Let me start by saying this is longer than most of my reviews and we loved everything about the…read moreDancing Bear. We were celebrating my wife's birthday and it was our first time dining there. The restaurant is tucked into a nice wooded area near the foothills of the Smoky Mountains. There is outdoor seating available, a firepit area with make your own smores, and indoor seating which is where we dined. We were greeted as soon as we entered and waited at the bar where Ian served us (he was great) until our reservation time (doubt we could have got in without the reservation). The bar had a huge selection of bourbon including many allocated bottles. My wife had a spicy margarita which she loved. We were promptly seated at our reservation time. Our server, David, brought us some of their famous cornbread it reminded me of couple of pieces of cake except it was cornbread with a delicious sorghum syrup and whipped butter. It was unique and delicious. We started with trio of dips - sharp cheddar pimento cheese, butter bean hummus, and my favorite smoked salmon rillette. These were served with sea salt crackers and pickled vegetables. It was all tasty and the smoke salmon had so much flavor. I had delicious thick cut pork chop topped with peach and jalapeno jam. It was cooked perfectly, tender and juicy and the topping added a fantastic spicy tang. The sides were charred baby carrots, green beans, a spoonbread with red-eye gravy and red pepper emulsion. My wife had a filet with bearnaise sauce and Yukon potatoes with cauliflower, sweet peppers, mushrooms and braised onions. It was cooked exactly as ordered with such a great taste and so tender. David brought my with a complementary piece of pie made with Cruze Farm buttermilk topped with berries and a lemon drizzle. It was a fantastic experience and we were so happy with everything. Everything was pricey for the area, but well worth it for what we received.

From out of town and I got a lot of recommendations to try the bistro at Dancing Bear. The bistro…read morewas a bit further drive up the long driveway where the map takes you, and that's where all the bnbs are as well. You're tucked away in the forest with the most peaceful ambiance in the evening! The waiter introduced the menu to us and mentioned that the ingredients were all mostly locally sourced and or grown in their garden when you first turn onto the driveway. So great to know exactly where your food is coming from! For the starter, I shared the crab corn chowder - and the waiter was kind enough to split the soup into two bowls with my partner. This was a perfect starter! Creamy, a little smokey, and not too heavy like your typical chowder. Lacking in the crab department, but it's as you would suspect with anything advertising 'containing crab' at a restaurant. We were also given complimentary corn bread and it was delicious. Such a nice surprise and I definitely preferred having the cornbread over regular bread! The service was a little slow, especially to bring the appetizer and bread out, but I wasn't too bothered since it didn't seem like we were rushed to finish our meal. I ordered the filet mignon (med rare) as my main. The flavors were spot on! My filet was a bit tougher than other filets I've had in the past... it was difficult to cut into. I also wished there was more of the red wine sauce to balance the richness of all the accompanying flavors and textures. All in all, this spot was a special treat tucked away in Townsend and I'm glad I didn't have to drive too far for a well-crafted menu and food scene!

Vibes great. Mary our server, wonderful. Brad the bar manager, absolute jerk. We had a party of…read morethree and tried to order martinis, one in our party (who is 30 years old with a beard) had a recently expired license, but had his paper license from the DMV... Brad the bar manager comes over and proclaims that what we were trying to do was illegal. We kindly asked questions about if we could have a bottle wine and extra glass (for the obvious 30 year old). Brad threatens to kick us out. We asked about one person ordering a second drink, Brad threatens kick us out and accuses us of illegal activity (he's 30)... Brad was completely unprofessional. We left. Because of Brad. We would've been happy to have had a designated driver (who was 30). Brad's condescension and escalation was wholly inappropriate. We heard from another staff member that it was Brad's last week with Raven. We will be back to Raven to complete the experience in 7-10 days and will update this review accordingly.

