Southern Grit

I stopped by Southern Grit in Knoxville for a weekday lunch and was blown away. The food was everything you’d hope for in classic Southern comfort cooking. I had the fried chicken with medium heat—perfectly crispy on the outside, juicy on the inside—and the sides were just as impressive. The fried Brussels sprouts were flavorful and crispy, and the mac and cheese was creamy and satisfying. The atmosphere was relaxed and welcoming, with just the right noise level to enjoy a conversation without shouting. Whether you’re local or just passing through, Southern Grit is absolutely worth a visit!

To get started I ordered some fried green tomatoes which came topped with a house-made pimento cheese and spicy honey. The green tomatoes were fried in a proper cornmeal batter. For the main course I ordered shrimp and grits. Cheese grits with a delicious "creole gravy" on top. The creole gravy was very much like an awesome gumbo but with no rice or okra. It had lots of shrimp and andouille sausage to where I was able to have one of the other in every bite. Can't decide if the food was divine or sinful but either way I consider it a top 3 meal I've purchased in my life!

Went in for a quick drink after a nearby dinner with friends. The bartender Mack(Mac?) was awesome. She was very knowledgeable and a great conversationalist. I love that they have local beers on tap. We had the peach and blueberry cobbler for dessert and it was great! I can't wait to go back for brunch to try their biscuits.

This was almost like a religious experience. My taste buds cried tears of joy! The fried biscuits were out of this world and so was the SG burger. The Southern Mess is also incredible and definitely is a must try. Service was also great! Very attentive to our table.

We were in a road trip and decided to stop in Knoxville for dinner. This place has an amazing food. I ordered the meatloaf and it was just perfect. We were 5 people and everyone liked their food.

Everything tasted amazing! We got Brussel sprouts for appetizer. They hit the spot. Slightly to charred for me, but the experience made it worth it. Got the shrimp and grits for the finale, and let me telllll you!!! Ssoooooo so oh so delicous!!! Sizable portions! Got a watermelon crawl for a drink and that went down like water. Thank you!

Wow wow wow. Food was super flavorful. Every bite was just as good the last. Only reason no 5 stars is the server was not attentive. We're without straws, silverware and had no refills. My daughter had to go to the bar to get the items. I believe her name was McKayla. A must try if you visit Knoxville.

Stopped in time for happy hour today, $5 draft and special price on some appetizers. Had spice dry rub grilled wings and pimento cheese fries. The wings tasted delicious and were cooked perfect with just the correct crunch. The blue cheese for the wings was great. The pimento fries were good, will probably try something else next time. Also tried the crab cakes, very good with nice flavor as well. Been here many times and have tried several items and all have been good, not a bad meal yet. Server Nick G was on top of it, always checking on us and a great personality 3-23-25: another great experience....Nick G is the ultimate server, checks on you at the appropriate times and is just a friendly person. Southern mess is a great chicken sandwich with so many flavors in one sandwich. My wife's buffalo chicken slider with side of brussel sprouts was so tasty. Good selection of drafts.

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

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

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.

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!

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!

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.

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!

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.

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!

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.

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

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.

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.

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!!

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..

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.

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.

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!

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.

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.

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...

Classics of the south done right!! My family was in town from Indiana and they LOVED it! The food at Southern Grit is top notch and there's just a few things that the south does better, like fried chicken and grits. The southern style fried chicken had great seasoning and fried to perfection, the grits were amazing, fried okra was on point; and the mac n cheese and hash brown casserole is a must! Between the five of use, we all ordered something different, and every plate was cleared. Luckily the food was the star as it should have been, but the service was just average. There's paid parking lot across the street or if you drive down to the bridge, there's free parking if you don't want to pay, and it's just a short walk away. I will definitely return, I've also been told the cocktails are delicious so I can't wait to indulge in some of those!

The food and the service has been good. I have taken clients there and they have enjoyed themselves also.

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.

