Downtown Game and Dinner Recommendations

#26
#26
Frivolous said:
most of the better restaurants downtown have limited capacity and are not really set up to cater to folks who want to hang around for four hours.

Although not really downtown, but close by, I would suggest Balter Beer Works, Field House Social, or Ruth's Chris (eat and then move to the bar).
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Both Balter and FHS have remarkably good food for what they are. The brunch (I know not applicable here) at Balter is awesome. Not a huge fan of the beers but the food is not shabby
 
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#27
#27
TrumpedUpVol said:
This is the answer.

Saloon 16 is absolutely awesome and worth visiting at least once just to see the incredible memorabilia on the walls, but at its core you're going to a casual hotel bar with mediocre food (cheese bings aside, you might as well eat at Half Barrel or Cool Beans) and standard drinks while paying a hefty Tennessee tax to do so. The television situation in there leaves a lot to be desired as well, so it wouldn't be my choice to actually watch a game.

Lonesome Dove is still the best restaurant downtown in my book (Emilia and Oliver Royale are also great if you'd prefer being in Market Square, don't buy into the J.C. Holdway hype) so you'd be hard pressed to go wrong there as GBOVols said, and the relatively-new flat screens at Barley's have served me well for watching mid-day tennis and such when in town. Barley's will likely put the game on a projector, too, and my assumption is that the band they have scheduled for 10:00 p.m. will be held until the end of the game but I'd probably call to check about that because the last thing I'd want is a close battle in the 4th quarter upended by some "jazz and psychedelia" music.

If Barley's doesn't work for whatever reason, Old City Sports Bar skews very young so I would recommend trying to get a seat at Tommy Trent's on the corner of Market Square or begrudgingly paying a visit to Skybox on the 400 block of Gay St.
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This is a fantastic breakdown.

The only option I would add is Southern Grit, which you could honestly parlay into both food and the game. The food has been very solid in my experience, and they have a relatively solid beer situation. It's right in the Old City, and well within walking distance of Barley's, which is easily my go-to bar in that vicinity.
 
#31
#31
Here's another vote for Southern Grit, food has been great. So much so we went to dinner there two weekends in a row and we now live an hour away from Knoxville. Catch the game at Barley's and hit the Radius Rooftop Bar for a toddy and celebrate a Vols win in the swamp!! GO VOLS!!!!
 
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#33
#33
TAF said:
Stop by here...yell,,,"Give me 2 Roosters...and run them through the garden!"

701e2d3713a401fa50cf06dd5ec17d3f.jpg



then HERE...
OIP.Zr-49NFp4SDVpW8hCsKgzgHaGX



You can thank me later...
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Mouses Ear..where I was told "Its strip and tip, not bare and stare"......
 
#36
#36
Adopo pizza is remarkable. It isn't what you think. Great food, wine, and Sicilian pizza. Do yourself a favor and go there.
 
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#39
#39
RhodesVol said:
This is a fantastic breakdown.

The only option I would add is Southern Grit, which you could honestly parlay into both food and the game. The food has been very solid in my experience, and they have a relatively solid beer situation. It's right in the Old City, and well within walking distance of Barley's, which is easily my go-to bar in that vicinity.
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Haven't been to Southern Grit, but I am looking at it now. Thanks!
 
#41
#41
bigdaddy said:
Both Balter and FHS have remarkably good food for what they are. The brunch (I know not applicable here) at Balter is awesome. Not a huge fan of the beers but the food is not shabby
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Balter’s chef won a round on “Chopped”. Their food is really good for a brewpup and the staff is fun and polite.
 
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#43
#43
No one has mentioned Emilia. Excellent place. They comped us every dessert on the menu when we went in during the first thaw of Covid. They have a true sommelier that was so impressed with the wine our friends (who own a restaurant in WI) ordered they comped us a bottle too. We did tip well…very well.
 
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#44
#44
TAF said:
Stop by here...yell,,,"Give me 2 Roosters...and run them through the garden!"

701e2d3713a401fa50cf06dd5ec17d3f.jpg



then HERE...
OIP.Zr-49NFp4SDVpW8hCsKgzgHaGX



You can thank me later...
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I’ve never seen the mouses’ ear in the daylight. Wow might not have gone in there knowing it looks like that hahahaha. Damn
 
#45
#45
Frozevol said:
No one has mentioned Emilia. Excellent place. They comped us every dessert on the menu when we went in during the first thaw of Covid. They have a true sommelier that was so impressed with the wine our friends (who own a restaurant in WI) ordered they comped us a bottle too. We did tip well…very well.
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Fine restaurant but I think he is looking for a place to eat and watch that’s not straight up bar food
 
#46
#46
Nugget said:
You can go to Desperados on Papermill Rd or Daryls on Kingston Pike.
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Omg Darryls is still open? Place used to b really good in the 90’s then went to crap early 2000’s. Didn’t think I would ever hear that name again . Thought it was closed
 
#47
#47
Me and the wife are headed up to Knoxville and pigeon forge for the Georgia game look forward to trying some new restaurants in Knoxville
 
#49
#49
BigOrangeAl 1979 said:
Me and the wife are headed up to Knoxville and pigeon forge for the Georgia game look forward to trying some new restaurants in Knoxville
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Lots of good recommendations (and some bad ones) in this thread. If you want to eat at Lonesome Dove, JC Holdway, Oliver, Vida, Kefi, Emilia, etc, you will need reservations well in advance, esp for a home game.
 
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