This was an amazing experience. We came in for my birthday. It was an expensive meal but well worth…read moreit for an occasion! We said we would come back for another special evening. We always like to try a nicer restaurant for special occasions and we have been to a lot in the area, this honestly might be the top we have been to. Our server was very kind with a lot of insight of the menu and details how they prepare foods. Everything we ate was delectable. The crab cakes were full of meat. The sauce was delicious. We got the Wellington and pork chop. Both delicious. It was honestly so much food. The lobster Mac and cheese and creamy corn sides are show stoppers. The corn is sweet but the crunchy top just makes you want to eat more and more. Not to mention to finish the evening with the dessert was the cherry on top. We had plenty of left overs from the night to take home with us. Looking forward to our seconds!

This restaurant was fantastic - the decorations, the service, the food, the cocktail menu - all…read more10/10. My wife and I spent an evening at the Marlowe and they were very accommodating as our reservation had fallen out of the system (probably due to my own user error) but as I mentioned they found a table for us and made sure we didn't miss our chance to partake in their phenomenal menu. I had the fall fashion which is their take on an old fashioned and it was terrific and the Rye whiskey played nicely with the amaretto. My wife had some sort of Sicilian wine cocktail that was advertised as brighter and better mimosa and they nailed the description. It was an elevated mimosa that was light, refreshing and bubbly. We started with the wedge salad and potato croquettes. The salad was as phenomenal, the bacon adding the right smoky and savory flavor and the dressings paired well with the fresh crisp lettuce. I was slightly disappointed we didn't have heirloom tomatoes as they were advertised and instead used grape / cherry tomatoes (the menu listing mentioned heirloom and I'm a tomato snob). The Gorgonzola wasn't overpowering and paired really well with the balsamic. The potato croquettes needed a little more seasoning or salt and were somewhat bland but the presentation was terrific and they were cooked perfectly. It might have been the bacon aioli but it just needed a little more zip. For mains my wife went with the Bouillabaisse and asked if she could add a bit of the house made fettuccine to which the chef was very accommodating in making the addition. With wonderful seasoning and an abundant amount of shrimp, scallop, salmon and mussels she couldn't finish her serving. This dish was fragrant and cooked to perfection. I had the filet and it was also amazing. Cooked a perfect medium rare and held amazing flavor. It was a solid and good sized filet that was definitely the star the show. The asparagus was grilled perfectly and seasoned wonderfully. The confit beet was amazing and held terrific flavoring and lended to the beautiful presentation and plating. We really wanted to try the crème brûlée as it looked amazing but we didn't save any room. The service was beyond terrific and Anthony took great care of us from start to finish. We watched the Chef oversee the kitchen and he didn't let a single plate pass through that kitchen without his terrific attention to detail. Overall this restaurant stood out heads and shoulders above other restaurants of similar type and it immediately jumps to the top of the list for fine dining in the Knoxville area. I can't wait to recommend this place to friends and family and this is the first time I wish I could give six stars!

Best beef tenderloin, ever. Food quality and service are top notch…read more A little pricey, but worth it!

Wow. Has to be one of the best places I've ever eaten at. In town for parent's weekend with the son…read moreand chose JC because it had nice reviews. Honestly did not know what to expect. Took our son and two of his dorm mates. All freshmen used to cafeteria food. One said as we sat down, "the food here smells great." Ambiance gets nice scores. Service is top notch. And the food was nothing short of outstanding. We decided to go with the chef special plan. A fixed menu that everyone at the table has to go with to do. Not sure that was going to work with three college guys. But they each picked something that likely stretched what they were used to. Standouts were the starter ribs and oysters. Everyone liked their second choices so no clear winner there as all finished in first place. My wife loved her trout nd I got a taste and had to agree it was terrific. They boys - no shock here - all went for the steak. I did too and can report it was perfectly cooked and wonderfully savory. The peanut butter chocolate dessert was rated the best but I also enjoyed my blue cheese cheesecake. When I say service was impeccable, it was not only due to our waitress who was attentive, informing and fun. But every time dishes were cleared a group of servers appeared like magic and cleared dishes like a well rehearsed ballet. Really enjoyed the experience if you cannot tell by now. Highly recommended.

