Nick & J's Cafe

If you’re looking for a delicious, down-home breakfast spot in Knoxville, Nick & J's Cafe is the place to be! From the moment you walk in, you’re greeted with warm smiles and that genuine Southern hospitality that makes you feel right at home. I ordered the eggs, bacon, and grits, and everything was cooked perfectly — hot, flavorful, and comforting, just like breakfast should be. The staff goes above and beyond to make sure everyone is taken care of, and you can tell they truly enjoy what they do. The restaurant itself is clean, cozy, and conveniently located on Lovell Road — easy to find and worth every mile. Whether you’re grabbing breakfast solo, meeting friends, or enjoying a weekend meal with family, Nick & J's Cafe is one of those spots that keeps you coming back. Highly recommend to anyone who loves great food, great service, and a great vibe! 🍳🥓☕️ The Benson's #GoVols

I was really hoping Nick and J’s Cafe would end up being one of those hidden gems—the kind of mom-and-pop place you can brag about finding and call your go-to breakfast spot. The food was good, maybe not quite fantastic, but certainly enjoyable. The biscuits and gravy had a nice flavor, and the eggs and bacon were cooked well. I did ask for the bacon to be cooked well done, so if you prefer it less crisp, they can probably accommodate that too. The potatoes were a little undercooked, but everything else was very satisfactory. What really stood out was the service—friendly, attentive, and exactly what you hope for in a local diner. The value was also solid; you get a hearty meal for a fair price. That said, I can’t help but compare it to Waffle House, which in my opinion still has them beat when it comes to breakfast overall (I know that might ruffle some feathers, but it’s the truth for me). All in all, Nick and J’s is worth a visit if you enjoy supporting a locally owned spot with good food, great service, and fair prices. If I could give it a 4.5, I probably would—but since I have to pick, it’s a 4 out of 5.

I love Nick & J’s Cafe. It’s unpretentious, friendly, and serves up food that feels like a hug. The ladies who work here are fun and loving. I felt like I was eating at home. We ordered Clfty Farm’s Country breakfast (2 eggs, country ham, home fried with toast) and biscuits & gravy. Everything was delicious. I had a hard time resisting the giant cookies at the check out. 😁 We’ll be back.

Upon arrival before the restaurant open, the building very clean looked like it just opened their doors yesterday, when the doors opened we sat down greeted by our server brought two cups of piping hot coffee and a few minutes came back and took our orders. The inside of the restaurant was and is immaculate and you can eat off the floors. Our server was more than hospitable our food was perfect and tasted great. We’ve lived here in TN for 7 years and found this restaurant through google, if you’re in the area stop by and we promise you won’t be disappointed. Rating of 10+ here’s photos showcasing our visit.

Really amazing hometown home cooking style diner with deliciously seasoned food. I was very impressed with this place. Can't wait to go back. The daily special was a fantastic value. Went back again, more than twice, while I am here in Knoxville for work. This place is the real deal. Both the people and the food are absolutely the best.

As I travel, finding non chain restaurants that are family owned is one of my main goals in life. The food is incredible. Downplayed is an understatement. Fresh, tasty and full of flavor. The employees were great and the owner is an excellent leader. You must stop in this former "Huddle House" location redesigned Nick and J's Cafe. Seeing a mom and pop thrive where is corporate restaurant failed makes my day, everyday. Highly recommend!

This is a must restaurant. Locally owned and operated. All the food is from scratch. I had an amazing breakfast here. The staff is friendly. I can't wait to go back and try lunch.

If you’re looking for a classic diner experience this is where it’s at! Fast service, delicious food, and very clean. Every part of the staff we interacted with was very friendly. My fiance got the chocolate chip pancakes with a side of eggs and bacons. I got the bacon and cheese breakfast scramble without tomatoes. Both were delicious and came out hot and fast! We came on a Tuesday morning but they were still steadily busy and able to keep up with the work! We were very impressed!

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!

How does this place have such good reviews? I still cannot get over that the fruit was straight out of the can. It's too expensive for this, if it was cheaper, I'd take it for what it is.

Service and food were excellent! Pecan pancakes and biscuits and sausage gravy were outstanding! A frequent customer said their chuck wagon sandwich for lunch is outstanding! Can't wait to return

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!!

