West Jackson Avenue's New Nights Are Running in Old Rooms
At 205 W. Jackson Ave., the cocktail menu used to start with house-distilled gin. PostModern Spirits poured there for nearly 10 years. On Jan. 31, its tasting room and its production arm, PostModern Distilling, both closed. Two blocks west, the former Sweet P's Downtown Dive at 410 W. Jackson Ave. had also gone dark.
By November, both addresses were open again under new names, and each one kept something from the business before it, and that shapes what West Jackson Avenue feels like after dark this fall.
House of Strays opened Oct. 7 in one side of the former PostModern space. It covers roughly 1,700 square feet split into two rooms, Inside of Knoxville reported in May while the bar was still under construction. The bar's own site lists the address as 205 W. Jackson Ave.
The owner is AJ Tierney. She grew up performing with Knoxville Children's Theatre and studied comedic arts at Emerson College. Back in Knoxville, she managed the bar at Brother Wolf for three and a half years. While she was there, she created Brother Werewolf, the Halloween pop-up, and Jolene's, the Dolly-themed pop-up built around Rhinestone Fest. She named the bar with Josephine Baker in mind: the 1920s performer who was also a spy.
The distillery that used to be here built its reputation on spirits made in-house. House of Strays builds its drinks on technique and presentation. According to Inside of Knoxville's opening-day story, the menu has four sections: Martinis, Sours, Stiff Ones and Citrus. A few drinks to know about:
The snacks follow the theater theme: movie candy in heart-shaped glass boxes, popcorn with a house seasoning, and "House Pockets" made by Sous Chef Dallen Adams of Osteria Stella.
The stage is the part still to come. In the October story, Tierney said the goal was a first show in November, or January if that slipped. Her longer-term plans include a regular late Sunday performance, trivia, improv and "a standing event every single slower night of the week." The bar's website is the place to watch for an events calendar.
Sweet P's left behind a large kitchen, garage doors, a big back patio and a smoker. James "Boo" Jackson kept the smoker. Jackson is a former pro basketball player and the creator of the K-Town Krack seasoning. Inside of Knoxville reported in September that neighbors kept telling him they missed the smell of Sweet P's barbecue drifting down the street. So his plan at opening was to fire the smoker on Fridays and Saturdays, with pit boss Jericho in charge, and add days if demand called for it.
That inherited smoker now sits alongside a menu built on the Chick-N-Sack food truck. It has K-Town Krack dry-rub wings, house-made wet sauces, tenders, fresh-cut fries, burgers and chicken sandwiches. Before landing on Jackson Avenue, the business ran a food truck and a stall at Marble City Market. Jerseys from athletes Jackson knows hang on the walls, including ones from former Vol Kyle Alexander and Kansas City Chief Trey Smith. The back patio is called "the Bird's Nest." The plans also called for arcade-style sports games, karaoke and local bands as the night turns into a lounge.
Boo Jack's Chick-N-Sack Sports Lounge lists itself as open Wednesday through Sunday, with The Standard right next door.
The two places keep different hours, so it matters which night you go. Here are the posted hours for each:
| Day | House of Strays, 205 W. Jackson | Boo Jack's, 410 W. Jackson |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | 5 p.m. to midnight | Closed |
| Tuesday | 5 p.m. to midnight | Closed |
| Wednesday | 5 p.m. to midnight | 4 to 10 p.m. |
| Thursday | 5 p.m. to midnight | 4 to 10 p.m. |
| Friday | 5 p.m. to 2 a.m. | 4 p.m. to midnight |
| Saturday | 5 p.m. to 2 a.m. | 1 p.m. to midnight |
| Sunday | 5 p.m. to midnight | 1 to 6 p.m. |
Friday and Saturday are the nights when wings first and cocktails after works best, since both places are open from late afternoon to at least midnight. On Sunday the two overlap for only one hour, from 5 to 6 p.m. Monday and Tuesday nights on this stretch belong to House of Strays.
The Old City Market brings the street's other regular crowd. The artist market sets up on West Jackson Avenue between Central and State streets, in the 100 block. A committee of founding members runs it under the Old City Association board. The regular schedule is the third Sunday of the month, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., April through December. Vendors are makers, artists, bakers and farmers.
Two Old City Market dates remain this year:
Boo Jack's opens at 1 p.m. on both Saturday and Sunday, so either market day can roll into a late lunch at 410 W. Jackson.
A few other Old City dates fall between now and Dec. 19, on the streets around Jackson Avenue:
The reuse pattern stops at the former McClung Warehouses site, also on West Jackson. Whatever goes there will be new construction on land that has sat vacant for years. Knox News reported Sept. 1 that the city had selected a developer for the site. KCDC's McClung Warehouse redevelopment page describes a two-step process: teams first submit qualifications, and the top-ranked ones then submit detailed proposals.
Until that project takes shape, the newest life on West Jackson Avenue is inside rooms Knoxville already knew. House of Strays fills half of the old distillery. Boo Jack's runs the Sweet P's smoker on Friday and Saturday nights. The Old City Market sets up on the 100 block for its last two dates of 2026, Nov. 28 and Dec. 13.
I track openings and closings like these at 205 and 410 W. Jackson across Knoxville and Blount County. If you're wondering how changes on your own street affect what your home is worth, Robin L Skeen is glad to help. Request Your Free Home Valuation, and call me anytime with questions.
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