10/10 highly recommend. Had a sisters trip to TN and looked up restaurants to eat at. Saw great reviews for Southern Grit and had to try it out. For appetizers my sister and I had Brussel sprouts and the fried green tomatoes. Let me tell you, I'm not green tomatoes girl or any tomatoes but these were delicious. The honey on them won it over. They were flavorful, cooked to perfection, not too much crust. The other sauce is a little spicy so had to take majority of it off but it balances well with the honey. The brussel sprouts were also delicious. It's a biscuit spot so everything is in a biscuit. Love the concept. I got the vernon T which is basically a crab cake benedict but in a biscuit. It was delicious. The sweet potatoe fries were amazing. My sister ordered the Penny McGill, and let's just say neither of us had left overs. Our waitress was super sweet, and helpful. We had the bartender helping to being food out and she thought we'd come before and said "Ya'll came back to see me again". Me and my sister looked at her puzzled and she then realized we'd never come to this restaurant before, however she was still too sweet about it, that i'd def come back and visit. Please give it a try. Oh yeah, it's super cute in the inside, not too much decor, but also not too little. love the open windows to see outside while eating.

Ordered a salad for takeout. Waited 20 minutes & they forgot to include the grilled chicken that I paid an xtra $6. for. Salad definitely not worth $19.00. Could have went to the grocery store & buy a bag salad that would be far better & pay 1/4 the cost. Sucks.

Nothing really wrong or bad with our experience, but nothing stood out much, either. The menu is about what you'd expect for a southern food place. Nice they added some of the southern seafood dishes (shrimp and grits, jambalaya). We had the shrimp and grits and it was good-- tasty shrimp and sausage. Grits maybe a bit mushy? Also had two apps-- fried pickles and okra, and fried green tomatoes (and yes, we knew it was too much fried food!). All were tasty but again, nothing special. Maybe larger slickes of both pickles and okra, crisply fried would have been better. Full bar and I had a very tasty cocktail (their special old-fashion). Service was OK; again nothing wrong but no special touches. It was a slow Sunday afternoon so they weren't busy at all. If it weren't for grade inflation on Yelp, I'd give it 3 stars (which supposedly means OK). But since nothing was bad per se, just not excellent, I'll give 4.

Visited for Happy Hour, the food was really good. Had pimento cheese fries, served hot with jerky cheese, soo god also tried a few of their sliders! Meatloaf, shrimp po boy and pimento cheese fried green tomato! Friend had the chicken and meatloaf we both favored the meatloaf! All of them were very tasty! The fried shrimp on the po boy is exceptional! Drinks were ok, but food and food prices during happy hour are great! Will return to try other menu items based on how good the sliders are! Service was prompt, friendly and willing to make sure the experience was great. Looking forward to visiting again.

First time dining here and I was pleased! Our server Candy was literally so sweet! Our food came out promptly and was very good. I tried the fried green tomatoes and the 2 piece dark. The hot wings actually had a kick to them, which I appreciated. I'll definitely be back!

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.

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.

One of my besties really wanted to eat downtown on a Sunday afternoon so we decided to give this place a try. We are already planning to return next weekend. The food and service were outstanding. We both got the same sandwich, but different sides, and shared them. A gentleman at the next table let me snap a picture of his shrimp and grits and he said it was delicious. What is not pictured is the bowl of brussels sprouts slaw; an unusual, but super yummy, crunchy, fresh dish, that I plan to re-create at home. You owe it to yourself to eat here, at least once. Their regular dinner menu is completely different from the weekend brunch menu, according to our server, Grecia, who was knowledgeable and personable. Plan to eat here soon - and thank me later!

Excellent fried chicken in a nice setting. Would definitely return when in Knoxville.

Food exceeds all expectations. Anything fried has a perfect crunch. The hot chicken is really well seasoned, and the meatloaf was excellent. Anything with their pimento cheese is recommended.

