Matzah balls as big as ya head. Everything is dope. And make sure you read the whole menu for the pastrami.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Rhyffsgc Fyrussf
Potchke is one of Knoxville’s most charming and unique brunch/lunch spots, bringing a Jewish‑Eastern European flair to the Southern food scene. Located downtown in the former Pete’s Coffee Shop space, the restaurant has a vintage diner vibe with tiled floors, retro signage, and the warm hum of conversation.
The menu is unlike anything else in town—standout dishes include latkes with sour cream and apple butter, mushroom knish, borscht with dill, and the best pastrami sandwich I’ve ever had south of New York. The pastrami is house‑cured, sliced thick, tender, and served on warm rye with just enough mustard to let the meat shine.
For brunch, the egg dishes are indulgent and unique. I had a smoked salmon “lox bowl” with beet-pickled eggs, greens, and seeded challah toast—it was fresh, bright, and bursting with flavor. They also have killer baked goods like rugelach and babka, made fresh daily.
Staff are friendly, the kitchen is lightning-fast, and it’s clear that a lot of heart goes into the food. Potchke brings Knoxville something totally different—Jewish comfort food made with Southern soul. It’s nostalgic, modern, and absolutely delicious.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 5
Charles Schwartz
This place is awesome. The mushroom Reuben is amazing. Came couple times every single time was a delight. Coffee blintzes everything … great
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Dawn Napper
Delicious
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Cherokee
I had the turkey sandwich it was really good.
Doyle Woodall
Most excellent!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Kyle Rose
Amazing fresh food. Hip atmosphere. 5/5.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Kelsey Petro
Finally got around to trying and was happy it deserves all its hype! We shared the pastrami Rueben with the potato blintz which was really good combo meals when trying them together. The potato blintz was so fun and diff and as someone who doesn’t vibe with sour cream like things, their labna on the blintz was so choice!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Joey Grytza
Absolute love this place, I recommend it to literally everyone I see and talk about it non stop. When i comes to European/ Jewish Bakery’s this is as good as it gets in Tennessee. I havent had anything on the menu that is not packed with unique flavor and freshness. Some of the best Lox I have ever had and also great coffee. My friends get sick of me because of how much I talk about this place. It is the first thing I recommend to people if they are new to knoxville. It’s got great food for everyone no matter how picky. I could really write a whole essay about how much I love this place and break down each dish I’ve tried but I do not want to waste any more of your time. If your in town and in search of some fresh, flavorful, soul replenishing food then you have to come here Fav dishes: Lox Bailey, Matzoh ball soup, Avo Tartine, Potato Blintz, and honestly everything probably.
4.9/5
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
rudy slaninka
This is my 3rd visit to this hidden away gem. The foods is amazing, the price is no higher than anyone else but quality is way above the rest. Cafe atmosphere music is relaxing, but you can carry on a conversation without speaking up.
Lovely deli with great food options. Gotta try the pastry!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Skye Gregory
Went with my sister and my niece! We got the potato blintz, the cheese blintz, and the frittata sandwich. Even though the blintzes seem small, they pack a powerful punch. Not only are they soooo tasty, but they are also quite filling. The potato blintz is the perfect savory breakfast while the cheese blitz is a nice sweet treat. The frittata sandwich was my breakfast sandwich dream come true. The frittata allows you to enjoy all the mixins without losing anything from your sandwich. And the bagel? Not too chewy and not too dense. Perfect for a sandwich.
We did not have any of their specialty drinks, but did have some of their bottled drinks.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Potato Blintz
Morgan Matens
Super delicious! And a very interesting menu. I loved the cheese blintzes especially.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Cheese Blintz, Potchke Salad
asalzillo
The restaurant is very cute! The menu makes clear that almost every dish can be made vegan --
when I was on-line a customer asked a server for a rec and her answer was "ohhh...theres this vegan sandwich so thats not going to be the most tasty option."
I asked this same server, "which sandwich is vegan?"
"the egg frittata"
"that can be made vegan?"
"it is already...oh, i guess we would have to get rid of the egg...and the bacon...and the cheese...but, yes it will be vegan then"
I very much wanted to buy this dish veganfied just to see this server come out with a plate of peppers or something.
Turns out nothing can be veganfied, at least based on my one interaction with this server.
I got the Mushroom Rueben with NO cheese (I cant believe they did not have a substitute cheese considering they pride themselves on dietary inclursion)
For $22 it was just the sandwich, no side of chips or anything. It was pretty good.
