Date: February 2025
Location: Pins & Pints Pinball Pub, 1336 E Emory Rd,  Knoxville, TN, USA
Phone: +1 (865) 339-0029
E-mail: [email protected]

Happy New Year 2025 or if you are one of our Chinese readers, “Gung Hay Fat Choy!”

Please refer to the Pinball Map for the latest game lineup at this site. Photographs contained in this article show the games present on the day(s) of our visit.

Pins & Pints Pinball Pub opened to the public in July 2024 and has fast become one of NE Knoxville’s favorite social destinations.

In March 2024, P&P took over the space in the Emory Station Mall formerly occupied by Paradise Que BBQ. The owners of Paradise Que decided to focus on their catering business and closed the restaurant. Repurposing the facility has worked well for owner Thomas Noble. The second-generation restaurant only needed some paint and a revamped bar to be ready for patrons.

I’ve always thought owning a bar was part of the American dream,” said the 39-year-old Noble. “I grew up during the boom of video games. If it’s a game, I’m all for it.

A native of suburban Chicago, Noble specialized in operations and supply chain management. Jobs sent him and his wife, Ashley, to places like Louisville, Lexington, Kentucky, and even Singapore for two years.

We got burned out by the corporate life,” Noble said. “We concluded that if we didn’t leave Kentucky soon, we’d be there forever. We decided to move back to Tennessee and go after our lifelong dream of owning a bar.

The idea behind Pins & Pints was to create the feel of a neighborhood pub while offering guests an upmarket variety of beverages, snacks, and meals. Thomas’ wife, Ashley, who has a hospitality and culinary arts background, has carefully curated a menu focusing on quality with pub food favorites.

We had wanted to visit P&P since their grand opening, but we were finally motivated to do so by their recently introduced brunch, served on Sundays from 11:30am to 2:00pm. P&P’s brunch menu offers standbys such as the build-your-own three-egg omelette, biscuits and gravy, as well as chicken and waffles. Their brunch menu thoughtfully offers healthier options such as Hipster Toast (Avocado toast) and the Hippie Bowl (granola, fresh fruit, and yogurt).

For our brunch, we chose fairly traditional American comfort foods. Everything we ordered was tasty and served quickly with a smile. I felt their hot coffee was very tasty and satisfying.

P&P offers several special brunch cocktails, including the Bloody Beast, a 32-oz Bloody Mary topped with “enough food skewers to put you in a food coma.” Just so you know, this meal in a glass will set you back $50; why not get two? A bit more wallet-friendly is the Pumpkin Spice Espresso Martini (Ketel One Vodka and Coffee Liqueur), which is a relative bargain priced at $14. Of course their draft and bottled beers and ciders are available at all times, including the popular Xul PB&J Mixtape.

P&P’s regular menu has great pub favorites, such as the Monster Smash Burger, which consists of three beef smash patties, pepper jack cheese, two onion rings, bacon, diced jalapeños, and pub sauce. Most sandwiches come with a side of fried potatoes or chips.



If you fancy something sweet, we suggest that you try P&P’s deep fried oreo cookies.

After brunch, we played a few games on P&P’s immaculately maintained pin tables. Their lineup is currently 18 games, ranging from the very latest Stern (The Uncanny X-Men, 2024) to a very well-maintained Gottlieb 1-player EM (Abra ca Dabra, 1975). Interestingly, the Abra ca Dabra was a big hit with the school-age children and their parents. This proves the old saying that what is old is new again.

Credits are purchased with tokens; games range from 1 to 4 tokens per credit. Free game thresholds are set to attainable levels, so you don’t have to be a “Wizard” to play for a while with only a few tokens.

The high scores are recorded and displayed with the iScored system. Each game has a QR code on the backglass to allow you to record your scores.

In the gaming area, a token machine accepts bills, and if you have a pocket full of quarters, tokens are also available from the bartenders.

P&P hosts Monday Musical Bingo (Singo) nights hosted by DJ Knkt. A recent theme was Roller Skating Rink Music from the 1990s and 2000s. Prizes are gift certificates of various denominations.

Keeping with the neighborhood pub vibe, there are two Bull Shooter soft-tip darts games. P&P hosts dart tournaments on Wednesdays that are open to players of all skill levels.

Thursday is Ladies Night & Karaoke, hosted by DJ Knkt. On the first Thursday of each month, there is also a ladies’ pinball tournament.

Sundays starting at 3:30pm is the P&P Weekly Pinball Tournament. First time players have their entry fee waived and are given $5 in free game tokens just for playing.

We enjoyed our all-too-short visit to Pins & Pints. We hope to visit again soon to experience one of their tournaments or perhaps try our hand at Singo.

If you find yourself in the Knoxville, TN, area, we feel it would be more than worth your time to stop by for a visit.

  • Pinball at the Beach 2025

    PINBALL AT THE BEACH

    Pinball at the Beach is a new pinball show located at the TradeWinds Resort in St. Pete Be…
  • Voice Artist Fred Young has died

    FRED YOUNG DIES

    Master pinball voice actor Fred Young has died. Fred was the voice for a generation of pin…
  • David Fix leaves American Pinball

    DAVID FIX LEAVES AMERICAN PINBALL

    The Executive Vice President of American Pinball, David Fix, has left the company, the lat…
Load More Related Articles
  • XUL Beer Company

    PINSPOTTING DECEMBER 2024

    Xul (pronounced “Zool”) Beer Company has been on our radar to visit for some time but only…
  • SOUTHERN FRIED GAMING EXPO

    The Southern-Fried Gaming Expo (SFGE) is a 3-day gaming convention created for the fans of…
  • Bang Back in Columbia, South |Carolina, USA

    PINSPOTTING MAY 2024

    Bang Back Pinball Lounge is approaching its fourth year in Columbia, South Carolina, in th…
Load More By M.G. Brown
  • XUL Beer Company

    PINSPOTTING DECEMBER 2024

    Xul (pronounced “Zool”) Beer Company has been on our radar to visit for some time but only…
  • Bang Back in Columbia, South |Carolina, USA

    PINSPOTTING MAY 2024

    Bang Back Pinball Lounge is approaching its fourth year in Columbia, South Carolina, in th…
  • PINSPOTTING: MARCH 2024

    In this edition of Pinspotting, we take you on Spring Break 2024 to a new and hot location…
Load More In SITES

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Check Also

PINSPOTTING DECEMBER 2024

Xul (pronounced “Zool”) Beer Company has been on our radar to visit for some time but only…