Eclectic New American$$beardenTue-Sat 11:00-21:00; closed Sun-Mon
Holly's Eventful Dining on Kingston Pike, chef Holly Hambright's long-running Bearden room since 2006, runs a daily-changing seasonal menu of eclectic.
Signature: Seasonal dinner, Brunch plates
Order: Whatever Holly's kitchen is leading the daily-changing seasonal menu.
Tip: Menu rotates daily; call ahead for reservations and to ask what's on for the night.
Gastropub$$downtownMon-Sat 16:00-00:00; closed Sun
The Public House on West Magnolia, the no-TV no-live-music neighborhood bar, runs a serious cocktail program and Southern-inflected food menu.
Signature: Smashburger, Craft cocktails
Order: The smashburger with whichever rotating cocktail the bar is featuring that night.
Tip: Walk-up is the only seating; aim for early evening on weeknights for the cocktail bar's quieter run.
Gastropub$$beardenSun 13:00-21:00; Mon-Thu 13:00-23:00; Fri-Sat 13:00-01:00
Marble City Pub on Jack Dance Street in West Hills, the craft-cocktail and beer bar between Salsarita's and Sticky Rice, runs a Knoxville rotating tap list.
Signature: Craft beer flight, Bar plates
Order: A rotating craft-beer flight with the bar's burger.
Tip: Saturday salsa nights run late; Sunday afternoon is the reliably quiet window.
American$old-cityMon-Sat 12:00-20:00; Sun 13:00-16:00
Curious Dog on West Jackson, the brothers Weidenhamer's hot-dog counter in the historic JFG building, runs over 30 specialty dog builds since 2009.
Signature: Specialty hot dogs, Bottle shop
Order: A specialty dog build, plus a bottle off the rotating craft-beer wall.
Tip: The bottle shop runs longer than the kitchen; aim for lunch or early dinner before the Old City night crowd arrives.
Modern Appalachian, Farm-to-table$$$market-squareTue-Sat 17:00-22:00; closed Sun-Mon
J.C. Holdway on Union Avenue, Joseph Lenn's wood-fired Appalachian room since 2016 after his Blackberry Farm run, anchors Knoxville's chef-driven downtown.
Signature: Wood-fired Appalachian plates, Local trout
Order: Whichever Appalachian-sourced wood-fired protein the kitchen is leading the night's menu.
Tip: Reservations open about a month out on Resy and the Tuesday to Thursday dinners run quieter than weekend Saturdays.
Italian$$$market-squareTue-Sun 17:00-22:00; closed Mon
Emilia on Market Square, chef Matt Gallaher's Emilia-Romagna-inspired Italian room since 2016, runs handmade pasta and house-pulled mozzarella a block off.
Signature: Handmade pasta, Hand-pulled mozzarella
Order: Whichever pasta the kitchen is rolling that day, plus a hand-pulled mozzarella plate to start.
Tip: Reservations open about three weeks out; Tuesday through Thursday dinners turn faster than weekend Saturdays.