39 cheap eats rooms in Knoxville, editor-picked. the best low-budget rooms in Knoxville: the places editors actually return to. All Knoxville food.
Wild Love Bakehouse ★ 4.8
north-knoxville · 1625 N Central Street, Knoxville, TN 37917
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.
Wild Love Bakehouse ★ 4.8
north-knoxville · 1625 N Central Street, Knoxville, TN 37917
Wild Love Bakehouse on North Central Street, the North Knoxville cafe and bakery, runs scratch pastries and Joe Coffee on tap and was named Afar's best.
Tip: Mondays and Tuesdays closed; weekend mornings fill fast for the laminated pastries.
Yassin's Falafel House (Downtown) ★ 4.7
downtown · 333 W Depot Ave, Knoxville, TN 37917
Yassin's Falafel House at Marble City Food Hall, Yassin Terou's Syrian counter named Reader's Digest Nicest Place in America in 2018, runs falafel.
Tip: The downtown counter operates from Marble City Food Hall while the original Walnut Street space rebuilds; the West Knox and Alcoa branches stay open.
Yassin's Falafel House (Marble City Food Hall) ★ 4.7
downtown · 333 W Depot Ave, Knoxville, TN 37917
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.
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
bearden · 159 N Peters Road, Knoxville, TN 37923
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.
Tip: The N Peters Road location runs reliably weeknights; weekend lunches fill the small dining room.
Old City Java ★ 4.7
old-city · 109 S Central Street, Knoxville, TN 37902
Old City Java on South Central Street, the neighborhood coffee shop serving downtown Knoxville since 1991, anchors the Old City's specialty coffee tier.
Tip: Weekday mornings turn over faster than weekend afternoons; the bench at the front fills first.
Yassin's Falafel House Counter ★ 4.7
downtown · 333 W Depot Ave, Knoxville, TN 37917
Yassin's Falafel House at Marble City Food Hall, Yassin Terou's downtown Knoxville counter, runs falafel sandwiches and shawarma plates for the lunch crowd.
Tip: Walk-up counter; cash and card both accepted.
Yassin's Falafel House ★ 4.7
downtown · 333 W Depot Ave, Knoxville, TN 37917
Yassin's Falafel House at Marble City Food Hall, Yassin Terou's Syrian counter named Reader's Digest Nicest Place in America 2018, runs $7-10 falafel.
Tip: Falafel sandwich runs under $10; add a side of hummus and pita for under $14.
Litton's Market and Restaurant Bakery ★ 4.6
fountain-city · 2803 Essary Drive, Knoxville, TN 37918
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.
Pete's Restaurant and Coffee Shop ★ 4.6
downtown · 540 Union Avenue, Knoxville, TN 37902
Pete's Restaurant and Coffee Shop on Union Avenue, the downtown Knoxville diner since 1986, runs the breakfast counter that voted Best Breakfast in town.
Tip: Closed by 14:00 daily; weekend lines form before 09:00, weekdays move faster.
Pete's Restaurant and Coffee Shop ★ 4.6
downtown · 540 Union Avenue, Knoxville, TN 37902
Pete's Coffee Shop on Union Avenue, the downtown diner since 1986, runs $8-12 breakfast platters voted Best Breakfast in Knoxville seven years running.
Tip: Closes 14:00 daily; the under-$10 breakfast plate is the workhorse.
Sweet P's BBQ Uptown Corner ★ 4.5
fountain-city · 3029 Tazewell Pike, Knoxville, TN 37918
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.
Tip: Closed Mondays; weekday lunch is the easiest window before the dinner crowd.
Magpies Bakery ★ 4.5
happy-holler · 846 N Central Street, Knoxville, TN 37917
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.
K Brew Downtown ★ 4.5
gay-street · 507 S Gay Street, Knoxville, TN 37902
K Brew Downtown on South Gay Street, the locally roasted coffee and handmade bagel counter in the Embassy Suites building, anchors downtown.
Tip: Friday and Saturday close at 20:00 for the post-work crowd; weekday mornings open at 07:00 sharp.
