We were in Knoxville to watch a performance and decided to give Southern Grit a try for dinner. We shared a platter of fried green tomatoes with a side of pimento cheese with a side of ranch sauce. The appetizer was delicious but very hot. Have a glass of ice water ready. For the emerald my spouse had the Jambalaya meal which contained shrimp and andouille sausage. What was different about this meal was it contained red tomatoes which my spouse has never seen before. It was delicious and he would order it again. I got the fried chicken with white meat (wing and breast) with a side salad, mashed potatoes with gravy and a biscuit that came with honey butter. What I thought was unusual is they charged .50 cents for adding a biscuit. It was all very tasty. What was convenient was parking only a few blocks and near the Jackson Event center. I would definitely return for another meal. read more

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Great location in the old city with industrial vibes. Bar has a DEEP bourbon selection which was awesome! We sat at the bar as the place was hopping. The bartenders (Riley and Jacquline) were a great pair that worked really well together. Tenders were great! Amazing scald while still juicy. read more

Southern Grit - Tenders with Mac and cheese and creamed collard greens - American Near Me - Knoxville, Tennessee

Unbelievable. This is one of the best meals I've had in a long time. Coming from Utah I wanted a good southern soul food type of meal. So being here on business for one day I thought I'd search something out. And I found this place. And literally every single freaking thing I tried was incredible. Start off with the pimento cheese, appetizer dip. Hot pimento cheese with some pepper jelly and crackers. The combination of the spicy kick for the pepper jelly and the savory cheese dip was amazing. Then I moved on to the fried chicken. Look I have watched a ton of Instagram videos of people making fried chicken and every time I do I think myself "damn I wish I could try that". Well, I can't imagine a single piece of fried chicken that I've seen on the Internet could compare to this chicken here. Crispy crunchy crust tons of spices and juicy chicken. Juicy as your mama on her wedding night. Sides were amazing too. Brussels sprouts with southern spice cheesy grits and a really dense moist biscuit. Truly, I felt like I died and went to plantation heaven, and I was being served by the kindest southern folk eastern Mississippi. read more

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The place is super cute and the staff were great! It was our first time here and the food didn't disappoint! Started with some hush puppies with a honey butter which was good! Ended up with a burger which was very good and the sweet potato fries are where it's at! Definitely recommend! read more

Southern Grit - Bar area - American Near Me - Knoxville, Tennessee

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Wonderful experience! Such a cute restaurant, and the server was very nice and helpful. We came in and ordered the fried pickles and Okra, which were well seasoned and cooked well. The two changes we would make is the serving size was a little large (we would have taken half that size for the three of us) and the pickles were sliced so thin that you only got a hint of the pickle. and a few beers. They had a good selection that were chilled nicely and paired well with the fried food. The shrimp po boy was amazing! The shrimp was crispy and perfectly done with the aioli pairing perfectly. I wish the bread was a little more robust on that sandwich, but the fries were awesome. They were thin and crispy and perfectly seasoned. I will have dreams about the Southern Mess sandwich. The chicken paired with the maple syrup and pimiento cheese was blissful. The sweet potato fries are crispy on the outside, soft on the inside and the perfect balance of sweetness. We had a fantastic experience, and will be back! read more

Southern Grit - Shrimp po boy and fries - American Near Me - Knoxville, Tennessee

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Superb all-arounder. Fantastic, wide selection of drinks. Food is so good too. The burger was cooked perfectly, the toppings complemented it well. The sweet potato fries are probably the best I've ever had. They are topped with sugar instead of salt; genius!! And the bartenders were super friendly and knowledgeable about the menu but also the area. Highly recommend this place! read more

