Highest-rated cheap eats in Knoxville by diners

Americans spend a lot of money on eating out—in 2024, that totaled $1.54 trillion, or nearly 59% of all food spending. So, it's only natural to want the best bang for your restaurant dollar.

Value has become a key component of what diners look for when they eat out, with more than 7 in 10 consumers eyeing menus for value meals. At the same time, many diners also look for something new and exciting, hoping to sample new flavors or food with ingredients that are too expensive to make at home.

Many ethnic cuisines also provide a lot of value because they aren't as expensive to produce. Many Mexican dishes fall into this category because tortillas are cheaper to produce than bread. Many Asian cuisines, including Chinese, Filipino, and Cambodian food, also rely on low-cost ingredients and simple food preparation techniques.

Food trucks and street food vendors also offer cheaper food, thanks to lower overhead costs. Their limited menus typically focus on one type of food, allowing them to simplify purchasing and pass the savings on in the form of lower prices.

Stacker compiled a list of the highest-rated cheap eats restaurants within 10 kilometers of the Knoxville area using data from Yelp. Data is as of Aug. 8, 2025. Businesses were selected using Yelp's ranking system, which calculates an adjusted rating value that takes into account the number of ratings as well as the rating score itself. Only businesses with at least 20 reviews were considered, and a cost of "$" (out of 4) were considered. Also, in an effort to highlight independent businesses and local chains, those with more than five locations nationally, based on the Yelp data, were not included.

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Rami's Cafe

1 / 29

#29. Rami's Cafe

- Rating: 4.3/5 (68 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 3553 North Broadway Knoxville, Tennessee
- Categories: Cafes, Breakfast & Brunch
- Read more on Yelp

Scooter's Coffee

2 / 29

#28. Scooter's Coffee

- Rating: 4.3/5 (38 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 10512 Kingston Pike Knoxville, Tennessee
- Categories: Coffee & Tea, Juice Bars & Smoothies, Sandwiches
- Read more on Yelp

Szechuan Garden Chinese Restaurant

3 / 29

#27. Szechuan Garden Chinese Restaurant

- Rating: 4.4/5 (152 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 4211 Chapman Hwy Knoxville, Tennessee
- Categories: Chinese
- Read more on Yelp

Open Chord

4 / 29

#26. Open Chord

- Rating: 4.4/5 (33 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 8502 Kingston Pike Knoxville, Tennessee
- Categories: Music Venues, Cafes
- Read more on Yelp

Yummy Yummy Teriyaki

5 / 29

#25. Yummy Yummy Teriyaki

- Rating: 4.4/5 (40 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 4409 Chapman Hwy Kroger Shopping Center Knoxville, Tennessee
- Categories: Asian Fusion
- Read more on Yelp

Full House

6 / 29

#24. Full House

- Rating: 4.4/5 (32 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 3507 West Emory Road Powell Place Shopping Center Powell, Tennessee
- Categories: Chinese, Japanese
- Read more on Yelp

Golden Garden Chinese Restaurant

7 / 29

#23. Golden Garden Chinese Restaurant

- Rating: 4.4/5 (78 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 5737 Western Ave. Cumberland Estates Shopping Center Knoxville, Tennessee
- Categories: Chinese
- Read more on Yelp

Porton Mexican Kitchen

8 / 29

#22. Porton Mexican Kitchen

- Rating: 4.4/5 (84 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 9623 Countryside Center Lane Knoxville, Tennessee
- Categories: Mexican
- Read more on Yelp

China Jiang

9 / 29

#21. China Jiang

- Rating: 4.4/5 (32 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 942 East Emory Road Knoxville, Tennessee
- Categories: Chinese
- Read more on Yelp

Sabor Catracho Latin Cuisine

10 / 29

#20. Sabor Catracho Latin Cuisine

- Rating: 4.4/5 (31 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 4705 Central Ave. Pike Knoxville, Tennessee
- Categories: Latin American, Mexican, Honduran
- Read more on Yelp

Mi Pueblo

11 / 29

#19. Mi Pueblo

- Rating: 4.4/5 (52 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 1645 Downtown West Blvd. Ste 17 Knoxville, Tennessee
- Categories: Mexican
- Read more on Yelp

Aladdin's cafe

12 / 29

#18. Aladdin's cafe

- Rating: 4.4/5 (79 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 7025 Kingston Pike Knoxville, Tennessee
- Categories: Sandwiches, Falafel, Cafes
- Read more on Yelp

