Our Story
In 1966, Buddy Smothers invested in his wife LaMuriel’s talent by helping her become the owner of her first restaurant, the Pixie Drive Inn in Seymour, Tennessee. Within a year, business doubled, and Buddy soon left his 20-year career in finance to join LaMuriel with her newfound ambitions in the restaurant business.
With the Pixie Drive Inn being a resounding success, LaMuriel and Buddy decided to sell the restaurant to look for a bigger market and a different concept. Being in Tennessee, Knoxville seemed like a logical place to start, so they decided to take on bar-b-q and headed to their native state of Alabama to master bar-b-q under their dear friend, Bob Sikes.
Shortly thereafter, the first Buddy’s bar-b-q opened in 1972 at 5806 Kingston Pike, Knoxville, Tennessee, and has remained open for over 50 years. In a leased space that seated 24 people, Buddy moved a cot into his office for the first few months, working 20-hour days, cooking and supervising. Within three years, Buddy owned the space and had to expand the restaurant to seat 150 people and was fast becoming famous for serving delicious bar-b-q and bluegrass music.
Word spread from the 1982 World’s Fair in Knoxville where people began to recognize Buddy’s as a Tennessee bar-b-q tradition. Buddy’s ran four concessions for six months and had repaid their line of credit within 30 days. With the help of their guests, Buddy’s perfected the taste that would define the Buddy’s bar-b-q guests know and love today.
Now third-generation family-owned, Buddy’s bar-b-q has 19 locations and is poised for continued expansion. The Buddy’s brand has been woven into the fabric of the East Tennessee dining scene by consistently offering a welcoming and relaxed atmosphere where guests can dine comfortably — whether they’re enjoying their meal in-store or taking it to go.
All Buddy’s locations offer a convenient drive-thru to accommodate guests, with 44% of sales coming through the drive-thru and 68% of total sales off premises.
All of Buddy’s meats are hickory-smoked onsite daily, with a bar-b-q pit at every location. From classics such as our Pork Sandwich, Smoky Wings and homemade Hushpuppies served tableside to new takes on American classics like our Hawg Back Fries, Buddy’s stays true to our roots.
We are also known for our Tuesday Dinner Special, which features your choice of Pork, Ham or Turkey, a choice of two sides, a beverage and Hushpuppies — all starting at $7.99.
Guests can also top off their meal with a sweet dessert, like our homemade Hot Fudge Cake — two layers of fluffy, rich chocolate cake with vanilla soft serve sandwiched in between, drizzled with delicious chocolate fudge on top. At Buddy’s, we pride ourselves on providing great value to the community so each guest can have A Smokin’ Good Deal™, every time.
