Bistros, trattorias and the everyday rooms where Knoxville actually eats.
Bistros, trattorias, taverns and neighbourhood rooms: the mid-tier places where Knoxville actually eats.
The Tomato Head on Market Square, Mahasti Vafaie's Persian-American pizza counter since 1990, is downtown Knoxville's longest-running independent restaurant.
Signature: Mahasti pizza, Veggie sandwich
Order: The Mahasti pizza with the sun-dried tomato pesto, or the veggie sandwich at lunch.
Tip: Weekend brunch runs 11:00-15:00; happy hour Sunday to Thursday from 16:00-18:00 for slices.
The Tomato Head Bearden on Kingston Pike at Gallery Shopping Center, Mahasti Vafaie's West Knoxville arm of the Market Square original, runs the same pizza.
Signature: Mahasti pizza, Veggie sandwich
Order: Same Mahasti pizza pesto build that runs at Market Square.
Tip: Bearden opens 10:00 on Saturdays for brunch; the Kingston Pike location is reliably easier than downtown on weekends.
Stock and Barrel on Market Square, the bourbon-and-burger counter since 2013, sources beef from Mitchell Family Farms with bread from Flour Head Bakery.
Signature: House burger, Bourbon flight
Order: A house burger with a bourbon flight off the 300-deep American whiskey list.
Tip: Walk-up runs weeknights before 18:00; the bar stays open past kitchen close on weekends.
Yassin's Falafel House at Marble City Food Hall, Yassin Terou's Syrian falafel and shawarma counter named Reader's Digest Nicest Place in America in 2018.
Signature: Falafel sandwich, Hummus plate
Order: A falafel sandwich with hummus and the daily Mediterranean salad sides.
Tip: The downtown location runs from Marble City Food Hall while the original Walnut Street space rebuilds; West Knox and Alcoa branches stay open.
Yassin's Falafel House on North Peters Road in West Knoxville, the original Yassin Terou Syrian counter, runs the falafel and shawarma menu that earned.
Signature: Falafel sandwich, Shawarma plate
Order: A falafel sandwich with the chicken shawarma plate and a side of hummus.
Tip: The N Peters Road location runs reliably weeknights; weekend lunches fill the small dining room.
Buddy's Bar-B-Q on Kingston Pike, the original flagship since 1972 where Buddy and LaMuriel Smothers opened the chain, anchors Knoxville's East Tennessee.
Signature: Pulled pork plate, Pit-smoked turkey
Order: A pulled-pork plate with two sides and a sweet tea.
Tip: The Kingston Pike flagship is the original; the chain runs a dozen East Tennessee locations now.
Sweet P's BBQ Uptown Corner on Tazewell Pike, Cookie Patton's North Knoxville barbecue and soul food counter, runs the brand's pulled pork and brisket since.
Signature: Pulled pork sandwich, Soul food sides
Order: A pulled pork sandwich with the daily soul-food sides.
Tip: Closed Mondays; weekday lunch is the easiest window before the dinner crowd.
Dead End BBQ on Sutherland Avenue in the Pond Gap neighborhood near Bearden, the competition-team-turned-restaurant, runs award-winning smoked brisket.
Signature: Smoked brisket, Pulled pork
Order: A combination plate with brisket and pulled pork and two East Tennessee sides.
Tip: Order from the counter and find a seat; Friday and Saturday dinners run busiest.
Sunspot on Cumberland Avenue, the multicultural Southwestern and Caribbean room on the UT Strip since the 1990s, anchors Knoxville's student-area dining.
Signature: Sweet potato burrito, Sunspot bowl
Order: The sweet potato burrito with black beans, or the Sunspot bowl of the season.
Tip: UT home football Saturdays run packed; weeknights and weekend brunch are reliably easier.
Soccer Taco on Market Square, the long-running Mexican counter on the plaza's south end, runs tacos and margaritas with weekend late-night service.
Signature: Carne asada tacos, Margaritas
Order: Carne asada tacos with a classic margarita off the rocks list.
