Atomic City Sports Bar

I had to be in Oak Ridge, TN for two weeks in the middle of August for business. This included one weekend. It was a long week and I needed to get out and do something, I couldn't stay in the hotel room all weekend.

So, what do you do in Oak Ridge?

When you ask the locals you will get one of four answers; hike, swim, go to the movies, or drink.

I didn't have a swimsuit and have you been to Tennessee in August? Hot and sticky so the first two were out. That left me with spending my Saturday night at the movies or drinking. The receptionist at the hotel invited me out drinking with her and her friends. I had nothing to do the next day (as my options were going to be the same on Sunday as they were on Saturday) so I figured, why not.

We started out the evening at Applebee's. Turns out that is where it's happening in the early evening. After picking up a few more friends we landed up at Atomic City Sports Bar.

Now I had high hopes for this place with such a cool name "Atomic City".  There was a $5 cover because it was penny pitcher night. Oh no, I knew right there this was not going to end well. I have always avoided places with penny pitches like the plague.

The bar was pretty big with a very large three sided bar in the middle. On one side there were sit down tables on the other there were stand up tables (for the serious drinkers). They had pool tables and electronic dart boards. I'm sure there were other things but I couldn't see them through the haze of smoke.

This is a true locals bar. Everyone knew each other. Cowboy boots and hats were out with full force. Pitchers were being chugged like this was the last keg of beer on the planet. It was not the quantity that did not agree with my body but the quality of product which it later rejected.

I was finally dropped off at the hotel early the next morning after last call. After waking up there is a moral of the story, DO NOT drink cheap beer in any quantity. However, it did give me something to do on a Sunday!

Would I go back? I mean, it is a cool name and if I ever find myself in Oak Ridge again without a swimsuit, what else is there to do?