While visiting Knoxville, keep some time aside to savor the city’s culinary delights. For food lovers, this is the place to be if you want to tickle your tastebuds, as the hidden gem restaurants of Knoxville offer dishes that you can’t resist.
Whether you fancy a locally crafted beer or even some Mexican delights, Knoxville’s unique-styled restaurants will not disappoint you. Simply enjoy the ambiance and fill up your tummy with dishes enriched with lip-smacking flavors.
Being new to the city, you will obviously be clueless about where to visit when hungry. That’s why we have provided you with all the information you need about the unique and most visited restaurants in Knoxville.
| Name of Restaurant | Location | Operating Hours |
| The Drawing Room | 531 Henley St, Knoxville, TN 37902 | Open Everyday Breakfast 7.00 am – 10.00 am Evening 3.00 pm – 10.00 pm |
| Sweet P’s Barbecue and Downtown Dive | 410 W. Jackson Ave.Knoxville, TN 37902 | Open Tuesday – Sunday 11.00 am – 9.00 pm Closed on Mondays |
| Token Game Tavern | 213 N Seven Oaks Dr – Knoxville, TN 37922 | Open Everyday Monday – Thursday 4:00 pm – 10:30 pm Friday – Saturday 12:00 pm – 11:30 pm Sunday 2:00 pm – 10:30 pm |
| Yassin’s Falafel House | 706 Walnut Street Knoxville, TN 159 N. Peters Rd Knoxville, TN | Open Monday-Saturday 11.00 am – 9.00 pm Closed on Sundays |
| Sticky Rice Restaurant | 120 Jack Dance Street Knoxville, TN 379 | Monday-Saturday 11.00 am – 9.00 pm Closed on Sundays |
Hidden Gem Restaurants in Knoxville
1. The Drawing Room
Open 365 days a year, The Drawing Room will not fail to let you down with its scenic views and cozily decorated interior, made up of comfy sofas and low circle tables where you can indulge yourself with cocktails, breakfast, and dinner too.
For a healthy and fulfilling breakfast, The Drawing Room is the best place to be as you can start your day with a cup of refined tea and then slowly work your way into munching a slice of avocado toast or even some pancakes served with the house-made jam. Those of you who plan on not getting hungry any time soon should go for the American breakfast that includes eggs and a variety of bread and meat, which you can choose from.
In the evening, if you are in the mood for a shaved brussel sprout salad, roasted yardbird chicken, or even simply some crab cakes, do drop by and enjoy dinner along with soothing background music.
And while you are at it, be sure to taste the most extensive selection of whiskey and bourbon available in the city, in The Drawing Room, by far a hidden gem restaurant of Knoxville.
Click the link below to view the full menu of The Drawing Room:
https://www.thetennesseanhotel.com/dining/
2. Sweet P’s Barbecue and Downtown Dive
Whether you want to dine indoors surrounded by poster art hung on brick walls of Sweet P’s Barbecue and Downtown Dive or would prefer to sit outside in a secluded beer garden behind the building, you still have a choice of ordering any smoked barbeque slow-cooked poultry dish from the handwritten chalkboard menu hanging on top of the counters.
If you are a beef lover, then among many other dishes, the Tennessee Beef Brisket is sure to leave an unforgettable taste in your mouth; otherwise, you can dive into your favorite piece of smoked chicken served with two sides.
Nonetheless, those who want a quick meal can opt for the restaurant’s ever-so-creamy mac and cheese, chicken sandwich, or beef burrito, although there are other items to choose from.
Not to mention there are several side dishes that include green beans, tater salad, pinto beans, and their signature Sauteed Greens n’Things, which consists of greens and black peas mashed with bacon.
Lastly, be sure to take a nibble of the bacon chocolate chip cookie, which is a must-try item from the list of desserts.
Click the link below to view the full menu of Sweet P’s Barbecue and Downtown Dive:
https:i//www.sweetpbbq.com/downtown-dive/
3. Token Game Tavern
How about an evening with arcade games along with crazy cocktails and delicious food in one of the hidden gem restaurants of Knoxville? It sounds both fun and tempting, doesn’t it?
