Love this little hidden gem. While on I-40 looking up some places different to eat at and knoxville tn, I saw Emma's Southern Kitchen took a chance and so glad we did Thanks to our waiters Ariana and the rest of the staff working there we fell in love with this place. We will be back next time passing through. read more

Charming local eatery that appears to be VERY popular with the locals. The staff and locals were greeting each other by name throughout our entire visit. Excellent service. Eddie took great care of us, check to see when we needed refills and if our food was good. Delicious food! The pork chop special, the sides, and the chocolate cake we're making me wish that we were locals! So good and the price was fantastic. No wonder the locals love it. If we were local, I'd be here multiple times a ok uh, working my way through the menu. read more

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Great little place to get a great meal. Offers outside and inside dining options. Service was very helpful, friendly, and attentive. All of the food was absolutely delicious. Strongly recommend this place for a great meal at a reasonable price. read more

Emma's Southern Kitchen - Chicken fried chicken - Tacos Near Me - Knoxville, Tennessee

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Very high quality food, large portions too. The outdoor patio area is pleasant and the location is easy to find, easy parking as well. Food is up quickly and has good presentation, servers are attentive and well trained. There are just a few things that stop me from selecting a 5 and they are all minor, The fries were a little too salty for my tastes, the dipping sauce comes in a packet, ketchup comes in a cup? Beer selection leans towards the childrens beers so limited craft choices, seating is rock hard. Most food is fried, but not all since they list salads also. read more

As longtime supporters of this restaurant, my husband and I have routinely driven 45 minutes each way to dine here. We have brought visiting friends and family, recommended it widely, and visited every few weeks. Unfortunately, our most recent experience raises significant concerns that will likely prevent us from returning. We were seated directly in front of the kitchen, where the door remained open throughout our visit, creating an unusually loud and disruptive environment. The team appeared heavily focused on takeout orders, while dine‑in service felt inconsistent. Our server was polite but struggled to answer basic menu questions, such as the size and thickness of the hamburger patty or details about other entrées. We placed our order--my breakfast burger cooked medium with extra‑crispy fries, and my husband's Cuban sandwich with crispy fries and a side of collard greens. While waiting, we observed what appeared to be our food placed in the window. At that moment, a young employee removed a full trash bag with his bare hands, carried it outside, returned to replace the liner, and then immediately handled our plates without washing his hands. As a former restaurateur, I recognize this as a clear and serious health code violation. I addressed it immediately, asking whether he had washed his hands before touching our plates--knowing he had not. He silently removed the dishes and informed our server that the order needed to be remade. I also overheard the manager explaining to the kitchen staff, in Spanish, exactly why the food had to be redone. A few minutes later, our server returned and vaguely stated that "there was a problem with the order" and it needed to be remade. This was inaccurate, and I clarified that the issue was the employee handling our plates after taking out the trash. The replacement meals arrived quickly, but my burger was cooked well‑done instead of medium, the fries were not crispy, and my husband's collard greens were missing. I declined another remake. Upon returning home, I noticed the interior of my burger had an unusual green tint. As we were leaving, we asked the manager why he never came to speak with us. He insisted he had planned to, despite the fact that our meals were already boxed and we were walking out. He then claimed he did not know what had happened--despite my having overheard him explain the situation to the kitchen. While he did ultimately comp our meal, the lack of transparency was disappointing. We have genuinely loved this restaurant for years, which makes this experience all the more disheartening. Between the health code violation, the mishandling of the situation, and the inaccurate communication from staff and management, I am unsure whether we can return. read more

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Great stop for lunch after plant buying at Stanley's Greenhouse Cozy home style dining inside and great patio dining off to the side. Friendly staff and relaxing atmosphere. We choose fish tacos which isn't exactly Southern dining but was noted to be a favorite and 5 stars for not using farmed Tilapia but Sole battered up light and yummy topped with fresh tomato/cilantro and a light spicy drizzle of something that was so good! Choose a side of Cole slaw which was really good! Sorry 3 tacos later I forgot to take a picture!!! So y'all will just have to go check it out!! Lots of meals and choices to choose from so enjoy a new great spot.. homestyle fresh and yummy!! read more

