Highest-rated restaurants with outdoor seating in Knoxville by diners

The average person spends over 74 minutes eating and drinking on any given weekday. On weekends and holidays, that goes up to over 81 minutes. Where is a better place to spend that time than a restaurant?

Consumers agree. The National Restaurant Association states that 9 in 10 adults enjoy eating out at restaurants, which give people access to a world of great-tasting food that's often difficult to reproduce at home.

People choose restaurants to scope out the latest food trends, including deeper dives into Southeast Asian cuisines from Korea, Vietnam, and the Philippines, without trying to master these complex dishes at home. Chefs also have the resources to experiment with ingredients and bring new favorites like hot honey, spicy maple, matcha, and pickled foods to the table.

Dining out also offers unique, hyperlocal experiences featuring local farmers, food producers, brewers, winemakers, and distillers in a way that connects diners to the area.

When the weather's nice, diners flock to al fresco seating. At least 2 in 5 diners like eating outdoors and look for great ambience like skyline views, rooftop settings, and waterfront seating to enhance their dining experience.

Stacker compiled a list of the highest-rated restaurants in the Knoxville area using data from Yelp. Data is as of Aug. 4, 2025. Only businesses marked as having outdoor seating on the Yelp website were included. Yelp's ranking system calculates an adjusted rating value that considers the number of ratings and the rating score itself. Only businesses with at least 20 reviews within a 10-kilometer radius of Knoxville were considered. Also, in an effort to highlight independent businesses and local chains, those with more than 10 locations nationally, based on our Yelp data, were not included. Read on to see if your favorite spot made the list.

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Chismoso Cocktails & Comida

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#30. Chismoso Cocktails & Comida

- Rating: 4.5/5 (20 reviews)
- Address: 131 South Gay St. Knoxville, Tennessee
- Categories: Cocktail Bars, American, Mexican
- Read more on Yelp

Barrelhouse By Gypsy Circus

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#29. Barrelhouse By Gypsy Circus

- Rating: 4.5/5 (109 reviews)
- Address: 621 Lamar St. Knoxville, Tennessee
- Categories: Breweries, Cideries, Barbecue
- Read more on Yelp

Jacob's Restaurant & Grill

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#28. 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

Mahalo Coffee Roasters

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#27. Mahalo Coffee Roasters

- Rating: 4.5/5 (63 reviews)
- Address: 1317 East Emory Road Knoxville, Tennessee
- Categories: Coffee Roasteries, Coffee & Tea, Cafes
- Read more on Yelp

Las Fuentes

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#26. Las Fuentes

- Rating: 4.5/5 (29 reviews)
- Address: 2525 Chapman Hwy Knoxville, Tennessee
- Categories: Mexican
- Read more on Yelp

Gus's World Famous Fried Chicken

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#25. Gus's World Famous Fried Chicken

- Rating: 4.5/5 (540 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 3101 Sutherland Ave. Knoxville, Tennessee
- Categories: Chicken Shop, Southern, Comfort Food
- Read more on Yelp

Saint Lucille's

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#24. Saint Lucille's

- Rating: 4.5/5 (30 reviews)
- Address: 8 Emory Place Knoxville, Tennessee
- Categories: Cajun/Creole
- Read more on Yelp

Pastelito's Cuban Bakery

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#23. Pastelito's Cuban Bakery

- Rating: 4.5/5 (50 reviews)
- Address: 402 North Cedar Bluff Road Ste 8 Knoxville, Tennessee
- Categories: Bakeries, Cuban, Sandwiches
- Read more on Yelp

South Coast Pizza

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#22. South Coast Pizza

- Rating: 4.5/5 (133 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 1103 Sevier Ave. Southeast Knoxville, Tennessee
- Categories: Pizza
- Read more on Yelp

Brown Bag

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#21. Brown Bag

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

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Gogi Korean Kitchen

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#20. Gogi Korean Kitchen

- Rating: 4.5/5 (89 reviews)
- Address: 7818 Montvue Center Way Knoxville, Tennessee
- Categories: Korean
- Read more on Yelp

Status Dough - Knoxville

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#19. 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

SmashCity Knoxville

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#18. SmashCity Knoxville

- Rating: 4.5/5 (98 reviews)
- Address: 211 South Central St. Knoxville, Tennessee
- Categories: Burgers, Sandwiches, New American
- Read more on Yelp

Caza Brava Mexican Restaurant

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#17. Caza Brava Mexican Restaurant

- Rating: 4.5/5 (92 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 5640 Clinton Hwy Knoxville, Tennessee
- Categories: Mexican
- Read more on Yelp

Love That BBQ

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#16. Love That BBQ

- Rating: 4.5/5 (99 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 1901 Maryville Pike Knoxville, Tennessee
- Categories: Barbecue
- Read more on Yelp

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The Kennedy

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#15. The Kennedy

- Rating: 4.5/5 (153 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 430 South Gay St. Knoxville, Tennessee
- Categories: Wine Bars, Pizza, Cocktail Bars
- Read more on Yelp

Dave's Dog House

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#14. 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

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#13. 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

Kefi

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#12. Kefi

- Rating: 4.6/5 (260 reviews)
- Price level: $$$
- Address: 120 East Jackson Ave. Knoxville, Tennessee
- Categories: Mediterranean, Greek, Cocktail Bars
- Read more on Yelp

Benefit Your Life Gluten Free Bakery & Cafe

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#11. Benefit Your Life Gluten Free Bakery & Cafe

- Rating: 4.6/5 (66 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 10420 Kingston Pike Ste G Knoxville, Tennessee
- Categories: Bakeries, Specialty Food, Gluten-Free
- Read more on Yelp

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The Brass Pearl

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#10. The Brass Pearl

- Rating: 4.6/5 (159 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 24 Market Square Knoxville, Tennessee
- Categories: Live/Raw Food, Cocktail Bars, Seafood
- Read more on Yelp

Yassin's Falafel House

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#9. 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

Pokeworks

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#8. Pokeworks

- Rating: 4.6/5 (144 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 4447 Kingston Pike Knoxville, Tennessee
- Categories: Poke, Salad, Sushi Bars
- Read more on Yelp

Cinnaholic

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#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

Tuk Tuk Thai Fusion

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#6. Tuk Tuk Thai Fusion

- Rating: 4.6/5 (140 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 9253 Kingston Pike Knoxville, Tennessee
- Categories: Asian Fusion, Thai
- Read more on Yelp

Sticky Rice Cafe

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#5. Sticky Rice Cafe

- Rating: 4.7/5 (775 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 120 Jack Dance St. Knoxville, Tennessee
- Categories: Laotian, Bubble Tea
- Read more on Yelp

Emma's Southern Kitchen

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#4. Emma's Southern Kitchen

- Rating: 4.7/5 (184 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 3701 Sutherland Ave. Knoxville, Tennessee
- Categories: Tacos, Salad, Burgers
- Read more on Yelp

Yassin's Falafel House

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#3. Yassin's Falafel House

- Rating: 4.7/5 (487 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 159 North Peters Road Knoxville, Tennessee
- Categories: Middle Eastern, Greek, Falafel
- Read more on Yelp

Steamboat on Central

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#2. 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

Potchke

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#1. Potchke

- Rating: 4.8/5 (161 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 318 North Gay St. Ste 103 Knoxville, Tennessee
- Categories: Delis
- 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 327 metros.

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