Diners' Choice: Neighborhood gem restaurants in Knoxville

OpenTable

Updated December 05, 2024

Looking for the best restaurants that are the best neighborhood gems in Knoxville? You’re in the right place. Each month, OpenTable analyzes nearly 2 million global diner reviews from the past four months. We sort the results by location and category to help you discover new favorite restaurants. It's a great partnership: you reserve, eat, and review. We listen...and deliver the results for all to benefit. Enjoy!

The Marlowe

4.8

4.8 (1495)

$31 to $50

Continental

Knoxville

About the restaurant

You don’t have to go far for an exceptional culinary experience. Reviewers say “consistently spectacular” with friendly “non-stuffy” service. Bistro by the Tracks simply is Knoxville’s answer to great metropolitan dining. We proudly offer an extensive and diverse wine list featuring carefully selected whites and reds from the finest wineries around the world. Bistro by the Tracks is a recipient of Wine Spectator’s Award of Excellence, 2010. Join us for an evening of dining that is at once casual and elegant. Reservations most appreciated.

Top review

Leslie

Dined 2 days ago

Excellent crab cakes! Service and ambiance was top notch!

The Chop House - W. Knoxville

4.8

4.8 (1616)

$30 and under

Steak

Knoxville

About the restaurant

Welcome to The Chop House® restaurants, where we strive to provide each guest with friendly service in an inviting environment. Our service and our food is guaranteed!

Established in 1992 by Mike Connor with the help of family and friends, The Chop House® has become one of the premier casual restaurant concepts in the Southeast, with 12 locations spread across 4 states.

Our number one goal is to provide a superior dining experience to every guest. We do this by providing guest-obsessed service and generous portions of delicious food using the freshest ingredients.

Top review

RebeccaVIP

Dined 4 days ago

We love the Chop House! Our food was delicious. They have such a great lunch menu. On this visit, we were set in Charles G. section and had the BEST service!! The next time we dine there we will make sure and ask for him!!

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Popular dish

8 Oz Prime Rib

The Chop House - N. Knoxville

4.8

4.8 (450)

$30 and under

Steak

Knoxville

About the restaurant

Top review

Gary

Dined on Dec 12, 2024

Absolutely perfect restaurant. Extremely professional staff. Beautiful restaurant and clean.

STIR - Knoxville

4.8

4.8 (653)

$31 to $50

American

Knoxville

About the restaurant

STIR is the perfect restaurant to sip a craft cocktail over a dozen oysters, enjoy a night out, or meet for lunch. Located in the heart of Old City, the restaurant is an open-air concept with a large, heated outdoor patio. We are open for lunch, dinner, and weekend brunch.

Great food starts with fresh, local ingredients. Our kitchen prepares everything from scratch, and our signature raw bar is stocked with fresh oysters and seasonal seafood. STIR is famous for craft cocktails. We freeze and carve 300-pound blocks of artisanal ice in-house, age certain cocktails in oak barrels for richer flavors, and place others on draft for crispness and carbonation. The result: categorically elevated cocktails. Our passion for fine spirits also compels us to find and share rare bottles, many of which are extremely difficult to procure. We welcome Knoxville to enjoy our unmatched cocktails, fresh seafood, and classic dishes in an atmosphere of genuine hospitality

Top review

John

Dined 3 days ago

My wife and I were very pleased with the service we received and the quality of the food. Brantly was a great waiter and checked on us regularly without being a nuisance. We will definitely be back. We started with an appetizer of Parmesan White Truffle fries. The appetizer was much larger than we expected to receive. My wife had the grilled caprese chicken and I had the blackened Mahi Bowl. We would both recommend these dishes.

Balter Beerworks

4.8

4.8 (59)

$30 and under

American

Knoxville

About the restaurant

Balter Beerworks is a scratch kitchen brewpub located in downtown Knoxville. We offer a welcoming environment that celebrates craft beers and made from scratch food. Every bite and every sip at Balter is crafted daily from scratch, using the freshest ingredients available. We are constantly refreshing food and beer menus to highlight seasonal delicacies. Balter offers a place for friends and family to reconnect in a space that weaves urban aesthetics with the history of an old service station.

Top review

Volodia

Dined on Dec 14, 2024

Great service and nice ambiance. Apps were very good. Burger was very average and the buffalo chicken salad was sub par. Chicken not very warm and small and strange pieces and sauce was very smoky tasting.