Token Game Tavern is a restaurant, arcade, bar, and tabletop game lounge for you to hang out with friends or people of the same age.
You can enjoy their food, which includes popsicles, cotton candy, and, most of all, drinks you have probably never come across before.
The eatery’s main attraction is its geek culture, which includes craft beer, arcade games, board games, comic books, Dungeons and Dragons, and more.
Token Tavern Game’s drink bar includes local and crafted beer in both cans and bottles, as well as tea, coffee, energy drinks, and a variety of sodas filled with bursting boba.
When it comes to food, the selection is never-ending. You can go for pretzel bites, corn dog nuggets, salads, a variety of nachos, flatbreads, slider dogs, and even grilled cheese wraps.
Most of all, if you decide to take the kids along, you can simply treat them to the restaurant’s all-day breakfast shots that include cereals like fruit loops and cocoa crunch.
Click the link below to view the full menu of Token Tavern Game:
4. Yaasin’s Falafel House
Are any Mexican cuisine lovers out there? If yes, then pop into Yaasin’s Falafel House, where you can
taste authentic food made by the owners themselves.
Before we tempt you with their variety of exotic-flavored dishes, let’s talk about how the restaurant was established in Knoxville.
In 2011, Yassin Terou fled from Syria and landed himself in the United States with an uncertain future ahead of him. After this, he started selling falafel sandwiches at a mosque that sold out daily, like hot cake. Terou’s little business caught the eye of investor Nadeem Siddiqui who then later funded Yassin to open up his falafel place in 2014.
Although the interior is nothing out of the ordinary, the family-owned business never fails to serve fresh, healthy dishes with bursting flavors. Their business has done reasonably well, which is why Yassin’s falafel House has two branches in Knoxville.
If you are under the impression that Mexican food is spicy, well, let me just stop you there Yasain’s Falafel House has options for both spicy and non-spicy lovers. Luckily even the falafel, chicken, and salads which are made up of onions, pickles, and olives, amongst other natural ingredients, are available in both spicy and regular flavors.
Those who are in a hurry and want a quick bite can always taste the eatery’s sandwiches which I guarantee are far richer in flavor than those sold in local restaurants. They offer grilled chicken shawarma, falafel wrapped in pita bread, and veggie sandwiches. Just tell them whether you prefer it regular or spicy.
For the main course, you can try the restaurant’s all-famous gyro meat served with rice or even the falafel salad with homemade hummus. Don’t worry; there is a variety of sides you can choose from to go with your meal that includes: french fries, falafel with tahini, and many more.
Click the link below to view the full menu of Yassin’s Falafel House:
5. Sticky Rice Cafe
I’m sure you have all heard of the traditional South Asian dish sticky rice, and maybe some of you think the combination doesn’t sound appealing enough to give it a go.
Well, the food at Sticky Rice Cafe will make you go back every time you visit Knoxville. Khan, the restaurant owner, is originally from Laos and serves her customers food with the freshest ingredients that represent her culture.
The restaurant’s specialty is that every dish can be customized according to your preference. Besides your meal, you can also have the pleasure of enjoying handmade boba tea smoothies, which are available in a variety of flavors.
The starters include fried chicken skin and crab region, amongst many others that you can select from. If you want to eat light, then you can try Kow Pek, which is hand-made rice noodles dipped in chicken broth, or you can try out their Lao sandwich made with fresh bread, cucumber, carrots, and cilantro.
For the main course, you have a variety of dishes to choose from that include grilled pork chops, beef lamb, and ginger chicken, which are all served with sticky rice.
Click the link below to view the full menu of Sticky Rice Cafe:
http://www.stickyriceknox.com/#info-section
Wrap Up
Each and every hidden gem restaurant in Knoxville is worth a try. I mean, look at the variety of cuisines you can explore for each meal of the day.
And it doesn’t stop there; you can play board and video games while sipping on slushies and munching on pretzel bites.
Do make sure you check the operating hours before planning to visit the restaurants.
Happy eating!!!
