A couple of years ago, Cootie Brown’s opened a new restaurant in Kingsport. I thought it had been longer than that, but I think I read in the paper that it had been 2 years. Up until a few days ago, I thought Cootie Brown’s was a national chain. After checking their website, though, I discovered that they only had two restaurants – one in Kingsport and one in Johnson City.
Back when the Kingsport Cootie Brown’s opened, I had never eaten at the one in Johnson City, even though it had been there for several years. Not long after the Kingsport location opened, it developed a repuation for having terrible service. My parents experienced this, and several other people I know did as well. It was so bad that there was even an article in the Kingsport Times-News about it. The owners blamed the problem on a new order taking and billing system, and begged patrons to give them another try, promising that things would be better.
My parents tried it again and said that it wasn’t much better. That was enough to scare me away from trying it for a long time, although I heard several other people say they liked to eat there.
I finally ate at Cootie Brown’s for the first time around a year ago. I had fried oysters and french fries, and it was good. The service was OK as well. After that, however, I continued to hear stories about the restaurant’s inconsistency. Based on what I heard, it seems that sometimes it was great, and other times it was bad.
Last week, the owners of Cootie Brown’s suddenly announced that Sunday, Oct. 19 would be the last day for the Kingsport location, and then it was going out of business. For that reason, some of my friends and I decided to try it one last time before it shut down. I must say that I thoroughly enjoyed it. The service and food were both great. The design of the building and quirky decor were great also. It was a warm evening and the windows were open, which was nice as well. It seems that I didn’t appreciate what a good restaurant the Kingsport Cootie Brown’s was until it was too late.
Now, here’s the strange part of the story. The owners wouldn’t say why they were closing. They even said they hope to eventually re-open in a new location in Kingsport. It seemed like they were always busy when I drove by, so I can’t imagine they closed due to lack of business. The only thing I can figure out is that someone else wanted that piece of property so badly that the owners of the land were given an offer they couldn’t refuse. I suppose we’ll find out when we see what business opens in that location next.
It’s a shame that the Cootie Brown’s building will likely be torn down. I didn’t fully appreciate its unique architecture and decor until I saw it up close again last week. It’s so quirky that it almost defies description. I noticed lots of subtle touches, from plates and coffee cups embedded in the outside of the building, to silverware and salt shakers hanging from the chandeliers. I now feel that the building was an under appreciated treasure in Kingsport, and unfortunately, it’s about to go away.
I wish I had discovered sooner what a great place Cootie Brown’s was. I look forward to them opening another Kingsport location some day, and in the meantime, it’s likely I’ll travel to Johnson City on occasion to eat at the Cootie Brown’s there.
