Diners' Choice: Innovative restaurants in Knoxville

OpenTable

Updated 05 December 2024

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

Dancing Bear Appalachian Bistro

4.9

4.9 (3594)

$50 and over

American

Knoxville

About the restaurant

At Dancing Bear Appalachian Bistro, we know that great food begins with fresh, quality sourced local ingredients. On our Modern Appalachian menu, Chef Jeff Carter and culinary team present seasonal and delicious dishes that are familiar and steeped in tradition yet enhanced with bold new dashes of flavor and component combinations that may surprise and delight you.

Dancing Bear provides a premium lodging experience. We bring the same commitment to excellence to our award-winning restaurant and full bar. Whether enjoying a romantic dinner for two or bringing the extended family together for a celebratory meal, we want your night out in Townsend to be a special experience. We offer a refined assortment of modern Appalachian cuisine — all served among elegant surroundings and calming wooded vistas.

Top review

John

Dined 4 days ago

The season menus surprised me but the service was best ever. Everything delicious.

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Popular dish

Truffled Filet Mignon

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!

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

Michael

Dined 1 day ago

Our first time eating at Stir was a great experience. The drinks were great and the food was delicious. We will certainly be back!

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 14 Dec 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.

Wilder at Windy Hill Farm and Preserve

4.8

4.8 (55)

$50 and over

Contemporary Southern

Loudon

About the restaurant

Voted "Best Splurge Worthy Restaurant" by Travel Awaits.

Appalachian tradition is rich in grit, resourceful charm, and determination, which drives our culinary heritage. At Wilder, we cultivate farm-to-table ingredients transformed by an appreciation for international cuisine to offer a fun and unique approach to well-loved Southern staples.

Four-Course Dinner experience offered Thursday - Saturday $85/person.

20% service fee assessed on all charges. Additional tipping optional.

Limited reservations are offered nightly. Non-alcoholic beverages included.

Top review

Judy

Dined 3 days ago

Stunning! Special holiday meal and the staff, food, ambiance, location all made it amazing! Everything is so special from cocktails, appetizers, and main courses! Outstanding! 👏🏻

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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4.7

4.7 (1103)

$30 and under

Unspecified

Knoxville

About the restaurant

A new restaurant concept, "harvest - land, sea & vine," is located in Bearden at the corner of Kingston Pike and Mohican, directly across from Nama Sushi Bar. Harvest is open for lunch and dinner daily and features a unique brunch menu on Saturdays and Sundays. 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

Karen

Dined 1 day ago

Exceptional food, service, and atmosphere. Beef carpaccio and fish special were fantastic. Seasonal cocktails were fun and delicious. This was one of the best meals I've had in Knoxville.

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Popular dish

Charcuterie & Fromage Board

Popular dish

Ribeye

Firebirds Wood Fired Grill - Knoxville

4.7

4.7 (1693)

$30 and under

American

Knoxville

About the restaurant

Firebirds Wood Fired Grill is located in Knoxville, TN at West Town Crossings. We are an American Restaurant and Steakhouse known for our scratch kitchen, bold flavors and inviting atmosphere. Enjoy our signature menu items including hand-cut, aged steaks and fresh seafood or our specialty crafted cocktails and select wines.

Top review

Doug

Dined 5 days ago

Firebird’s is always consistent. Food was good, had combo BLT and clam chowder and fish tacos. Excellent!Everything I have had on menu has been good

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Experience

Weekend Brunch

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