5 editor picks in Knoxville.
Knoxville sits between the smoke traditions of Memphis and the wider Appalachian South, and its barbecue reflects that crossroads. Calhoun's on the River works the downtown riverfront with a Memphis style menu, while Bearden carries two long-running pit names in Buddy's Bar-B-Q and Dead End BBQ. The result is a city where you can eat ribs by the water or pulled pork in a strip-mall room a few miles west.
5 american bbq places in Knoxville we have eaten in, sorted by editor score. All cuisines in Knoxville · American Bbq across every city.
Order A rack of baby-back ribs with a Smoky Mountain Brewery pour and a river-side patio table.
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.
Order A pulled-pork plate with two sides and a sweet tea.
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.
Order A combination plate with brisket and pulled pork and two East Tennessee sides.
Dead End BBQ on Sutherland Avenue in the Pond Gap neighborhood near Bearden, the competition-team-turned-restaurant, runs award-winning smoked brisket.
Order A rack of baby-back ribs with a Smoky Mountain Brewery pour and a river-side patio table.
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.
Try Pulled pork plate with two sides
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.
