The Great Indian Food Letdown Listen -- I'm fully on board with a hole-in-the-wall serving up incredible food. That's my favorite kind of find. And maybe we caught this place on an off day, but for me, this was just... okay. And I genuinely do not understand what the rave reviews are talking about. Coming from Houston, a city with roughly a thousand Indian restaurants where almost every single one delivers, this felt like a real step down. Yes, it's attached to a gas station -- fine, no judgment there. They clearly put effort into making the inside feel a little charming. But our table was sticky and gross, and the bathroom matched. Not exactly the first impression you want. And it left me wondering: if the front of house can't notice -- or doesn't care -- that things are dirty, what on earth is happening back in the kitchen? As for the food, we ordered my personal benchmark trio for judging any Indian restaurant: Samosa Chaat, Palak Paneer, and Dosa (when available). They had all three, so I walked in optimistic -- maybe this sticky-table situation was about to redeem itself. Spoiler: it did not. The Samosa Chaat was fine, no real complaints there. But then my Palak Paneer arrived, and I genuinely did not recognize it. It was a strange brownish color -- think baby poop -- and the flavor bore zero resemblance to any Palak Paneer I've had in my life. I didn't finish it, and if you know me with Indian food, that tells you everything you need to know. My husband's dosa fared a little better, but the chutney tasted off, and there was only one variety with no clear indication of what was even in it -- whatever it was, it wasn't good. Traditionally, we're used to getting both coconut and mint chutney on the side, so this felt noticeably incomplete. Honestly, it was such a letdown that I'm not sure I have it in me to give this place a second shot. I'm just sitting here mourning the fear that I may never find great Indian food again after moving here. read more

See all

Definitely worth the moderate drive to try some of the best Indian flavors in the area. The restaurant is unassumingly attached to a gas station, but don't let that deter you! Hands down the best Indian food I've had in the Knox County surrounding area. 1 dish is enough to feed 2-3 people - and I wanted to try multiple dishes, so I definitely had to ask for takeout containers and even then I had lunch and dinner for the next couple days covered! I went during dinner hours, but they do offer a buffet everyday from 11am to 3pm - which I will try next time to try more flavors at an even more affordable cost. Food did not come out extremely fast - so a good sign that it is freshly made to order and not just reheated frozen sauces with protein thrown in. The kababs came out sizzling and biryani came out steaming! The lamb was not gamey at all. The hospitality was quick and pleasant also! read more

See all

We picked this spot specifically because they cook with ghee--and let me just say, that decision paid OFF. We came for the lunch buffet, and I'm still thinking about it. Every dish was rich, flavorful, and clearly made with care. Indian food can be hit or miss sometimes, but this place? Oh, it's a solid HIT. The atmosphere is spotless and inviting (which matters more than people admit), and the staff? Top tier. Super kind, attentive without hovering, and quick to bring anything we needed before we even had to ask. Honestly, this is the kind of place that ruins other Indian spots for you--in the best way. Safe to say, I'll absolutely be back... probably sooner than I should be. read more

See all

Food was great, would definitely order of menu. The buffet was lack luster, no bad, just not alot if options, limited, no for vegetarians. However, menu items were insanely good, nice that you are able to select spice level. Don't let the fact that it's attached to a firework stand and gas station dissuade you, worth a visit. read more

We ordered Pahadi Mint Chicken, Malai Kofta, Garlic Naan, Mango Lassi. Everything we ordered was delicious. Good quality and taste. The place is cozy and the service is also good! I would recommend this restaurant. read more

Great flavors, Don't let the building scare you away. The flavors are amazing and the naan is great. Love the spice hut and I will keep coming back. read more

I had the goat and it was fantastic! My wife hand chicken vindaloo and my daughter had the butter chicken. All fantastic and the portions where honestly large enough to share read more

Spice Hut - Goat Curry - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Lenoir City, Tennessee

Spice Hut serves exceptional Indian cuisine. The small lunch buffet is incredible and certainly worth the price!

