Editors Note: While they wished there was competition for Big Ed’s in Knoxville, the jury decided that there simply isn’t. Thus, the best pizza isn’t in Knoxville, it’s in Oak Ridge, but we’ll go ahead and toss it under the metro-Knox umbrella, mmmkay?
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MagPies takes home Best Bakery in Knoxville
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MagPies. Located in Downtown Knoxville, MagPies is a full-time cake bakery that churns out the sweetest treats in the city. Wedding cakes or cupcakes, they’ve got your covered.
Best Pizza –
Big Ed’s
Dead End BBQ earns our top spot
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Dead End BBQ. Really good beef brisket usually comes from Texas. Not in this case. Dead End BBQ not only produces some of the best beef brisket in town but the rest of their menu is to die for.
Best Mexican Restaurant –
Chez Guevara Restaurant (aka La Paz)
Waffle House, the hangover cure
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Waffle House. When you’re smothered and covered after a night on the town head straight for the Waffle House. There’s no such thing as an awful waffle in our book.
Best Asian Food –
Taste of Thai
Vic & Bill's is the hamburger destination in Knoxville
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Vic & Bill’s. This category almost dismantled our jury but in the end the Vol Burger prevailed. For over 15 years the Vol Burger has been a local icon in Knoxville.
Best Place to Get a Chocolate Fix –
Coffee & Chocolate
Louis' topped our best Italian food list
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Louis’. They tout that their spaghetti is the best in town but that’s not the only thing good at Louis’. For over 50 years they’ve served up some of the best Grecian salads and lasagna.
Best Meeting Spot –
Pete’s
Pizza Palace has the onion rings to die for
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Pizza Palace. When your website introduces you as “three immigrant brothers from Greece” you better bring it. And they do. Order up the hand-breaded onion rings at the Pizza Palace and you’ll quickly see why they get a Knoxie award all to themselves.
Best Take-out –
Pei Wei
A nice cool morning is best spent on Gourmet's Market patio
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Gourmet’s Market. The jury was split on best patio in Knoxville so it was broken out into morning and afternoon. If it’s eating french toast on a cool morning, head to Gourmet’s Market and enjoy their patio over coffee with a good friend.
Best Brunch Menu –
Sunspot
Afternoon drink? Aubrey's patio is the place to be
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Aubrey’s. Local dining gem, Aubrey’s, not only has great food but their outdoor patio scene is inviting to all walks of life. After a long work day we can’t think of a better patio to enjoy a New Belgium beer than Aubrey’s.
Best Place to Disappear Completely –
The Lunchbox on Weisgarber
Chandler's has the best soul food around
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Chandler’s Deli. The best soul food in Knoxville can be found at Chandler’s Deli. They may have some weird, varying hours of operation but they won’t disappoint if you’re in the mood for fried chicken, mac and cheese, collard greens and some banana pudding.
Best Unknown Restaurant –
Colonel’s Delicatessen
The first name in Knoxville sushi, Nama
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Nama Sushi Bar. Nama was an easy selection for the jury because they are the first name in sushi in the Knoxville area. We especially love to visit on their half-price nights when we can get the pizza roll, soy joy and crunchy shrimp on the cheap.
Best Cookies –
Ham & Goody’s
Related
Comments 5
I like the wide aspect photos with category labels. I’m totally stealing that. 🙂
Nama and Taste of Thai selections are spot on but on the Pizza category you dropped the ball. Hard Knox Pizza is head and shoulders better than any other pizza in the area, it’s not even close. Authentic Neapoltan style pie with top notch ingredients – Where’s the love?
Plus Hard Knox is actually in Knoxville. Knoxies fail.
I agree with many of your selections … but Pei Wei for best takeout? Best Asian is Taste of Thai? You can’t be serious. You need to expand your horizons in those areas a bit. I’m just sayin’ …
agreed! I think that Zhu Garden (just across the street!) or Chaiyo’s has better Thai than Taste of Thai. Just because it’s “the thai place that people know” doesn’t mean it’s the best. Agreed on the takeout, too.
I’d recommend Tangerine up at Knoxville Center mall for some good Japanese food & sushi. They just opened up, and everything I’ve had there is fantastic.