Highest-rated restaurants for burgers in the Knoxville area by diners
Highest-rated restaurants for burgers in the Knoxville area by diners
There's just something about a hamburger—from the way the juices from the freshly grilled meat gently dribble down your chin as you take that first bite of the succulent patty to the way the cheese curves along the sides, melting slowly over the ground-beef goodness placed gently between two buns.
While a burger's je ne sais quoi may defy definition, one thing is certain: Americans love hamburgers. According to a 2024 YouGov survey, burgers are among the top three most popular foods in the U.S., tied with fried chicken and bested only by French fries. As further proof of hamburgers' dominance in America, chains where burgers are the star of the menu generated $110 billion in sales in 2024, according to the annual Technomic Top 500 Chain Restaurant Report. Based on a Restaurant Business analysis of the Technomic report, that accounts for more than a quarter of the total sales among all Top 500 chains and more than double sales from chains where chicken is the main attraction.
The burger's origins stretch far beyond America, however. Named after Hamburg, a region in Germany known for its cattle, the Hamburg steak was the first step toward what would become the sandwich we know and love today. Served on a plate (sans buns, if you can believe it), the steak was said to have become popular during the Industrial Revolution after an influx of German immigrants into New York. To make the food easier for the workers to eat on their breaks, a now unknown cook sandwiched the steak between two pieces of bread, and the rest, as they say, is history.
While it may never be proven when and where the hamburger was first invented, the deliciously simple sandwich is here to stay. But who serves the best burger today? You'll find many restaurants around the U.S. that claim they do, from Au Cheval in Chicago and New York to The Habit Burger Grill, a California-based chain that USA Today named the #1 fast-food burger in America.
Of course, those restaurants may not be in your neck of the woods. To find the best of the best in your area, Stacker compiled a list of the highest-rated restaurants for burgers in the Knoxville area based on diners' reviews on Yelp as of March 2025. Restaurants with at least 20 reviews tagged as "burgers" on Yelp within a 10-kilometer radius of Knoxville were included. As a result, many restaurants featured may primarily serve other food items besides burgers. Also, to highlight independent businesses and local chains, those with at least five locations nationally, based on the Yelp data, were not included.
Keep reading to see if your favorite burger spot made the cut—or maybe you'll find your new favorite on this list!
#23. The Pint House
- Rating: 3.2/5 (31 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 815 Merchant Drive Knoxville, Tennessee
- Categories: Bars, Burgers, Barbecue
- Read more on Yelp
#22. Central Park Restaurant
- Rating: 3.4/5 (30 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 4417 Western Ave. Knoxville, Tennessee
- Categories: Burgers, Hot Dogs, fast food
- Read more on Yelp
#21. Double Dogs
- Rating: 3.5/5 (102 reviews)
- Address: 8910 Kingston Pike Knoxville, Tennessee
- Categories: Burgers, Sports Bars, American
- Read more on Yelp
#20. Gus's Good Times Deli
- Rating: 3.6/5 (105 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 815 Melrose Place Knoxville, Tennessee
- Categories: Delis, Burgers, Sandwiches
- Read more on Yelp
#19. Denton's Burgers & Fun Foods
- Rating: 3.7/5 (54 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 6914 Kingston Pike Knoxville, Tennessee
- Categories: Burgers, Juice Bars & Smoothies, Hot Dogs
- Read more on Yelp
#18. Corner 16
- Rating: 3.8/5 (305 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 1640 Bob Kirby Road Knoxville, Tennessee
- Categories: Southern, Comfort Food, Burgers
- Read more on Yelp
#17. Abridged Beer
- Rating: 3.8/5 (70 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 320 North Peters Road Ste 103 Knoxville, Tennessee
- Categories: Burgers, Brewpubs, Sandwiches
- Read more on Yelp
#16. Inskip Grill at Fountain City
- Rating: 3.9/5 (155 reviews)
- Address: 4877 North Broadway St. Knoxville, Tennessee
- Categories: Breakfast & Brunch, Burgers, Sandwiches
- Read more on Yelp
#15. Litton's Market and Restaurant
- Rating: 4.0/5 (393 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 2803 Essary Drive Knoxville, Tennessee
- Categories: Burgers, Bakeries, Sandwiches
- Read more on Yelp
#14. The Burgers
- Rating: 4.0/5 (116 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 1420 East Emory Road Knoxville, Tennessee
- Categories: American, Burgers
- Read more on Yelp
#13. Ale Rae Grill
- Rating: 4.1/5 (38 reviews)
- Address: 900 North Central St. Knoxville, Tennessee
- Categories: Food Trucks, Burgers, Hot Dogs
- Read more on Yelp
#12. Bit Burger Knox
- Rating: 4.2/5 (107 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 151 North Seven Oaks Drive Knoxville, Tennessee
- Categories: Burgers, Arcades, Sandwiches
- Read more on Yelp
#11. Clean Eatz Knoxville - Bearden
- Rating: 4.2/5 (28 reviews)
- Address: 215 Brookview Centre Way Ste 104 Knoxville, Tennessee
- Categories: Cafes, Juice Bars & Smoothies, Burgers
- Read more on Yelp
#10. Twisted Mike's Tap Room
- Rating: 4.2/5 (23 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 7125 Kingston Pike Knoxville, Tennessee
- Categories: Sports Bars, Burgers, Pizza
- Read more on Yelp
#9. Super Chix
- Rating: 4.2/5 (58 reviews)
- Address: 6672 Clinton Hwy Ste 102 Knoxville, Tennessee
- Categories: Chicken Shop, Salad, Burgers
- Read more on Yelp
#8. Marble City Market
- Rating: 4.3/5 (56 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 333 West Depot Ave. Ste 110 Knoxville, Tennessee
- Categories: Bars, Donuts, Burgers
- Read more on Yelp
#7. Harby's Pizza & Deli
- Rating: 4.3/5 (105 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 3718 Walker Blvd. Knoxville, Tennessee
- Categories: Pizza, Sandwiches, Burgers
- Read more on Yelp
#6. Sevier Avenue burger company
- Rating: 4.3/5 (27 reviews)
- Address: 1120 Sevier Ave. Knoxville, Tennessee
- Categories: Burgers
- Read more on Yelp
#5. Stock & Barrel
- Rating: 4.4/5 (1859 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 35 Market Sq Knoxville, Tennessee
- Categories: Burgers, Cocktail Bars, Desserts
- Read more on Yelp
#4. SmashCity Knoxville
- Rating: 4.5/5 (85 reviews)
- Address: 211 South Central St. Knoxville, Tennessee
- Categories: Burgers, Sandwiches, New American
- Read more on Yelp
#3. Jacob's Restaurant & Grill
- Rating: 4.5/5 (47 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 5307 North Middlebrook Pike Knoxville, Tennessee
- Categories: Burgers, American, Delis
- Read more on Yelp
#2. Lunch House
- Rating: 4.5/5 (31 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 3816 Holston Drive Knoxville, Tennessee
- Categories: Breakfast & Brunch, Burgers, Sandwiches
- Read more on Yelp
#1. Emma's Southern Kitchen
- Rating: 4.7/5 (175 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 3701 Sutherland Ave. Knoxville, Tennessee
- Categories: Tacos, Salad, Burgers
- Read more on Yelp
This story features data reporting by Wade Zhou and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 304 metros.
