The Knoxville-original chili-over-Fritos bowl born at the 1982 World's Fair, served in a sliced-open Fritos bag with chili, cheese, sour cream and salsa.
Where to eat it: 1 restaurant across 1 city.
Joe and Carol Schoentrup and Mark and Ann Lawrence built a food concession at the 1982 World's Fair in Knoxville serving chili over corn chips. They called it the Petro after the fair's energy theme. The concession sold 175,000 units in six months, then sold to brothers Dale and Keith Widmer who built it into the East Tennessee chain that still serves the original Petro at Market Square.
Common allergens: Corn, Dairy
Tip from the editors. The bag is the bowl: this is the Knoxville canonical presentation. Don't use a plate.
Petro's Chili and Chips on Market Square, the chili-on-chips concept born at the 1982 World's Fair Knoxville, runs the Petro signature bowl downtown.
OrderThe original Petro with chili, cheese, sour cream, salsa and Fritos.
TipThe 1982 World's Fair original; Petro's still runs across Knoxville malls but the Market Square counter is the symbolic one.
Not on this list, but close by, nearest first. Every one is in our guide with its address, hours and what to order.
More cities are in research. Want petro's chili and chips (the petro) covered somewhere specific? Tell us where you want to eat.
