Sunspot is a southwestern restaurant in The Strip, Knoxville.
Sunspot on Cumberland Avenue, the multicultural Southwestern and Caribbean room on the UT Strip since the 1990s, anchors Knoxville's student-area dining.
Signature dishes: Sweet potato burrito, Sunspot bowl
Must 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.
Address: 2200 Cumberland Avenue, Knoxville, TN 37916
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.