Tupelo Honey - Knoxville

4.7

4.7 (2575)

$30 and under

Contemporary Southern

Knoxville

About the restaurant

Tupelo Honey is a revival of Southern Comfort Food and traditions rooted in the Carolina Mountains we call home. We craft brunches, lunches and suppers that bring family and friends around the table and allow for conversations and cocktails to linger longer than usual. Always scratch-made, always responsibly-sourced, and always Southern.

Top review

Vanessa

Dined 4 days ago

We highly recommend. The staff was friendly and the service was great. Facility was clean. We will return.

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Experience

Holiday Brunch

Experience

Hoot & Holler Happy Hour

Harvest - Downtown

4.7

4.7 (731)

$30 and under

Unspecified

Knoxville

About the restaurant

Inspired by our beloved sister restaurant in the Bearden neighborhood, Harvest Downtown on the historic 100 Block of Gay Street offers a seasonal rotating menu highlighted by the use of proteins and produce from local farmers. We are open for dinner 7 nights a week, and are proud to offer a unique lunch and brunch menu on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday mornings. Our menu highlights aged midwestern hand cut steaks and premium fresh seafood selections along with several vegan, salad and house-made pasta options as well as daily chef specials.

Top review

JaneVIP

Dined 1 day ago

Excellent food and we were visiting from Nashville where we know good restaurants. The service was superb and we were just surprised that so few people were downtown. We’ll be back!

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Chesapeake's Downtown

4.7

4.7 (999)

$31 to $50

Seafood

Knoxville

About the restaurant

Chesapeake’s Downtown derives much of its authentic Eastern Shore qualities from décor that features genuine nautical antiques and artifacts. Pairing this cozy, seaside ambiance with welcoming service and fresh ingredients has made it the perfect spot for creating memorable moments.

As part of the Copper Cellar Family of Restaurants, Chesapeake’s Downtown offers fresh seafood that’s sourced daily, local, handcrafted microbrews, an extensive wine list and prime-graded beef. Chesapeake’s Downtown is known for live Maine lobster, Maryland Crab cakes, a variety of fresh fish, and assorted oyster selection.

Chesapeake’s Downtown features a Sunday brunch and happy hour in the bar/lounge. Full menus — including gluten free options are available and can be enjoyed on our patio. Free onsite parking.

Whether you come for the food, the drinks, or the atmosphere, you’re in for an unforgettable experience at Chesapeake’s Downtown.

Top review

Jon

Dined on Dec 12, 2024

Chesapeake’s is one of our favorite places to dine when in Knoxville. Food and service were excellent, as usual.

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Popular dish

Fried Seafood Platter

Calhoun’s Oak Ridge

4.7

4.7 (85)

$30 and under

American

Oak Ridge

About the restaurant

Located along the banks of Melton Hill lake, Calhoun’s Oak Ridge sits along the beautiful Oak Ridge greenway with every seat in the restaurant offering a view of the water. This location is accessible by boat, has a a covered outdoor dining patio as well as seating around the fire pit with a panoramic view of Melton Hill Lake. Calhoun's has become a place where friends and family gather to celebrate what’s good in their lives while they sample some of Tennessee’s best BBQ, ribs, steak, and sandwiches. So come on down and experience the best hospitality and BBQ around.

Top review

Jack

Dined on Dec 8, 2024

Best meal and best service we’ve had there in two years. Really enjoyed it.

Mimi's Cafe - Knoxville

4.6

4.6 (39)

$30 and under

American

Farragut

About the restaurant

Make any mealtime an event to savor. From sweet and savory breakfast dishes to mouthwatering entrées, crowd-pleasing to tempting desserts, every dish is made with care, just for you and your guests. Find exactly what you’re craving at Mimi’s.

Top review

Dee

Dined on Dec 13, 2024

The food was great! We were seated in the back dining area for my sons college graduation, which worked out perfectly for our larger group. Our server was very accomodating and even offered to take our group photos. The meeting planner created a unique menu for us and the prices were reasonable. When visiting the Knoxville area, Mi Mi's Cafe will now be a repeat stop for us.

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Experience

Chef Prepared 3 Course Meal - 11am to Close

Experience

Happy Hour Mon-Fri 2pm to 5 pm & 8pm-close -Bar

Experience

Wine Wednesday-All Day

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