We had a weekend full of games at the UT games across the street - we ate here three times. We kept coming back for the delicious food, friendly service, and indoor/outdoor seating. Good luck on finding a parking spot! read more

Emma's Southern Kitchen - Outdoor beer on a beautiful spring day - Tacos Near Me - Knoxville, Tennessee

Great place, outside porch, inside tables, bar area and outside patio Ambiance on point The Texas bird loved French dip as well......yum read more

Emma's Southern Kitchen - Casual porch sitting looking in at the restaurant - Tacos Near Me - Knoxville, Tennessee

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We picked up our UT student for a late lunch on a Saturday. I have heard good things about Emma's and have been wanting to give it a try. We were immediately and warmly greeted. We decided to sit outside because it was such a nice day. Our orders were taken right away and in no time we had our drinks. Food did not take long to arrive and everyone in our party enjoyed their meal. Food is fresh and well made. Every single employee we came in contact with was friendly. We will definitely return! read more

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Great southern food ate outside on the porch to enjoy the weather yet be in the shade. The wait staff was attentive and we got refills before we were empty. Recommend!! read more

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Thank you for the great service Trinity! We looked this place up when we were staying in town overnight and yelp had some good reviews so we thought we would try it. We got the fish and chips. You could get it with two fillets or three... We got the three fillets and shared it. The pieces of fish were huge and it was delicious! It came with fries that didn't look very appetizing, but they tasted OK. I got collard greens instead of coleslaw and the collard greens were great! We are stuffed! This is a local place very comfortable and casual inside. We enjoyed it. It was worth a stop! read more

Emma's Southern Kitchen - Fish & Chips ( we got three filets and split it) - Tacos Near Me - Knoxville, Tennessee

I have mixed feelings on Emma's on all fronts. The food was undoubtedly great-- but served with styrofoam and charged for ceramic plates. Banana pudding is to DIE for and wonderfully priced, but other menu items leave you wondering where the $25 is coming from. The fish sandwich I had was decent-- was very clear the bun was store bought, but the fish was good. The ambiance is very chaotic along with the service. Which again, would've been fine had the prices not reflected a nicer establishment. I'm all for small business grit, but price your menu to reflect that vibe! read more

I was pleasantly surprised by the quality of ingredients, preparation and taste. It's really good! Service was great too. Will definitely go back. read more

Everything was wonderful. Food was delicious and drinks were perfection! The service was great as well. Will definitely come again!

Food was good. We split Chicken Fried Chicken gravy on the side and a side garden salad. The only complaint was the lemonade was watered down and needed to be changed out but they either couldn't or didn't have time? Service was decent but nothing crazy exciting. Ambiance is very homey and the porch was great. read more

Emma's Southern Kitchen - Side Garden Salad - Tacos Near Me - Knoxville, Tennessee

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Matt was so great! He was helpful and friendly. Husband said his ranger burger was one of the best he ever had! He loved the potato salad too. I had the shrimp platter with fries and the beer cheese mac!! It was so good. We will definitely be back! We sat outside and it was a perfect patio. Loved they allow dogs. read more

I have been coming here for the past 3 years and have never been disappointed. I always get the shrimp tacos which are delicious (Emma's is my go to for shrimp tacos). The aioli sauce that comes with it has a kick (love it)! My husband gets the fish and chips and their tartar sauce is phenomenal. Today was the first time getting a meal for my 1 year old twins. I got them the kids fish and chips. The piece of fish was huge for only $7.99! You can't beat that. Will always support this small business. read more

Emma's Southern Kitchen - Shrimp Tacos - Tacos Near Me - Knoxville, Tennessee

Ordered appetizers which were good, but the wait was too long. Food order came fairly quick. Tacos came w/o hot sauce which seemed odd. Side of Brussels sprouts were very good. Well cooked with tasty balsamic glaze. I'll try this place again. read more

