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Knoxville, TN

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Louis Original

3.1 (147 reviews)
ModeratePizza, Italian
Open • 11:00 am - 10:00 pm

Louis Original Photos

Business Info

LOUIS ORIGINAL ATMOSPHERE

What's the vibe?
Casual
Moderate noise
Good for kids
Dogs allowed

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Recommended Reviews - Louis Original

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Mike K.

Try the steak... Louis is a Knoxville legend - probably most famous for their pasta dishes but, have you had their ribeye? The restaurant has a very casual low vibe so it is a great place many occasions. The service is always good. The food is good. Make sure you have the right expectations though - this is not a fancy place but it is a good place.

We used to go to Louie's all the time so whenever we are in town it's a MUST!! Love this place!!
Donna D.

Great service and the food is as good as it has always been. Definitely recommend if you are in the area.

The Original Louis Restaurant on Old Broadway at I-640 in Knoxville.
Richard S.

I had an excellent meal (soup and salad) for $8.00 at Louis Restaurant on Old Broadway . The service was excellent and the food delicious. Louis is a classic dating back to 1958 and is a staple in the North Broadway community. They have wonderful appetizers, and of course traditional Italian dishes. You can also get a burger, or cheeseburger, and even steaks. If you have never been to Louis you are missing out on excellent food for very reasonable prices. Follow me on Yelp for more places to eat, and things to see and do in and around Knoxville.

Arriving
Rachel G.

Wowza! The baked lasagna was out of this world. The side salad was an afterthought... maybe if you were in the restaurant it would be stronger. So close to a five... the staff was not friendly. And while the website touts 20 min curbside I was told 30 before it was ready and an additional 25 wait once I arrived. Definitely a staple in the area!

Hot Steak Sandwich with Fries and Onion Rings
Jeanette C.

We came on a Sunday at 12:30 PM and it was busy! There was about a 30 minute wait and we were asked to wait in our car or outside and they would call us. While waiting in the car, we tried to decide our meals, but we waited since their menu was a little confusing. We saw pictures of a Sunday menu and wanted to make sure the menu wasn't different. Well, they have a Sunday menu and their full menu served on Sundays which makes choosing food harder! Everything sounded good! I decided to go with a Southern classic and my husband went Italian. They gave generous portions at a great price. We were sooo full! We didn't have room for dessert, but when I heard they offered complimentary rice pudding, I couldn't say no! Next time, we will try their pizza!

Restaurant Sign
Day M.

The service was really good. If you want a nice southern family environment, this place will suit your fancy. The environment was a mix between Gondolier and Stoney's. They have plenty of seating and even a private room for special group events. It definitely has an Old School 70s and 80s vibe.

Small onion ring

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Reviews are mixed. Many praise the traditional Italian food with generous portions and a casual atmosphere. Service is often friendly and attentive.

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3 months ago

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2 years ago

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6 months ago

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2 years ago

One if the Best Restaurants in Knoxville, can't beat the spagetti and pizza, always been super great place to eat..great memories there

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5 years ago

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6 years ago

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2 years ago

Always good food we've been going there for 30 years. The spaghetti is always good. And I like the salads and the bread.

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3 years ago

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4 years ago

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4 years ago

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3 years ago

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6 years ago

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3 years ago

Always love Louis !!! A Knoxville staple. The pizza is amazing. Lasagna is my favorite, it's so rich!!! Spaghetti is delicious!!!

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4 years ago

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5 years ago

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4 years ago

The service was great but the baked spaghetti was not what I expected. Bread was amazing!

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8 years ago

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6 years ago

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4 years ago

Best Italian restaurant in Knoxville area! I've been going there for years. I don't know what they put in the sauce but it's amazing!

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Altruda's - Tiramisu will always be picked when on the dessert menu.