This is our second time trying Spice Hut and it was fantastic both times. I'm new to Indian food and there is lots to explore. We will be back to explore the menu. It's fresh goodness! read more

Best Indian food in this area. The moment we stepped in door the aromas swirling in the air were delightful and promising a delicious adventure. Went with friends and we shared 4 entrees--all delicious and at the requested spice level. Have thought every day since--5 days--that I want to go back. Thinking that will be tomorrow. Our server was attentive and helpful. read more

Shockingly excellent. Food was terrific and service was helpful ....I have lived in the area for 20 years and didn't realize this place existed. Best Indian food I have had south of the Mason Dixon line. read more

Superior Indian food. Great intense flavors. A gift. We lived every bite. May want to be cautious about spice level . We ordered medium which was a bit hotter than normal. I highly recommend. read more

Stopped in for lunch and tried the Buffet. I am not a buffet person but thought it was a good way to try different dishes. Wow so good! Butter Chicjen was my favorite but all dishes where very good. The naan was so yummy and fresh! I also enjoyed a mango lassi with my lunch too. It is located at a gas station which had a little different ambience but the food was so good and the service too that I will be back! read more

Great Indian restaurant. They have a number of items that I haven't tried elsewhere -- Kolhapuri Chicken was a unique entree with veggies and spice. Also, the egg curry (dhaba style) was different than things I've had at other restaurants in town. Not sure how to describe it. But, the flavor/spice was well done. Not overpowering and not crazy spicy. Perfect. The service and ambiance were quite good as well. I was a little surprised this restaurant is located in part of a gas station. I had no idea when venturing out here. But, it's very impressive how they've transformed the space. It feels like a good, dine-in restaurant. They have good seating, calm music, and very attentive service. The server was super friendly and even brought us extra naan bread to go. Just excellent. Although I haven't had it, I see they offer a daily lunch buffet. If it's anywhere as good as the dinner, I'm sure it's wonderful. Overall: Great option for Indian food. I'll be back. read more

See all

This has got to be the best Indian food in Tennessee! I wish every other Indian joint did it like them.

We had a delicious meal, beautifully served. I had pretty low expectations given its location in a gas station/fireworks store, but a friend recommended it, and WOW we were glad we gave it a try. Not fancy by any means - just well worth going to for good Indian cuisine. read more

What an amazing culinary find in Lenoir City! Not some place you would ever stop on a whim - it's located as an attachment to the "Bimbos" gas station, just off to the side of I 75 S - it seems to be a destination for ppl who know...and everyone should know! We hopped over from Farragut for the lunch buffet. Everything was excellent! Nicely flavored, easy heat level, lots of choices. Several gravy-based chicken dishes today, along with potato, spinach, and lentil dishes. And the nann! Thin, slightly crisped, freshly buttered with enough garlic to taste it the rest of the afternoon. It was delicious. We were some of the first diners today. Only one person on the floor to see to the tables, but he was very friendly. He delivered fresh naan to the table and took care of our check quickly. Don't let the location turn you off - there's a divider between the truck stop and the restaurant and the only sounds/smells you get in the restaurant are from the cooking and the scrumptious food. This is one we'll definitely make a return tip to! read more

See all

Best Indian food around, which isn't saying much alone bc they are few and far between but this one is amazing. Nails all the staples. Ve careful when they ask you how spicy. 2-3 is fairly spicy. 5+ will have you questioning things. read more

I contemplated 4 stars but after reading a lunatic 1-star review from a person who ate there THREE DAYS IN A ROW and found serious issues with it each time, I decided to go with 5 stars to balance out that one! We went for lunch, so I didn't think to ask about alcohol, but I imagine they do not have. Still, the food was so good, and considering it's clearly not meant to be "fine dining" given it's location at all, I had to use that food quality to give the high rating. We had the buffet-- it's not a wide variety but a good mix of dishes and all I had were superb. The chicken Tikka massala was a bit different than others I have had-- a sweeter taste added in-- and I loved it, as well as the other chicken based dishes and the few veggie dishes I tried. And the dessert mango pudding and the sweet balls were both really good-- my 2-year old grandson gave his thumbs up to them. Service was fine. Quick upon entry, water refills, help when we added some take-out orders, and help with the grandson's chair, water cup, etc. I've given 5 stars to other places that were just highway pull-offs that rose way above the level normally seen for such places; given that this is also right off a major highway and in a gas-station building, I will use the same standards and go with five stars. read more

Spice Hut - forgot to take food pics but took the menu for future reference. I want to explore here, not rely on things I usually get at Indian! - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Lenoir City, Tennessee

This is authentic and flavorful Indian restaurant! The service is great, and the food is so tasty! Definitely order spice level in 1 if you don't like spicy! 2 was hot for me! We were able to go on a weekday and try the buffet, that way we were able to try a little bit of everything. The decor is chic modern... and I especially love the spice decorations! We will be back! read more

Spice Hut - All the curry options!!!! - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Lenoir City, Tennessee