Litton's Burger Counter ★ 4.5
fountain-city · 2803 Essary Drive, Knoxville, TN 37918
Litton's Market on Essary Drive in Fountain City since 1946 runs $8-13 burgers, the family-run counter that pairs the famous burger with award-winning.
Tip: Closed Sundays; weekday lunch is the easiest budget window Cash is faster than card.
Nick and J's Cafe ★ 4.4
bearden · 1526 Lovell Road, Knoxville, TN 37932
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.
Tip: Weekday breakfast runs 07:00-10:30, Saturday until 11:30; expect a line on Saturdays. Closed Sundays.
Cruze Farm Ice Cream Downtown ★ 4.4
gay-street · 445 S Gay Street, Suite 105, Knoxville, TN 37902
Cruze Farm Ice Cream on South Gay Street, the family dairy's downtown counter, slings cones of buttermilk and rotating East Tennessee dairy ice cream daily.
Tip: Open late to 22:00; the late-night cone line moves faster than the daytime queue.
The Tomato Head Happy Hour Slice ★ 4.4
market-square · 12 Market Square, Knoxville, TN 37902
The Tomato Head on Market Square since 1990 runs $4-7 happy-hour pizza slices Sunday through Thursday 16:00-18:00 at the downtown plaza counter.
Tip: Happy hour slices Sun-Thu 16:00-18:00; the rest of the day pizza-by-the-slice runs $6-7.
Stock and Barrel Weekday Lunch ★ 4.4
market-square · 35 Market Square, Knoxville, TN 37902
Stock and Barrel on Market Square runs $13-16 weekday lunch burgers, the bourbon-and-burger counter's most-affordable window on the plaza Monday through.
Tip: Weekday lunch 11:00-14:00 is the easiest counter; weekend dinners drift higher.
Curious Dog ★ 4.3
old-city · 200 W Jackson Avenue, Knoxville, TN 37902
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.
Tip: The bottle shop runs longer than the kitchen; aim for lunch or early dinner before the Old City night crowd arrives.
Buddy's Bar-B-Q ★ 4.3
bearden · 5806 Kingston Pike, Knoxville, TN 37919
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.
Tip: The Kingston Pike flagship is the original; the chain runs a dozen East Tennessee locations now.
Curious Dog ★ 4.3
old-city · 200 W Jackson Avenue, Knoxville, TN 37902
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.
Tip: Bottle shop runs longer than the kitchen; aim for lunch or early dinner.
The Plaid Apron Pastries ★ 4.3
bearden · 1210 Kenesaw Avenue, Knoxville, TN 37919
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.
Honeybee Coffee Co. (Sevier Avenue) ★ 4.3
south-knoxville · 700 Sevier Avenue, Knoxville, TN 37920
Honeybee Coffee Co. on Sevier Avenue, the South Knoxville specialty cafe and bakery in the Urban Wilderness corridor, runs pour-over coffee and house.
Tip: Weekend mornings draw mountain-biking crowds heading to the Urban Wilderness; weekdays are reliably quieter.
The Tomato Head Pizza Counter ★ 4.3
market-square · 12 Market Square, Knoxville, TN 37902
The Tomato Head pizza counter on Market Square since 1990, Mahasti Vafaie's longest-running downtown spot, sells pizza by the slice and happy-hour slices.
Tip: Happy hour Sunday to Thursday 16:00-18:00 is the cheapest slice run.
Curious Dog Counter ★ 4.3
old-city · 200 W Jackson Avenue, Knoxville, TN 37902
Curious Dog on West Jackson, the brothers Weidenhamer's hot-dog counter in the historic JFG building, runs 30+ specialty dog builds for the Old City crowd.
Tip: Pair a dog with a bottle off the 200-deep craft beer wall; opens at 12:00 daily.
Buddy's Bar-B-Q ★ 4.3
bearden · 5806 Kingston Pike, Knoxville, TN 37919
Buddy's Bar-B-Q on Kingston Pike, the original flagship since 1972, runs a $9-13 pulled pork plate with two sides as Knoxville's most reliable East TN BBQ.
