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Nick and J's Cafe

4.6 (385 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?
Moderate noise
Casual
Dogs allowed
Good for kids

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Recommended Reviews - Nick and J's Cafe

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Reviews With Photos

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!

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.

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.

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!

Bacon Cheeseburger

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

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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2 months ago

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1 year ago

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9 months ago

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10 months ago

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2 months 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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4 months ago

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9 months ago

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2 months 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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3 months ago

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

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4 months ago

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10 months ago

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3 years ago

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2 years ago

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1 year ago

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4 years ago

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8 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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5 years ago

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5 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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3 years ago

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11 months ago

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

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10 months ago

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

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1 year ago

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2 years ago

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2 years ago

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4 years ago

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1 year ago

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

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2 years 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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2 years 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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1 year ago

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SmashCity - Knoxville

SmashCity - Knoxville

4.5(121 reviews)
12.8 mi

Headed to a Smokies game, we chose to stop into SmashCity for a pregame burger…read more The service and burger came up quickly. I opted for the truffle smash and large fry. My buddy opted for the Spicy Smash. The burgers were mmmmmmmmmm mmmmmmmm great, Juicy and the bun held up. Fries were fresh and would like to see maybe a topping or poutine option for them. Cool spot to get some AC and great burger before a Smokies game or a night in the old City.

We already had 250 miles under our belt for the day. 4 more hours to home. I was sick of fast food…read moreand we were making good time so we decided to venture off the road, but just a little. SmashCity wasn't far off of the interstate, it had good ratings and although we'd been eating burgers and fries quite a bit on this roadtrip, a good burger and fries really sounded good. All of the reviews were right on - this was absolutely NOT fast food - it was fast, really fast, but the speed was just bonus. As we usually do, we split. We chose the Carolina BBQ smash. The burgers were juicy - if you're not careful, I guarantee you'll be wearing it. Two critiques, it definitely needed more sauce - I just added some of the SmashCity sauce from our fries and it worked but I really would have liked to have had more BBQ sauce. Second, the fried onions were quite burned. I pulled off most of them. The hand cut fries were piping hot, just the right amount of greasy and seasoned perfectly. Splitting the burger was a good call - I'd never have eaten the whole thing myself. The burger and fries were just over $20. When you consider a Big Mac meal at that clown place is $14, SmashCity is almost a bargain. Paul, the owner was like the energizer bunny - he was everywhere at once. Personality oozed from his pores. Make sure you tell him Sue said hi! (He won't remember me but just say hi anyway!) Now I wouldn't say SmashCity has the best burgers - that award goes to our friend Jerry. He makes a pretty mean smash burger on the blackstone. If you have an extra half hour, skip the fast food burger joints, get off that highway, and go let Paul fill your belly for the rest of your trip! You'll appreciate it!

Photos
SmashCity - Knoxville - Truffle Smash (top), SmashCity Classic (bottom)

Truffle Smash (top), SmashCity Classic (bottom)

SmashCity - Knoxville - House-Made Black Bean Smash

House-Made Black Bean Smash

SmashCity - Knoxville - Rad-Style - SmashCity's version of loaded fries!

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Rad-Style - SmashCity's version of loaded fries!

The Burgers - Freedom burger all the way with rings

The Burgers

4.1(137 reviews)
12.8 mi
•$$

Solid spot to grab a quick bite. The restaurant has gotten better over the years adding some…read moreadditional seating and parking. The service was quick and friendly. The food was solid and the prices were fair. If you're trying to decide between onion rings and fries go onion rings, they're made to order and outstanding. I went with a classic cheeseburger add fresh jalapeños and my wife had the $2.99 margarita to pair with a chicken Caesar wrap. Both were stellar and my son got the classic cheeseburger with lettuce and tomato. Five stars all the way around. Will definitely be back.

One of my coworkers and I decided to stop in as he had heard how great the burgers are there. Since…read morewe both wanted sandwiches, we decided to split them in half so we could each get a taste of what the other was having. While not terrible, the mushroom burger was nothing outstanding. I asked that it would be put on the chargrill for a few minutes because I really prefer that taste, but the patty on mine reflected being cooked only on the flat top. The grilled chicken was just okay. Our server, who was also a manager, was spot on in every way: attentive, informative, and willing to accommodate me having to change side dishes as the collard greens were neither chopped nor tasty. As one who cooks greens quite often, I know what they should taste like. The service made up for the average-tasting food. They clearly have a local following, which is great, but I'm a little bit more discerning about my food. I do encourage you to try it for yourself because they clearly have a following; I'm just not a part of it. I do though wish them continued success.

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The Burgers - Outside seats

Outside seats

The Burgers
The Burgers

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Hot Rods 50's Diner - Vegan Banana Split

Hot Rods 50's Diner

4.4(526 reviews)
15.4 mi
•$$

Food, what ever you choose from their 6-7 page menu, is always great. Service is excellent.read more

Walking into Hot Rods 50's Diner feels like stepping back to a simpler time. The checkerboard…read morefloors, chrome trim, vintage signs, and oldies on the speakers set the mood right away, and the place doesn't feel kitschy. It feels like a real neighborhood diner that happens to love the 1950s. I ordered the hog tenderloin sandwich and it did not disappoint. The tenderloin was pounded thin, breaded, and fried golden. It hung well past the edges of the bun, which is how a proper tenderloin should look. The breading was crispy and well seasoned, and the pork inside stayed tender and juicy. With simple toppings like pickles, onion, and a little mustard, it tasted like a classic Midwest-style sandwich done right. The fries on the side were hot and crisp, and the portion was big enough that I didn't need dessert, though I'm glad I didn't skip the milkshake. Service was friendly and relaxed, the way it should be at a diner. Our server checked in without hovering and kept the drinks topped off. Prices are fair for the quality and the amount of food you get. **Bottom line:** If you go to Hot Rods 50's Diner, get the hog tenderloin sandwich. Add the fun atmosphere, friendly service, and fair prices, and it's a spot I'll gladly come back to.

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Hot Rods 50's Diner - Miscellaneous inside

Miscellaneous inside

Hot Rods 50's Diner - Hot Fudge Brownies...yumm

Hot Fudge Brownies...yumm

Hot Rods 50's Diner - Chocolate milkshake

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Chocolate milkshake

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

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