We did not have a reservation but were seated on a Wednesday evening. It was our first time so…read moredidn't know what to expect. We had two small plates- the salad with burrata and the tuna. Both were outstanding. And then we tried the pasta with broccolini in a butter sauce that was to die for. Our waiter Simeon was perfect. The ambiance was sophisticated and quiet. I'd come back again. But we don't live here.

Everything was super. I started with a yummy cocktail--Lazy Daze. It was lemony with mulled mint…read moreand rosemary, very tasty. We had bread w/olive oil while we perused the menu. The focaccia is heavenly! Our selections were the pork chop with peachy grits(!) and the house made seasonal pasta, which had lots of amazing mushrooms. I added bbq tofu for protein. No regrets. Everything was marvelous. I needed a container for about 1/3 of the pasta. We thought we were too full to continue but Skyler pointed out the dessert is free on your birthday, so...we forced ourselves to try it. We had the Pôt de Crème. And it, too, was marvelous. Our server, Skyler was there when we needed her, very attentive but not overbearing. All in all, a completely delightful experience.

Pasta with no meat was $27, covered in olives. I struggled to leave a negative review because the…read morewaitress was great. Everything else was terrible, except the potato fritters but the price point over-road the flavor. Warm water, if you want bread that will be another $8. The owner did take off the pasta but the pasta needs to come with a warning if you hate olives avoid with your life!! I ask for the olives to be removed and not placed but they pre make the pasta so that is not an option. My husband's dish was equally disappointing, we left starving and spent twice as much as we would have at Season's in Knoxville. Later that night we both had horrible stomach issues. Again the waitress was fantastic but on a Friday evening and there was only 5 other tables should have been the warning sign.

This is our GO TO place when we want an incredible dinner experience as a couple or with family…read more We've been here many times and the staff is incredibly kind and accommodating. We actually moved further away and still commute here because we love it so much. We want to give a special shout out to Hunter, our cheese wheel king! Our server Colin was also exceptional.

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!

I found this place on Yelp so we popped up at the location. When we arrived we found out it was by…read moreappointment only but the gentleman working was soooooo nice and invited us in for a quick wine tasting. We sat at the bar and the gentleman gave us some background on the facility and also allowed us to sample some of the wines that were made there. I really liked the wines I tried and purchased two bottles to bring home to NC. I was pleased with the customer service I received and I will go back again for a more extensive tour of the entire facility.

The Blue Slip Bistro is located on the first floor of the Southern Railway depot building downtown,…read moreon the train tracks side. It's a very casual place. Loads of free parking, which is unique downtown. I went for lunch and got the Italian panini sandwich. The bread is toasted extra crispy and is filled with all kinds of stuff. Lots of flavor. Very good. It came with a side salad that was a cut above what I expected. With an iced tea and tax my lunch total was $14.75. Slightly above the average downtown but the quantity and quality was above average too. The place was empty except for me. Give them a try! Park there and ask if it's okay to leave your car in their lot while you walk around downtown. I'm on a mission to try all of the 50+ restaurants for lunch downtown. It's a fun assignment! The waitress was nice and my food came quickly.

We had an early birthday dinner at Bistro by the Tracks and it was excellent from start to finish…read more The new location has a warm, intimate ambiance, and our server Gordon was knowledgeable and guided us perfectly through the menu. We started with the Sashimi-Grade Tuna Tostada and Banana Pepper Pimento Cheese--both standout starters with elevated, fresh flavors. For salads, we had the Local Kale Caesar and Farmers Market Salad, which were both well-balanced and fresh. For entrées, we ordered the Border Springs Farm lamb and American Wagyu butcher's cut steak. Both were cooked perfectly to medium-rare--tender, rich, and full of flavor. Dessert was just as impressive, with a chocolate pecan cake and an Italian sponge cake with bright strawberry and basil notes. Overall, a beautifully executed, detail-oriented dining experience and one of the best meals I've had.

Atmosphere was nice but food was hit or miss in my opinion. Service was fantastic, Melissa rocked…read moreit.