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    Nick and J's Cafe

    4.6 (384 reviews)
    Closed 7:00 am - 4:00 pm

    Nick and J's Cafe Photos

    Business Info

    NICK AND J'S CAFE ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Moderate noise
    Dogs allowed
    Outdoor seating

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    Recommended Reviews - Nick and J's Cafe

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    This is the brownstone

    This restaurant has very good service, as well as a nice ambiance that reminded me of diners. The brownstone is a delicious burger, at a good price as well.

    Nick and J special breakfast. 3 Eggs, sausage and county taters
    Chuck J.

    Whenever I'm in the area, I make it a point to stop at Nick and Jay's for breakfast. They offer some of the best home-style cooking I've found in the Knoxville area. Everything is made from scratch, and the food is consistently on point when it comes to taste and flavor. I highly recommend stopping in for breakfast. While lunch is good as well, this is hands down my go-to breakfast spot. If your solo sit at the counter for the full experience.

    Chilli Bowl with a corn muffin and crackers
    Katey J.

    This place seems really busy but all the staff are really nice, the portions sizes are great, and there was a very large array of items to pick from. The Cafe is so cute too, lots of decorations to look at while you wait for your fresh cooked food. It's very waffle house style but more cozy.

    BLT!!!
    Janet C.

    Food is amazing.. cooked to order .. fresh.. yummy.. great service and a diamond in the rough business ... step inside head to the back and wait for a seat!! It's worth it if they are full.. Breakfast and lunch only.. mom and pop owned and they careand it shows!!! I keep dashing TRIPLE D needs to show up here! Everything rocks!!! It's small so advertising this is only because they are so worth the wait!

    Breakfast platter

    We've been in Nick and Js a few times Portions are huge, but the food is excellent. Service is over the top. Make sure you go in with a big appetite and a sense of humor. It's nice when people get my sarcasm and the gentleman doing the seating got my sarcasm even though there was a line we receded within 10 minutes, so don't be discouraged if there is a weight it's totally worth the weight. If you're looking for the diner feel you're definitely going to get it. Lots of things to look at on the wall, memorabilia, etc..

    1/2 lb cheeseburger our server, Anthony  recommended. Great recommendation! Bacon, grilled onions and mushrooms with mayo all the way.
    David V.

    We were visiting Knoxville and I chose this restaurant due to YELP. We arrived, and this place was packed! It looks like an old Waffle House or Huddle House. We were greeted promptly, and seated within 5 minutes. The restaurant was very clean, even as busy as it appeared. Our server, Anthony was a gem. We asked what he recommended , and his response was, "everything." He said, "honestly everything we serve is delicious." That's a hell of a recommendation! I ordered the burger (I forgot the name, but everything listed in the pic was on it) and my wife ordered the chicken salad sandwich on Texas toast. She is very picky about her chicken salad, but absolutely loved it. I also had the fries that were perfectly cooked. Crunchy in the outside, and soft on the inside. When I say that my cheeseburger was huge, it was! I cut it in half, and ate one half, then pulled the meat off the second half and ate it by itself. The meat seems to be seasoned with salt and pepper only, so you can really appreciate the flavor of the beef. The value is more than the price in my opinion. This is an extremely well- run restaurant. It earns 5 stars. Great service (Anthony) and great food!

    Arionne W.

    So my coworker and I went back to this CUTE cafe but this time it was for lunch (that was on accident, we wanted breakfast). We ordered a nicks way burger, patty melt and a tuna melt. We agreed that it was a strong 6/10, in order to give it a 10/10 we would recommend the burger and tuna be seasoned better. For the service, it was still great like last time and we had our same waitress. She greeted us like regulars because at this point, we are. We are going back for breakfast!!

    Philly
    David B.

    Great little diner with friendly staff, delicious hot food, and quick service. We had a party of four and were seated immediately. Orders were promptly taken and delivered. The food was great. The service was excellent, and it had a cool atmosphere as an old time diner.

    Bacon Cheeseburger

    Excellent food & great service! Cute diner ambiance. This place is going on my keeper list! Loved the welcoming staff!

    Christina C.

    This restaurant is a must at least once. My family and I will be going back often. Even though the line was long it moved fast and it was worth it! One serving of pancakes was plenty for three people and there biscuits were absolutely mouth watering! Great place reminds me of an old school diner, loved all the memorabilia and the owners were very nice and funny! Pictures don't do the food justice but man o man it's good!

    Grilled Turkey Reuben with a side of potato salad and a pickle for $12.99
    Susan C.

    Not much has changed in this good old-fashioned diner since pre-pandemic times when we last visited -- except for the prices. Talk about inflation! We ordered two sandwiches with 2 sides and 2 soft drinks, and the bill rang up at $33.00!!! First was a chicken salad sandwich ($5.99 1 year ago according to another reviewer) that now costs $7.50 -- and a grilled turkey reuben (formerly $9.75) and now $12.99! My sandwich came with a pickle and a side: potato salad; my spouse 's entree came sans side, so he ordered potato salad which was only 24 cents more than a year ago. Not bad. The restaurant wasn't exceptionally busy as those who entered after us had no wait, and the counter had plenty of available seats; however, it took more than 15 minutes after we placed our order for the food to arrive. No fault of the server who checked on us midway through our meal and was cordial. I must say the portions were generous, and my sandwich was tasty. My spouse was a bit disappointed with his sandwich as he said the chicken salad was bland. He took half of it home, added a tablespoon of sweet pickle relish, and it pepped-up the flavor.

    Breakfast

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    Photo of Gary N.
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    6 days ago

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    8 days ago

    Warm loving family run restaurant where the food is solid. Legit omlettes, solid staff!

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    1 year ago

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    7 months ago

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    15 days ago

    Service is always great and food is hot and tasty. I have been going there since the day they opened.

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    2 months ago

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    8 months ago

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    10 months ago

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    6 months ago

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    1 month ago

    Great service and great food! Worth the visit. We are definitely coming back as soon as possible!

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    7 months ago

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    8 months ago

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    2 years ago

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    6 months ago

    Good Rueben sandwich, but a little messy. Classic diner menu. Lots of regulars. Good service.

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    4 years ago

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    1 year ago

    Solid mom and pops place with hard working and kind people who make GOOD food. Nothing fancy, but consistently good and that's the best!!

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    4 years ago

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    4 years ago

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    4 years ago

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    9 months ago

    Just awesome! Great food, excellent service!! Will definitely be back as many times as we can!

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    8 months ago

    Always busy but worth the wait. Great food and friendly staff. Live the kitschy diner decor!

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    3 years ago

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    10 months ago

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    11 months ago

    A local treasure with great food Generous portions and attentive staff! They have great daily specials and wonderful desserts!

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    1 year ago

    Family owned and ran. Great people and great food. It is a busy place, but they get people in and out quickly. Very good prices as well!

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    1 year ago

    Great little place for breakfast. Staff super friendly and food is good. Would definitely go back when in the area.

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    2 years ago

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    Page 1 of 10

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    Nick and J's Cafe - tradamerican - Updated August 2026

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