27 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.

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. 

Downtown Sevierville's transformation feels complete with the opening of this fine-dining twist on traditional mountain cuisine. If you're feeling adventurous, try the seared headcheese or the buffalo frog legs, but there's plenty of comfort dishes like hanger steak with hen-of-the-woods mushrooms to fall back on.

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.

Make the drive to this soul food joint in North Knoxville and you'll feel like you've discovered a local secret. Jackie serves up daily specials like smothered pork chops and fried tilapia, with sides like "Mama's Cabbage" and candied yams. 

If your idea of homestyle Southern cooking includes entrées like chicken and dumplings, sugar-cured ham and turnip greens, or chicken-fried steak and mashed potatoes, you're in the right spot. The grains and grits originate next door at the mill that has been in continuous operation since the 1830s. Think about that while you're chewing a chunk of corn bread, or watching a baseball-size scoop of ice cream melt on top of a made-from-scratch pie while listening to an old-timer pick his guitar on the porch.

Enjoy an idyllic stream-side setting that's just right to sip the signature sweet tea (served sweet, either hot or cold). Savor the sherried tomato bisque, or sample creative salads like dill pea or arugula tossed with strawberries and feta with a citrus vinaigrette. The attentive staff is eager to make recommendations from the limited menu while you share a basket of warm wild-plum muffins.