Nick & J's is a must!! Clean place, amazing food, great service, and great people! Best Reuben Sandwich ever!! My husband tried the pizza burger and loved it! Great restaurant & owners that give back to the community. Highly recommend!!

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.

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

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!!

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!

Service was very quick, got our drinks as soon as we sat down. Food came out quickly and hot. No matter what you get the food comes in large sizes (come with an empty stomach). The food was pretty decent, nothing crazy. The chocolate chip cookie was a solid 9/10 as well.

Food was great as usual. Service is always amazing and everyone is so friendly. The usual casual diner atmosphere, which I love. One of our favorite places!

Solid meal, if a little pricey. Breakfast only until 10:30, not 11:00, and we missed it by 6 minutes. Great service, and everything was good. We did not have a problem with parking, as noted in another review. (There are only three spots on a hill, the rest of the spots are level.) We would eat here again if we were in the area.

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!

Great little place for breakfast. Staff super friendly and food is good. Would definitely go back when in the area.

This place never disappoints. Excellent food served fresh and hot and quickly. One of the things I like best about it as I can walk in sit down at the counter order the daily special and within three minutes it's in front of me fresh and hot ready to go. I could be in and out and back to work in 25 minutes.

We yelped and found this jewel. When you walk in you seat yourself. It immediately reminded us of a Waffle House but with a small diner vibe. It smelled delicious. We sat ourselves in the last available booth and waited just a few minutes and our server came and brought us menus. Their menu is full of a wide variety of choices, including a daily special. We ordered iced tea and they were served quickly. The tea was good and is fresh brewed. I ordered the Sandwich and Soup lunch combo. I chose the vegetable soup and the Tuna salad sandwich. Oh man, that sandwich was huge so I split it with my husband, who was trying to go light and just ordered a cup of chili. The server warned him it was spicy, which was fine with my husband. My vegetable soup was full of a wide variety of vegetables and the broth was delicious! We would definitely recommend this gem! While we were there -right at the heart of lunch hour-there was a steady stream of people but no one had to stand and wait for very long. We both thoroughly enjoyed our lunch and the experience at Nick and J's! The food and service was EXCELLENT!!

When it's 14 degrees outside they should have the Heat going. It was COLD inside the diner. The food came out Quick and the service was Quick, the Ham was not the greatest but it is a Diner. Will I go back probably Not

When you think of the classic small town diner, Nick & Jay's is it. Yummy choices, huge portions, and the desserts were awesome! Save room for the strawberry cake. Too bad no dinner service.

My wife was looking for someplace we could grab something to eat before heading out of Knoxville. She found this place not too far from where we stayed. She chose it because of all the good reviews. We arrived a little before 11am on Tuesday and the place was hopping. There were two booths that needed cleaned and they said they would get one ready for us. We were seated a few moments later. We were provided menus and offered drinks. As we were reviewing the menu, both my wife and I thought we needed to share the Triple Whammy which is two 1/2 lb cheeseburgers in between three grilled cheese sandwiches and fries. Although, we knew we would not finish it. We asked our server how often anyone orders it and were told about once a week. That is what we ordered. Our food arrived in a timely fashion and looked amazing and huge! We proceeded to unstack it with each of us taking a burger and grilled cheese sandwich. We could not finish it and left most of the fries and most of one of the grilled cheese sandwiches. But, boy was it good! We wish we were in the area because we would come back to try other items on the menu. We definitely recommend you check this place out.

My first impression was great. Nice atmosphere with nice people. The food was great and big. It was breakfast and I will probably come back at lunchtime.

One of the best home style breakfast joints you will find. Great food, awesome selection and super fast. Love it!!

This place was absolutely phenomenal!! It was my birthday and they treated me like I was their own. It was absolutely amazing. Such a wonderful experience and warm atmosphere. The people here are real and genuine. The food on the other hand was some of the best food I've ever had. It looks delicious and came out very quick. Tasted like a home cooked meal. I appreciated every second of it. The prices are great for how much food they give you as well as how absolutely delicious it is. Since it was my birthday they brought me this huge chocolate chip cookie with whipped cream and candles.

Honestly I'm hesitant to recommend this place because it will get busier and it's almost too good to share. It's by far the best diner I've experienced since moving to East TN. The Ruben is phenomenal and the grilled ham and cheese with vegetable soup was great as well. Prices aren't bad and the staff is your new best friend from the first time you walk in. You can eat at a booth, the counter, or take your food to go - no matter what you get to enjoy watching them cook right in the open in front of you - see the pictures, signs, autographs, and general swag all over, and just enjoy old school interaction with good people.

