Sam & Andy’s Forever
Those of you who lived, worked, or went to school in Knoxville at any time during that latter-half of the 20th Century (that’s the 1900’s for any of you who are chronologically challenged), you remember the greatest haunt on the strip of dilapidated buildings known to the Tennessee faithful simply as “Cumberland.” While I know there will undoubtedly be some of you who swear by Old College Inn, The Last Lap, The Library, Spicy’s, The Varsity, or (for some ungodly reason) the Torch, and say that I am crazy. This, however, is my ship, and I decide where it goes, damnit (even if that is straight on to the rocks). Yes, in my opinion, the greatest loss suffered by the Tennessee community in the last … well, pretty much since the Civil War, was the closure of the venerable eatery known as Sam & Andy’s.
Sam & Andy’s (circa 1998)
Due to the pressures of time, the almighty dollar, and the rise of crappy, half-assed, uppity chain restaurants, Sam & Andy’s was replaced by McAlister’s Deli (one of the aforementioned chains, this one owned by some dentist from Oxford, Mississippi) in 1998.
Sam & Andy’s was my kind of place.
Sam & Andy’s was as much a part of the university as Neyland Stadium and Ayres Hall. It was a tradition for over sixty years on Cumberland. It had been the job of Sam & Andy—both of whom retired or died many years before I first walked through the door—to oversee the nutritional well-being of generations of college students. They served classic college food at reasonable prices in a surly and smug atmosphere. Sam & Andy’s was actually three different restaurants housed under one roof: Sam & Andy’s Tennesseean, Sam & Andy’s Roman Room, and Sam & Andy’s Deli. Each of three restaurants were connected (to hell with the fire code!) and served, more or less, the exact same thing for the same price. Each of these restaurants, however, had completely different personalities and customers. In fact many frequent patrons, such as me, rarely if ever ventured into any of the other areas for a meal; that is unless they needed to use the restroom or buy condoms from one of fourteen different machines on the wall in the common restrooms. That building was a living tradition.
The Men’s Bathroom Wall
I always frequented the deli which was in the rear of the building. It was a simple open room with a chest-high white wood and formica counter running the length of the back and right-hand wall. Near the door, the counter dropped down to waist level, and a small collection of little baskets containing salt and other condiments sat next to a neat stack of napkins, all of which sat in front of an old cash register which appeared to have come over on the Ark with Noah. The left-hand wall was completely obscured by a floor to ceiling beer cooler like the ones found in convenience stores. The front wall was home to a much smaller Coca-Cola cooler, several racks of potato chips and snacks, and a TV suspended on the wall which was always on but rarely seemed to be watched. In the middle of the room were nine or ten plain white Formica tables with simple yellow vinyl covered chairs. The walls, or at least the parts that could be seen, were light brown wooden paneling, and were covered with old newspaper clippings, pictures, awards, and beer posters.
The Deli Entrance
Over the grill, in the back, hung the menu boards. From these boards a student or anybody who was hungry could order anything from a Hoagie, a Vol or Pizza Burger, to a Sub, or anything else in between. It would always be served up in the same manner- on wax paper in a small red plastic basket with a pickle on the side. In all of the hundreds of visits I made to Sam & Andy’s, I don’t think I ever ordered anything other than a Kielbasa Sandwich on dark bread (and it was really dark) with provolone, spicy mustard, and mayonnaise, except for a brief “angry” period in my college years when I ordered a few Ribeyesteak sandwiches. While my coronary arteries are probably still reeling from these meals, my heart sure loved them.
The place smelled of meat and cheese. It was always hot in there because they steamed the sandwiches, which meant the room was pretty much constantly in a fog. God, how I loved those steamed sandwiches. Over here in ACC country where I live, if you ask the guy at the sandwich place to steam your sandwich he looks at you like you just introduced the topic of nipple-piercing while having a conversation with the Pope.
Sam & Andy’s was the kind of place that understood customer service and where they knew how to treat people right. They tended to treat out-of-towners and uppity types like they had a contagious case of desiccated ass cancer, the regulars—like myself—they simply ignored. That said, once during my sophomore year I went there with my roommate, and realized I didn’t have any money to my name. My buddy ordered his sandwich, and I just sat. Then the heavyset guy behind the counter (I never learned his name, but he wore glasses and had blondish-brown hair parted in the middle if anyone knows who he was) asked what I was having.
“I’ve got no money, man.” says I.
“Ahh, you’re in here all the time. Just write us an IOU.” came the response from behind the counter.
Thus, that night I ate purely upon the value of my name written on the back of some old business card. Now in the 1950’s that might have been common in a small college community, but this was 1995. I made sure to stop by the next day and settle my debt.
Best I could ever tell, George Captain owned the place during my years in Knoxville. He was always behind the bar in the Tennessean part of the building. I think he was Sam or Andy’s nephew. I also know that a few other establishments around campus (Vic & Bill’s Deli behind the law school and Gus’ Goodtimes Deli on Melrose), were owned by other cousins. I guess their philosophy was keep the competition in the family.
George Captain
Anyway, in 1998, McAlister’s Deli bought the land and Sam & Andy’s closed. I grabbed one of the last take-out menus before I left on the last day of business.
Sam & Andy’s Menu (circa. 1998)
Sam & Andy’s re-opened in the old Swensen’s building across the street a few years later, but it wasn’t the same. The atmosphere was all wrong, and it was more like a “normal” restaurant. They seemed to do a good business, but a year or two ago they lost their lease and Moe’s moved in. I hear that they still have places in Fountain City and out in West Knoxville, but I haven’t been.