I have been a recurring customer here for some time now. Over the stint of 4 years, this place has not once disappointed me, and is always worth the 30 minute or so drive. I've had lots of Indian food from around the country, of several different tiers in pricing, and let me tell you, this place is among some of the best value and quality I've had, period. Service is always great- the server is always very prompt, polite, and willing to make accommodations. The food is EXCELLENT. There is likely no way to go wrong on the menu, and it is very faithful and authentic. There is clear attention to detail in the depth of flavor, quality of ingredients, and they represent their cultural cuisine extremely well. If you are taken aback by menu prices, do bear in mind that Indian culture values family style eating, so the portions are more than enough for 2 meals with a single person dining, and good enough for a small table of people to pick off of a few dishes and have a very satiating meal. Lastly, the ambiance here is great. I mean, you almost forget you're in a gas station store entirely because of how they've closed off the space to be its own restaurant, and the bathroom is spotless. If you're feeling adventurous, give it a shot! read more

What can we say, there is so much to say. First, I want to give some background. My husband is from India and Im from here. We make authentic Indian food at home and also ourselves have two food businesses. Second, we have been all over the country and the world eating at exceptional restaurants. This is hands down, the best Indian restaurant we have eaten in the US and for me, the best even compared to India. I want to address first a reviewer that said this place has zero ambience, totally not true. Yes, its attached to a gas station, but its two different owners and it is partitioned. The family are fresh business owners and they did a stellar job decorating it for their circumstances and must have poured a lot of money on the ambiance. Its creative and inviting. They have a TV, but don't bombard you with distracting nonsense that is offensive to children, but play beautiful scenery. The music is from India and is lovely and perfect for the vibe here. (Most Indian restaurants we've been to play American music, which is a TOTAL CLASH!) 5 stars for a pure clean ambiance! The owners and meek and kind and attentive. When we first pulled into the humble parking lot and opened our door, amazing smells wafted into the air (not genetically engineered ones like mcdonalds) but wonderful authentic smells from real spices. Every dish we ordered was above stellar. Including the chai tea (We've never had such authentic chai in America) and the amazing mango lassi (nothing compares to it from any place in America). Even the to-go containers were high quality. Our kids gave it 10 stars and my 3 year old exclaimed that she was full up to her eyeballs . Truly a gem and worth the 2 1/2 hour drive it took for us to get here. My husband said we are coming back next weekend! read more

Spice Hut - Ambiance - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Lenoir City, Tennessee

Everyone should run to Spice Hut! Now! It's like when hotels only have 5 stars but this one is just the 7-star Burj Al Arab in Knoxville/Lenoir City area. It is next to a BP gas station, but the interior design, the food and the service make it a such a hidden gem. Very authentic Punjabi/north Indian food. We came as a large group and got Gobi Manchurian, Pineapple Raita, Amritsari kulche platter, Masala fries and Tandoori Chicken as appetizers, all of them already so good. After our entrees came, I had a spoon of my mutton biryani and wowed. Then I tried my friends' Kadahi chicken (spicy level 10), butter chicken (spice level 9), Egg curry, and Palak paneer, I was just non-stop wowing. All the curry is so good and authentic (words from my Indian friends from all different states). Highly recommend to come as a group and order different food to share. It was a great experience and the price is reasonable. Really cannot wait to go back and try their lunch buffet! Update with buffet experience on Saturday - everything is so good!! Butter chicken, chicken tikka masala, paneer, bhindi, and all sorts of good stuff. The naan is so soft and chewy. Service is again awesome! We all really enjoyed pineapple raita again. I think we're gonna come back every weekend. read more

See all

First let me say I've had some gourmet food at a gas-station attached restaurant before. It's not my usual but I'm open to the experience. We're not "buffet " kind of folk either. But heading north, needed gas and THE DELICIOUS SMELL OF SPICE lured us in. It's cute. It's clean. The owners CLEARLY know their craft. The samosa (only getting a snack sadly) were BANGIN'! I'm sure we would come back for some other spectacular looking dishes another day! read more

See now if you didn't have these reviews for reference, you'd drive right by The Spice Hut saying to yourself "but I don't need gas or Bimbos fireworks". And yes - those two items are available in the same building, but I'm here to tell you what you DO NEED, and that is THE LUNCH BUFFET AT THE SPICE HUT. I thank my lucky stars for the friend that referred me to this place .....and warned me that it was in a gas station. So I was prepared for that much. I was surprised and delighted that there was a buffet which meant I could try ALL THE THINGS. And try all the things I did! Twice! I'm not going to attempt to try and name all of the delicious Indian delights, I will simply say there was a terrific variety. Also, the staff was very friendly. There are maybe 10 or so tables, and many were full on a Wednesday. So clearly the word is out about this place! Now, you're not going to the Spice Hut for the atmosphere. Like, literally 0/10 on atmosphere. And the bathrooms are ROUGH. But don't let that stop you! Pee when you get home! This is going to be my regular lunch spot every other week when I find myself off exit 81! read more

