32 Best Cafes in Knoxville

“I’ve been eating at this restaurant since my UT days(about 10 years ago! 😭🙂‍↕️😅) and it’s STILL delicious!!! Being from Queens, NYC, this is the only place in Tennessee I trust to make a Reuben that reminds me of home. The staff is so incredibly friendly and have remained that way since the 1st time I came in, 10 years ago! EVERYTIME you drive down Sutherland Ave, ask yourself “why haven’t I eaten here yet?!” Then just do it!! It’s worth it!!“

“Best breakfast, friendly staff!!“

“Such a cute little place i recommend it for all cat lovers! 🐱💗“

“My granddaughter brought me a drink when Covid was really bad on Mother’s Day of 2020 and that was when I first fell in love with Hey Bear. I’ve had so many wonderful family memories there with my grandkids and one son and daughter. They also make the best Boba tea that I’ve had in either Sevier or Knox County. I love that they have the swing for the kids and the outside entertainment and the fire pits and outside heat for when it’s cold.“

“My husband and I had breakfast there recently, and it was a delight! It felt sort of old-fashioned to me, it was quiet the service was great, and the food was even better!“

“I had the Philly steak and it was absolutely amazing. Everything homemade and fresh, 10/10 thank you.“

“The food was great, and Gretchen was an excellent server. It’s the second time I’ve eaten here this week.“

“Five stars, because donuts.

Honestly, sometimes the reason doesn’t need to be complicated. The donuts here are that good. Fresh, delicious, and the kind of thing that makes you decide you probably need to stop by again tomorrow.

Great selection, great quality, and absolutely worth the stop. If you’re passing by and see this place, just go ahead and get the donuts. You’ll thank yourself later.“

“This is my first time dining at Aladdin‘s. And I will say I was not disappointed. The food is excellent here the gentleman that prepared it in the kitchen was amazing. He was a delight to talk to. The restaurant was extremely clean and I will go back again. The pita sandwich was so good. It was the best ever I’ve ever had. This is a delightful place to have any kind of a meal at take a moment of your life and stop by you won’t be disappointed.“

“Yesterday was my first time at Magnolia Cafe to hear JessBless. Food and drinks were great! I loved the atmosphere, but the servers left something to be desired.“

“Amazing place with super lovely staff and great food for really cheap. It is hard to find however. You have to go to McCord hall, go in the lower entrance (opposite side of where Google will take you) walk in and you'll see a tiny sign on the right. I can't recommend this place enough for a breakfast spot to eat and study“

“ITS FABULOUS!!!!!! Lots of options and NO guilt. I highly recommend“

“this place was fantastic. found y'all off Google. the owner is the one back in the kitchen so you know he has a vested interest in making great food, quickly. I got the "ultimate" omelette, and I'm pretty sure it's gonna be my breakfast staple whenever I come through town. Nora was awesome!“

“I’ve been to Jacks probably about 3 times and every time I get the Cardamom Latte. The environment is incredible with friendly workers. The thing that truly makes this place different though is the gluten free availability and the flea market style. Definitely recommend to anyone.“

“Family-owned business and community-oriented place with great people, paninis, salad, smoothies and soups! My family of 6 loves this sweet cafe.“

“Open Chord is a great concert venue! It has a very intimate setting and the staff and food are great! They also host a fantastic open mic night once a month. It's a great place to hang out.“

“I’ve been to Jacks probably about 3 times and every time I get the Cardamom Latte. The environment is incredible with friendly workers. The thing that truly makes this place different though is the gluten free availability and the flea market style. Definitely recommend to anyone.“

“I love the grilled chicken sandwich at Jack's.“

“The room was cozy and perfectly appointed. Thoroughly enjoyed our short stay while picking up our Volunteer after her first semester completed at UT. Will definitely book again!“

“Great coffee!!!!! 🙂☕️☕️☕️☕️☕️👍🏻“

“Delivery is usually rocking, but not today. I’ll usually give a little slack when the order’s not right but I think you would want to know how your food is being represented. I ordered my favorite, the Farmhouse Hash. Maybe I’m being picky but I’m only comparing it to the same meals I’ve had before, which were excellent. First, either Avocado’s have shrunk to the size of a Kumquat or the cook could care less about what this meal would taste like. I got 4 pieces of avocado about an inch big. And they still had the peel on them. Second, I ordered Sour Dough as opposed to wheat because of nutrition guidelines I have to keep. I got wheat anyway, which was very tempting. My eggs were fried, not basted. I got cheddar cheese instead of goat cheese. We also received smucker’s packets instead of the home made jam, that we expected. So it just boils down to the quality for the price. I basically paid $30 for my meal. I don’t mind paying restaurant prices but I also expect better than fast-food. One more thing I would like your business to think about. I am a disabled, immune-compromised customer. I order delivery more than the average customer for health reasons. I don’t appreciate the lack of consideration from your kitchen staff. Just because I’m not there to ask the server to correct my order, does not mean it’s ok to slack off on your duties. It more than likely was oversight but still, I felt you needed to know what was going on. I do hesitate now, to order from First Watch. I’m just not sure I’ll get what I expect.“

“Good soups and a variety of other foods and deserts“

“I order cookies to be delivered to our daughter in Boston often, as she LOVES their delicious lemon cookies. They were stolen off her porch this last delivery and Ham n Goody’s resent another order - at no charge! - to her again. It wasn’t their fault that the ups box was stolen off her porch - yet they resent them without my asking. What an amazing company!!!!“

“I love the food at first watch. But today I had to take it Togo because I couldn’t get adequate service to take care of my toddlers needs. I literally just needed my server to acknowledge the fact that I was staring him down to get something for my toddlers meal. I had to go to the service area to grab Togo boxes. And I had to get the cashier to get the other thing I needed. Because standing up and staring at the server was not enough. Not a single other person stopped by either. This is way different than the years I spent working with first watch.“

“ITS FABULOUS!!!!!! Lots of options and NO guilt. I highly recommend“

“We have brunch frequently at the Turkey Creek location - we love the food and service!! We especially enjoy our breakfast dining when Katlyn is our server ( we go out of our way to ask for her!! ) She is always upbeat and adds to the already great experience at this location. She makes our visits SPECIAL!!!“

“North Broadway! Fantastic staff. Extremely clean. Even the bathrooms are clean! I personally love the back patio if you dine in. Perfect comfort food. Very nice experience. So many pastries too. Soup and sandwich combo is perfect. It is a great place to eat, bring your laptop or book. Good for families too.“

“This place is the true pulse of Knoxville TN's nightlife! Wonderful atmosphere and amazing staff! Only blocks from the new Smokies stadium, Market Square and the University of Tennessee, this is the spot for dancing, drinking and celebrating after a win for any Knoxville sporting event!“

“Flatbread pizza Great atmosphere“

“I had a horrible botched mishap of an order last week and let them know via a scathing review. I am usually a huge fan of Panera, so I was really mad, to say the least. After writing about my order issues, customer service responded and resolved in good time. I will count my bad experience as a freak-accident type of thing and give them another shot. Honestly, their food quality, atmosphere, and service is usually great. I changed my earlier review from 1 star to 5 after amends were made.“