Tin Roof – Sober Recon

I haven’t had an opportunity to visit the Tin Roof during prime drinking hours but I did some daytime recon to get an idea of what they have to offer. I went for lunch during their second week of business and to be honest the place was pretty empty. There were two tables with diners inside and a group on the patio. I grabbed a spot near the bar and ordered a sandwich then took a look around the place while I waited for my food.

They’ve definitely done a lot of redecorating that transforms the place into something completely different from O’Charleys. The space is very open presumably for the crowds they expect with live music performances. I can’t exactly put my finger on it but the décor falls somewhere between Joe’s Crab Shack and maybe Hooters. At the entrance you see a banner promoting the game day experience with big gulp specials and “after class” specials (aka happy hour) from 2 – 7 pm every day except UT home games.

I particularly like the welcome sign that encourages you quench your thirst with cold beer. Thanks for the reminder, too bad I wasn’t able to sample any drinks but they do appear to have a large draft selection with a fully stocked bar of booze. I don’t think anybody would have a problem finding a suitable beverage to get their fix.

The shrimp po’ boy I ordered arrived and I must admit that it was better than expected. The picture doesn’t do it justice but as you can see there were ample shrimp on the sandwich and the bread was especially good. The rest of the menu reads like any other casual restaurant around town: fried appetizers, salads, sandwiches and quesadillas. Nothing on the menu is going to stand out for uniqueness but based on the quality of the meal I had it seems they do a good job with these standards. I plan to go back for another visit and have some adult drinks to complete the experience.