.

Based on other STIR menus, the prices for oysters could range from $16 to $47, with $3.25 specialty oysters and $2 house oysters available for lunch.

"You can sit at that raw oyster bar and you can watch them shuck the oysters right there for you, but it is full service," she said. "You can order the full menu at the oyster bar, but this one is actually going to be an extension of our cocktail bar."

Sip on something special at this Old City cocktail bar

STIR Knoxville will have a full drink menu with house-made syrups and carved artisanal ice.

Cocktails are expected to be in the $12-$16 range, with offerings that include the Wild Moon Child, made with tequila, strawberry syrup, lime, lemon and Aperol. STIR also will offer cocktails that have been barrel-aged for 30 days, including the Boulevardier and ginger lemon drop.

Food and drink specials will be offered each month. Expect to spend $6-$12 for beer and wine.

Want to see STIR Knoxville for yourself? The wait is nearly over

The restaurant space is designed to be open and inviting, with garage doors that will open up the restaurant in the summer. The kitchen is viewable from tables throughout the restaurant, and renderings show wood paneling and beams texturing the restaurant with a modern aesthetic.

As construction work wraps up, renderings show what STIR Knoxville could look when it opens July 31 on Willow Avenue. You might already be familiar with the brand, which has two restaurants in North Carolina and the original STIR in Chattanooga.
As construction work wraps up, renderings show what STIR Knoxville could look when it opens July 31 on Willow Avenue. You might already be familiar with the brand, which has two restaurants in North Carolina and the original STIR in Chattanooga.

"It's going to have a very urban feel with this being a brand-new build, but we're going to have some rustic urban feel to it," Hankal said. "It's going to be a very open-air concept."

Hankal is excited to see a "sea of orange" come to STIR on opening day July 31, as the University of Tennessee gears up for the football season.

STIR plans to be open the following hours:

  • Monday through Thursday: 11 a.m.-midnight

  • Friday: 11 a.m.-1 a.m.

  • Saturday: 10 a.m.-1 a.m.

  • Sunday: 10 a.m.-midnight

Keenan Thomas reports for the Knox News business growth and development team. You can reach him by email at keenan.thomas@knoxnews.com.

Support strong local journalism and unlock premium perks at knoxnews.com/subscribe.

This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Old City restaurant STIR Knoxville opening with oyster bar, cocktails