They got me with the vegan-tax for oat milk in my iced coffee; always love that one.
Matzah balls as big as ya head. Everything is dope. And make sure you read the whole menu for the pastrami.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Potchke is one of Knoxville’s most charming and unique brunch/lunch spots, bringing a Jewish‑Eastern European flair to the Southern food scene. Located downtown in the former Pete’s Coffee Shop space, the restaurant has a vintage diner vibe with tiled floors, retro signage, and the warm hum of conversation.
The menu is unlike anything else in town—standout dishes include latkes with sour cream and apple butter, mushroom knish, borscht with dill, and the best pastrami sandwich I’ve ever had south of New York. The pastrami is house‑cured, sliced thick, tender, and served on warm rye with just enough mustard to let the meat shine.
For brunch, the egg dishes are indulgent and unique. I had a smoked salmon “lox bowl” with beet-pickled eggs, greens, and seeded challah toast—it was fresh, bright, and bursting with flavor. They also have killer baked goods like rugelach and babka, made fresh daily.
Staff are friendly, the kitchen is lightning-fast, and it’s clear that a lot of heart goes into the food. Potchke brings Knoxville something totally different—Jewish comfort food made with Southern soul. It’s nostalgic, modern, and absolutely delicious.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 5
This place is awesome. The mushroom Reuben is amazing. Came couple times every single time was a delight. Coffee blintzes everything … great
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Delicious
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
I had the turkey sandwich it was really good.
Most excellent!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Amazing fresh food. Hip atmosphere. 5/5.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Finally got around to trying and was happy it deserves all its hype! We shared the pastrami Rueben with the potato blintz which was really good combo meals when trying them together. The potato blintz was so fun and diff and as someone who doesn’t vibe with sour cream like things, their labna on the blintz was so choice!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Absolute love this place, I recommend it to literally everyone I see and talk about it non stop. When i comes to European/ Jewish Bakery’s this is as good as it gets in Tennessee. I havent had anything on the menu that is not packed with unique flavor and freshness. Some of the best Lox I have ever had and also great coffee. My friends get sick of me because of how much I talk about this place. It is the first thing I recommend to people if they are new to knoxville. It’s got great food for everyone no matter how picky. I could really write a whole essay about how much I love this place and break down each dish I’ve tried but I do not want to waste any more of your time. If your in town and in search of some fresh, flavorful, soul replenishing food then you have to come here
Fav dishes: Lox Bailey, Matzoh ball soup, Avo Tartine, Potato Blintz, and honestly everything probably.
4.9/5
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
This is my 3rd visit to this hidden away gem. The foods is amazing, the price is no higher than anyone else but quality is way above the rest. Cafe atmosphere music is relaxing, but you can carry on a conversation without speaking up.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Trad Pastrami Reuben, Whitefish, Blintzes, Cheese Blintz
Restaurantji Recommends
Lovely deli with great food options. Gotta try the pastry!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Went with my sister and my niece! We got the potato blintz, the cheese blintz, and the frittata sandwich.
Even though the blintzes seem small, they pack a powerful punch. Not only are they soooo tasty, but they are also quite filling. The potato blintz is the perfect savory breakfast while the cheese blitz is a nice sweet treat.
The frittata sandwich was my breakfast sandwich dream come true. The frittata allows you to enjoy all the mixins without losing anything from your sandwich. And the bagel? Not too chewy and not too dense. Perfect for a sandwich.
We did not have any of their specialty drinks, but did have some of their bottled drinks.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Potato Blintz
Super delicious! And a very interesting menu. I loved the cheese blintzes especially.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Cheese Blintz, Potchke Salad
The restaurant is very cute! The menu makes clear that almost every dish can be made vegan -- when I was on-line a customer asked a server for a rec and her answer was "ohhh...theres this vegan sandwich so thats not going to be the most tasty option." I asked this same server, "which sandwich is vegan?" "the egg frittata" "that can be made vegan?" "it is already...oh, i guess we would have to get rid of the egg...and the bacon...and the cheese...but, yes it will be vegan then" I very much wanted to buy this dish veganfied just to see this server come out with a plate of peppers or something. Turns out nothing can be veganfied, at least based on my one interaction with this server. I got the Mushroom Rueben with NO cheese (I cant believe they did not have a substitute cheese considering they pride themselves on dietary inclursion) For $22 it was just the sandwich, no side of chips or anything. It was pretty good. They got me with the vegan-tax for oat milk in my iced coffee; always love that one.
This place is awesome!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
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