Most late night food sucks. Anyone who doesn’t keep the same sleep schedule as a farmer has had to settle for room temperature drive-thru swill more times than they care to remember.
Mid City Grill is an exception to the rule, with a great environment and quality food that differs from the typical standard-issue fare.
“Mid City Grill is Jeff Pike and that’s a big part of what makes it work,” said Mid City Grill employee and ETSU graduate Sam Mays. “He came up with all the food, he picks the music; he’s the impetus for it all.”
“When I first opened, there weren’t any customers for lunch or dinner the first three weeks,” said Mid City Grill owner and founder Jeff Pike, 47. “But with seven or eight bars in walking distance, there was an opportunity there that’s worked out very well.
“On the weekends, we might have four or five tables for dinner, and then you walk in at three in the morning and can’t get a seat,” said Pike.
Pike had been working in restaurants for 18 years prior to opening Mid City Grill in May of 2003 at its former Tipton Street location.
A redevelopment project for that area contributed to a location change. Mid City opened at the current Commerce Street location during the 2007 Blue Plum Festival, after being closed for 10 months during the transition.
One improvement since the location change is in store Wi-Fi Internet available to customers.
The menu selection has also continued to evolve, with a growing selection for vegetarians.
“The hummus is made from scratch, the fries are hand cut, and the deep fryers have no protein in them for the vegetarians,” said Mays.
Mid City also differs from other late night food establishments, in that they do deliveries from 11 until close every night, including to campus. “We deliver to the frat houses like crazy,” said Pike.
“Most of our customers, at least half, are ETSU students, faculty and alumni,” said Pike.
ETSU student Brittney Robertson, Knoxville, 21, has been working at Mid City Grill for almost a year.
“One of my favorite things about working here is seeing so many friends and people from campus, so I still get to be around what’s going on,” Robertson said.
Mid City Grill has worked with many campus organizations. “FMLA, fraternities, sororities, Relay for Life, LBGT, They’ve had The F Word and Gay and Lesbian Rights Forums here before,” said Pike. “I help with Greek events when they ask me to do it and donated food to the volleyball team.”
“Jeff likes to be active in the community and he works so much that helping organizations through Mid City is really one of the only ways he can still do it,” said Mays. “Pretty much if campus groups come to Jeff about it, he’s open to it,” Mays said.
“I’m super excited about having a community venue willing to partner with students at ETSU,” said ETSU student and activist Ash-Lee Henderson, 23, Chattanooga. “It’s a win-win situation. We get to host events, with great food, and discuss major issues affecting the community, and publicize for Mid City who is open to allowing students to host events,” Henderson said.
“You see people on their computers, not-so-sober people, just lots of different groups of people that wouldn’t normally come to the same place, it’s pretty cool to see them all together here,” Mays said.
A diverse group of patrons on hand did seem to have a few unifying qualities. A large percentage of them were ETSU students, and all of them seemed to only have positive things to say about Mid City.
“I think it’s a really nice place,” said first time Mid City visitor and ETSU student Mimmi Tornberg, 24, Karlstad, Sweden. “Good food and a good atmosphere, I will probably come here again.

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