Altruda's

3.9(272 reviews)
11.5 mi
•$$

I'll be altruistic and give Altruda's 5 stars for the overall experience. We had great service and…read moreI love how the tables are segmented off into different "rooms" which makes the ambiance more intimate and quieter. The meals came out with a family style salad, which included neat toppings such as beets. The rolls doused in cooked garlic might be some of my favorite bread from any restaurant. Our server was prompt and did a great job anticipating our needs. I ordered the veal canzanese, which is breaded veal in a red wine sauce with mushrooms, ham, and cheese. My mom ordered the same dish but with chicken. Literally could not tell the difference between the chicken and veal. While the sauce tasted fine it's not a good idea to dowse a breaded meat in sauce because they were extremely soggy. I probably wouldn't order the veal again. I enjoyed how the meat sauce for the spaghetti had parsley in it - made it taste different from other bolognese. However, the meatballs, though large, were dry and bland as all get out. Some of the driest meatballs I've had in a while. Altruda my word, I'll give them 5 stars for the overall experience. Service 5, ambiance 5, and food 3.5.

1/2 My fiancé and I…read morerandomly decided to try Altruda's for a date night, and I wanted to love it so badly because the atmosphere is absolutely a 10/10. The second you walk in, it feels like you've stepped into a little restaurant in Italy. It genuinely gave me Lady and the Tramp sharing spaghetti vibes. Cozy, romantic, intimate and completely my kind of atmosphere. Unfortunately, the food didn't live up to the setting for us. We both had water, so I can't speak to the wine or cocktail selection. My fiancé ordered the lasagna, and I ordered the rigatoni with basil. I'll admit I didn't realize the rigatoni was literally pasta with oil and basil no marinara, no cheese, just a LOT of basil. And when I say a lot...I mean a lot. Neither of us really enjoyed our entrées, although we did eat them halfway. The salad was a disappointment. The lettuce seemed old and was extremely limp, and the chickpeas were soggy and tasted like they had been sitting in the dressing for quite a while. Nothing tasted particularly fresh. Overall, I'd give Altruda's 2.5 stars. The atmosphere alone makes me want to love this place because it is SO my vibe, but ultimately I'm going to a restaurant for the food, and ours just didn't hit. Maybe we ordered the wrong things, but based on this visit, I loved where I was sitting a whole lot more than what I was eating.

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Altruda's - Bar area

Bar area

Altruda's - Fried tortilini- PASS!

Fried tortilini- PASS!

Altruda's - House garlic rolls and Italian Salad

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House garlic rolls and Italian Salad

Emilia

Emilia

4.0(364 reviews)
3.7 mi
•$$

Firstly, the reservation process was simple and effective. Three of us were greeted pleasantly,…read moreshown to our table with menus and informed Sarah would be over shortly. Sarah greeted us promptly, Introduced herself and came with still water already In hand. Throughout the meal the food was exquisite and very well executed. everything arrived on time and tasted delicious! Sarah is what really made the experience though. She was attentive but not too much to interrupt our flow of conversation, she was polite and, most importantly to me, she was conversational herself. Engaging us in conversation related to the food, and even joining our conversation in ordee to segue into asking if we'd like dessert ect. I loved it! 10/10 and would come again.

We arrived promptly for a reservation made one month prior. The staff did not have a designated…read moretable for us and required a conference to choose an available table. The table was toward the rear of the restaurant and offered a quieter setting. The downside was that the bartender was our server. Though pleasant, our server did not provide excellent service. We were surprised with her unfamiliarity of their whiskey offerings. I had a mozzarella and squash appetizer. It was an outstanding seasonal take on a mozzarella salad. My wife chose the roasted romaine salad which was good. We had a vastly different experience with our entrees. I chose the fusilli with a locally sourced bacon, egg and Pecorino Romano Fondue and Parmigiano-Reggiano. It was outstanding. Great flavors, textures, and pasta prepared al dente. My wife chose ziti, with crabmeat and cauliflower. Her pasta was overcooked and the crabmeat barely visible. This was a poor example for the restaurant to offer. Understanding that one person or plate may not typify their usual offerings, I do suggest trying Emilia. My appetizer and entrée were excellent. Our dinner with two cocktails for each came to $170.00 before gratuity.

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Emilia
Emilia
Emilia

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The Kennedy - Wings

The Kennedy

4.5(291 reviews)
3.7 mi
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1. Ryan and William were amazing at the bar. William was our waiter and he did a fantastic job…read more 2. The food was top quality. 3. The drinks were over the top and William is an amazing bartender with deep knowledge on how to make drinks taste appropriately. 4. I've been coming to downtown Knoxville for a long time and never knew about the Kennedy, will make it a regular stop for me now.

