Diners' Choice: Innovative restaurants in East Tennessee

OpenTable

Updated April 05, 2025

Looking for the best restaurants that are fit for foodies in East Tennessee? You’re in the right place. Each month, OpenTable analyzes nearly 2 million global diner reviews from the past four months. We sort the results by location and category to help you discover new favorite restaurants. It's a great partnership: you reserve, eat, and review. We listen...and deliver the results for all to benefit. Enjoy!

Dancing Bear Appalachian Bistro

5.0

5 (3777)

$50 and over

American

Knoxville

About the restaurant

At Dancing Bear Appalachian Bistro, we know that great food begins with fresh, quality sourced local ingredients. On our Modern Appalachian menu, Chef Jeff Carter and culinary team present seasonal and delicious dishes that are familiar and steeped in tradition yet enhanced with bold new dashes of flavor and component combinations that may surprise and delight you.

Dancing Bear provides a premium lodging experience. We bring the same commitment to excellence to our award-winning restaurant and full bar. Whether enjoying a romantic dinner for two or bringing the extended family together for a celebratory meal, we want your night out in Townsend to be a special experience. We offer a refined assortment of modern Appalachian cuisine — all served among elegant surroundings and calming wooded vistas.

Top review

NorineVIP

Dined 1 day ago

Justin provided exceptional service. He was very attentive to every detail. Top notch service and impeccable food preparation . Michelle provided expert guidance on a wine to suit our taste. Everyone was warm and welcoming. Keep up the great service!

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Popular dish

Truffled Filet Mignon

Wilder at Windy Hill Farm and Preserve

5.0

5 (81)

$50 and over

Contemporary Southern

Loudon

About the restaurant

Voted "Best Splurge Worthy Restaurant" by Travel Awaits.

Appalachian tradition is rich in grit, resourceful charm, and determination, which drives our culinary heritage. At Wilder, we cultivate farm-to-table ingredients transformed by an appreciation for international cuisine to offer a fun and unique approach to well-loved Southern staples.

20% service fee assessed on all charges. Additional tipping optional.

Limited reservations are offered nightly. Non-alcoholic beverages included.

Top review

Kim

Dined 3 days ago

A truly wonderful dining experience. The setting is spectacular in the rolling green foothills of The Smoky Mountains. The restaurant is beautifully designed, with cozy private booths and sweeping views. The wine list is curated and the menu offers seasonal dishes, expertly prepared. A truly special evening!

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Experience

Dinner at Wilder

Experience

Five-Course Tasting Menu

Experience

Wilder Nights - Complimentary Music with Dinner

Hickory, at Nicewonder Farm & Vineyards

4.8

4.8 (364)

$31 to $50

American

Bristol

About the restaurant

Hickory at Nicewonder Farm & Vineyards is the signature restaurant from James Beard award nominee, Chef Travis Milton, offering the finest dining in the region. The menu is inspired by his Appalachian heritage, culture, and traditions and uses
locally sourced produce to create a menu rooted in the beauty of the Appalachian mountains. Located on the ground floor of The Inn, a boutique luxury property with 28 elegantly appointed rooms and suites, you will enjoy breathtaking views of the rolling hills, lake, and vineyards, whether sitting at the vast bar enjoying a craft cocktail, in the private dining room for that special evening, being awed at the Chef’s Table, or being treated to a wine tasting in our wine cellar that boasts a 1700 bottle curated wine collection, including Nicewonder Vineyards’ own award-winning wines. From the breakfast meeting to start the day, midday snacks, or celebrating a special occasion for dinner, the Hickory team will make your experience unforgettable.

Top review

Justin

Dined 2 days ago

Went for anniversary meal with offer of a free champagne or dessert offering, nice touch!! Food and drinks were fabulous

STIR - Knoxville

4.8

4.8 (776)

$31 to $50

American

Knoxville

About the restaurant

STIR is the perfect restaurant to sip a craft cocktail over a dozen oysters, enjoy a night out, or meet for lunch. Located in the heart of Old City, the restaurant is an open-air concept with a large, heated outdoor patio. We are open for lunch, dinner, and weekend brunch.

Great food starts with fresh, local ingredients. Our kitchen prepares everything from scratch, and our signature raw bar is stocked with fresh oysters and seasonal seafood. STIR is famous for craft cocktails. We freeze and carve 300-pound blocks of artisanal ice in-house, age certain cocktails in oak barrels for richer flavors, and place others on draft for crispness and carbonation. The result: categorically elevated cocktails. Our passion for fine spirits also compels us to find and share rare bottles, many of which are extremely difficult to procure. We welcome Knoxville to enjoy our unmatched cocktails, fresh seafood, and classic dishes in an atmosphere of genuine hospitality

Top review

Christy

Dined 5 days ago

Always great service and amazing food! That’s what keeps us coming back!

