Big country line dance place. This place is enormous!! Bars everywhere $5 cover to get in Friday night. Was a bit commercial for my taste in a bar. No seats at any of the bars so you dont get to know the locals or the bartenders but if you want to dance this is the place to go. The dance floor was huge and people seemed to be having a lot of fun. Dont expect to have a conversation with anyone the music is loud and over powering. Nice one time experience just to say i was there.
(3)
Jeremiah J.
I have been here 3 times. This last time I went I was asked to leave. I was told that "my kind" started trouble. I have never been kicked out of anyplace in my entire life. They have a history of racism in there bar from not letting black people in the door saying there pants are to big to kicking them out for no reason at all. I was having a conversation with a friend when I was asked to leave. On top of that I am in the military and while I was having a conversation on the phone outside the club the guys outside were very disrespectful towards military. One stated "F*** the military" I strongly recommend not going there. There are a lot of cleaner, friendlier, business out there.
(1)
Derrick W.
I went to Cotton Eyed Joe back in April, the first in SEVEN YEARS and it has kind of changed since! I have been going back a couple of times since! The place is still good and they play some of the classics like 'Chill Factor' and 'MMMBop' but it seems the dances the instructor is NOW teaching are beginner dances which is fine but NOT ALL THE TIME.............It seems most of the regulars from 7 years ago have not been there except for a few! I would still go back!
(3)
Chris S.
The venue was cool, the ambiance was as advertised, but the rent-a-bouncers are a joke. Some punk in his early 20's said that the bathrooms were closed 15 minute before they actually closed. After a long night of drinking and dancing, the last thing any patron wants is to hold in a pee before their drive home. I mean this guy was just a tool anyways and turned all males and females away and was laughing about it with his buddies who didn't even work there. Waitresses were great, so if the owners are hell bent on hiring boys, they should find some with decent etiquette. Absolutely disgusting.
(2)
Justin B.
The staff is very rude from the time you walk in tell the time you leave bouncers are jerks so is the staff that serve you drinks I will never be back there and I tell everyone I know not to go to the joe less you want staff to be rude to you which in my opinion customers are always right they treat you like nothing I will not be spending my hard working money here again!!!
(1)
Theresa M.
The one star is for the decor which was interesting but that is about it. I am huge line dance lover and country music fan and this place is NOT the place to go if you like either. We were there for about 4 hours (we were waiting for Randy Houser to play live, otherwise there would have been no way) and the DJ played at least 5 of the same songs twice, plus a good 80% of the music was hip hop or R&B. There is NO dance floor etiquette and no couples dancing. I will never be back.
(1)
Renee S.
This place is a hoot! If you are ever visiting from out of town - or even if you live in town and haven't been to this place, it's worth going to. The line dancing is crazy fun. The place is just a big ol' amusement park for adults....mechanical bull riding, lasso round-up, dancing of all sorts, good beer...just a great time to be had by all!
(3)
Cassandra B.
I can't say that this is my style club/bar but I certainly enjoyed an evening of country dancing. I think the guy doing the Sunday night class was fun and did a great job explaining the steps. Definitely a good activity for tourists. :)
(3)
Carly B.
I just felt the need to add an accurate review of this establishment since no one else seems to have seen it through sober eyes. I was there for an hour and a half and I saw: 1) A fight that was never broken up by security, 2) A patron leaned over at his table, mouth agape, vomiting on the floor, 3) A Jersey Shore audition reject 3-way kissing two underage looking girls, and 4) A girl peeing in a beer cup. Not only that but I ordered 2 extremely weak amaretto sours at the bar, which took an eternity. I saw the disclaimer that unopened tabs would be charged a 20% gratuity. After spending a short time there I decided it was worth the gratuity not to have to be there any longer. I woke up today to find a $50 charge on my bank account from them. Were my drinks seriously $20 each?!!!! This place is a cesspool. It's got to be one of the only places on earth that you can contract a venereal disease just from breathing the air. They'll rob you blind and you will regret going, mark my words.
(1)
Jessie R.