Awful customer service. The restaurant's AC went out two days prior to my large party's…read morereservation. At no point was this communicated during their reservation confirmation call and in fact, the corporate manager, Monica Green, actually explicitly directed her staff NOT to tell diners of the AC not working (as told to me by an unnamed employee). You can imagine our surprise, and sweaty discomfort, as my group of 16 showed up for our reservation and the internal temperature of the restaurant easily exceeded 85 degrees, making dining there completely out of the question as the heat/ humidity was unbearable. What a slimy bait and switch tactic and talk about an unbelievably shortsighted business mindset. I organize dinners, meetings and events for a large company in the Eastern Tennessee area. Not only will this restaurant never make a dime from me or any of my colleagues, but we will tell everyone we know about this horrible experience and the deceitful tactics of management. We completely understand that the AC going out is out of management's control but intentionally not informing diners of the intolerable temperature was a calculated and deliberate choice. What a shame. Best of luck to you, Monica, you're going to need it if this is how you run a business.

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The Kennedy - Interior

Interior

The Kennedy - Bacon wrapped dates

Bacon wrapped dates

The Kennedy

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Bella - Mushroom Rigatoni

Bella

4.2(256 reviews)
18.3 mi
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It was our first time to Bella this past Friday night. We were looking for an Italian restaurant to…read morecelebrate our anniversary, and being from New Jersey, we still hadn't found any around Knoxville that we truly like. So we drove down to Maryville and had made reservations at Bella with zero expectations. Well, the food, service and the ambiance blew us away from start to finish. We were seated in a nice private booth and as we were sitting awaiting our cocktails, I was admiring the sheer elegance of the restaurant. Beautifully decorated interior with comfortable seating, a vast and impressive bar, and a fireplace. There's also an entire upstairs for private events and parties. Now onto the food, which hubby and I are still raving about days later. We started with the arancini. Perfect appetizer to split for two people. Delectable 6 risotto balls served with a mildly spicy sauce. They were gone within minutes. For our mains, we enjoyed the mushroom rigatoni and the chicken Parmesan. My mushroom rigatoni was out of this world --with a beautiful medley of mushrooms, asparagus and peas enveloped in a light mascarpone sauce. I liked the finishing touch of the roasted hazelnuts on top of the pasta. My husband loved his chicken Parmesan, and only wished it came with more cheese on top. We both had plenty of leftovers to take home with us. The sizes here of the entrees are family size portions. In addition to the entrees, we really enjoyed our cocktails--the Gold Coast and the Tuscan Red Sangria. And we ended our night with the heavenly tiramisu. Made in house, it's made slightly different at Bella--with beer stout. I was afraid I wouldn't like it, but hubby and I both loved it!! Kayla, our waitress, hats off to you for being so helpful with all of your menu suggestions and for taking a memorable photo of us with our tiramisu and the table sparkler. You truly made our celebration so special!! Know Before You Go: 1) For weekend dining, definitely make a reservation as they book up quickly. 2) Parking--there's a nearby lot across the street from the restaurant. And if that's all full, there's a free parking garage nearby that's only a two minute walk up the street.

So much to say about Bella! We had all been looking forward to coming here since we were in town…read morevisiting family who are regulars and always rave about it. Located in downtown Maryville, there is plenty of parking available. Since we were a large group, we were seated upstairs, which I loved. The view overlooking the restaurant was good, and it felt more private with only one other table next to us. Our server, Jack, was one of the best servers I've ever had! If I ever owned a restaurant, I would hire him! He was friendly, knowledgeable, and very attentive and made the whole experience even better. Most of our group ordered the tableside pasta wheel and loved it. I had the penne allá vodka and couldn't get enough of it, while my husband really enjoyed their wide selection of bourbon. I can definitely see Bella becoming our go-to Italian spot whenever we're back as locals in Maryville!

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Bella - These are the very clean bathrooms!

These are the very clean bathrooms!

Bella - Artichokes with chili aïoli

Artichokes with chili aïoli

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Gavino's Pizzeria & Restaurant - Nice traditional Neapolitan pepperoni with half banana peppers.

