Every time I visit Knoxville, I’m convinced it would be the perfect place to pack up and move if I didn’t love my life in Birmingham so much. This past weekend visiting my bestie Greer was no different than the others: full of fun, outfit changes, bar hopping and plenty of delicious food. If you want to head to Knoxville for a weekend trip, I’ve got you covered with my Knoxville travel guide for a weekend in the city.
WHERE TO EAT + DRINK IN KNOXVILLE
You already know my love of a cozy coffee shop, and one where you feel like a regular always tops the list. Greer heads to Old City Java most days, so we went twice on our trip. I tried the iced lavender latte and the iced lavender matcha — I highly recommend the matcha but I think I’d get a different coffee drink next time.
PRETENTIOUS BEER CO. + HONG’S KITCHEN
Pretentious Beer Co. is right next to a glass-blowing company, Pretentious Glass. There were fun posters for every beer on draft—I went with the fairy floss sour, but they also have seltzers available.
The true highlight of Pretentious wasn’t the beer, though. It was 100% Hong’s Kitchen, the kitchen at the brewery. Their menu is full of vegetarian and vegan options, so it’s perfect if you’re looking for a spot where everyone can find a bite. I ordered their weekly special: banh mi tacos. This was one of the best meals I’ve had in ages and makes me miss Knoxville so much!
On Saturday night, we grabbed dinner and drinks at The Bistro at Bijou. My lavender blueberry spritz was one of the best cocktails I had on the trip, and I just went with a Caesar salad but it was delish.
A Knoxville travel guide wouldn’t be complete without the French Market Creperie. They have a menu full of sweet and savory crepes, but I always love the sweet crepe with bananas, cinnamon and caramel. There’s almost always a line, but you won’t have to wait to find a table and you’ll get your food pretty quickly.
This was my first time trying Kaizen but it most certainly won’t be my last. It’s a Japanese-style izakaya with a fantastic patio. This was the perfect lunch option, but it really lasted for three meals for me! I ordered their shoyu noodles which came with glass noodles, tons of mushrooms and cabbage, and a super garlicky soy broth.
I absolutely love an old-fashioned soda fountain and make a pit stop at The Phoenix Pharmacy every time I visit Knoxville! It opened in 2016 but does have a sweet feeling like you’ve stepped back in time and a menu full of milkshakes and sodas that are to-die-for. I always go for the strawberry vanilla soda, but they have a few other sodas I want to try next.
Want more Knoxville recommendations? Check out my 2022 Knoxville travel guide.
WHAT TO DO
SATURDAY FARMER’S MARKET
There’s a farmer’s market in Market Square on Saturday mornings, and it is one of the biggest farmer’s markets I’ve ever seen. Greer usually grabs produce, but there’s also tons of local makers at the market if you want to shop.
SHOPPING + RETRO CRAFT FAIR
My friends and I have a list of group rules we abide by on every vacation, and I carry it over on my own trips. One of those rules? Full spend. If you see a cute little thing that you don’t really need but want, now’s the time to get it! I take that very much to heart and grabbed quite a few things while we shopped around Knoxville. A few of my favorite local shops and makers are:
- Paris Woodhull: gorgeous graphics and prints—plus my favorite graphic tees for layering
- That Clay Girl Co.: minimalist but statement-making clay jewelry
- Rala: perfect shop for picking up gifts from local makers + Knoxville-specific goods
There are also typically vintage and craft fairs when I’m in town, so this time we checked out the Retropolitan Craft Fair. A few of my favorite makers set up there, but I also found faves from a few artist I was unfamiliar with!
JAZZ AT BIJOU
The Bistro at The Bijou is also home to live jazz, so while we had dinner and drinks on Saturday we enjoyed listening to that! This would be the perfect spot for a date night with the moody lighting and delish desserts.
KARAOKE AT THE KNOX BOX
I love karaoke and could spend every Friday night at the Derby in Birmingham. That being said, Knox Box wasn’t my favorite karaoke—there wasn’t a stage, just a mic that got passed around. I enjoyed it until about 11PM when it got more crowded. It’s a fun spot but wouldn’t be my go-to.
Happy travels!
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