We snagged the last parking spot on a Friday around 8:30 am. Note that the building nor parking are as spacious as they seem from the highway. You go inside and it is a casual diner with tight quarters and a few rows of booth seating and you seat yourself. The server was swamped and pulled in many directions, so be patient and kind. :-) The owner was also making their rounds to make sure everything was going well. We waited about 10 minutes to get a menu and another 10 for drinks, but the server was sweet, funny, and was very prompt with refilling coffee once we had it. I ordered an egg biscuit sandwich with cheese and bacon-crisp added and a side of home fries (aka diced, fried potatoes). My husband ordered the Nick and J's Special (3 eggs, bacon, home fries, and biscuit with jelly instead of gravy). The eggs were all perfectly cooked and home fries well-seasoned. The bacon was fine. It served its purpose but was not as flavorful or crisp as we had hoped. The biscuit was the most disappointing part, though. It was flat and overbaked and fell apart when bitten into, it was so hard. It literally "clinked" like a coin when a fallen piece fell on the plate. :-( Due to the awesome reviews, I will definitely be back to give this place a second try (probably for lunch or pancakes), but our first experience with the food itself was definitely a resounding, "meh." I think I may have ordered the wrong thing or came on a bad-biscuit day?

Looking for a good diner style breakfast place? This is your place. Want a good burger or sandwich shop? This is your place. I absolutely love Nick & J's! The food is always fresh and picture worthy, and the taste is always great! They open early so you can go before work and get your breakfast fix with a delicious omelet, over easy eggs, biscuits and gravy, house potatoes, or go on a weekend and load up with their delicious pancakes. Then go check them out for lunch! I love their house made chicken salad, their hand pattied burgers, and their deli sandwiches like the club sandwich. Service is always great too, just an added plus! I've not had a bad meal here and I bet you won't either. They are located right off Pellissippi Parkway off the Lovell Road exit. It's in an old Huddle House building next to a Phillips 66. Hope you enjoy this local jewel as much as I do!! They close at 4pm everyday except for Sundays they are closed all day. Cheers & Enjoy!

Yummy!! Friendly service! Great portion sizes too! Going to make this a regular breakfast spot for sure!!

Incredible service and incredible food. This is a go to establishment for my family. Oh.. and hands down the best burgers ever!

We're in Knoxville for the week staying at Drury Inn. We wanted someplace unique for Lunch/Brunch. "Nick's" is the real deal and a happening place. Even though busy, we got a table in 5 minutes. My wife and kids ordered a chicken fried sandwich, 2 Classic burger 1/2 lbs meat with fries and all the toppings plus my wife got the melt on marble rye. We were all impressed as this food fresh, hot and delicious. Service was quick courteous and food came out quickly. Very happy we came here and definitely worth coming here as prices were amazingly reasonable. On way out my kids got the baklava and giant chocolate chip (nice and chewy) cookie. Look at the pictures and be the judge for yourself.

Top notch customer service! They stopped serving breakfast at 10:30 and we got there right at 10:30. The manager was super accommodating and told us that he would allow us to order breakfast. The food was very good. It's just breakfast food, but it was still fresh and very good. Not greasy. No fancy coffee or creamers. Just good coffee and good old-fashioned diner food.

Standard diner and way from all of the chaos downtown or Turkey Creek, located right the Lovell road exit beside a gas station. Very hometown feel and good service. 1. Try the Turkey Gyro and Tuna Melt if not into burgers. I believe the burgers are the main attraction. 2. If you are a Vols fan, you'll see alot of memorabilia. This is very local diner. I recommend and will try again. 3. You'll seat yourself and it's about the size of a Waffle House. I recommend

We still visit here. Maybe not as often but the food is still delicious. Owners are always super welcoming and friendly whenever we visit. He always gives me a hard time that I don't come enough and I agree! Lastly don't forget to grab a homemade dessert at the register before you leave.