Gavino's Pizzeria & Restaurant

3.8(235 reviews)
6.7 mi
•$$

The baked ziti is the best...creamy, cheesy, and perfectly baked. The traditional Neopolitan piza…read morehas a great hand-tossed crust with just the right amount of sweetness in the sauce, the wings are solid, and the cannolis are a must. The weekdays lunch menu pricing is a fantastic deal and servers make every visit warm and welcoming.

We on the way out of Knoxville but in need of food, namely Italian. Gavinos popped up in Yelp and…read morethe reviews along with the photos of the interior hooked us. We arrived on a Sunday evening and were promptly seated. Our waiter was friendly and attentive. We ordered a deep dish pizza with pepperoni and bolognese for entrees. For appetizers we ordered fried ravioli and garlic knots. Mysteriously, I am the only one in my family that appreciates a good garlic knot. The waiter voiced his approval of the order for the bread. He was right!! The garlic knots were great. They were light and fluffy and so delicious. The ravioli was good but not a stand out. The entrees were a mix. The pizza was outstanding. The pie was not heavy and the ingredients were top notch. The bolognese was another thing entirely. It was brought out soupy. We have had bolognese in a lot of places and they are different to a degree...not soupy like this. The pasta was out of a box. Once you have had homemade pasta, factory made pasta is easy to tell. Finally, Gavino's did not have cappuccino or any coffee at all!! We were surprised...we looked around at the wonderful Italian decor, the red and white plaid tablecloths, the full Italian dessert menu and could not believe the restaurant did not have some kind of coffee, Italian or otherwise! To our waiter's credit, he did offer to make some especially for us but that's not the point. An Italian joint should have some Italian coffee. We left without ordering dessert, which is a rarity. But the lack of coffee killed the vibe. We did bring the pizza home and we ate every slice of it over the next few days. So, go for the pizza and garlic knots and bring your cappuccino with you. ;)

Photos
Gavino's Pizzeria & Restaurant - Sign inside

Sign inside

Gavino's Pizzeria & Restaurant - The Original Special with banana peppers

The Original Special with banana peppers

Gavino's Pizzeria & Restaurant - Fried wings were tasty without being greasy.  Sauce was a lil thinner than i like but had good flavor.

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Fried wings were tasty without being greasy. Sauce was a lil thinner than i like but had good flavor.

The Brass Pearl - Shrimp & Grits

The Brass Pearl

4.6(193 reviews)
3.7 mi
•$$

Best meal we've had in ages. Excellent service. We had the mussels appetizer. Amazing. Perfectly…read moreseasoned with an excellent broth. Shrimp and grits main course blew my mind. The grits were creamy, shrimp and sausage perfectly cooked, sauce perfectly seasoned. Husband had the special: steak and shrimp with mashed potato and brussels. He raved the entire time. The bite he offered me was tender, perfectly seasoned, perfectly cooked. 100% recommend.

Honestly, this was an outstanding choice for my 1 night in Knoxville. It would absolutely be a…read moreregular spot for me if I lived in the area. The vibe is cute, kitschy, and comfortable all at the same time. I pulled up to a seat at the bar, and the bartender was immediately friendly and warm and had wonderful suggestions for me. I quickly chose a few oysters while I decided what I was going to have and then after her description of the shrimp and grits I said I must have it. She did not lie at all. It was probably one of the best shrimp and grits I've ever had in my entire life. The flavor was off the charts. There was wonderful texture inside the dish, which is really hard to do in this type of preparation and everything was cooked perfectly. By the way, the oysters were fresh, shucked properly, thank goodness, and served with anything I could need. This really is a wonderful spot. If you are in town and you have one night out and want something really good, this is it. If you live here, please go there for me. It was great.

Photos
The Brass Pearl - Loving the interior decorations.

Loving the interior decorations.

The Brass Pearl - Lobster dip was amazing! Clams and seafood 10/10

Lobster dip was amazing! Clams and seafood 10/10

The Brass Pearl - Shrimp and grits are not to be missed!

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Shrimp and grits are not to be missed!

Louis Original - pizza - Updated October 2026

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