Robyn W.

We finally discovered Oak Ridge's best restaurant, and it is a welcomed gem in this town's dining scene. Coming from a city known for its rich cultural and culinary landscape, I wouldn't typically describe Oak Ridge as a foodie destination, but I would recommend Fire & Salt to anyone. The restaurant has an interesting setup: one side is dark and aesthetically pleasing, while the other half is stark white and somewhat resembles an afterthought. I believe a designer could help enhance that white room with something eye-catching! Nevertheless, it was clean and comfortable. The noise level was reasonable, allowing us to carry on a conversation with ease. Our server was very friendly and did his best to keep up on a busy night. He made good recommendations and was quick to notice when the wrong wine was delivered to our table. They have craft cocktails on the menu, which made my cocktail enthusiast heart very happy! And they executed them exceptionally well! That evening, I opted for the Slap and Tickle, an eye-catching concoction of gin, Aperol, Cynar, egg white, lemon juice, and simple syrup. I had to pace myself because it was incredibly drinkable! For my second drink, our server recommended the Queen of Winter, stating, "It is a crowd favorite," and I can see why! Not only was it visually appealing, but the mix of vodka, sumac syrup, Chartreuse, lime juice, and cranberry was a delicious combination. I would have loved a third cocktail, but someone had to drive home! For food, we chose the smoked fish dip. I have to say I wasn't a fan of this dish at all; although the pickles were good, the dip itself fell flat in flavor. The crackers, coated in what tasted like Old Bay seasoning, overpowered the fish. This was my only disappointment of the evening, and I believe they should reconsider that dish. For dinner, we selected the mahi special, local mushrooms, and the Fire & Salt filet. All were outstanding and cooked to perfection! Just thinking about them again while writing this has my mouth watering! The presentation was beautiful, which I appreciated as well. Of course, we saved room for dessert. The pound cake was amazing, especially with the velvety vanilla anglaise. The figgy bread pudding was okay, but it was very rich and a bit overly sweet for my personal preference. They had also run out of port, which left me a bit sad, but after two cocktails, did I really need one? Overall, we had a very nice evening and dinner. I'm excited to return to try more dishes and will certainly make this my go-to spot for bringing guests when they visit me in my new city.

S R.

Absolutely outstanding! The most flavorful meal I've ever had, made my taste buds dance! We went for lunch so the menu was limited but we had pork rinds, homemade bread, steak sandwich, side salad and shrimp and grits, all delicious!! The service was friendly and attentive, can't wait to come back for dinner!

Michelle H.

Upon walking in, the moss wall was a delightful touch to a pleasant greeting. It was situated in the center of two separate dining areas - to the left was a large dining area with a bar and to the right there was another smaller dining area by the kitchen. It was opening week and the place was busy and packed. Our group was really excited to try everything out and get a good feel for this place. Everything was delicious. It all came out at a good temperature and were beautifully prepared. Presentation was on point. The meat fell apart with your fork and melted in your mouth. The combination of ingredients meshing together in every bite was mouth watering. I would've also liked to have had more emphasis on included sides with my dish, instead of the meat being the main attraction. The only major let down we had were the starters. They weren't big enough for a group to share - more like for one or two people. Good thing we got two starters, but we were all still left sitting there wanting more. The entrees ended up satisfying us, but the initial shock of literally half a bite to start with was underwhelming. Hopefully they change their portion options to accommodate larger groups in the future. Until then, it's definitely a great place to go on a special date to. I look forward to seeing this new restaurant blossoming.

Natalie E.