Big, weird country bar. Every country cliche. Cowboy Guy on a horse outside, Mechanical bull. Line dancing to... Everything. I was in serious culture shock when everyone was PG line dancing to lil Wayne. Definitely a must see as far as culture-shocking goes but you can't really dance unless you want to kick-kick-step to Nicki Minaj. Also- three shots of Jim beam was $20. Soooo...
(4)
Patrick G.
I have been coming here for concerts since I was 18! Everyone there is cool staff wise. The food is surprisingly good if you are brave enough to try it. They play the national anthem every night. Bouncers are good dudes and watch the underage crowd like a hawk. It's about the only place you can find a decent country scene in Knoxville. Dress code keeps things in order more than most places! Always good lookin girls there too! Here is my only gripe. The music has changed drastically too much bump n grind and rap garbage, but I take it so I can hear good country tunes. All in all a fun place!
(4)
Lori W.
A free country concert. Only reason im giving 5 stars this visit. Makes me think this establishment might be losing business. I'm all in for the "country" part of it. After the concert Im outa here.
(5)
Steven L.
I been here twice in the last several months and each time it gets worse. Over the course of visiting both times I saw these actions or experiences. A) Nest of Roaches in men's bathroom behind picture above toilet. B) A waitress brought to my attention a dead fly in my drink. C) I noticed the ceiling insulation coming down in tiny -floating- bits that people are probably inhaling. No wonder why I sneeze in here and can't breathe. D) A fight broke out of course. Bar fight, really! E) Rude, complaining, nagging, unfriendly, drama Queen waitresses. Inconsiderate rude security guards. F) The floor of bathrooms was wet making it to where you can easily slip, stumble and fall. Also, no one cleaning bathrooms while they are busy. Of yeah, of course, no toilet tissue in men's bathroom either. G) Over serving patrons alcohol after they visibly had way, way too much to drink. In summary, I promise I will not be back. I recommend just going to a restaurant, and sitting at a bar - like Twin Peaks. You will have better entertainment and scenery there too. This has been my experience at this business. I am nice and usually give everybody 4 and 5 stars. Just look at my other reviews. But, this (Joe) has proved otherwise.
(1)
Jacob T.
I have been going to the Joe for 12 years not a problem. I know by far the best bar I've been to. The best place to get a drink and awesome food. The staff is laid back extremely nice. I have seen the staff treat me as well as other customers like family. This place has a valet to park your car. Valet in the men's restroom shoe shine lady. I couldn't think of a better place to unwind after a long weeks work. Thanks Cotton Eyed Joe for many years and many more years to come. Always awesome concerts as well....
(5)
Annie B.
Listen, I realize some might cry foul at my 5-star rating, but Cotton Eyed Joe is the SHIT for its genre of night club, that being a hole in the wall, honky tonk country establishment. Yes, a man with eyes looking in different directions asked me to dance here. Yes, a man with a shocking resemblance to Chuck Norris is a regular. Yes, tacky bachelorette parties with confetti in the shape of penises frequent here. So f-ing what. This place is a BLAST. It's always packed on Friday and Saturday night. Drinks are cheap. They have a gigantic dance floor and music has three modes while circle through the night. Mode 1 - outdated booty dancing, Usher - Yeah, Nelly Furtado - Promiscuous, etc. Mode 2 - Linedancing music, including yes, the Cotton Eyed Joe, the Electric Slide, Tush Push, Cowboy Cha Cha, etc. Mode 3 - Country Slowdancing aka time to get a drink if you're single. Most of the linedancing is relatively simple and easy to jump into after you've watched everyone else for a while. If not, the advanced dancers are a ton of fun to watch. There is something for everyone at this bar - a mechanical bull, karaoke, four lengthy bars with bartenders, trashy waitresses that will let you do shots off their boobs (ok, not a selling point for me, but in an effort of full disclosure, I'll include it), obviously dancing, pool tables, and a ton of TVs with sports on. Annie's Tips: Ladies - stick to the bathroom on the right when you walk in Liquor drinks can be watered down, BUT ask for a rodeo - $8 for a myriad of cheap liquors and some cherry stuff. Redneck, but good. Beware the parking lot out back. It's not well lit and though there are staff on horseback, a friend had her car window smashed. Thursday night you can go in and learn the steps to the line dances. Get cash for a $5 cover on the weekend nights. The nights with bands are boring. They take up the whole dance floor so you can't dance and they're usually one-hit wonders and not that great. Ok, I've said enough. If you want to go line dancing in Knoxville, this is the place.