We stopped on our way from Nashville to Bristol. Wow!!! It reminded me of a Waffle House setting. But what fun. It was delicious!!! Food was amazing. I had a turkey gyro with fries and my husband had a double stack burger with onion rings. Hand patted for sure and the sauce on my gyro was homemade. It was so good!! Also, they celebrated owners birthday and you could tell the staff loved him. And when I left, I watched a waitress walk out front to give a homeless person a cup of hot coffee on a cold day. I highly recommend this place. If I'm in the area again, I'll be back for sure.

This is a great local breakfast joint. The food was fresh and served quickly. The waitress was super friendly and responsive. Nick and J's has an old breakfast dive vibe.

Amazing food and service and very reasonable prices. Burgers Chicken Fried Steak Yum

This is my third visit and thanks to my husband we actually took pics before we devoured everything in sight! Burgers are what we go for, they steal they show especially the Brownstone. BBQ sauce bacon and onion rings uh yum! My son loves their chicken tenders they are thinner and not too much chunky breading cooked extra crispy they're just right. I will do breakfast soon because it looks delicious. Hurry up and eat cause I'll be waiting for a seat!

Tasty food, big portions, and willing to customize combos based on dietary or personal needs. Friendly staff. Bigger than I expected. Well worth the visit.

Nick and J's is soooo good! I've heard about it for awhile, but finally met a friend here for lunch a couple of weeks ago. I had the chicken salad sandwich on a grilled bun, with fried okra as my side item. Delicious! Some of the best chicken salad I've had! My friend had the Philly Cheese Steak with fries, and she was equally impressed. Prices are very reasonable. Service was excellent as well, with drinks being refilled promptly, plenty of extra napkins, and just generally nice people. A couple of things to note: We originally went for breakfast, but they change their grill over from breakfast to lunch at 10:30am so plan accordingly. Also, the restaurant is in a former Huddle House. There's almost always people waiting for a table (because it's so good), so if you're wanting to have a nice leisurely lunch to talk with a friend, this might not be your best choice. Love this place & will definitely keep it in my rotation of lunch places. I can't wait to try things on the rest of the menu!

Fast friendly, clean a good solid value. Did I mention clean these are great folks great food, great service you will not regret this decision.

Great little cafe with good daily specials. Crowded and friendly. Will definitely return.

Excellent as always. This might be the friendliest place in town! Burgers are very good, fry's always piping hot.

The food was good and service was great. Nick and J's offers all that you'd expect from a diner - eclectic decor, staff that seems like family, customers that look like regulars, and delicious food. We tried a variety of eggs and pancakes and it was all delicious. Is post a photo but we were super hungry and ate it too fast haha. If you're on the road and need a quick and filling bite, this is the place!

Fantastic little local dinner with options in all price ranges. Everyone there is working hard and very friendly. It was clean, even though it was packed, and the food was delicious. I had strawberry pancakes, eggs, bacon and potatoes. I had to take half of it home! It was great even warmed up the next day. My friend also loved her breakfast too! We will be back.

There were 6 in our group. We had a variety of breakfast and brunch dishes. All were great! We were in town for a UT football game and food was quick and hot! Definitely recommend! Service was good too

Great little place! I do mean little. It's a local favorite and fills up quickly. If you don't get there early for lunch, expect to wait or just get it to go. Our server was attentive and knew the menu and specials well. You could tell he was comfortable there. The food was great. I had an excellent Rueben sandwich that was served the way a Rueben should be - piled thick with corned beef and sauerkraut and on marbled rye bread. Goood sandwich! My buddy had a BBQ bacon burger that was thick, juicy and definitely a full meal by itself. I'd go back in a blink!

Great place to try. You will come back and be a regular. Great Family business. Help support the privately owned business

All the people were absolutely amazing. They where some of the nicest people I've ever met and they where so positive. They gave away free stuffed animal to my niece and gave me a hot wheels car. They were so nice. The food was amazing too. They hamburger was the best I've ever had and don't get me started on the fries. It was so good. And the vibe was so good. The place was amazing. I 1000 percent recommend if you are in the area.

Excellent place! Always good quality and service. Custom orders welcome Get there early, there's a line by 10 minutes after opening on Saturday

Today I tried the Shazam burger, and holy moly it did not disappoint. It might even be the best pimento cheese burger in Knoxville. The staff treats all guests like family. I'm already planning to go back in for this.

When anywhere in west Knox you must go to Nick and Jays! Fast friendly service and delicious breakfast and lunch selections! Great "hometown" diner!!!