Jacob's Restaurant & Grill

13 / 29

#17. Jacob's Restaurant & Grill

- Rating: 4.5/5 (49 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 5307 North Middlebrook Pike Knoxville, Tennessee
- Categories: Burgers, American, Delis
- Read more on Yelp

Asian Hibachi Grill

14 / 29

#16. Asian Hibachi Grill

- Rating: 4.5/5 (88 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 7741 South Northshore Drive Knoxville, Tennessee
- Categories: Asian Fusion, Chinese, Malaysian
- Read more on Yelp

La Esperanza

15 / 29

#15. La Esperanza

- Rating: 4.5/5 (101 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 2412 Washington Pike Knoxville, Tennessee
- Categories: Mexican
- Read more on Yelp

Brown Bag

16 / 29

#14. Brown Bag

- Rating: 4.5/5 (37 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 800 South Gay St. Knoxville, Tennessee
- Categories: American, Caterers
- Read more on Yelp

Status Dough - Knoxville

17 / 29

#13. Status Dough - Knoxville

- Rating: 4.5/5 (247 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 6535 Kingston Pike Knoxville, Tennessee
- Categories: Coffee & Tea, Donuts, Breakfast & Brunch
- Read more on Yelp

Colonel's Cafe

18 / 29

#12. Colonel's Cafe

- Rating: 4.5/5 (262 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 4809 Newcom Ave. Knoxville, Tennessee
- Categories: American, Breakfast & Brunch
- Read more on Yelp

Dave's Dog House

19 / 29

#11. Dave's Dog House

- Rating: 4.5/5 (33 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 7409 Middlebrook Pike Knoxville, Tennessee
- Categories: Street Vendors, Hot Dogs
- Read more on Yelp

Taqueria La Herradura

20 / 29

#10. Taqueria La Herradura

- Rating: 4.6/5 (173 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 2625 North Broadway Knoxville, Tennessee
- Categories: Mexican, Food Trucks
- Read more on Yelp

Lunch House

21 / 29

#9. Lunch House

- Rating: 4.6/5 (32 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 3816 Holston Drive Knoxville, Tennessee
- Categories: Breakfast & Brunch, Burgers, Sandwiches
- Read more on Yelp

Yassin's Falafel House

22 / 29

#8. Yassin's Falafel House

- Rating: 4.6/5 (465 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 706 Walnut St. Knoxville, Tennessee
- Categories: Falafel, Greek, Middle Eastern
- Read more on Yelp

Cinnaholic

23 / 29

#7. Cinnaholic

- Rating: 4.6/5 (123 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 9450 South Northshore Drive Ste 106 Knoxville, Tennessee
- Categories: Desserts, Bakeries, Vegan
- Read more on Yelp

Tacos El Primo Food Truck

24 / 29

#6. Tacos El Primo Food Truck

- Rating: 4.7/5 (32 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 1116 Concord Road Knoxville, Tennessee
- Categories: Mexican
- Read more on Yelp

Good Golly Tamale

25 / 29

#5. Good Golly Tamale

- Rating: 4.7/5 (170 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 112 South Central St. Knoxville, Tennessee
- Categories: Vegan, Vegetarian
- Read more on Yelp

Likewise Coffee

26 / 29

#4. Likewise Coffee

- Rating: 4.7/5 (28 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 1209 East Magnolia Ave. Knoxville, Tennessee
- Categories: Coffee Roasteries, Coffee & Tea, Breakfast & Brunch
- Read more on Yelp

Steamboat on Central

27 / 29

#3. Steamboat on Central

- Rating: 4.8/5 (55 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 2423 North Central St. Knoxville, Tennessee
- Categories: Sandwiches, Delis
- Read more on Yelp

Pizzeria Nora

28 / 29

#2. Pizzeria Nora

- Rating: 4.9/5 (45 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 2400 North Central St. Knoxville, Tennessee
- Categories: Pizza
- Read more on Yelp

Hello Tea House

29 / 29

#1. Hello Tea House

- Rating: 5.0/5 (43 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 722 South Gay St. Knoxville, Tennessee
- Categories: Bubble Tea, Desserts, Creperies
- Read more on Yelp

This story features data reporting by Wade Zhou, writing by Jill Jaracz, and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 388 metros.