Question for the Lady Vol Fans

[triaddukefan]

Possibility of visiting Knoxville for a short trip. Besides visiting the Sunsphere, and dodging terrible drivers.... what else would be things to check out.

Looking for a good dessert or donut place... and a kinda upscale restaurant (maybe).

 

[stwainfan]

Calhoon's is a popular place. It's by the campus.

 

[Knoxville]

Cheesecake Factory

 

[Mdoggie]

Cheesecake Factory

Asked for upscale.

 

[HuskyNan]

Possibility of visiting Knoxville for a short trip. Besides visiting the Sunsphere, and dodging terrible drivers.... what else would be things to check out.

Looking for a good dessert or donut place... and a kinda upscale restaurant (maybe).

Go to Market Square downtown. It’s a neat outdoor pedestrian area in a nice part of town with interesting restaurants and shops. We had a great meal at Tupelo Honey but I think you’re looking for something more upscale. Link to Market Square info below.

We also went to a speakeasy, the Peter Kern Library at the Oliver Hotel. Lots of fun going through the wall to get in, and the craft cocktails are great. Links below.

Explore Market Square Knoxville | Food, Fun, Events & Shopping

Discover things to do in Market Square Knoxville. Browse listings to find conveniently located hotels, fine restaurants and shopping, or nightlife activities.

www.visitknoxville.com

Peter Kern LIbrary — The Oliver Hotel Knoxville, by Oliver

www.theoliverhotel.com

 

[Nash83]

Go to Market Square downtown. It’s a neat outdoor pedestrian area in a nice part of town with interesting restaurants and shops. We had a great meal at Tupelo Honey but I think you’re looking for something more upscale. Link to Market Square info below.

We also went to a speakeasy, the Peter Kern Library at the Oliver Hotel. Lots of fun going through the wall to get in, and the craft cocktails are great. Links below.

Explore Market Square Knoxville | Food, Fun, Events & Shopping

Discover things to do in Market Square Knoxville. Browse listings to find conveniently located hotels, fine restaurants and shopping, or nightlife activities.

www.visitknoxville.com

Peter Kern LIbrary — The Oliver Hotel Knoxville, by Oliver

www.theoliverhotel.com

Great spots! Look at Old City area too. Lots of bars, restaurants, shops all within walking distance. Please report back on your trip and hope you have an enjoyable time!

 

[KnightBridgeAZ]

Calhouns, as someone mentioned, particularly their site "on the river" near the University. Great ribs, great sides, and I don't drink but part of their marketing is as a craft brewery. We would detour through Knoxville to go there when out traveling (by car).

As to touring, I assume you plan on visiting the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame. A fine museum, been twice I think.

One year, we ended up at the Knoxville Zoo. We personally love zoos and we really liked that one, but I wouldn't call us experts.

 

[triaddukefan]

Cheesecake Factory

Well one of my rules when I am visiting another city, never dine in a restaurant that I can go to in my own city.

Asked for upscale.

Well I did say kinda upscale The factory is a cool place, and without getting into specifics... its a place that I would take certain females to, but not all females.

 

[triaddukefan]

Go to Market Square downtown. It’s a neat outdoor pedestrian area in a nice part of town with interesting restaurants and shops. We had a great meal at Tupelo Honey but I think you’re looking for something more upscale. Link to Market Square info below.

We also went to a speakeasy, the Peter Kern Library at the Oliver Hotel. Lots of fun going through the wall to get in, and the craft cocktails are great. Links below.

Explore Market Square Knoxville | Food, Fun, Events & Shopping

Discover things to do in Market Square Knoxville. Browse listings to find conveniently located hotels, fine restaurants and shopping, or nightlife activities.

www.visitknoxville.com

Peter Kern LIbrary — The Oliver Hotel Knoxville, by Oliver

www.theoliverhotel.com

I looked over the area in google maps, seems like a good place to go. I like going to areas in cities where you can just park the car and spend time exploring and eating.

Ive been to the Tupelo Honey location in Downtown Asheville and enjoyed it a lot.

Great spots! Look at Old City area too. Lots of bars, restaurants, shops all within walking distance. Please report back on your trip and hope you have an enjoyable time!

Well a trip to Knoxville isn't imminent, it would be between Atlanta (a place I haven't been to in years) or Knoxville (only stepped foot in the city during the 1983 Worlds Fair). Thinking sometime in either Nov/Dec, or after the college basketball season. I will say I'm warming up to the idea of Knoxville.