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I'm still scratching my head on this one trying to figure out what the rave reviews are about. Did I miss something? Maybe it was an off night? Maybe we ordered the wrong things? I don't know what this was just an OK meal to me. We were seated right away, but service was slow. Friendly when around, but slow. As for the food we tried the Fried Green Tomatoes, Low Country Crab Cakes with Mac & Cheese and Creamy Collards, and the Chicken Pot Pie. The FGT were decent but super greasy. This paired with the richness of the Pimento Cheese made it too heavy. The crab cakes were decent, the mac and cheese didn't blow me away, and the collards were inedible with way too much salt (and I love me some salt y'all). The star of the evening was the Pot Pie - but it's not a traditional one just so you know. It came out on a large plate with two biscuits sitting in the center. Great flavor profile, but could use a better presentation. My old fashioned was super strong so that helped! So I don't hate it, but don't love it either. We might try again later when we're settling into the area. read more

So I ordered the medium chicken and it was hotter than a Hattie-B's hot. Told the sever that this was not a medium level hot and I ordered a regular breast to replace the piece I couldn't eat. When I asked him why I'm paying for the replacement piece he showed me the menu that says "no refunds on medium or hot chicken". He's a manager who can do something about it and he didn't....because that's what the menu says? He also shared that others have told him that it was a hotter medium than normal tonight. Frustrating experience. read more

Southern Grit - The bill - American Near Me - Knoxville, Tennessee

Brooks was the best! He was super friendly and had great recommendations for our food. If you are looking for an unknown southern experience this is the way to go. The atmosphere is very casual and very southern. Get the Bag o Shrimp and the Fried Green Tomatoes. read more

Southern Grit - Bag o Shrimp - American Near Me - Knoxville, Tennessee

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8/10 - Southern Grit Hearty, flavorful dishes with a creative Southern edge. Great execution across the board. read more

First time here, went for lunch with a coworker on 1-27-26. We were the only guests other than one person at the bar. I ordered the shrimp and grits while my coworker got the fried chicken. Both meals were excellent and plentiful portions. I also got a side of biscuits which were very good. Our server was super friendly and knowledgeable. The only down side is that it took about 30 minutes for our meals to come out. Not sure why since we were the only patrons. Would definitely go back if in Knoxville again. read more

A foodie's southern comfort food dream! A beautiful restaurant with good vibes in downtown Knox. The food is exceptional. From the freshly made biscuits to the fried chicken to the mouthwatering sides, you cannot go wrong with anything on this menu! The fried chicken is still something I'm thinking about and the Brussels sprouts are hands down one of the best I've ever had. We came in for brunch and the $5 Bloody Mary's were on point. Our waitress, Jade, did an amazing job of keeping them coming. She was attentive and you could tell she was intimately familiar with the menu. She was genuinely excited about our food picks! An all around excellent experience - don't miss this spot! read more

Southern Grit - Biscuits and Gravy - American Near Me - Knoxville, Tennessee

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what an amazing restaurant. Enjoy the food super delicious, salad was on point and so was the shrimp platter. Heart break loss from Tennessee playing Georgia, but we'll get them next time. and our waitress was super nice. read more

Southern Grit - American Near Me - Knoxville, Tennessee

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I really wanted to like this place, but I didn't. Both I and guy I came in with got the biscuits... just terrible??? This is literally one of the most important things that a southern restaurant should get right?? I suggest they try White Lily flour (like their decor suggests), and find a recipe (any) about how to make southern biscuits. The service was ok, but the bench that they sat us at was a little uncomfortable read more

Was passing through Knoxville. Great meal. Try the meat loaf. Great service. Would come again.

I liked this place. Went with my niece on an earlyish Saturday. Very nice and knowledgeable people. Very good food. We ate biscuit fritter balls with chocolate sauce , a slider with okra, and biscuit French toast. It was all fantastic. read more

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Southern Grit is the happy hour MVP of the Old City. It's like someone asked, "What if we combined great beer, awesome whiskey, cheap sliders, and friendly staff into one magical pre-Smokies-game hangout?"--and then actually did it. The beer selection? Chef's kiss. The whiskey list? Deep enough to make you question your life choices--in a good way. And the sliders? Let's just say good enough to justify ordering six but you prob only need two. The staff? Absolute legends. Fast with a drink, quicker with a joke, and somehow always appear right when you're thinking, "I could probably fit one more slider." Southern Grit is one of those places you walk into once and instantly start planning your next visit. Whether you're pregaming for a Smokies game or just pretending it's Friday on a Tuesday, this spot gets it right every time. read more

