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Highest-rated Southern restaurants in Knoxville by diners
When you travel below the Mason-Dixon Line, you'll find some of the most mouthwatering, comforting cuisine in the U.S.: Southern food.
Southern dishes are a vital part of American cuisine, from hush puppies to ham hocks and beignets to barbecue. It's impossible to define a classic Southern meal, but a solid one starts with the sharp savory flavor of pimento cheese dip, followed by the delicious crunchiness of fried chicken or a spicy Louisiana étouffée, culminating with a sugary slice of chess pie that's best washed down with a tall glass of sweet tea.
What's unique about Southern fare is that multiple ethnic and cultural groups have influenced it. Spanish staples, such as potatoes and cocoa, are in many Southern dishes; the Acadians, who traveled to Louisiana from Nova Scotia and later became Louisiana Creoles, contributed their seafood to many Southern meals; African ingredients—okra, sorghum (an ancient grain), and black-eyed peas—became a part of the cuisine through the forced labor of enslaved people; French cooking methods, like braising and sautéing, are used for many Southern recipes; and Native Americans introduced corn to Southern recipes, yielding dishes like succotash and grits.
The Southern culinary scene is an explosion of cultures. To find out where you can sample some Southern offerings, Stacker compiled a list of the highest-rated Southern restaurants in Knoxville using data from Yelp. Data is as of June 11, 2024. 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 restaurants with at least 10 reviews were considered. In an effort to highlight independent restaurants and local chains, restaurants with more than five locations nationally, based on the Yelp data, were not included.
Read on to find the perfect spot to get a taste of the South near you.
Note: The photos in this article are stock images and do not necessarily depict the specific restaurants listed or the dishes they serve.
#13. Marble City Kitchen And Firefly
- Rating: 3.2/5 (33 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 501 West Main St. Knoxville, Tennessee
- Categories: southern, beer bar
- Read more on Yelp
#12. Amber Restaurant
- Rating: 3.6/5 (33 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 6715 Maynardville Pike Knoxville, Tennessee
- Categories: breakfast & brunch, sandwiches, southern
- Read more on Yelp
#11. Corner 16
- Rating: 3.7/5 (56 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 9637 Kroger Park Drive Knoxville, Tennessee
- Categories: southern, comfort food, sandwiches
- Read more on Yelp
#10. Horn of Plenty Market & Country Kitchen
- Rating: 3.8/5 (49 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 9132 Middlebrook Pike Knoxville, Tennessee
- Categories: fruits & veggies, building supplies, southern
- Read more on Yelp
#9. Corner 16
- Rating: 3.8/5 (282 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 1640 Bob Kirby Road Knoxville, Tennessee
- Categories: southern, comfort food, burgers
- Read more on Yelp
#8. Ola's Southern Cuisine 2
- Rating: 4.1/5 (15 reviews)
- Address: 7220 Chapman Hwy Ste 109 Knoxville, Tennessee
- Categories: soul food, southern, seafood
- Read more on Yelp
#7. Myrtle's Chicken + Beer
- Rating: 4.2/5 (414 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 13 Market Square Knoxville, Tennessee
- Categories: southern, american, chicken wings
- Read more on Yelp
#6. Fire Smoke
- Rating: 4.3/5 (11 reviews)
- Address: 9405 South Northshore Drive Ste 103 Knoxville, Tennessee
- Categories: steakhouses, southern, smokehouse
- Read more on Yelp
#5. Farmacy
- Rating: 4.3/5 (463 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 5018 Kingston Pike Knoxville, Tennessee
- Categories: southern, breakfast & brunch, comfort food
- Read more on Yelp
#4. J C Holdway
- Rating: 4.3/5 (206 reviews)
- Price level: $$$
- Address: 501 Union Ave. Knoxville, Tennessee
- Categories: new american, southern, bars
- Read more on Yelp
#3. Jackie's Dream
- Rating: 4.5/5 (268 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 1008 East Woodland Ave. Knoxville, Tennessee
- Categories: soul food, chicken shop, southern
- Read more on Yelp
#2. Chef Mo' Cafe & Catering
- Rating: 4.8/5 (17 reviews)
- Address: 131 East Moody Ave. Knoxville, Tennessee
- Categories: cafes, southern, soul food
- Read more on Yelp
#1. Soul Good
- Rating: 4.8/5 (11 reviews)
- Address: 1518 University Ave. Knoxville, Tennessee
- Categories: soul food, southern
- Read more on Yelp
This story features data reporting by Karim Noorani, writing by Rasha Aly, and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 143 metros.