Downtown
Pete's Restaurant & Coffee Shop
The downtown diner, open since 1986 and a Best-Breakfast regular for years running. Cheap, fast, filling, and beloved;...
Diner & breakfast
J.C. Holdway
Chef Joseph Lenn's wood-fired Southern restaurant on Union Avenue, a James Beard award winner and a Michelin-guide list...
Wood-fired Southern
Chivo Taqueria
Tacos, margaritas, and agave on Gay Street, with a lively patio in the heart of downtown.
Tacos & Mexican
Downtown / riverfront
Market Square
Stock & Barrel
Burgers and bourbon on Market Square, with a long whiskey wall and signature burgers like The Billy (goat cheese, Bento...
Burgers & bourbon
The Tomato Head
A Market Square institution: from-scratch breads and pizzas, vegetarian-friendly, deeply local. A second location is ou...
Pizza & vegetarian
Cafe 4
A Market Square mainstay known for its patio, lobster mac-and-cheese, truffle fries, and warm pimento cheese dip.
American
Emilia
From-scratch Italian on Market Square: gnocchi, house focaccia, and a butterscotch budino smooth as silk.
Italian
Oliver Royale
Candle-lit New American at the historic Oliver Hotel on Market Square, with an ever-changing menu and serious cocktails.
New American
Old City
Sweet P's Barbecue & Downtown Dive
The Old City outpost of Knoxville's beloved smokehouse, with the same wood-smoked brisket and ribs as the original rive...
Barbecue
A Dopo Sourdough Pizza
A dinner-only, wood-fired pizzeria just north of the Old City core, known for naturally leavened sourdough pies, season...
Sourdough pizza
Kefi
A modern Greek taverna on East Jackson Avenue serving mezze, small plates, and cocktails in the Old City.
Greek & Mediterranean
Osteria Stella
A Northern Italian restaurant on West Jackson Avenue in the Old City, sharing its building with the cocktail bar Brothe...
Northern Italian
Fin-Two Japanese Ale House
An izakaya-style Japanese ale house in the Old City serving ramen, yakitori, and sushi alongside a deep beer list.
Japanese izakaya
UT Campus / The Strip
Sunspot
Where 'tie-dyes and neckties unite' on Cumberland Avenue near campus: veggie-forward, Caribbean and Latin flavors, 40-p...
Veggie-friendly, Caribbean & Latin
Oscar's Restaurant
A Cumberland Avenue fixture near the University of Tennessee serving hand-crafted pizza, pasta, and sandwiches, with la...
Pizza & Italian-American
The Half Barrel
A Cumberland Avenue pub known for scratch burgers, dozens of beers on tap, and a large bourbon and whiskey selection on...
American gastropub
Emory Place
Happy Holler
The Marlowe
A neighborhood restaurant on the corner of North Central and Anderson in Happy Holler, serving New American and Contine...
New American
Pizzeria Nora
A chef-driven pizzeria on the north end of Central Street serving thin-crust, hearth-baked pies.
Wood-fired pizza
Gay Street
The Kennedy
An elevated New American restaurant and bar set in an 1870s building (one of the oldest downtown) on the south end of G...
New American
Vida
A pan-Latin restaurant on the main floor of the historic Holston building, with the cocktail lounge The Vault in the bu...
Pan-Latin
KoPita Authentic Mediterranean
Chef Avi Zenatti's Mediterranean restaurant upstairs at 507 South Gay Street, serving falafel, shawarma, hummus, and pl...
Mediterranean
Bistro at the Bijou
A longtime downtown bistro next to the Bijou Theatre on Gay Street, known for daily specials and a from-scratch menu.
Bistro
Fountain City
South Knoxville
Ye Olde Steak House
A rustic Chapman Highway steakhouse run by the King family since 1968, long a South Knoxville staple for grain-fed beef.
Steakhouse
SoKno Taco Cantina
A casual taco cantina on Sevierville Pike that has anchored the South Knoxville (SoKno) dining scene since 2017, with s...
Tacos
Bearden
Aubrey's
The Bearden location of the locally founded Aubrey's, serving Southern comfort plates, pastas, and salads on Kingston P...
Neighborhood American
Dead End BBQ
A Sutherland Avenue smokehouse, open since 2009, that grew out of a backyard competition team and is known for slow-smo...
Barbecue
Cazzy's Corner Grill
A scratch-kitchen American grill in Bearden's Brookview Town Centre, serving steaks, seafood, and burgers.
American
West Knoxville
Good to know
Where should I eat for one downtown meal?
For the quintessential Knoxville experience, Tomato Head or Stock & Barrel on Market Square (lunch or dinner with a patio), or Calhoun's on the river if you want ribs with a view. For breakfast, Pete's, every time.
Where is the densest cluster of restaurants?
Market Square: a single pedestrian plaza ringed by Tomato Head, Stock & Barrel, Cafe 4, Emilia, and more, all with patios. Gay Street, a block over, adds another dozen.
Anywhere with a view?
Calhoun's deck sits right on the Tennessee River, and Sunspot's rooftop on Cumberland Avenue looks back at the downtown skyline.
Restaurant addresses verified June 2026 against Visit Knoxville, Downtown Knoxville, and each restaurant's own listing.