When we walked in, the service setup was confusing so let me break it down for future visitors: do your very best to find parking, walk all the way in to the bar area and they'll tell you to sit where you want and then they'll take care of you. We sat outside because it was a perfect night and I'm so glad we did. There was live music not too loud that my daughter enjoyed greatly. We ordered 2 appetizers because my family can't agree on anything and they were both delicious but WAY more food than expected. The 1/2 pickles 1/2 mushrooms basket is A TON of food!!! The Ranger burger was above average, my wife enjoyed the pulled pork, and the Cuban is ENORMOUS! The fries are amazing but the feelings on the beer Mac and cheese were split between great and meh. We all agreed we wound certainly go here again and explore more of the menu. read more

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We loved Emma's! The food was delicious and the serving sizes were generous. Matt, our waiter, was the shining star of it all. My wife ordered the buffalo chicken salad which turned out to be much spicier than she could tolerate (I ended up eating it, and it was delicious if you can handle a kick!) and Matt generously got her a different item and didn't even charge us! He was a real delight. read more

Yelp to the rescue when it comes to finding small mom and pop businesses. My father in law was visiting us during a road trip. We needed a quick lunch, and a spot near our vicinity. Emma's Southern Kitchen Here we come! Our waitress was sweet and handed us our menus. The restaurant was mid sized and a great place to bring family and friends. I excitedly ordered smoked wings, my better half had tacos, and my father in law had the taco salad. Let's just say my wings were out of this world. This is my opinion. I would love to gate keep this, but feel the need to share so others can eat this goodness;) They were meaty, juicy, fresh with an awesome bite of smokiness. I wish I could've ordered more to take back on our drive home. Oh and the Cole slaw was great too. It was Not overwhelmingly wet, but balanced, and crunchy. All the food was devoured quickly and happily. We would definitely come back!!! read more

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Great food and service. Fun atmosphere. Well worth the drive from the exit on the highway.

My wife and I loved this place. Finally a great place to eat with actual food. Not run of the mill processed crap. Good job! read more

Emma's Southern Kitchen - 12 jumbo huge shrimp, man style, and potatoes salad. - Tacos Near Me - Knoxville, Tennessee

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Love it fish and chips are very good nice staff and would recommend to anyone that goes there read more

Emma's Southern Kitchen - Love the food and the fish and chips - Tacos Near Me - Knoxville, Tennessee

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Let me tell you; was so good I forgot to take a picture and show yall! If you're looking for a quaint place with a very southern feel, come check out Emma's! Service was fantastic, and food was delicious read more

Emma's Southern Kitchen - Chicken fried chicken with Fried Okra - Tacos Near Me - Knoxville, Tennessee

Stopped in Knoxville for one night. Stumbled upon Emma's Southern Kitchen and decided to stop in. This place is an absolute steal. All of our meals were fantastic, not to mention the food came out quickly and best of all it was affordable. Highly recommend to anyone in the area looking for good southern grub. You won't regret it. read more

Traffic backed up on 40... close to dinner time, Yelp to the rescue. Our RAGBRAI crew was on the haul to Iowa and hungry, so I looked up local places to nosh and Emma's floated to the top. Seating was plentiful when we walked in but started filling up quickly as we reviewed the menus. Speaking of... basic southern fare with a nod to many fried dishes, ribs available only on weekends, but otherwise straightforward. Modest beer selection but kept today's drink to sweet tea. Fresh and flavorful... just the right amount. We split the chicken fried chicken plate which, for a "generous" sized portion, was kind of small. Still, it was very flavorful, moist, and the gravy added a good compliment. Our server was always on top of the drinks and even one mild mixup from the kitchen had everything corrected quickly. Overall a solid meal and another great Yelp find. read more

We ordered wings with fries. Also ordered a beer and iced tea. Service was prompt. First, the iced tea tasted like water. It was in a clear glass so before tasting it was apparent that the tea was extremely weak. Some of the wings were lightly coated with sauce and some were not coated. An ample amount of fries were served. We will not return to this establishment read more