(5)
Sarah R.
My family took me here when I was in town and I loved it. I didn't dance much because WOW there is a line dance for any song. This uncoordinated yankee didn't do so well. I did however attempt the mechincal bull. And did I mention I'm uncoordinated? I wouldn't use the word "ride' so much as "fall off". But I got to try it and I've got a story that most of my friends don't. All in all I had a blast and can't wait to visit again!
(4)
John G.
Great drinking and food specials, very spacious. Bar staff was very friendly. Food wasn't great, but well worth the price and served as a nice companion to the drinking specials.
(3)
Ala d.
I used to go every sunday night but now I go maybe twice a month, only because I love to linedance and they give out free beer pitchers (although its not good) til they run out (usually around 10:30). My biggest gripe about this place is that security won't do anything unless you get punched/punch someone in the face. I'm mixed korean and white and multiple times drunk guys get mad bc they touch my behind, I get mad, then they start screaming racial slurs at me and they don't get kicked out. I've had this problem twice and they do nothing about it. Secondly, one night I was with 9 friends all sitting at a small table and we each had our own pitcher. Some of us went to dance and when we came back there were only 3 pitchers left. My friends said the security guys came around and took them bc there were only 4 people at the table and we can't have more than one pitcher per. We were not compensated for the money we used to pay for the FULL pitchers nor what we tipped the waitress. This last side note is- I know its not a gay bar but they kicked out 2 of my girlfriends bc they kissed eachother. It wasn't making out or anything, just a pop kiss.
Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Bike Parking : Yes Good for Groups : Yes Ambience : Casual Noise Level : Very Loud Music : DJ Good For Dancing : Yes Alcohol : Full Bar Happy Hour : Yes Best Nights : Fri, Sat, Sun Smoking : Outdoor Area/ Patio Only Outdoor Seating : No Has TV : Yes
Greg G.
Big country line dance place. This place is enormous!! Bars everywhere $5 cover to get in Friday night. Was a bit commercial for my taste in a bar. No seats at any of the bars so you dont get to know the locals or the bartenders but if you want to dance this is the place to go. The dance floor was huge and people seemed to be having a lot of fun. Dont expect to have a conversation with anyone the music is loud and over powering. Nice one time experience just to say i was there.
(3)Jeremiah J.
I have been here 3 times. This last time I went I was asked to leave. I was told that "my kind" started trouble. I have never been kicked out of anyplace in my entire life. They have a history of racism in there bar from not letting black people in the door saying there pants are to big to kicking them out for no reason at all. I was having a conversation with a friend when I was asked to leave. On top of that I am in the military and while I was having a conversation on the phone outside the club the guys outside were very disrespectful towards military. One stated "F*** the military" I strongly recommend not going there. There are a lot of cleaner, friendlier, business out there.
(1)Derrick W.
I went to Cotton Eyed Joe back in April, the first in SEVEN YEARS and it has kind of changed since! I have been going back a couple of times since! The place is still good and they play some of the classics like 'Chill Factor' and 'MMMBop' but it seems the dances the instructor is NOW teaching are beginner dances which is fine but NOT ALL THE TIME.............It seems most of the regulars from 7 years ago have not been there except for a few! I would still go back!
(3)Chris S.
The venue was cool, the ambiance was as advertised, but the rent-a-bouncers are a joke. Some punk in his early 20's said that the bathrooms were closed 15 minute before they actually closed. After a long night of drinking and dancing, the last thing any patron wants is to hold in a pee before their drive home. I mean this guy was just a tool anyways and turned all males and females away and was laughing about it with his buddies who didn't even work there. Waitresses were great, so if the owners are hell bent on hiring boys, they should find some with decent etiquette. Absolutely disgusting.
