Knoxville: Downtown Food Tour with Tastings and Guide
Discover the flavors of Knoxville on a guided food tour. Enjoy tastings at local restaurants, learn about the city's history, and explore the neighborhoods of Market S...
What to order at Calhoun's on the River
- Must order
- A rack of baby-back ribs with a Smoky Mountain Brewery pour and a river-side patio table.
- Signature dishes
- Baby-back ribs, Smoky Mountain Brewery beer
- Editor tip
- Patio fills on UT home football Saturdays and Vols baseball nights; weekdays are reliably easier.
CuisineAmerican Bbq
Price$$
Neighborhooddowntown
HoursMon-Thu 11:00-22:00; Fri-Sat 11:00-23:00; Sun 11:00-22:00
Phone+1 865 673 3444
Last verified
Signature dishes: Baby-back ribs, Smoky Mountain Brewery beer
Must 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.
Food experiences in Downtown
Knoxville: Sunset Dinner Cruise on Tennessee River
Sail through Knoxville's scenic waterways. Relish a three-course meal at your private table while enjoying a breathtaking sunset.
Knoxville: Scenic Lunch Cruise on the Tennessee River
Cruise along Knoxville's riverfront while enjoying a delicious meal. Relax in comfort and take in sights like Neyland Stadium.
Location
Address: 400 Neyland Drive, Knoxville, TN 37902
More casual dining in Knoxville
Aubrey's Papermill ★ 4.1
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 ★ 4.6
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 ★ 4.2
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 ★ 4.2
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.
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 ★ 4.5
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 ★ 4.3
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.