Fine Dinning and quality has made it's way up into OakRidge and both Chef Alex and Chef William of Fire & Salt are ones to watch. We drove up when I caught wind of the menu and reputation of the two for their special 4 course preview. It's a well-designed restaurant with lots of natural light, and a good amount of parking. They get extra points and kudos and admiration for locally sourcing what they can. I LOVE that. The pork belly was the standout of the appetizers. It's balance of heat and sweet was delectable, and approachable. If I could have taken home a bottle of the Jalapeño honey I would have. The Horseradish Goat cheese appetizer was ok, but I love me some horseradish and would have liked more zing. I'm sure most people don't though. The country ham crisps were great, fancy Southern bacon for those that don't know. And the house dill pickles on their own were ok, but I didn't love them with the rest of the plate. This isn't a dish we would order again though. Soup and salad the Asparagus Soup won us over, and I didn't think I'd like it! It was amazing. It was seasoned to perfection and tasted like winter. This is the kind of elevated soup that I could see other chefs coming and stealing the recipe for, if they can. Delicious! The salad was pedestrian though. A plain, solid salad for those wanting salad. It is all soft, if you are into that. My only suggestion is that is is needing something crispy added. Like croutons or crispy wheat berries. The main courses we ordered were perfect. My husband got the rabbit. It was warm and wintery. It was cooked perfect. The creamy sauce, gnocchi and rabbit blended amazing. He just wished the portion was bigger. I only got a couple bites. I had the rainbow trout. It was also cooked perfectly, crispy and yet flaky. The poached apples and local greens elevated the flavor of the fish and didn't deter from it. It was seasoned on point. I brought some home because my sons (13 & 10) are BIG fishers and fish lovers so they could taste and study how it was done. They loved the presentation and taste as well. Dessert we had Apple fritters. Note as a Canadian these aren't really an Apple fritter, but Fire & Salt's unique take on it. Like a skinny pancake funnel cake version of an Apple fritter. It was good, very sweet and I like the crispy texture the frying makes. The bourbon caramel is a winner for sure. My husband's was burnt so it was a bit acrid tasting. The waitress said they credited our check, I'm not sure if it's because of that or because we waited a bit for our dessert. It was very nice of them. Note - this was Night 2 of the restaurant being open and they packed every single table. Instead of easing the new kitchen in they broken them in with FIRE. We felt for them, they didn't have to take it off. We expected a wait and things not to be yet. I work on cooking shows and we've been around the block. I crave the flavors and tastes the Michelin star restaurants in NY and LA provide and these two have me a hint of that once again but this time on small Oakridge, TN. They should be on a short list for a James Beard Award or the likes soon. I was just sad they were too busy we didn't get to meet either chef. We will have to head back when the buzz dies down, oh and they get their wine license! Right now it's BYOB.

Christina C.

We had a reservation for a party of 11 at 7pM. We were seated quickly and the host was very kind. The food smelled amazing and the front of the restaurant was very beautiful. The area we sat in was just a plan room were you could see the chefs cooking but still nice. We sat for about 10 mins and our waitress finally came and got our drink and appetizer order. We ordered fritters, pork belly, horseradish cheese platter and the cheese platter. I ordered a fresh lemon drop martini no sugar, my hubby an old fashion and our group order an array of items all drinks were fantastic! The appetizers started coming out after 30 mins I asked for the cheese platter that I ordered and she went to check on it and came back without it and started taking orders. I said excuse me where is my appetizer at this point it had been almost an 45 minutes for a cheese plate. She excused herself from taking orders and grabbed it. We have never had pickled blackberries not for me. The other pickled fruit was tolerable. The cheese assortment was very generic, the hot jam was great, the crostinis very good. Definitely won't order it again for the cost and how long it took to receive. I ordered the fillet and it was cooked and seasoned perfectly. The leeks were super stringy and not edible. My husband ordered the sirloin well done and baked potato the sirloin had no flavor and was very difficult to chew. The baked potato was good. Our friends ordered pork chop fantastic, scallops and shrimp very flavorful shrimp cooked perfectly scallop overdone so chewy, rabbit confit very good, but the best item was the pasta add chicken breast we also added a side of mushrooms and they had no flavor. Our other friends sirloin was medium rare and tasted fine and flavorful. Our waitress was gone for long periods of time we kept having empty water, drinks and sodas. I had to ask other servers for assistance. I'm rating this restaurant due to delays in appetizers, overcooked leeks, and not great service for the price point and expectation of fine dining it falls a little short a 3.5.

Alex E.

An amazing fine dining experience! Creative dishes, a seasonal menu and flavor combinations that are an artful expression. Chef Alex wowed us from beginning to end. We started with the pork belly appetizer which was delectable! My husband ordered an Old Cuban cocktail special and we enjoyed a local IPA. Our dinners were exciting and exceptional and the desserts were fantastic. Such a special place that is one to enjoy!

joe k.

The Food is Outstanding! You need to visit their fine bar and nuzzle up to some outrageously good appetizers! A full meal here leaves one Satisfied and Happy

The ambiance there was lovely; very classy, but not too much. It is definitely a nicer restaurant with some delectable more expensive options like fish and ribeye, but they also have delicious comfort food like burgers, fries, and chicken. It is kid friendly too; there are options for very picky waters and adventurous eaters alike. They have a lot of options for people with allergies and sensitivities as well, they were very helpful with my family when we needed gluten and dairy free options. The service is wonderful there; I've been quite often and not once has anyone been anything but kind and polite. All of the food is amazing and savory, the staff is lovely, and the ambiance is perfect for everything from a family lunch to a romantic dinner. Highly recommend!

Callie H.

Fire and Salt is our go-to. We have been going to F&S since it opened. We have enjoyed regular nights and tasting nights and we are never disappointed. The menu is always in season and the cook on food amazing. The service and staff are also amazing. We have never had a bad experience. On busy nights it's expected to have a bit of slow service but even then it's wonderful! We go and just pick something from the menu trusting the chefs know what they're doing and are NEVER disappointed! Give it a try and ask for Rachael as your server!