Tip: Late-night kitchen runs to midnight Fridays and Saturdays; Sunday closes earlier at 21:00.
Tupelo Honey on Market Square, the Asheville-born Southern kitchen at the plaza's north end, runs all-day brunch with biscuits, fried chicken and Shoo Mercy.
Signature: Fried chicken biscuit, Shoo Mercy double biscuit
Order: The fried chicken biscuit with sweet tea, or the Shoo Mercy double-biscuit plate.
Tip: Weekday lunch turns faster than weekend brunch; UT football Saturdays push wait times past an hour.
Calhoun's on the River at Volunteer Landing, the Copper Cellar group's barbecue and burger room overlooking the Tennessee River, runs baby-back ribs.
Signature: Baby-back ribs, Smoky Mountain Brewery beer
Order: A rack of baby-back ribs with a Smoky Mountain Brewery pour and a river-side patio table.
Tip: Patio fills on UT home football Saturdays and Vols baseball nights; weekdays are reliably easier.
Aubrey's Papermill in Bearden, the Knoxville-born comfort-food chain's West Knoxville flagship, runs pretzel-crusted chicken and Southern weeknight family.
Signature: Pretzel-crusted chicken, Fried green tomatoes
Order: The pretzel-crusted chicken plate with a side of fried green tomatoes.
Tip: Sunday family dinners run busy; Tuesday and Wednesday weeknights are reliably easier.
Litton's Market and Restaurant on Essary Drive in Fountain City since 1946, the family-run burger and bakery counter, sells the famous burger.
Signature: Thunder Road burger, Italian cream cake
Order: A Thunder Road burger with the daily piece of Italian cream cake to take home.
Tip: Closed Sundays; weekday lunch lines move faster than the dinner crowd in Fountain City.
Sitar Indian Cuisine on Kingston Pike, the long-running Bearden Indian dining room and buffet, runs chicken tikka masala and a daily lunch buffet for West.
Signature: Lunch buffet, Chicken tikka masala
Order: The weekday lunch buffet, or chicken tikka masala with garlic naan at dinner.
Tip: Weekday buffet runs 11:00-14:30; dinner reservations rarely needed except Friday and Saturday.
Stir Fry Cafe at Gallery Shopping Center on Kingston Pike, the long-running Bearden Thai counter, runs pad thai and drunken noodles for West Knoxville since.
Signature: Pad thai, Drunken noodles
Order: Pad thai with chicken or drunken noodles at the heat level of your choice.
Tip: Closed Tuesdays; weekday lunch turns faster than the dinner crowd.
Kaizen on South Central, chef Jesse Newmister's Asian-fusion room in the Old City since 2016, runs steamed buns, ramen and rotating chef plates a block.
Signature: Steamed buns, Chef's noodle bowl
Order: A round of steamed buns with the chef's noodle bowl of the week.
Tip: Friday and Saturday nights run busiest; Tuesday and Wednesday are easier for the chef's plates.
Curious Dog on West Jackson, the brothers Weidenhamer's hot-dog counter in the historic JFG building, runs over 30 specialty dog builds since 2009.
Signature: Specialty hot dogs, Craft beer bottle shop
Order: A specialty dog build with a bottle off the rotating craft-beer wall.
Tip: Bottle shop runs longer than the kitchen; aim for lunch or early dinner.
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.
Signature: Original Petro, Chili-cheese chips
Order: The original Petro with chili, cheese, sour cream, salsa and Fritos.
Tip: The 1982 World's Fair original; Petro's still runs across Knoxville malls but the Market Square counter is the symbolic one.
Nick and J's Cafe on Lovell Road in West Knoxville, the hometown diner across from the Pellissippi Parkway exit, runs all-day breakfast and burgers.
Signature: Breakfast platter, Hometown burger
Order: The breakfast platter with bacon and country ham, or the hometown burger at lunch.
Tip: Weekday breakfast runs 07:00-10:30, Saturday until 11:30; expect a line on Saturdays. Closed Sundays.