43 Best Restaurants in Tennessee, USA

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.

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.

Even if it plays up the "good 'ol days" kitsch, the Applewood is a welcome respite from the other places on the parkway. The two restaurants at either end of the complex have nearly identical menus that feature family recipes developed over time, perfected with effort, and prepared with fresh ingredients. You'll feel welcome from the minute you sit down. Wait times can sometimes extend to an hour during busy seasons, but there are shops and a winery on-site to fill the time.

A perennial favorite, this barbecue joint and steak house draws crowds for its hickory-smoked ribs and its views of the action on the Tennessee River. There's a dedicated dock for the restaurant, and many locals arrive by water to take in the scenery on the spacious deck. You'll find additional locations throughout eastern Tennessee. 

The throwback vibe at this downtown creamery—complete with staff wearing signature red-and-white checkered blouses—makes ordering a cookies-and-cream shake feel like the wholesome Americana it should be. Ice-cream flavors are simple and straightforward—sweet cream, chocolate, strawberry—but do include dairy-free options like raspberry Dole Whip. Long lines form by 7 pm most evenings.     

Elliston Place Soda Shop has been open since 1939, and has retained much of its mid-century decor, including vintage jukeboxes at the tables (though the boxes themselves no longer play), and a lovely soda counter, complete with a fountain. Come for great burgers, frothy ice-cream sodas, and delicious chocolate shakes—or breakfast.

The grass-fed beef patties here are gussied up with style. The unconventional options include the Last Frontier, topped with house-smoked salmon, capers, and lemon dill on a brioche bun. Bison, lamb, and veggie burgers round out the menu—wash them down with a root beer float.

Big and bright, this newcomer food hall has room for a dozen vendors, ranging from vegan soul food to Korean fusion to street tacos. There's a bar, a coffee shop, and plenty of room to hang with friends.