On the day that McAlister’s opened, I chanted a hex on the restaurant that I learned from some voo-doo panhandler down in New Orleans in return for $5.00 for a bottle of Ripple. I think either I said it wrong or got ripped off, because McAlister’s hasn’t burned down, I haven’t seen un-dead zombies trashing the place, and there haven’t been any swarms of locusts around the joint. Still, I hope it gets hit by a bus, burned to the ground so I can piss on its ashes, and Mr. McAlister—whoever the hell he is—gets a chronic case of piles.
So next time you’re on Cumberland, lift a glass to Sam & Andy’s … and empty your bladder on the front door at McAlister’s.
— Go Figure … lawvol
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Gate 21 
Made me cry.. I remember fondly from the time I was 3-4 years old going to The Roman Room. George has known me almost my entire life. He didn’t know my name, but always recognized me every time we walked into the place..
I can say that in the Roman Room, I have never had anything on the menu but a Hogie, on light, with Mayo and Mustard. Fries. Coke till I was 21, beer after 21.
My family (Dad, Mom, Me, Sister, her kids) ate there on the last night it was open. We cried, I think George did too..
I go to the West Knoxville one about once every two months. Some say George will even work there sometimes, but I have yet to see him there. Same food, but atmosphere is much different, thus the food tastes different for some reason..
Thanks for the blog,
Moment of silence for Sam & Andy’s
ElConquistador.
Glad to know that you liked it.
QUALITY!
Thanks for the trip down memory lane. A truly special place.
-Fed
Fantastic walk down memory lane. Great to see the photos. I go back to the days when Uncle Andy and his handlebar moustache still manned the cash register out front.
Oh my, What a trip down memory lane a you say. Andy Captain was a Long time friend of my parents. Mom and dad took me there many times. That was our favorite “go to” place to eat. Mom worked for him in the restaurant after dad died. Sam was his brother and ran the bar primarily. Bill was Sam’s son who managed the kitchen. Andy always gave me a piece of gum and aid in broken Greek flavored English, “I remember your mommy and daddy bringing you here in a basket when you were (gesturing with his hands) a wee baby.” AND when I was old enough, I would reply, “And this place was a little diner.” (As it looked to me as a boy a diner car.) then we all would laugh…. I have been to the one out west, the food is good, but it is just not the same.
My visits were from 1952 until jut before it closed. Went to McAllister’s only once.
The biggest problem in this nation today, and the one that I constantly am up against in my profession, is the corporate mentality that has taken over everything from corner delis and drugstores to used car lots and hardware stores. It is choking out the entrepreneurial spirit that is needed for healthy communities.Let em have the utilities, gas stations, and even some big box stores, but something has to be done to allow small businesses to exist in America.
Nevermind. I see why.
Being from Oxford, I don’t see any problems with it though, too bad it replaced a landmark in Knoxville.
Yeah, it’s just sort of a completely irrational and juvenile rant…
After spending more time in the Roman Room in the late “60’s than I did in class, I finally moved on. I knew Andy, George and a surly waitress named Lucy. In 1992, I was in Knoxville on business took a colleague by the Roman Room, after an absence of 23 years, I walked into the restroom said Hi to George and without hesitatipn called me by my first name! I still have the 1992 menu George gave me. Prices had shot up. their famous spaghetti w/meatballs had gone up to a whopping $3.95.
Scott
Lucy was married to George John Captain who ran the kitchen when I worked there. Lucy was also a part owner of the restaurant. She did come across as surly but it was a front!
You forgot you are a second generation Sam and Andy lover. I ate there 50 % of the time….my dorm and my apartment were 1/2 a block away. Great article. Loved the pictures. All true.
Went to UT 1971-1974, worked at discount records down the street from Sam and Andy’s. I’m 60 now and still remember the place perfectly as described in this web site. Thanks for the memory. The steamed sandwiches and a pint of white walking were the best collage food possible.
I remember Andy with the moustache at the register in 1970-1974.
Thanks for writing this. I found it tonight while doing a nostalgic search for Vic and Bill’s, which fed me through the 90s.
I loved their steamed corned beef and cheddar sandwiches. Went there hundreds of times between 78 and 80 while attending the graduate business school in Knoxville.. some of my best memories are from that place
I worked at Sam & Andy’s 83-85–I’m supposing in the Tennessean although I don’t recall it being called that at the time. George Tony Captain was my supervisor and would stroll over from the Roman Room regularly to look around the corner and be sure everything was OK. I loved George Tony. One semester I had a class mid-morning then would run down to Sam & Andy’s to work the lunch shift. A few minutes later my professor would show up and sit at the counter to eat lunch. We’d talk about all kinds of things. There was another person who I think was a professor, was in there all the time sitting at the bar and talking. I loved working there and met so many great people. Football Saturdays were wild but I made great money. Thanks for the memories and especially for the pictures.
I’m a former UT student who majored in the Roman Room leaving Knoxville in 1969. In 1989, returned on a job related visit to Knoxville. I walked in the door, saw George, and as if I had been in just the day before, George said, Hey, Scott! That really shocked my boss who was traveling with me.
I think the guy who gave you credit was Roscoe.
I used to go to Sam & Andy’s when I was a pledge at the now defunct ATO. lol. Any would always give me a free pickle, I luved that man. !!
Lawvol:Great site…enjoyed it immensely. Remember the notice scrawled on the bathroom wall beside the “Great Wall of Condoms”: “THIS BUBBLEGUM TASTES FUNNY!”((btw,George Tony was Commander in Chief of The Roman Room
It was a true landmark for us old college kids from the 70’s