165 Best Restaurants in Tennessee, USA

The owners of this restaurant have never romanticized "the good ol' days" just for the sake of marketing, but they do capitalize on the sucess of their family recipes developed over time, perfected with effort, and prepared with fresh ingredients. Homemade apple butter, apple fritters, and fruit juleps feature here, as well as signature menu items such as the famous Southern fried chicken, chicken potpie, and chicken and dumplings. You'll feel welcome from the minute you sit down inside the Kilpatrick family home, converted to a restaurant in 1987, and it's certainly worth sticking around long enough to try some apple cobbler for dessert. Wait times can sometimes extend to an hour during busy seasons.

In these parts, BBQ means just one thing—pulled pork. And while many spots in town may serve shredded pig, they're not serving a sandwich that makes you want to buy a T-shirt to prove you've been there; for that experience, head to this unassuming old-school joint that'll leave you full but drooling for more. BBQ travels well, so order sandwiches and slaw to go and enjoy them 20 minutes away at the Chimney Rocks Picnic Area in the national park.

This is dinner theater on steroids—you, and several thousand other people, get to eat a finger-lickin' good (as in, you don't get eating utensils) four-course meal while live animals kick up the dust on the arena floor to the accompaniment of dramatic music, lighting, and pyrotechnics. The pace is quick; the service is quicker. In a sequence timed tight as traffic signals on a four-lane highway, you'll watch rodeo clowns pick on cute girls in the audience, kids chase chickens running in all different directions, knights jousting on horseback, and a chorus of glittery-costumed actors sing rousing patriotic music. Overall, it's well worth the money—and maybe a plastic spoon in your pocket, just for good measure. Vegetarian meals are available by advance request.

This Midtown location has a decidedly upscale feel, with dark-wood paneling and low lighting. The menu includes hardwood-grilled beef, chicken, and pork; hearty salads; and fresh seafood.

The seasonal flavors of eastern Tennessee's farms come to life over the wood-fired grill at this chef-owned ode to Southern cuisine, where the menu changes weekly. One decadent constant is a sous-vide farm egg appetizer with gnocchi and chicken confit. Pair it with a house-made pasta or a hearty protein (pork loin with okra, corn, and tomatoes is a winner). Bar seats let you watch the focused action in the open kitchen, where dedication to the craft is obvious. 

Martin's proudly proclaims they don't own a microwave or a freezer. They are committed to the west-Tennessee style of whole-hog barbecue, smoking their hogs for a full day and serving it until it runs out—period. This is the type of place where you may find yourself stupefied by just how much you've managed to eat.

Owner and longtime pit master Carey Bringle says it all in his biography: "Smoke is in my veins." The line for the lunch rush is often out the door, but many agree that the dry ribs, hickory-smoked for more than 18 hours, are well worth the wait. Peg Leg's wings—offered dry, hot, and extra-hot—also keep people coming back again and again. Standout sides include the smoked green beans and the barbecue baked beans, and as an appetizer you can prime your palate with a platter of sausage, cheese, and saltines—aka Memphis Sushi.

Minutes from Ijams Nature Center, this bustling taco joint fills up on weekends with bicyclists, climbers, hikers, and paddlers scarfing down tortillas stuffed with ground beef and chorizo and slugging crisp margaritas.