Had a wonderful brunch at Southern Grit this past Sunday. Though you can't make reservations for brunch, we walked in at 11:15am and immediately got seated. Great ambiance with lots of natural lighting which I love. Our server was welcoming and attentive, sharing his favorites off the menu and modified our orders as needed. I ordered the Homer Stokes biscuit with medium level heat chicken and a side of the fried brussels. The homemade biscuit was incredible (and much bigger than I expected) though I thought the chicken could've had some more spice. Luckily, I got some hot sauce to dip it in. Brussels were cooked perfectly, and i'm glad they weren't soaked in some kind of sauce like lots of restaurants do these days. My mom got a side of the hash brown casserole which didn't sell me- I've had better, but it was still good. My parents loved their biscuits too (the penny mcgill with chicken tenders and the everett.) I'll definitely come back for another brunch, as well as I would like to try dinner! read more

Southern Grit - Homer Stokes and brussels - American Near Me - Knoxville, Tennessee

We went tonight for our Anniversary. Brooks was a good server and attentive to my pepper allergy. Sadly several of the things I wanted to eat all had some form of red/chili peppers etc in them. (That was very disappointing) I ended up getting the Mahi Mahi it was grilled to perfection, and my two sides (cheddar grits & Brussels sprouts) were very tasty indeed. HH had The Mitchell Burger (bacon , blue cheese & beer battered jalapeños) he was in heaven! We both enjoyed the Blackberry cider by Gypsy Circus, and HH also had a gin & tonic. It was "happy hour" drinks were $5, however I was surprised that there was NO WINE choice for Happy hour. Except... 1/2 a BOTTLE of wine. I really wanted a glass but $9 for a glass vs $5 for the cider I went with the cider. We finished off our dinner with a shared serving of the Fudge Cookie Brownie and a scoop of ice cream. The creation arrived HOT and yummy. We will be back sometime soon. read more

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Been here a couple times now to get a full experience and variety of menu - based on this I'm right at a 4.5 out 5. +1 - Food and drink +1 - Parking and location +1 - Venue and look +1 - cleanliness inside and restroom +0.5 - staff and service We're brunch fans, and this place is definitely in our top 5 brunches in Knoxville. I am a particular fan of the biscuits and gravy there; not so much the Mac and cheese, but hey, not everyone likes the same things, right? We've ran into a couple instances of not the best of greetings at the door for getting in and getting on a waitlist. One of the times our waiter was stellar; the other time we had a lot of delays due to what i think was asking the bartender to take on a few tables + the bar on a busy Sunday brunch day. Will definitely be back - if you're a biscuit fan, GET. HERE. read more

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Had a great time here for dinner. All of the food we ordered was cooked perfectly. Friendly service, we went here while on a trip and would go back again. read more

We went on a Saturday night at 530 and were able to be seated in the last available table right away. I'm guessing they take reservations because we were told that was all that was available and lots of tables were open. I didn't see reservations on their website though. Our server took a few minutes to greet us and once he got us water he was gone for what seemed like forever. We were ready to order for at least 5-7 minutes before we even saw him to flag him down. (I noticed he wasn't like this with his other tables??) Anyways. We placed our order and it came out in pretty good time. My hubby had the shrimp and grits which he enjoyed and I got 4 tenders with 2 sides and we both added biscuits. Food was pretty good. Chicken was abnormally tender inside for such a tough exterior. Grits were ok and okra was pretty good. We had a hard time getting beverage refills. Overall a pretty good experience but service was a little lacking. read more