STIR - Chattanooga

4.7

4.7 (2310)

$31 to $50

American

Chattanooga

About the restaurant

STIR is the perfect restaurant to sip a craft cocktail over a dozen oysters, enjoy a night out, or meet for lunch. Located in the historic Chattanooga Choo Choo complex, the restaurant is an open-air concept with a large, heated outdoor patio. We are open for lunch, dinner, and weekend brunch.

Great food starts with fresh, local ingredients. Our kitchen prepares everything from scratch, and our signature raw bar is stocked with fresh oysters and seasonal seafood.

STIR is famous for craft cocktails. We freeze and carve 300-pound blocks of artisanal ice in-house, age certain cocktails in oak barrels for richer flavors, and place others on draft for crispness and carbonation. The result: categorically elevated cocktails. Our passion for fine spirits also compels us to find and share rare bottles, many of which are extremely difficult to procure.

We validate parking from Omega Parking l Zone # 5511

Top review

Bill

Dined 3 days ago

We enjoyed our meal very much, and our server Anna was great! Very reasonable pricing with a great menu.

State of Confusion

4.6

4.6 (719)

$30 and under

Latin American

Chattanooga

About the restaurant

State of Confusion features authentic dishes from Latin America, New Orleans, and the Carolina Lowcountry. We serve lunch, dinner, and weekend brunch, with takeout and delivery available. Multiple indoor and heated outdoor hangout areas offer you and your groups a variety of options for dining in and special events.

Top review

Lacey

Dined 2 days ago

Absolutely amazing! The food the music, the whole atmosphere was absolutely amazing and then the food oh my goodness the food so fresh perfect tasty but also elegant everything came quick. Our waiter was friendly knowledgeable. Did not have to ask for anything absolutely amazing experience will go back as often as we can.

Company Chattanooga

4.6

4.6 (100)

$31 to $50

Cocktail Bar

Chattanooga

About the restaurant

Come see us for our new seasonal shareable menu, featuring wagyu sliders, hummus stuffed endives, and warm pimento cheese dip just to name a few.

Join us in Chattanooga's only true Speakeasy for Classic & Modern Craft Cocktails, accented by an exceptional Food Menu. Come discover us behind our hidden entrance in the Kinley Hotel.

Top review

Diamond

Dined on Apr 12, 2025

I love Company Chattanooga each and every time. Such a great place for a chill, elegant vibe.

201 Café and Wine Bar

4.5

4.5 (24)

$30 and under

American

Oak Ridge

About the restaurant

Experience distinctive dining with Mediterranean and European-American flavors and enjoy a professionally-staged local music venue. Our bar offers wine, specialty cocktails, and house-made infused liquors. Each menu item is crafted to order using fresh, whole ingredients. Join us for live jazz on Friday nights and a mix of music on Saturdays, from dance to amateur performances. Come for the food, stay for the music!

Top review

Charles

Dined 7 days ago

I've never had a single food order that wasn't top notch. They have a fantastic Cuban sandwich.

Marble City Kitchen and The Firefly

4.4

4.4 (28)

$30 and under

Contemporary American

Knoxville

About the restaurant

Get an authentic taste of Southern Comfort at Marble City Kitchen, our casual and approachable downtown Knoxville restaurant in the heart of the city near Market Square. Then unwind at our Tennessee whiskey bar and beer garden, the Firefly.
The bar features a partnership with George Dickel Distillery and offers the only hand-selected reserve barrel of George Dickel Whiskey in a bar in Tennessee. Crafted cocktails feature the reserve bottle and the rest of the beverage list highlights the best of Tennessee spirits and breweries. Live music and events are frequently hosted on the patio and make for a lively spot any night of the

Top review

Kyle

Dined 7 days ago

Spectacular service & excellent food! A very well planned Easter Brunch selection & experience.

Mimi's Cafe - Knoxville

4.0

4 (50)

$30 and under

American

Farragut

About the restaurant

Make any mealtime an event to savor. From sweet and savory breakfast dishes to mouthwatering entrées, crowd-pleasing to tempting desserts, every dish is made with care, just for you and your guests. Find exactly what you’re craving at Mimi’s.

Top review

Angie

Dined 7 days ago

I gave the hostess my name with reservation, she stated she wrote it down & said it would be a few minutes. I saw a few people go ahead of me & asked her about it. She said she had already seated my party to which I replied, “well all 3 of us are still here!” She admitted she must have written down the wrong name. Another hostess told me we were next & she seated us right away & apologizied. I am glad they worked it out calmly & quickly. I know it was a busy day!

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Experience

Mother's Day 3-Course Menu

Experience

Mother's Day Brunch

Experience

Chef Prepared 3 Course Meal - 11am to Close

Explore Diners' Choice best of East Tennessee