Delicious! The heat scale is 1-10. I'm not a super spice tolerant person so I got a 3 on the palek paneer and it was perfect. So flavorful and just a touch of heat on my tongue. The garlic naan was also great. $14.99 for my entree with rice and naan, and it could easily feed four people. Huge portions! And despite being in a gas station, the atmosphere was great! They've done a fantastic job decorating. Truly a hidden gem! read more

We happen to get there for a lunch buffet. All of the food was tasty. You would never expect something like this in a gas station.

We were visiting from out of town and saw the reviews for Spice Hut. Our kiddo loves Indian food and snobby us weren't sure how good the Indian food was going to be outside of Knoxville and located in a gas station of all places. But here is the thing that's worth remembering: there has to be a large enough Indian population outside of Knoxville who is eating here, because the local population itself is likely not keeping the place open. And then that's when you realize that this little gas station Indian place is really, really, really good. Palak Paneer, Butter Chicken, Samosa Chaat, Butter Naan.....all were great. Portion size was large, too. Had we not been staying in a hotel, we would have brought food home. Thanks for the yummy surprise. Don't judge a restaurant on its location. read more

Delicious! I love spicy food and got the curry chicken level 6 spice...yikes. Next time I'll do a level 2. Will definitely be back!

We ate there last Sunday and were terribly disappointed. I think the restaurant caters to the American population, bland, unsavory food.

Oh man. Quite simply the best, freshest, most delicious Indian cuisine I have ever had the opportunity to place in my mouth!!!! This is a MUST visit if you are in the area and enjoy Indian food. Oh man I can't emphasize that enough!!! Best unknown little hole in the wall place everrrrr! Don't be fooled by the location, and be SURE to order the Naan!!!! read more

Excellent Punjabi cuisine--four of us stopped in for dinner and were all very pleased. Our friend recognized the gentleman cooking as the same person who worked at (perhaps owned) Tandur, so we were happy he is involved in a new venture. We tried the lamb biryani, butter chicken, and paneer bhurji. Of note, if you order spicy, they make it spicy. The butter naan is a little less soft than we were used to, but it was chock full of butter and very tasty. Our friend got the sweet naan, and that was very soft and pillowy. They are still getting their legs under them, so budget extra time if you're dining in--but it is well worth the wait! Pro tip, you pay at the register. Prices are average or maybe slightly above for Knoxville, portions are generous. read more

The food tastes is very good. We are vegetarian and ordered Kadai Paneer, Amritsari Chhole nan, Manchurian, and Veg. Biryani. The food portion was also good compared to their price. They are very professional and quick in service. I loved the dhaba style ambiance. All our dishes ordered were delicious and very well carefully prepared. read more

Good service and very tasty Indian faire. We are vegan and found two delicious dishes on the buffet we could eat. The Chana masala was as good as I have ever eaten anywhere, maybe better than anywhere else. The mixed vegetables also were great. read more

Idk what it is in my life, but the two best restaurants I've been to between Miami and Knoxville are both in gas stations! (BTW if you're ever in Miami, go to El Carajo, best tapas by a mile). Spice Hut is the best Indian food in East Tennessee, the service is prompt, the food always delicious, and portions aren't insane. You even forget you're in a gas station within 10 minutes for sure. Give it a chance and you'll be happy! read more

I would give this place six stars if I could. Doesn't look like much from the outside, because it's attached to a gas station. But it's cute inside. Every bit of the food is outstanding. Staff is friendly, the owner is really nice, I enjoy supporting good people. We will be back. We're also looking forward to visiting their new location down on Gay Street in downtown Knoxville. read more

Spice Hut - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Lenoir City, Tennessee

Amazing food. Some of the absolute best Indian food I have ever tasted. I can't wait for my next trip.​

Food was spot on. Flavours were excellent. Authentic Indian food. If you want tasty good food come here.

amazing food will def come back again. Everything about it is good only thing is the time to come out but the wait is def worth it! the service is very nice and he was very cool, the ambiance is very nice too read more

What a delightful surprise!! Spice Hut was recommended by an Indian shop owner in Knoxville and this little restaurant did not disappoint. Authentic, delicious and generous portions. Service was great! Make the effort to try out this newer restaurant. We're from north Knoxville but the drive will not be an issue for our return visit. read more