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    Hot Rods 50's Diner

    4.4 (515 reviews)
    ModerateAmerican
    Open 11:00 am - 9:00 pm

    Order Hot Rods 50's Diner Takeout or Delivery

    Hot Rods 50's Diner Photos

    Business Info

    HOT RODS 50'S DINER ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Moderate noise
    Outdoor seating
    Good for groups

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    Recommended Reviews - Hot Rods 50's Diner

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    Inside
    Peggy W.

    The food is fresh and cooked to order. The service was nice and our server was very nice. The ambiance is very casual and is cool with the oldie stuff inside the restaurant

    Pastrami burger cheese grits malt
    Marc W.

    This is one of the best diners in America. Full stop. The interior is a cornucopia of 50s plus memorabilia. It's practically a museum. Pinball machines. Small tvs showing commercials and shows from the 50s. 80 different burger choices means you're going to spend some time with the menu. Service (Keana) was off the charts. Attentive. Friendly. Fast. A chocolate malt to die for. Sides include cheesy grits for crying out loud. That burger? There are no words. Very good prices. If you're in the area do not miss a chance at perfection.

    Fried Pickles
    Suzette D.

    First off, our server, Marian, was what we needed for the day. She took excellent care of us, which made the meal better. She took our orders and we didn't have to wait or ask for anything. The tuna melt tasted like mom made it! Thanks for a nice lunch, Hot Rods. The price was reasonable, the restaurant is cozy, and the service was exceptional.

    The General Forster, with bacon and jalapeños added.
    Chris T.

    The initial reaction was "this place looks really cool". I love the "oldies" diner theme and this place didn't disappoint with the atmosphere. The second reaction was not so great. We entered and waited to be seated, to which we were ignored as staff walked past. Finally a young lady quietly asked if he had been helped and then seated us. The menu is a lot to take in, with so many choices. We started with the fried pimento cheese balls - we give these a 2 star rating; super greasy and the sauce was not the best. I ordered "The General Forster" and added bacon and jalapeños; this burger was delicious! Throughout our visit, the waitress assigned to our table was semi-attentive, but didn't check in very often once food was delivered. Overall the rating I'm giving is a four - it's deserved by the food alone and the missing star is due to service. Still worth a visit and we probably will visit again.

    Hot Rod Club Sandwich
    Doug W.

    I hadn't been to Hotrods in a number of years. In the past, the food was always outstanding. I decided to try their Club Sandwich and tots. The tots were good but the sandwich was terrible. The meat was dry and tasted like it looked. There were only four other people in the restaurant so they were not busy. Will never try it again. The service was fine.

    The "Woody" Dog
    Greg C.

    This place is a trip. It has an enormous menu. Two entire pages are burgers and more than a few were tempting. Ultimately, I decide to try a variety of smaller offerings to get a taste of what they were doing here. I started with the sweet potato fries that were served with pulled pork, bbq sauce and cole slaw. Unfortunately the pork was like shoe leather. The rest of the dish was fine. Next up, a cup of their chili, which was really good. It had a different flavor profile - maybe cinnamon used to give it a different taste? Not sure, but I enjoyed it and would get it again. Then I got one of their all beef hotdogs, split in two and stuffed with cheese, then wrapped in bacon and deep fried. The bun was buttered and toasted on the grille. Perfection! And finally, I washed that down with a brown cow root beer float. There were many other items on the menu that caught my eye, so if I ever make it down this way again, I will return.

    Christina C.

    Can I just say this restaurant is freaking awesome! We showed up with hungry threeagers and the staff were amazing! Everyone in our party could pick what they wanted because the menu has so many options!!!! All the food was great! Huge serving sizes and the restaurant theme was excellent! Lots of different decorations, pictures, and memorabilia to keep playing I spy! Excellent worth the drive and $$$$

    Vegan Menu
    Marlene K.

    This was one of the very first restaurants with vegan options that we discovered on our initial visit to the Knoxville area. Our server was also vegan, and he gave us lots of tips! They have an ENTIRE vegan menu, be sure to ask for it. The menu also notes items that are also Gluten Free, which could be an example to restaurants everywhere. There are so many options! They serve Beyond Burgers, which I'm not a fan of, but also serve two other homemade vegan burgers that I hope they never retire! I think the black bean is my favorite, but I'll gladly eat either one. The tip our original server gave us was to order the homemade patties cooked for 14 minutes, which we always do! For a side I usually order the "ribbon fries" because I think that means the thin French fries. Each time I'm wrong, and they come out as "spiralized" potatoes, fried, that are more like potato chips. Next time I'm ordering traditional fries. Nothing against the ribbon fries, I'm just more of a French fry gal! We've brought out of town guests, and they just love the 50s vibe. I've never been disappointed in anything I've gotten here.

    Atmosphere!!
    Doc L.

    This place is a great value overall!! The shakes were amazing! We loved the fried green tomatoes, the onion rings were excellent! Our burgers were all delicious! Our servers were friendly and prompt!! We loved the ambiance here and all the 50's memorabilia.. the prices were very fair! We will definitely be back!!

    Menu
    Tim H.

    1st here and will be back. Amazing selection off the menu. Could come here every night for 6-months and have something different every time.

    The Classic BLT Sandwich with Fries

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    4 months ago

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    5 months ago

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    22 hours ago

    Great place for a burger, 50s vibe. Skip the glazed donut burger, not worth it. Great milkshakes.

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    10 months ago

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    8 months ago

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    8 months ago

    Pricey, but the burgers are always good along with the staff never have a problem when I come here

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    4 months ago

    Excellent food! Great Cool cars atmosphere! everything there is just family cooking!

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    10 months ago

    Huge selection of old and new comfort food dishes. Atmosphere definitely takes you back to the 1950's and service is good.

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    3 years ago

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    Page 1 of 13

    Ask the Community - Hot Rods 50's Diner

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    Hot Rods 50's Diner - tradamerican - Updated May 2026

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