Big Ed's Pizza (Oak Ridge, Tennessee)

101 Broadway Ave
Oak Rdg, TN 37830
(865) 482-4885

Big Ed's is an Oak Ridge tradition. The restaurant is housed in an old, dark, high-ceilinged storefront in Oak Ridge's original townsite district. Under founder "Big Ed" Neusel, the restaurant served up pizza, beer, and soft drinks; jobs for generations of local high school students (many of whom considered Big Ed a second father); support for local high school sports; and local color for myriad U.S. and foreign visitors to the city.

Nothing much has changed since Big Ed's death. The restaurant is still operated by members of the Neusel family, still serves the same food and drink, and still is decorated with an eclectic mixture of sports artifacts, memorabilia from past visitors to the restaurant, and photos and caricatures of the oversized figure of Big Ed himself.