Did you know George Ewart, co-owner of Dead End BBQ, also owns his own architect firm? His love of design and the entire team’s appreciation of local art is what led the Dead End crew to “beautify” a main exterior wall of the restaurant.

The new mural, hand-drawn and painted by a local artist on the rise, lives on the right side of the building (when facing the front entry). And there’s more to it than “meats” the eye…

Sutherland Ave’s Newest Artwork

For those who have yet to see the new collage-style mural, we’re shining a spotlight on a few of our favorite features! Keep reading for a quick look at the (many) details that went into creating such a fun piece of art… and don’t forget to visit to see it for yourself in person!

• BBQ—duh! At our core, we’re a bunch of BBQ aficionados. We all appreciate a nice cut of meat and the art that goes into smoking it. Our mural serves as a great “sneak peek” into our menu and the type of flavors you can expect while you’re here. There’s even a few knives mixed in. See how many you can count next time you go!
• Volunteer Spirit. If you’re local to the area, you know as well as we do how deep the Volunteer spirit runs around here. We made sure to include a power T front and center in the mural, along with a special shout out to Vol Network, the official sports network of the University of Tennessee Volunteers.
• Community Pride. We’re proud to be a part of our Knoxville community. If you’ve been to Dead End BBQ before, you may have seen old photos and mementos of Sutherland Avenue history and local West High School milestones. In the mural, we wanted to honor our community by incorporating Sutherland Ave, the West High “W,” and one of our most popular desserts, Pond Gap Pie, which is named after part of our local community.
• Odes to the Dead End Society. You know we couldn’t forget to draw in a few “odes” to the Dead End Society. Our customers come to us for a memorable BBQ experience, and part of that experience is our atmosphere and the unique items we showcase around the restaurant. That’s why, in the mural, you’ll see quotes we love that are also on the walls inside, as well as a giant “Dead End Rules” road sign, which you can find hanging above the fireplace on our patio. Anyone curious about the sign and rules can learn more here!

Meet the Artist

Jessica Ramsey is a local painter and mural artist whose work ranges from pure abstraction to playful portraits of entertainment industry icons like Dolly Parton. Follow her on Instagram here!

Photo Opp, Anyone?

Don’t forget to snag a photo beside the mural next time you stop into Dead End BBQ! And while you’re at it, check out the hashtags at the bottom of the wall and tag us in your photos for a chance to be featured on our social media pages.