Let me start by saying that southern food is my jam! I was ecstatic to try this restaurant. It's in an adorable part of town near breweries that were on our to-do list. The ambiance is very rustic and everything seemed very clean. Our server was fantastic and it really did seem every employee was helping each other out- I love to see that! The menu is a southern dream which made it extremely hard to pick through! My fiancé ordered the 1/4 white chicken with fries and creamy collards and I ordered the PBLT slider and the fried chicken slider with the chicken tossed in hot sauce. I think the most amazing part of the meal was the collards- they had the consistency of creamed spinach with that vinegary/peppery bite that collards provide. Truly delicious! My sliders were very good, though I don't think I would get the fried chicken one again. It was a little too dry, though still flavorful. The PBLT (pimento cheese, bacon, lettuce, fried green tomato) was perfection. I would order it over and over again, every single time.

This was my first time in Knoxville, TN and the staff made my entire experience worth it! My waiter was so kind and sweet and made me feel less alone even though I can into the restaurant alone! The food was soooo good I didn't want to stop eating! Their sweet tea is EVEN BETTER! If I ever come back to Tennessee I'm definitely coming back here! Yes the restaurant is CLEAN AND CUTE!

Great Food, Great service. Chicken pot pie was excellent but add a couple extra biscuits to your order.

Conveniently near the public parking lot. Good service. Great grits. Wings could have used a smidgen more salt but otherwise amazing. Would come back next time I'm in town.

LOVE this place! The atmosphere is chill and rustically modern. Service is great, prompt and courteous. And the food, the food is amazing! Good southern breakfast/brunch but with the option to try a fresh flavor or healthy twist. The portions are huge! Mine was easily two meals. Overall great place tucked away in old city and I can't wait to go back!

Best friend green tomatoes and shrimp and grits in Knoxville. Good service too. Only complaint is the place is loud due to the acoustics.

2 adults and 3 kids... $74 dinner and definitely worth it. All 3 boys loved the Mac and cheese and it was quality. I had the southern fried white chicken, juicy and extremely hot. Great spot in knoxville after a day at the zoo.

Really great chicken fried chicken!! Great wings too! Loved my ice tea cocktail I ordered. Would definitely visit again

We went on a busy summer Friday night. We sat at the bar at two open spots. We shared the pimento cheese fries, hot chicken and cheeseburger sliders, and the chicken club sandwhich. All of the food was incredible! There were a lot of drink options including a variety of draft beer. Will be back for happy hour and brunch in the future.

This is one of my favorite spots in Knoxville! It's not a super big restaurant but not super cramped- open and spaced well. I've never had to wait for a table and they also accept reservations. A focused menu with elevated southern staples gives a nice variety to sample--but be warned, the best things on the menu are not god for you. Love the fried green tomatoes with pimento cheese, a win because I don't like tomatoes or pimento cheese...it's tangy, savory and a little sweet with the honey. Don't save these as leftovers, they'll get soggy and won't last. Fried pickles and okra as a starter is a great portion size for the price. Husband loved the meatloaf, I love the fried shrimp platter with collard greens. We've also had burgers and crab cake sandwich which ended up being really hard to eat/messy and just fine. Fried chicken is also good and the cocktails are yummy!

Great food received tonight by my friend and I while visiting downtown Knoxville. Courteous, efficient, and friendly service was provided by Isaiah. We also enjoyed engaging him in pleasant conversation. We tried a few different sliders as well as Jambalaya for an entrée. All items as well as the banana pudding for dessert were great. We both agree , we would return another time to enjoy this place....

Just ok, was not too impressed with the menu so I went for a salad, my companion had Jambalaya pasta that wasn't spicy served without bread or anything else. Did not order any alcoholic beverage so I can't attest to that

The service was horrible! The server was rude. We regret coming here. Worst mistake ever

Food was excellent and the service was great. There was no wait but the people really started coming in as we were leaving. Don't sleep on the creamy collards. They were superb

We got here just in time to order before the kitchen closed (9:30 on a Sat for 10PM closing, things run early in Knoxville). Split the gumbo which was huge and delicious for about $20 and a side of Brussels sprouts slaw. Kind of a sports bar oriented place but lots of good sounding items on the menu and nice service.