You don't need to have a room or a reservation to enjoy the Morningside Room at RT Lodge, the woodsy retreat's first expansion since changing hands in spring 2021.
The new bar opened opened July 19 and is intended to feel the way Susan Walker envisioned the lodge in 1932, said Beth McCabe Holman, president of RT Lodge in Maryville.
Susan Walker built the lodge as a residence for herself, with an agreement that Maryville College would own the property after her death. Since then, it has been a presidential residence, a restaurant retreat and a hotel.
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"The Morningside room is definitely a jewel box of this property, and it is a place to gather like Miss Walker always did," Holman said. "It's just a nod to a classic pub."
Tucked into the woods just south of Maryville College, RT Lodge features 56 guest rooms and is a destination for weddings and corporate retreats. The Restaurant at RT Lodge opened in 2018 and requires a reservation.
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No reservation needed at RT Lodge bar
Before opening as a bar, the Morningside Room was a small lounge. It has since expanded with a wooden bar, tables topped with European style lamps and paintings of horses and dogs hanging on green walls.
The bar is its own work of art, with liquor displayed in clam shells carved into the back wall.
"The big belly-up wood bar can be someplace you can sit and order a burger and have a drink, and you don't have to have a formal reservation," Holman said.
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Cozy up with craft cocktails at RT Lodge
The Blue Smoke is among the drinks bartenders will serve at the Morningside Room. This craft cocktail is comprised of Glenmorangie Scotch, Montenegro Amaro, bitters and hickory smoke.
The Hi-Tea cocktail blends together Boyd and Blair Vodka with hibiscus tea and ginger. On the fruitier side, the Peachy Keen cocktail mixes Company Bourbon with peach nectar, lemon and a Merlot float. Cocktails costs between $12 and $22.
Holman said her favorite cocktail is the Lodge Fashioned, although she prefers wine. The Morningside Room will have an extensive wine list, with several reds and whites to choose from, in addition to local beer from Blackberry Farm Brewery and Yee-Haw Brewing Company.