15 restaurants in Knoxville, editor-picked for monday dinner. Open on monday, the day most kitchens go dark. All restaurants in Knoxville.
Yassin's Falafel House (Downtown) ★ 4.7
downtown · 333 W Depot Ave, Knoxville, TN 37917
Hours: Daily 11:00-21:00
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.
Lilou Brasserie ★ 4.6
gay-street · 428 S Gay Street, Knoxville, TN 37902
Hours: Mon-Fri 08:00-13:00; Sun-Thu 16:00-21:00; Fri-Sat 16:00-22:00; Sat-Sun 10:00-14:00
Lilou Brasserie on South Gay Street, Aaron Thompson and Jessica King's French room in the old Sapphire space, runs all-day breakfast and jazz brunch.
Tip: Daily happy hour runs 16:00-18:00; Saturday and Sunday brunch sits 10:00-14:00.
Osteria Stella ★ 4.6
old-city · 108 W Jackson Avenue, Knoxville, TN 37902
Hours: Sun-Thu 16:00-21:00; Fri-Sat 16:00-22:00
Osteria Stella on West Jackson, the Aaron Thompson and Jessica King Italian room above Brother Wolf, runs Italian dinner service in the Old City.
Tip: Sunday dinner is the quieter night; pair the meal with an aperitivo at sibling Brother Wolf downstairs.
Stock and Barrel ★ 4.5
market-square · 35 Market Square, Knoxville, TN 37902
Hours: Sun-Thu 11:00-22:00; Fri-Sat 11:00-23:00
Stock and Barrel on Market Square, the burger and bourbon room running since 2013, sources beef from Mitchell Family Farms with a bar pouring more than 300.
Tip: Walk-up is reliable weeknights before 18:00; the bar runs later than the kitchen on Friday and Saturday nights.
The Public House ★ 4.5
downtown · 212 W Magnolia Avenue, Knoxville, TN 37917
Hours: Mon-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.
Tip: Walk-up is the only seating; aim for early evening on weeknights for the cocktail bar's quieter run.
Bistro at the Bijou ★ 4.4
gay-street · 807 S Gay Street, Knoxville, TN 37902
Hours: Mon-Thu 11:00-22:00; Fri 11:00-00:00; Sat 10:00-00:00; Sun 10:00-21:00
Bistro at the Bijou on South Gay Street, attached to the historic Bijou Theatre, runs a pre-theater menu in one of downtown's oldest buildings.
Tip: Time the reservation 90 minutes before showtime at the Bijou Theatre next door; Sundays run quieter than weekends.
Sunspot ★ 4.4
the-strip · 2200 Cumberland Avenue, Knoxville, TN 37916
Hours: Mon-Thu 11:00-22:00; Fri-Sat 10:00-23:00; Sun 10:00-22:00
Sunspot on the Cumberland Avenue Strip near the University, the multicultural Southwestern and Caribbean room since the 1990s, anchors the UT dining scene.
Tip: UT home football Saturdays run packed; weeknights for the lunch counter, weekend brunch for the patio.
Tupelo Honey Southern Kitchen and Bar ★ 4.3
market-square · 1 Market Square, Knoxville, TN 37902
Hours: Mon-Fri 10:00-21:00; Sat-Sun 09:00-21:00
Tupelo Honey on Market Square, the Asheville-born Southern kitchen that brought its biscuit menu to downtown Knoxville, runs all-day brunch with fried.
Tip: Weekday lunch runs faster than weekend brunch; the Farragut branch on Biddle Farms is quieter on UT football Saturdays.
Chesapeake's Seafood House ★ 4.3
downtown · 415 Locust Street, Knoxville, TN 37902
Hours: Mon-Thu 17:00-21:30; Fri-Sat 17:00-22:00; Sun 17:00-21:00
Chesapeake's Seafood House on Locust Street, part of the Copper Cellar Family Restaurants group, runs Maryland-style crab cakes and fresh fish.
Tip: Pre-theater dinner runs faster than the post-show seating; reservations on OpenTable open about three weeks out.
Curious Dog ★ 4.3
old-city · 200 W Jackson Avenue, Knoxville, TN 37902
Hours: Mon-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.
Tip: The bottle shop runs longer than the kitchen; aim for lunch or early dinner before the Old City night crowd arrives.
Sitar Indian Cuisine ★ 4.2
bearden · 6004 Kingston Pike, Knoxville, TN 37919
Hours: Mon-Sun 11:00-14:30 and 17:00-22:00
Sitar Indian Cuisine on Kingston Pike in Bearden, the long-running Indian buffet and dinner room, anchors West Knoxville's daily curry program.
Tip: Weekday lunch buffet runs 11:00-14:30; dinner reservations rarely needed except Friday and Saturday.
Soccer Taco ★ 4.1
market-square · 9 Market Square, Knoxville, TN 37902
Hours: Mon-Thu 11:00-22:00; Fri-Sat 11:00-00:00; Sun 11:00-21:00
Soccer Taco on Market Square, the long-running Mexican counter on the plaza's south end, runs tacos and margaritas with World Cup broadcasts and weekend.
Tip: Late-night kitchen runs to midnight Fridays and Saturdays; Sunday closes earlier at 21:00.
Calhoun's on the River ★ 4.1
downtown · 400 Neyland Drive, Knoxville, TN 37902
Hours: Mon-Thu 11:00-22:00; Fri-Sat 11:00-23:00; Sun 11:00-22:00
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.
Tip: Patio seats fill on UT home football Saturdays and Vols baseball nights; weekdays are reliably easier.
Aubrey's Papermill ★ 4.1
bearden · 6005 Brookvale Lane, Knoxville, TN 37919
Hours: Mon-Thu 11:00-21:30; Fri-Sat 11:00-22:00; Sun 11:00-21:00
Aubrey's Papermill in Bearden, the Knoxville-born comfort-food chain's West Knoxville flagship, runs pretzel-crusted chicken and weeknight family dinners.
Tip: Sunday family dinners run busy; Tuesday and Wednesday weeknights are reliably easier.
Marble City Pub ★ 4.0
bearden · 108 Jack Dance Street, Knoxville, TN 37919
Hours: Sun 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.
Tip: Saturday salsa nights run late; Sunday afternoon is the reliably quiet window.