 

[Mdoggie]

Well one of my rules when I am visiting another city, never dine in a restaurant that I can go to in my own city.




Well I did say kinda upscale The factory is a cool place, and without getting into specifics... its a place that I would take certain females to, but not all females.

Take the others to Red Lobster? but don’t feed em cheddar biscuits.

 

[Boxerpups4me]

Is it me or has red lobster gone down in quality over the years, even their cheddar bay biscuits don’t seem to be as good…

 

[Mdoggie]

Is it me or has red lobster gone down in quality over the years, even their cheddar bay biscuits don’t seem to be as good…

It’s not you. Quality is down so I hear. Haven’t been there in years.

 

[Mdoggie]

@cancontent
@triaddukefan

 

[triaddukefan]

Is it me or has red lobster gone down in quality over the years, even their cheddar bay biscuits don’t seem to be as good…

Last time I was in the Lobster was in the 1990s. I used to like the casear salads.

 

[KnightBridgeAZ]

It’s not you. Quality is down so I hear. Haven’t been there in years.

I agree it isn't so great. For some years pre-pandemic we would go occasionally and they did a blackened tilapia "catch of the day" that wasn't bad. Don't think they do it anymore.

We get a to go order, mostly fried cod, I think, every once in a while. The Cheddar Bay Biscuits are still tasty, but the rest is so-so at best. The problem is there is limited sea food here in Tucson, and the one place we really liked closed shortly after we moved here. Same with the "East Coast" Italian Restaurant owned by someone from Long Island, NY. Gone within a year.

Oh, what we miss from the East Coast. Whenever we visit a shoreline (East or West) fresh fish restaurants it is.

 

[MilfordHusky]

You should go to the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame.

 

[billybud]

Brazeiros Churascaria...Brqzilian Steak House...if you are a carnivore like my wife.

I live an hour or so from Knoxville in North Carolina...we take a weekend there every now and then...primarily for shopping, getting our cars serviced, etc.
For a beer or cocktail with appetizers and a great setting...the Five Thirty Lounge.

Since we can't get good italian in our small mountain town, we hit Emilia's...the house made tiramisu for dessert..ot butterscotch burdino.

 

[triaddukefan]

Any way to spend 24 hours in Knoxville and avoid Vol fans? Nothing against the Vols.. just don't want to be surrounded by them. A few here and there are ok... but not inundated. Again, nothing against the fine residents of Knoxville.

Are there any walkable areas of town other than Downtown? Somewhere you can just park your car... go into a few shops, grab a fish sammich and a glass of Southern Comfort without driving all around?

 

[HuskyNan]

Any way to spend 24 hours in Knoxville and avoid Vol fans? Nothing against the Vols.. just don't want to be surrounded by them. A few here and there are ok... but not inundated. Again, nothing against the fine residents of Knoxville.

Are there any walkable areas of town other than Downtown? Somewhere you can just park your car... go into a few shops, grab a fish sammich and a glass of Southern Comfort without driving all around?

I went to Knoxville a couple years ago and found it’s a really nice place to visit. There were no seas of orange or in-your-face displays of Volmania, except for one shop at the airport. I would feel perfectly comfortable wearing UConn gear there because, let’s face it, no matter how successful either UT basketball team is, football is THE game there. UConn and Duke aren’t on UT’s radar

 

[visitingcock]

Last time I was in the Lobster was in the 1990s. I used to like the casear salads.

The one in my little S. Georgia town shut down about two months ago. I had not eaten there in years. Fod was mediocre at best and the service was horrible. Unfortunately service at every restaurant in the town is poor.

 

[KnightBridgeAZ]

The one in my little S. Georgia town shut down about two months ago. I had not eaten there in years. Fod was mediocre at best and the service was horrible. Unfortunately service at every restaurant in the town is poor.

My comments earlier in the thread were made a year ago.

We actually took some family to Red Lobster now that we have resumed going out (they are very very plain eaters, possibly because on their own they never have been able to casually eat out). So Red Lobster was a good choice and I'll be honest - while service was indeed horrible, the food was actually a bit better than I expected and certainly better than their take out.

As to the original thread, I continue to push Calhoun's, a Knoxville (and area) Rib / BBQ restaurant mini-chain. When I drove the family mentioned above out west to relocate here after Superstorm Sandy we actually chose the route to eat at Calhoun's. Unfortunately, they got burgers, while I enjoyed what was the special of the day, IIRC. Always delicious.