Day-by-day eating plans for Knoxville. weekend classics, family routes, vegan plans, on-a-budget editions.

Day-by-day plans

Knoxville Weekend: Market Square Downtown ★ 4.7

First-time visitor, weekend2 days

A Knoxville weekend built around Market Square, Gay Street and the chef-driven downtown rooms that anchor the modern food scene.

  1. Day 1: Saturday: Farmers Market, Market Square dinner

    Morning
    Breakfast at Pete's Coffee Shop on Union Avenue at 08:00. Order country ham and eggs with grits. Walk three blocks to Market Square Farmers Market for the 09:00 Saturday opening with 140 vendors.
    Afternoon
    Lunch at The Tomato Head on Market Square. Order the Mahasti pizza and a Knoxville iced tea. Walk Gay Street south past the Tennessee Theatre to Cruze Farm Ice Cream for a buttermilk cone.
    Evening
    Dinner at Emilia on Market Square at 19:00. Order whichever pasta the kitchen is rolling that day. Walk over to Brother Wolf in the Old City after dinner for an Italian aperitivo nightcap.

  2. Day 2: Sunday: Bakery brunch, Old City dinner

    Morning
    Breakfast at Wild Love Bakehouse on North Central Street at 09:00. Order an almond croissant and a pour-over coffee. The Sunday case sells out by midday.
    Afternoon
    Lunch at Yassin's Falafel House at Marble City Food Hall on West Depot. Order a falafel sandwich with a side of hummus. Walk Gay Street to Cruze Farm Ice Cream for an afternoon buttermilk cone.
    Evening
    Dinner at Lilou Brasserie on South Gay Street at 19:30 for Aaron Thompson and Jessica King's Sunday dinner service. After dinner walk down to Suttree's High Gravity Tavern for a craft-beer flight to close the weekend.

Knoxville Old City Brewery and Dinner Night ★ 4.6

Beer-curious visitor, one evening1 day

A Knoxville Old City evening combining the city's brewery row with the Aaron Thompson and Jessica King aperitivo bar and Italian dinner program.

  1. Day 1: Old City: Brewery crawl, aperitivo, Italian dinner

    Morning
    Pick up coffee at Old City Java on South Central at 10:00. Walk over to Curious Dog for a hot-dog lunch and a Crafty Bastard taproom afternoon at Emory Place.
    Afternoon
    Walk to Pretentious Beer Co. on South Central at 15:00. Order a beer in custom hand-blown glassware from the studio next door. Walk over to Yee-Haw Brewing on North Broadway for a second-round.
    Evening
    Dinner at Osteria Stella above Brother Wolf at 19:00. Order the pasta of the night with a glass off the Italian wine list. Cap the night with an aperitivo at Brother Wolf downstairs.

Knoxville Smoky Mountains Food Day Trip ★ 4.4

First-time visitor, one day out of town1 day

A day trip from Knoxville east to Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge with breakfast, lunch and dinner in the Great Smoky Mountains foothills.

  1. Day 1: Knoxville to Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge and back

    Morning
    Drive Highway 441 east to Gatlinburg, 45 minutes. Breakfast at Pancake Pantry on the Parkway since 1960. Park downtown and walk the Parkway. Pancake Pantry opens 07:00, the line forms early.
    Afternoon
    Drive to Pigeon Forge and lunch at the Old Mill Restaurant adjacent to the 1830 Isaac Love grist mill on the National Register. Drive into the Smokies and Cades Cove for the afternoon loop drive.
    Evening
    Drive back to Knoxville via Highway 441. Dinner at The Plaid Apron on Kenesaw Avenue at 19:00 if you can swing a Wednesday-to-Saturday slot. Otherwise dinner at Sunspot on Cumberland Avenue.

Knoxville coffee and bakery crawl ★ 4.3

Coffee lover, one day1 day

A single-day Knoxville crawl threading Old City coffee anchors with Market Square bakeries: Wild Love, Coffee and Chocolate and Magpies Bakery.

  1. Day 1: Day 1: morning coffee, Market Square pastry, Sutherland dinner

    Morning
    Open at Old City Java at 08:00 for a pour-over and a breakfast pastry. Walk to Wild Love Bakehouse for a fresh sourdough loaf.
    Afternoon
    Lunch at The Tomato Head Market Square with the Mahasti pizza and a salad. Coffee at Honeybee Coffee on Market Square.
    Evening
    Aperitif at Stock and Barrel with a Tennessee bourbon flight. Dinner at JC Holdway on Union Avenue with the wood-fired Appalachian tasting and a glass of Tennessee wine.

Knoxville BBQ and bourbon weekend ★ 4.5

BBQ and bourbon lover, two days2 days

A weekend threading Knoxville's strongest BBQ rooms with the city's bourbon and Tennessee whiskey anchors: Buddy's Bar-B-Q, Dead End BBQ, Sweet P's, Stock and Barrel and The Public House.

  1. Day 1: Saturday: BBQ lunch, brewery afternoon, Stock and Barrel dinner

    Morning
    Breakfast at Pete's Coffee Shop on Union for the country ham plate.
    Afternoon
    Lunch at Buddy's Bar-B-Q on Kingston Pike with pulled pork, slaw and beans. Walk Bearden, then beer at Marble City Pub.
    Evening
    Dinner at Stock and Barrel on Market Square for the Tennessee hot chicken and a Tennessee bourbon pour. Nightcap at The Public House.

  2. Day 2: Sunday: brunch, Sweet P's lunch, Dead End BBQ dinner

    Morning
    Sunday brunch at Tupelo Honey Market Square with biscuits and Southern plates.
    Afternoon
    Lunch at Sweet P's Uptown Corner with the soul-food BBQ plates. Coffee at Honeybee Coffee.
    Evening
    Dinner at Dead End BBQ in Bearden with the competition-style brisket and ribs. Whiskey nightcap at Bistro at the Bijou.
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