YIKES .. on a visit on Friday we stopped in for a lunch. My partner ordered her usual started set (shrimp and cole slaw) and I opted to try a new menu item the Large Salad (seemed a bit high in price at $12). The order was served and we both ate the full order. The salad was fair, just an ordinary one with the usual cucumbers, tomatoes, red onion and assorted greens - underwhelming. The story continues, later that night around 11 PM, you guessed it - illness set in. Clearly diagnosed by my RN partner as food poisoning .. expressing fluids from "both ends" over a 2 hour period left me wanting. Clearly not an experience I recommend to any willing participants. It will be some time before (and If) we return, after loosing confidence in the food prep at Emma's sad to say. read more

We came in from Illinois for the evening and had a very nice experience at Emma's Southern Kitchen! The food was so good, but the highlight was our waiter, Matt. He was friendly, funny, and personable, and gave us great tips on what to see while we're in town :) read more

Everything was fantastic! True Southern cooking Service was 10/10 Highly recommend The veggies are def a highlight and try any of the specials... well worth the drive read more

What a great find! Driving thru on a road trip and stopped in for lunch. It's small & friendly and the food is excellent. Stop in here if you don't know where to eat! read more

The last time I had been to this area I believe there was another business in the venue. So when I was searching for new options on Yelp for a good lunch I was surprised to see this as something to check out - and I'm glad i did! Giving a solid 4.25/5 here and would definitely make some lunch plans to go sometime! +1 - food and drink +1 - cleanliness inside and restroom +1 - venue and look +0.75 - staff and service +0.50 - location and parking The food and drinks themselves all were perfect; the burger and the chicken were good main courses; the pork appetizer is worth it by itself! Your biggest challenge will be parking and getting in and out without much trouble. Other than this, all of the service and experience were great. Get here sometime! read more

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Ok so we came to check out the hype. Food-good, not a lot of flavor on anything,so not great. Salt and pepper go along way, but fried chicken was perfect in size but no real taste, Brussel sprouts cooked well again no flavor of bacon or seasoning. They need to add a little "soul" to their Southern food. Portions are huge! Service-fantastic,front of house did great presenting the menu choices. We were disappointed that potato salad and coleslaw was described to us as "hit or miss". Service was fast and efficient. The vibe is laid back, easy going and family friendly. Over all it was a good experience. read more

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Today was our first time here, and honestly it was one of the best lunches we've had in a long time. The restaurant is cozy and comfortable, the service was great (than you, Sarah!), and our food was prepared perfectly. My wife had the excellent chicken fried chicken and fried okra, and I had a cheeseburger with bacon and an egg, cooked with just the right amount of pink for my taste. The hand cut fries were SOOO good! We will definitely return here with more family members next time. read more

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Matt was extraordinary! The food was perfection, the atmosphere oh-so-southern-sweet and we will be back time and again. We enjoyed the pork chop special, the Caesar salad(s), local brews & even enjoyed the banana pudding for dessert. Cannot recommend highly enough! read more

The biscuits, fish sandwich and sides were all excellent. There are multiple vegetable side options, which you can't always find at a southern restaurant. It's hard to live up to the name "World's best" fish sandwich, but the fish was perfectly fried and flaky. There are great options for kids, and friendly service. read more

Emma's Southern Kitchen - World's best fish sandwich - Tacos Near Me - Knoxville, Tennessee

Excellent staff. Food was good. Large portions. Fries were a hit as was okra. Place was crowded but service was great and food served quickly. Highly recommend for a reasonable priced place to eat. read more

The food was so amazing! Everything was cooked to perfection and delicious. The service was wonderful and everyone was so friendly! This is the best Southern food we've had outside of home. Very cozy and casual atmosphere. Definitely a new fave!! read more

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Great place!!! We are from out of town and wanted a unique restaurant that served great food. We found it here. My husband got the fried fish - it's pollock - and it was hot, crispy, tender, and flavorful. He also tremendously enjoyed the collard greens and green beans. I had the Reuben with broccoli. Both were hot and tasty. Try the banana pudding. It's great. read more