This entrance weekend is a kick-off to a 2017 US Coffee Champs season—the NFL playoffs of rival coffee—with a subordinate eventuality holding place in Knoxville, Tennessee. In a tradition that goes behind several seasons, we’ve collaborated with locals to rise a Sprudge reader beam for where to eat, drink, and hang out for a readers headed to a event. But if you’re not checking out a comp—heck, if you’re a infrequent Sprudge reader who doesn’t know what a coffee foe is—you can still use a beam to navigate your subsequent outing to this pleasing partial of America. Knoxville has lots to offer, including one of America’s best bakeries, abundant pig products, heaps of good internal qualification beer, and an internationally dependent Scotch blockade bar with a deep, critical list.
You’re gonna have a scream in Knoxville, we only know it. Check out these rad places and tell ’em Sprudge sent ya!
A note on Benton’s Smoky Mountain Country Ham:
Allan Benton is a vital fable in a universe of smoked ham—the Wilford Lamastus of pork, a Aida Batlle of swine. His eponymous Benton’s Smoky Mountain Country Hams delicately slow-cure an array of pig products in a normal conform during their smokehouse in Madisonville, TN (pop. 4,577), located only an hour divided from Knoxville. Subsequently we will see products from Benton’s—especially their nation ham and bacon—given honour of place on menus opposite a Knoxville region. If we go to Knoxville and don’t eat Benton’s, we are magnificently Doing It Wrong, so be certain to try some during one of a many endorsed restaurants below, and if we have any additional time cruise cruising out to Madisonville for a porky start trip.
A note on smoking:
This is Tennessee. Folks here adore their tobacco, and we can still fume indoors here in designated areas—and there are many such designated areas. Depending on your course towards tobacco this is possibly good news or terrible news. If we don’t wish to be around a stuff, bars like Knoxville Public House are proudly 100% non-smoking.
Coffee
So you’re roving to Knoxville for a hulk coffee competition. Where will we splash coffee in town? Who will yield we coffee in a morning before we go to a coffee event? What if we need coffee while holding a mangle from all a coffee? Here’s some endorsed cafes.
Old City Java — The accord collect from a locals we spoke with, Old City Java serves Counter Culture Coffee in a relaxed, contemporary sourroundings in a heart of Knoxville’s hip Old City neighborhood. Dig a picture art in their outward chill section and break on pickled Nutella palm tarts. 109 S Central St, Knoxville — Official website.
Wild Love Bakehouse — From a group behind Old City Java, this is a most incomparable space with stretched food and bakery options, and a same reliable Counter Culture Coffee. If we need chia pudding, flourless chocolate cake or vegan options, this is your breakfast spot. Some people consider it’s a best bakery in America. We’ll be there. 1625 N Central St, Knoxville, TN — Official Twitter
Remedy Coffee Maker Doughnuts — A coffee donuts adjacent twin in a Downtown North neighborhood, Remedy serves adult Intelligentsia Coffee and partners with a happy weed fed cows of Cruze Dairy Farms for divert drinks. Next doorway during Maker, people legit weird out for their Benton’s bacon maple doughnuts, and Friday and Saturday nights they’re open until midnight for LATE NIGHT DOUGHNUTS people. 800 Tyson St, Knoxville, TN — Official website
Brunch and / or Lunch
Knox Mason — Sources tell us this is Knoxville’s best brunch, with a concentration that fuses contemporary and normal flavors from a American South. Think internal produce, buttermilk biscuits, pig products from Benton’s, and mason jar Bloody Mary’s. 131 S Gay St, Knoxville, TN — Official website
OliBea’s — A classy, minimalist reverence to breakfast dishes in a heart of Old City. Build your dream breakfast a la grant or chuck down on Tennessee benedicts, boiled duck biscuits or breakfast tacos. 119 S Central St, Knoxville, TN — Official website
Not Watson’s — Open daily for lunch from 11am, portion upscale caf� food with a concentration on proteins and lots of salads. They’ve got a surprisingly stocked bar here, with heaps of good whiskey (expected), splash (sounds about right) and tequila (less expected). 15 Market Square, Knoxville, TN — Official website
MM BBQ — For many, no outing to a American South would be finish though sampling some BBQ. We consulted a Kansas City Barbecue Society decider and former Knoxville proprietor (who happens to be my comparison brother) and he spoke rarely of MM’s “very good” ribs and pig burger options. This mark is located a satisfactory square outward of town, so you’ll need entrance to a automobile or float share, though it sounds value it. 1039 Summer Wood Rd, Knoxville, TN — Facebook
Dinner
The Stock Barrel — Maybe we had a prolonged day and so burgers and whiskey sound good? Go here, if for no other reason than abundant Benton’s bacon options on their sandwiches. 35 Market Square, Knoxville, TN — Official website
The Tomato Head — Vegetarian and vegan friendly, healthy (or during slightest health-adjacent) options and arguably Knoxville’s best pizza, and 18 beers on tap. 12 Market Square, Knoxville, TN — Official website
Crown and Goose — A Knoxville riff on a London gastropub with burgers, imagination fish chips, shepherd’s cake and pimento cheese hush puppies (we’re still in Tennessee). Dark, comfortable, and pubby, with a fun vibe. The splash preference is separate between locals and imports, and if we cite blockade to whiskey, their Scotch list is solid. 123 S Central St, Knoxville, TN 37902 — Official website
*Knox Mason Not Watson’s, listed underneath Brunch, also make torpedo dinners.
Bars
Knoxville Public House — An upscale bar with no indoor smoking, no TVs or live music, and decidedly one of a city’s best selections of whiskey, beer, and wine. Plenty of good bar snacks here too, including rad prohibited dogs, Benton’s bacon pimento cheese, and vast soothing pretzels. 212 W Magnolia Ave, Knoxville, TN — Official website
Central Flats Taps — Beer nerds, go here. Their daub list (26+) updates frequently and is stocked with locals like Yee-Haw Brewing Company and Mill Creek. 1204 N Central St, Knoxville, TN — Official website
Barley’s Brewhouse — Beer nerds should also go here, for 60+ taps from breweries vast and small, and pizzas accessible on your choice of wheat or sourdough crust. 200 E Jackson Ave, Knoxville, TN — Official website
Urban Bar — An avowedly “smoker-friendly” dive bar that we know to be utterly renouned with young, untroubled Knoxvillians of a select bent. Who’s that creation inspired eyes during we from opposite a bar, nursing a Fernet and a Camel Light? You’ll find out. 109 N Central St, Knoxville, TN — Official website
Peter Kern’s Library — Shhh! Don’t lift your voice—this is a speakeasy located behind a front table of a Oliver Hotel. Here you’ll find a suspendery cocktail menu dark in aged universe tomes, all in a quiet, stately environment. Just don’t tell anybody! This is a speakeasy so keep it down! 407 Union Ave, Knoxville, TN — Official website
Boyd’s Jig and Reel — A Scottish celebration establishment, with reasonably themed pub food (bonus points for portion a Glaswegian classical Tikka Masala). JR are a Scotch Malt Whisky Society bar, that means they get singular and doubtful bottlings approach from a SMWS in London, and their daily list is considerable by any standard. This is by distant Knoxville’s best whisk(e)y list, and shockingly affordable—you’ll compensate twice as most for many of these same pours in New York or Seattle. 101 S Central St, Knoxville, TN — Official website
Jordan Michelman is a co-founder and editor during Sprudge Media Network. Read some-more Jordan Michelman on Sprudge.
Images from Episode 3F17 “Bart On The Road” pleasantness of FX Now. Watch a full part here.