(2)Justin B.
The staff is very rude from the time you walk in tell the time you leave bouncers are jerks so is the staff that serve you drinks I will never be back there and I tell everyone I know not to go to the joe less you want staff to be rude to you which in my opinion customers are always right they treat you like nothing I will not be spending my hard working money here again!!!
(1)Theresa M.
The one star is for the decor which was interesting but that is about it. I am huge line dance lover and country music fan and this place is NOT the place to go if you like either. We were there for about 4 hours (we were waiting for Randy Houser to play live, otherwise there would have been no way) and the DJ played at least 5 of the same songs twice, plus a good 80% of the music was hip hop or R&B. There is NO dance floor etiquette and no couples dancing. I will never be back.
(1)Renee S.
This place is a hoot! If you are ever visiting from out of town - or even if you live in town and haven't been to this place, it's worth going to. The line dancing is crazy fun. The place is just a big ol' amusement park for adults....mechanical bull riding, lasso round-up, dancing of all sorts, good beer...just a great time to be had by all!
(3)Cassandra B.
I can't say that this is my style club/bar but I certainly enjoyed an evening of country dancing. I think the guy doing the Sunday night class was fun and did a great job explaining the steps. Definitely a good activity for tourists. :)
(3)Carly B.
I just felt the need to add an accurate review of this establishment since no one else seems to have seen it through sober eyes. I was there for an hour and a half and I saw: 1) A fight that was never broken up by security, 2) A patron leaned over at his table, mouth agape, vomiting on the floor, 3) A Jersey Shore audition reject 3-way kissing two underage looking girls, and 4) A girl peeing in a beer cup. Not only that but I ordered 2 extremely weak amaretto sours at the bar, which took an eternity. I saw the disclaimer that unopened tabs would be charged a 20% gratuity. After spending a short time there I decided it was worth the gratuity not to have to be there any longer. I woke up today to find a $50 charge on my bank account from them. Were my drinks seriously $20 each?!!!! This place is a cesspool. It's got to be one of the only places on earth that you can contract a venereal disease just from breathing the air. They'll rob you blind and you will regret going, mark my words.
(1)Jessie R.
Big, weird country bar. Every country cliche. Cowboy Guy on a horse outside, Mechanical bull. Line dancing to... Everything. I was in serious culture shock when everyone was PG line dancing to lil Wayne. Definitely a must see as far as culture-shocking goes but you can't really dance unless you want to kick-kick-step to Nicki Minaj. Also- three shots of Jim beam was $20. Soooo...
(4)Patrick G.
I have been coming here for concerts since I was 18! Everyone there is cool staff wise. The food is surprisingly good if you are brave enough to try it. They play the national anthem every night. Bouncers are good dudes and watch the underage crowd like a hawk. It's about the only place you can find a decent country scene in Knoxville. Dress code keeps things in order more than most places! Always good lookin girls there too! Here is my only gripe. The music has changed drastically too much bump n grind and rap garbage, but I take it so I can hear good country tunes. All in all a fun place!
(4)Lori W.
A free country concert. Only reason im giving 5 stars this visit. Makes me think this establishment might be losing business. I'm all in for the "country" part of it. After the concert Im outa here.
(5)Steven L.
I been here twice in the last several months and each time it gets worse. Over the course of visiting both times I saw these actions or experiences. A) Nest of Roaches in men's bathroom behind picture above toilet. B) A waitress brought to my attention a dead fly in my drink. C) I noticed the ceiling insulation coming down in tiny -floating- bits that people are probably inhaling. No wonder why I sneeze in here and can't breathe. D) A fight broke out of course. Bar fight, really! E) Rude, complaining, nagging, unfriendly, drama Queen waitresses. Inconsiderate rude security guards. F) The floor of bathrooms was wet making it to where you can easily slip, stumble and fall. Also, no one cleaning bathrooms while they are busy. Of yeah, of course, no toilet tissue in men's bathroom either. G) Over serving patrons alcohol after they visibly had way, way too much to drink. In summary, I promise I will not be back. I recommend just going to a restaurant, and sitting at a bar - like Twin Peaks. You will have better entertainment and scenery there too. This has been my experience at this business. I am nice and usually give everybody 4 and 5 stars. Just look at my other reviews. But, this (Joe) has proved otherwise.
