Southbound Bar & Grill

I am keeping this short, I am not going to waste my time when its not deserved.
There’s quality and then there’s Southbound… Far from quality. The bartenders flat out are not efficient, friendly, or good. I mean, it does not take a genius to open a beer bottle or even give you a cup of water. You will be ignored.
Lastly, the food lady in the back of the establishment serving up bad food is the most rude and disrespectful person period.
Southbound is a place that is promising but the quality just isn’t there with their employees. There is an ego and superiority attitude problem with their bartenders.

Last night I decided to go here before going home, to maybe catch a final drink and have a dance. The door was charging $ 5 for men, and the bar was charging $ 14 for a double WELL (read: the cheapest stuff you can possibly get) drink. I confirmed the price with another bartender and this was their logic: a well vodka is $ 5, a double is $ 12 (WTF!!!) and I obviously paid $ 2 for the mixer. Wow. The most shocking part is that the bartender was completely perturbed that I didn’t agree with her «logic». I’ve been to many places in this world, but rarely have I seen such a blatant rip-​off. This place is your average, dirty, last-​resort club. Absolutely nothing special. Go here if you like a complete ghetto atmosphere and your wallet gang raped. If that doesn’t sound like your cup of tea, go ANYWHERE else.
Also, the «VIP club» upstairs is a complete joke. Don’t waste your money here.

Went here back in the summer and they have the strangest mixed crowd ever. It’s a mix of young college girls, ghetto fabulous wanna bes, mid 30’s and then even people my parents’ age, 50+! Yes, don’t act like you don’t see them there! No offense to anyone, I know people of all ages are trying to have a good time but it was just strange seeing some skanky young college girl with no butt on a box above the dance floor where a 50+ old lady is standing and dances to Lil Jon rappin «Bend ova on tha floor and touch ya toes, back dat ass up and down and get low!» Weirddd. Their music, eh, top 40’s, wooooo. The night we went it was crowded, people smelled and it was loud. Drinks were ok, not too bad. But… Seriously can Knoxville please work on the music, cause it sucks.

Can’t really say much about Southbound because we only spent 2 minutes in the place. When we walked in on a Thursday night and doubled the number of people we decided to just walk back out. It was recommend that we try Carleo’s down the street instead. November 3

We were in from Nashville and came to Southbound with a group of friends the night before a wedding. It was a Friday night around 10:00 and we hung till around 1:00 before heading out. We beat the crowd and didn’t pay any cover which was nice. The drinks were good and were priced fairly. The place did pick up starting around 11:00 like other reviewers mentioned. If I lived in the area, I would probably come back to Southbound again.

This has become my favorite place to go to when I want to dance and drink in Knoxville. It plays good and current music, and you don’t have that random mix of songs that makes you stop dancing and go– «What the hell are they playing?» Their drink prices are very reasonable and their bar is not that limited, as compared to most places around here.
There are 3 levels too, so even though it gets crowded and most people seem to stay on the first level, there is plenty of room if you move up. It does get crowded pretty fast there. Unlike most places in the area that don’t seem to fill up till 1am, this place is usually hoppin before that.
Overall, they have a good atmosphere, good music, and even their bouncers are friendly. My only complaints is that the levels don’t play different music and if you bounce through them you tend to hear the same songs over and over, and also I’m not sure what point or purpose their «dancers» serve; they don’t dress or look like dancers and they don’t do much but sway side to side and take up space in the club. I’m not a fan of their VIP areas too. The best ones are the ones on the first floor. They actually have nice looking furniture and tables. The VIP areas upstairs don’t seem to be that lucky. The first floor is also the best for VIP, because that’s where most of the action is and they out look the whole floor. I’m still not a fan of them though. I guess it’s because I’m use to what Hawaii calls VIP, but it just doesn’t seem like you get much out of it, other than the cocktail waitress comes in handy.

3 levels of fun. Each with different music and a different theme/​vibe.
First level is my favorite.
If you’re lucky enough to swing/​reserve (ahead of time) the new VIP area to the immediate left when you walk in, you’ve got it made for the night.
Entrance is always free for the ladies.
(Guys get free entrance, too, if you’re VIP!)
You’re a few steps above the entire dance floor, so you get a clear picture of everything that’s going down, without necessarily being in the midst of it all.
Nice leather couches and cocktail tables, decorative plants and unobstructed access to the bar fill the VIP area.
Plus you get a cocktail waitress tending to your every need.
The drinks are affordable, music is typically a mixture of Top 40 and some 80’s music here and there, and people just LOVE TO DANCE!
By 11pm the dance floor is completely packed with locals who love to get their dance on.
It’s lots of pure, fun loving, good old dancing.
There’s even an opportunity to dance next to the DJ above the dance floor, if you so choose, ladies. ;)
My girls and I love Southbound because it’s jamming and just a fun place to hang.