What to order at Petro's Chili and Chips Downtown

Must order
The original Petro with chili, cheese, sour cream, salsa and Fritos.
Signature dishes
Original Petro, Chili-cheese chips
Editor tip
The 1982 World's Fair original; Petro's still runs across Knoxville malls but the Market Square counter is the symbolic one.
CuisineAmerican
Price$
Neighborhooddowntown
HoursMon-Sat 11:00-20:00; Sun 12:00-18:00
Last verified

Signature dishes: Original Petro, Chili-cheese chips

Must 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.

Location

Address: 29 Market Square, Knoxville, TN 37902

Also in downtown

Yassin's Falafel House (Marble City Food Hall) ★ 4.7

Syrian$downtownDaily 11:00-21:00

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.

Full downtown food guide →

More casual dining in Knoxville

Nick and J's Cafe ★ 4.4

American Diner$beardenMon-Fri 07:00-16:00; Sat 08:00-14:00; closed Sun

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.

The Tomato Head ★ 4.5

Pizza$$market-squareTue-Thu 11:00-21:00; Fri-Sat 11:00-22:00; Sun 11:00-21:00; closed Mon

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 ★ 4.4

Pizza$$beardenTue-Thu 11:00-20:30; Fri 11:00-21:00; Sat 10:00-21:00; Sun 10:00-20:30; closed Mon

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 ★ 4.5

Burger Bar, Craft Beer$$market-squareSun-Thu 11:00-22:00; Fri-Sat 11:00-23:00

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 (Marble City Food Hall) ★ 4.7

Syrian$downtownDaily 11:00-21:00

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 West Knoxville ★ 4.7

Syrian$beardenMon-Sat 11:00-21:00; closed Sun

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.

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