(1)Jacob T.
I have been going to the Joe for 12 years not a problem. I know by far the best bar I've been to. The best place to get a drink and awesome food. The staff is laid back extremely nice. I have seen the staff treat me as well as other customers like family. This place has a valet to park your car. Valet in the men's restroom shoe shine lady. I couldn't think of a better place to unwind after a long weeks work. Thanks Cotton Eyed Joe for many years and many more years to come. Always awesome concerts as well....
(5)Annie B.
Listen, I realize some might cry foul at my 5-star rating, but Cotton Eyed Joe is the SHIT for its genre of night club, that being a hole in the wall, honky tonk country establishment. Yes, a man with eyes looking in different directions asked me to dance here. Yes, a man with a shocking resemblance to Chuck Norris is a regular. Yes, tacky bachelorette parties with confetti in the shape of penises frequent here. So f-ing what. This place is a BLAST. It's always packed on Friday and Saturday night. Drinks are cheap. They have a gigantic dance floor and music has three modes while circle through the night. Mode 1 - outdated booty dancing, Usher - Yeah, Nelly Furtado - Promiscuous, etc. Mode 2 - Linedancing music, including yes, the Cotton Eyed Joe, the Electric Slide, Tush Push, Cowboy Cha Cha, etc. Mode 3 - Country Slowdancing aka time to get a drink if you're single. Most of the linedancing is relatively simple and easy to jump into after you've watched everyone else for a while. If not, the advanced dancers are a ton of fun to watch. There is something for everyone at this bar - a mechanical bull, karaoke, four lengthy bars with bartenders, trashy waitresses that will let you do shots off their boobs (ok, not a selling point for me, but in an effort of full disclosure, I'll include it), obviously dancing, pool tables, and a ton of TVs with sports on. Annie's Tips: Ladies - stick to the bathroom on the right when you walk in Liquor drinks can be watered down, BUT ask for a rodeo - $8 for a myriad of cheap liquors and some cherry stuff. Redneck, but good. Beware the parking lot out back. It's not well lit and though there are staff on horseback, a friend had her car window smashed. Thursday night you can go in and learn the steps to the line dances. Get cash for a $5 cover on the weekend nights. The nights with bands are boring. They take up the whole dance floor so you can't dance and they're usually one-hit wonders and not that great. Ok, I've said enough. If you want to go line dancing in Knoxville, this is the place.
(5)Sarah R.
My family took me here when I was in town and I loved it. I didn't dance much because WOW there is a line dance for any song. This uncoordinated yankee didn't do so well. I did however attempt the mechincal bull. And did I mention I'm uncoordinated? I wouldn't use the word "ride' so much as "fall off". But I got to try it and I've got a story that most of my friends don't. All in all I had a blast and can't wait to visit again!
(4)John G.
Great drinking and food specials, very spacious. Bar staff was very friendly. Food wasn't great, but well worth the price and served as a nice companion to the drinking specials.
(3)Ala d.
I used to go every sunday night but now I go maybe twice a month, only because I love to linedance and they give out free beer pitchers (although its not good) til they run out (usually around 10:30). My biggest gripe about this place is that security won't do anything unless you get punched/punch someone in the face. I'm mixed korean and white and multiple times drunk guys get mad bc they touch my behind, I get mad, then they start screaming racial slurs at me and they don't get kicked out. I've had this problem twice and they do nothing about it. Secondly, one night I was with 9 friends all sitting at a small table and we each had our own pitcher. Some of us went to dance and when we came back there were only 3 pitchers left. My friends said the security guys came around and took them bc there were only 4 people at the table and we can't have more than one pitcher per. We were not compensated for the money we used to pay for the FULL pitchers nor what we tipped the waitress. This last side note is- I know its not a gay bar but they kicked out 2 of my girlfriends bc they kissed eachother. It wasn't making out or anything, just a pop kiss.
(3)