Litton's Market and Restaurant Bakery on Essary Drive in Fountain City, the burger and bakery counter running since 1946, sells award-winning desserts.
Tip: Cake case sells out by afternoon on Saturdays; weekday morning is the easiest window.
Address: 2803 Essary Drive, Knoxville, TN 37918
The Tomato Head on Market Square since 1990, Mahasti Vafaie's pizza counter and bakery, bakes its own bread, focaccia and pastries in-house alongside.
Tip: Bakery case rotates with the kitchen; sandwich rolls and focaccia sell down fastest at lunch.
Worth the queue: House-baked focaccia
The Plaid Apron on Kenesaw Avenue in Sequoyah Hills, the long-running Southern brunch room, runs a morning cinnamon roll and biscuit pastry case alongside.
Tip: Cinnamon rolls go in the case by 09:00 and tend to be gone by noon.
Worth the queue: Plaid Apron cinnamon roll
Cruze Farm Ice Cream on South Gay Street, the family dairy's downtown counter, churns small-batch ice cream with milk from the Cruze herd outside town.
Tip: Late-night runs to 22:00 daily; the buttermilk and rotating seasonal flavors sell fastest.
Worth the queue: Buttermilk ice cream
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