Southern Grit - American Near Me - Knoxville, Tennessee

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They have fried chicken, meatloaf and pasta. There is a few different types of food you can choose from. It's a really nice casual restaurant. I will definitely go back. If I could recommend one thing, it would be the buffalo dip. I don't even usually like buffalo dip dip. This was delicious. read more

Was just dropping through Knoxville on our way to Pigeon Forge and happened upon this gem!! Service was exceptional and very friendly. I highly recommend the SG burger... oh my goodness, I'm still dreaming about it! Must try! read more

I'm so HAPPY! My bestfriend is so HAPPY!! We haven't had amazing food in over a year because we live in a small town in Arkansas but are out here to possibly move. The food here SOLD US on the move haha! If we keep eating like this I'm gonna be on "my 600lbs life" with some dood feeding me lol! The fried green tomato's LORD is so good!! The pimento cheese so good the crab cakes SO GOOD!! A must come and visit!! If I could give them 10 stars I would!! read more

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We were hosting four out of state guests and wanted to start our night of entertaining with some good ol' southern comfort food. Southern Grit came highly recommended and after dining here, it's obvious why. This dinner was for New Year's Eve so, I called several days in advance to make a reservation for a party of six. The friendliness and ease of doing this was a cinch. So helpful and inviting. We showed up right on time NYE and I was greeted by name. Warm and welcoming and immediately shown to our table. The restaurant and vibe was cool. Our server was awesome. Like, really awesome. He was great with drinks, the menu, specials, suggestions, even that special whisky menu that got the attention of our guests. The food: Awesome. I'm trying to come up with clever ways to say delicious, perfect, hit the spot... every dish was just, well... delicious, perfect and hit the spot. I loved my shrimp & grits. I also got a bite of the meatloaf and the grouper. Oh... the fried green tomatoes were the bomb. I could go on and on, but I'll save it for my next visit and follow up review. I'll be back. All six of us loved Southern Grit and I think you will too. Give it a shot. Until next time... read more

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Atmosphere and staff were amazing. The food was pretty average however the mac and cheese was out of this world. I loved the style of the restaurant and the kindness of the staff! It was loud inside but that didn't bother us too much. Definitely recommend! read more

Service was really good and fast... Got seated as soon as we walked in... Food was really good, big portions and hot.. The Buffalo chicken dip was good, the shrimp and grits had a lot of flavor and big portion as well.. This was my first time eating at this establishment and i was very impressed. I will come back again asap!! It wasn't crowded at all, nice vibe and ambiance.. read more

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The Fried Green Tomatoes with the pimento cheese were so good! We had the southern chicken & waffle , grits , & creamed collard greens - all were delicious! Service was great as well! If we lived in Knoxville, we would be frequent customers. read more

The "Pete" was absolutely delicious!! Thank you Cullen for the outstanding service! Tried it on a whim and was not disappointed and will recommend it to anyone I know that visits Knoxville read more

Service was great! The Pimento Cheese dip and crackers are delicious! Fun ambiance, love all the Dolly pink. Will be back y'all.

We happened upon this place after a few afternoon beers in the Old City. We didn't have much of a wait so that was nice. The place was trying pretty hard to appear rustic. It's a southern comfort food menu with brunchy options. The majority of offerings were fried or biscuit centric. We settled on the fried pickles/ okra appetizer. This was a mountain of an appetizer but was just frozen veggies thrown in a fryer and served with ranch. We decided to try the penny Mcgill, a homemade biscuit with fried chicken, gravy and hash brown casserole topped with a sunny side up egg. We tried to enjoy it, but the fried chicken was over seasoned and lacked actual breading and was not a chicken breast but rather tenderloins. (Picture for evidence). My wife found the ensemble overly salty. It was a fairly loud venue and we aren't old. The vibe ranged from shabby chic to rave which is neither here nor there. The service was decent but nothing special. We decided to just box up the salt filled lunch and chess out. It wasn't overly expensive or fail worthy. There are just better options in the area so 3 stars is doing them a favor. Maybe it was a an off shift and it could workout better for others. read more

