Where to eat in Knoxville: Market Square, the Old City and farmers markets

Knoxville sits in the eastern Tennessee valley, where the Appalachian foothills begin, and its food scene reflects that: farm-to-table menus, Southern cooking and a university crowd that keeps the downtown busy. It is smaller than Nashville or Memphis and easier to cover on foot. Here is where to start, how the Saturday market works and what to do with a day in the area.

Where should you start in Knoxville?

Start downtown at Market Square, a pedestrian plaza lined with restaurants, cafes and shops, with outdoor seating in good weather. It is the heart of the city's food scene, and a good place to read menus and choose. From there, the Old City, a short walk north, is a former industrial district of nineteenth-century brick buildings that is now known for breweries, cocktail bars and Italian dining. Between the two you can cover a morning, an afternoon and an evening on foot.

When is the Market Square Farmers Market?

The Market Square Farmers Market is a producer-only, open-air market, which means everything is grown, raised or produced by the vendors in the East Tennessee region. It runs on Saturday mornings in season, with a different schedule in winter, so check the market page for the current dates and times. Food trucks serve brunch and lunch on Saturdays. SNAP and EBT benefits are accepted, with a doubling program for fresh produce.

What can you buy and eat at the market?

Expect produce in season, eggs, meat, bread, honey, jams, flowers and prepared food. Spring brings greens and strawberries, summer brings tomatoes, corn and peaches, and autumn brings apples and squash. Producer-only means you can ask how things were grown and how to cook them. Arrive early for the best selection, bring a bag and carry some cash for small purchases. Parking near Market Square is in garages, and some are cheaper on weekends. The market is a short walk from the garages, and the plaza has seating where you can eat what you buy. Dogs on leashes are welcome at many markets, but check the rules.

What is Southern food in Knoxville?

Knoxville cooks Southern food with an Appalachian accent. Look for biscuits, country ham, pinto beans, cornbread, fried green tomatoes, barbecue and vegetables cooked low and slow. Meat and three restaurants, which serve a meat and three sides at a fixed price, are common. A separate guide in this series explains the meat and three format. Long-standing barbecue and breakfast places have served the city for decades, but ask locals for their current favorites. Breakfast is a strength, with biscuits, gravy, eggs and country ham on many menus. Weekend brunch lines can be long, so go early. A cup of local coffee at a roaster downtown is a good start to a walking day.

What is the Old City like at night?

The Old City has an evening life with bars, music and late dining, and it is quieter during the day. It suits a drink and a meal before a show. Weekend evenings are busy, so go early for a table. Parking is on the street and in lots, and rules are posted by block. Walk the area in daylight first to see the buildings, then return in the evening for dinner. Many venues have live music, so ask whether there is a cover charge before you sit down.

What is there beyond downtown?

Knoxville is a gateway to the Great Smoky Mountains and to small towns with diners and farm stands. A day trip east or south can include a mountain drive and a roadside lunch. Opening hours of small places are limited in the off season, so call ahead. A drive on a scenic road in autumn can be slow on weekends because of traffic, so start early and carry snacks. Roadside stands sell apples, cider doughnuts, honey and jam, and many take only cash. In autumn, apple orchards and cider stands draw crowds on weekends.

How do football weekends change things?

On home game days at the University of Tennessee, the city fills with fans, and restaurants near the stadium and downtown run at capacity. Book ahead if you want a sit-down meal, and expect walk-in waits. If you want a quieter visit, avoid game weekends. Hotels fill and prices rise, and some restaurants change their hours or menus for the crowd. Check the university's schedule when you plan, and consider a weekday for a calmer meal.

What do you pay and tip?

Menu prices do not include Tennessee sales tax, which is added at the register. A tip of about 18 to 20 percent of the pre-tax total is customary at table-service restaurants.

How do you keep track of what you ate in Knoxville?

Ask a vendor at the Saturday market where they eat and look for a crowd on a weekday. Mosey is a food app for finding, rating and sharing places to eat, and it rates by the dish, so the market biscuit, the Old City dinner and the mountain-drive cider doughnut each earn a score and a tag.

Keep a list, share its invite link with friends who come for a game weekend and follow the ones who live here, so your next trip begins with your own record.

Rate your favorite Knoxville dish in the Mosey app.

More guides to read next:

• Memphis barbecue guide: dry ribs, wet ribs and pulled pork sandwiches
• Tennessee meat and three explained: how to order a plate lunch
• Where to eat in Chattanooga: Southside, North Shore and Main Street

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