Tip: The pulled pork plate with cole slaw and beans clocks under $13; counter ordering moves fast.
Cruze Farm Ice Cream ★ 4.2
gay-street · 445 S Gay Street, Suite 105, Knoxville, TN 37902
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.
Cruze Farm Ice Cream Downtown ★ 4.2
gay-street · 445 S Gay Street, Suite 105, Knoxville, TN 37902
Cruze Farm Ice Cream on South Gay Street, the family dairy's downtown Knoxville counter, churns ice cream with milk from the Cruze herd in East Tennessee.
Tip: Late-night ice cream runs to 22:00 daily; the line moves faster than it looks.
Market Square Saturday Food Trucks ★ 4.2
market-square · Market Square, Knoxville, TN 37902
Saturday food trucks at Market Square Farmers Market, the May-October rotating truck roster alongside vendor stalls, runs Saturday mornings on the plaza.
Tip: Three Bears Coffee Saturday trailer is a constant; other trucks rotate week to week per Nourish Knoxville schedule.
Crafty Bastard Food Truck Rotation ★ 4.2
old-city · 6 Emory Place, Knoxville, TN 37917
Crafty Bastard at Emory Place hosts nightly rotating food trucks on the brewery patio, the Old City taproom's calling card alongside the rotating tap list.
Tip: Check the Crafty Bastard Instagram for the night's truck; the rotation runs nightly except when winter weather hits.
Sunspot Strip Lunch ★ 4.2
the-strip · 2200 Cumberland Avenue, Knoxville, TN 37916
Sunspot on Cumberland Avenue near UT runs $10-15 lunch plates from the Southwestern and Caribbean menu the multicultural counter has run on the Strip since.
Tip: Weekday lunch under $15; UT football Saturdays push the prices and wait times up.
K Brew North Knox ★ 4.1
north-knoxville · 1138 N Broadway, Knoxville, TN 37917
K Brew North Knox on North Broadway, the original K Brew location, runs locally roasted coffee and handmade bagels north of downtown Knoxville with a fuller.
Tip: Drive-through line moves faster than the inside counter on weekday mornings.
Soccer Taco Tacos ★ 4.1
market-square · 9 Market Square, Knoxville, TN 37902
Soccer Taco on Market Square's south end runs $10-15 taco plates with three tacos and rice, a Mexican counter staple on the downtown plaza any night.
Tip: Three-taco plate stays under $15; late-night kitchen runs Friday and Saturday.
Petro's Chili and Chips Downtown ★ 4.0
downtown · 29 Market Square, Knoxville, TN 37902
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.
Tip: The 1982 World's Fair original; Petro's still runs across Knoxville malls but the Market Square counter is the symbolic one.
The Tomato Head Bakery ★ 4.0
market-square · 12 Market Square, Knoxville, TN 37902
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.
Honeybee Coffee Co. (Kingston Pike) ★ 4.0
bearden · 10716 Kingston Pike, Knoxville, TN 37934
Honeybee Coffee Co. on Kingston Pike in Farragut, the West Knoxville arm of the Honeybee brand, runs pour-over coffee for the Bearden crowd.
Tip: Weekday afternoons fill with remote workers; the patio sits busier than the inside counter.
Petro's Chili and Chips ★ 4.0
market-square · 29 Market Square, Knoxville, TN 37902
Petro's Chili and Chips on Market Square, the chili-on-chips concept born at the 1982 World's Fair Knoxville, runs the original Petro signature bowl downtown.
Tip: Order the original Petro; the Knoxville icon is essentially a chili-cheese Fritos bowl.
Petro's Chili and Chips ★ 4.0
market-square · 29 Market Square, Knoxville, TN 37902
Petro's Chili and Chips on Market Square, the Knoxville chili-on-Fritos concept born at the 1982 World's Fair, runs $6-10 Petros downtown daily.
Tip: The $6 original Petro is the cheapest sit-down meal on Market Square.