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Came here for dinner and it was great. Ordered crab cakes, a fried chicken thigh and a couple old fashions. Everything was great and it was the best fried chicken I've had in Knoxville during my stay. Collard greens was a great side. Cool place and nice staff to boot. read more

Southern Grit - American Near Me - Knoxville, Tennessee

Food was great! I already want to go back because there's other things I want to try. The fried green tomatoes were great! The service was excellent. She told us that she just finished her training but went and check if she didn't know the answer. Always nice to have a waitress who smiles. The place is cute. Old time-y feel. Would definitely take friends or family here. read more

Souther Grit was delicious! The portions are very solid and price wise a good fit. We had the shrimp in the bag, hush puppies with honey butter, crab cakes, and the country fried chicken. The gravy was just perfect. All the sauces were well seasoned and just enough. The biscuits were nice and warm and the honey butter was just the right spreadable texture. Perhaps they were short staffed but they had the bartender taking orders which resulted in everyone waiting from when they were first seated to when their order was finally taken. Used dishes accumulated on the table as well after our appetizers were finished which left little room on our table. Solid meal for Knoxville! read more

Southern Grit - Shrimp in bag, hush puppies - American Near Me - Knoxville, Tennessee

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Banana pudding was unbelievable. The pudding had great flavor and so did the whipped cream. Loved everything about it. The Vernon T - a crab cake on a biscuit with basil cream and an egg. Crab cake with the sauce was delectable. The biscuit was probably the best I've ever had. Only complaint is that I wish the egg was runny. Okra was yummy, but I wish it had a dipping sauce. Chicken and waffles were tasty. The medium sauce was spicier than expected but syrup helped. The waffle was fluffy and the fries were yummy. read more

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Wanted to go to the sushi place next door but they weren't open yet so we decided to come here after looking at the menu online. When you walk in there's a hostess stand to the right, I feel like it's awkwardly placed but moving on. Got sat right away, we were brought menus and drinks fairly quickly. I ordered their tenders plate which came with two sides, I ended up getting their mac and cheese and fries and the waitress asked me if I wanted to add a biscuit which I agreed to. My aunt got their hamburger with cheese and fresh fruit. I got the tenders medium hot which I thought were the perfect level of spiciness wish they were a little crispier, the fries were really good but kinda of lukewarm and the mac and cheese was trash, no taste to it at all definitely needed salt, tasted like they made it the day before and heated it up in the microwave, ended up only taking one bite of it. My aunt was disappointed in her cheese burger, said it tasted like there was no seasoning to it at all, she ended up only eating half. I will say their biscuit with honey butter and spicy jam was top notch. Our waitress was nice and friendly in the beginning and then we never saw her again until the end which at that point we asked for boxes and when she came she didn't bring the check. We sat and waited another 10-15 minutes and noticed she was also bartending so I went up there to pay the bill and I felt an attitude from her and she said she will bring it by in a minute. All in all will we be back. Probably not. Prices aren't too bad but food and service was definitely lacking. read more

Southern Grit - Tenders plate with Mac and cheese + fries - American Near Me - Knoxville, Tennessee

The best grits I have ever tasted!!! Server was friendly and food was fast. Great smoked meats!

Really cool location with an awesome vibe and great service! The drinks were really good and the staff is amazing. We tried the Pimento Cheese Dip to start out with and it came with Pepper Jelly and Buttered Saltines. The pimento cheese and pepper jelly blended nicely together and in my opinion, the pepper jelly was the highlight of this app. We also tried the Fried Pickles & Okra, and while the pickles were quite good, the okra was my favorite of the two for sure. They came with Buttermilk Ranch which was pretty good as well, but we also tried dipping the pickles and okra in the cheese & pepper jelly dip which was even better. Definitely recommend stopping in here if you're in the area. read more

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Stopped here on the way home from Smoky Mountains 2 years ago and I still think about the food. Great food, great portions, definitely one of the best meals I have ever had. read more