The North Central Street arts strip and surrounding North Knoxville neighborhoods, home to Schulz Brau's German beer garden, Wild Love Bakehouse and Magpies.
K Brew North Knox on North Broadway, the original K Brew location, runs locally roasted coffee and handmade bagels north of downtown Knoxville with a fuller.
Signature drink: Drip coffee and bagels
Tip: Drive-through line moves faster than the inside counter on weekday mornings.
Wild Love Bakehouse on North Central Street, the North Knoxville cafe and bakery, runs scratch pastries and Joe Coffee on tap and was named Afar's best.
Signature drink: Drip coffee and croissants
Tip: Mondays and Tuesdays closed; weekend mornings fill fast for the laminated pastries.
Wild Love Bakehouse on North Central, the scratch laminated-pastry and sourdough bakery, was profiled by Afar magazine as a contender for best bakery.
Tip: Wednesday to Sunday only; the case sells out of laminated pastries by midday on weekends.
Worth the queue: Almond croissant
Magpies Bakery on North Central, the Happy Holler cupcake counter and custom-cake shop, runs the daily cupcake case and special-order wedding cake program.
Tip: Saturday morning sells out fastest; weekday afternoons are quieter for the full case selection.
Worth the queue: Lemon raspberry cake
K Brew Coffee on North Broadway, the locally roasted Knoxville coffee brand with multiple cafes, runs handmade bagels alongside espresso and whole-bean.
Tip: Both downtown and North Broadway counters serve the full bagel and espresso menu; the North Knox shop opens earliest.
Sources from: Guatemala, Ethiopia, Brazil
How they serve: Espresso, Filter, Whole bean retail
Wild Love Bakehouse on North Central, the North Knoxville bakery and cafe, partners with Joe Coffee for espresso and drip alongside its scratch.
Tip: Wednesday to Sunday only; weekend mornings draw the longest line for the pastry case.
Sources from: Joe Coffee partnership
How they serve: Espresso, Filter, Whole bean retail
Yee-Haw Brewing taproom on North Broadway, the regional Tennessee brand's Knoxville location, runs the full Yee-Haw lineup with live music programming.
Signature drink: Yee-Haw Pilsner and rotating Tennessee lagers
Food: Full kitchen with bar food
Tip: Live music nights run Fridays and Saturdays; the kitchen stays open through last call on weekends.
Schulz Brau beer garden on Bernard Avenue in Happy Holler, the German family-owned brewery's outdoor space, pours authentic German lagers and weisse.
Signature drink: Schulz Brau German lagers and weisse
Food: German bar food
Tip: Beer garden runs weather-dependent; check the brewery's Instagram before driving over on a borderline day.
Elst Brewing taproom on North Central, the dog-friendly Belgian-leaning craft brewery patio, runs saisons, farmhouse ales and rotating seasonals in North.
Signature drink: Belgian-style saisons and farmhouse ales
Food: Snacks; food trucks rotate
Tip: Dog-friendly outdoor patio is the draw; food trucks rotate so check the chalkboard for the night.
Schulz Brau Brewing on Bernard Avenue in Happy Holler, the German family-owned brewery with the city's largest beer garden, pours authentic German lagers.
Tip: Closed Mondays; the beer garden runs weather-dependent and fills fastest on Friday and Saturday nights.
Yee-Haw Brewing on North Broadway, the regional Tennessee brand's Knoxville taproom, runs the full Yee-Haw lager and ale line in a North Knoxville space.
Tip: Live music programming runs Fridays and Saturdays; the kitchen runs to 22:00 weeknights.
Elst Brewing Company on North Central, the Knoxville brewery corridor's Belgian-leaning craft brewer, pours saisons and farmhouse ales with a dog-friendly.
Tip: Dog-friendly patio fills first; tap list rotates faster than the website updates so check the chalkboard.
Knoxville Greek Fest at St George Greek Orthodox Church, the 47th-edition Greek food and culture festival in September, draws 20,000+ visitors for gyros.
Tip: Friday 11:00-22:00, Saturday 11:00-22:00 and Sunday 11:00-17:00; food village is the main draw, traditional dancing on stage hourly.
Wild Love Bakehouse on North Central, the North Knoxville bakery and cafe profiled by Afar magazine, runs weekend pastry and coffee brunch service Wednesday.
Order: Almond croissant with a pour-over
Tip: Closed Mondays and Tuesdays; the pastry case sells out by midday on weekends.
Schulz Brau Brewing on Bernard Avenue keeps the German beer garden running until 01:00 Fridays and Saturdays, the latest brewery hours in Knoxville's Happy.
Try: German lagers and bar food
Tip: Friday and Saturday nights run latest; Sunday through Thursday wind down by midnight.