Altrudas has stood the test of time. I remember when Altrudas was one of the few "nice" restaurants in Knoxville, fast forward 30 years and you can find hundreds of upscale restaurants in the area. Altrudas still delivers a memorable experience and delicious meal. It will always be one of my favorite restaurants!! read more

Our food was prepared and cooked to perfection. The food was absolutely delicious, and freshly made to order. This restaurant is the next best place for real authentic Italian cooking outside of NYC's little Italy. The service was excellent and our server "Taylor" provided the best experience. Her customer service skills are outstanding. Family friendly and handicap accessible. I highly recommend this restaurant for your family dining or that special occasion. read more

Cool looking place. In a strip mall but they made it look like an old house with multiple small dining rooms. Nicely done. Food was pretty good. Salad and rolls were top notch. The lasagna I had was baked and served in a bowl. Taste was very good but not what I was expecting. Kind of like a lasagna soup... but not that runny of course. Chicken Parm was very good. Wife really liked it. Couple of minor complaints. The serving size was kind of small, even the pasta side. And a pet peeve of ours.... We were not even finished with our salad and they brought the mains. Please let us finish and maybe even a little time in between courses. Will we be back? Maybe.... Lots of other good choices out there but glad we went once. read more

Service was the best! Place was busy and as they state everything is made to order. Hibiscus tea was refreshing and perfectly sweeten. Average ambiance; seems tables are spread out for covid still, not warm and inviting. We had the Cuban sandwich made on bread shipped in from Florida they say. It was so flaky on the outside it really took away from the flavorful inside. The beans were tasty and the plantains were perfectly prepared. It is definitely worth a stop read more

My husband and I dined here to celebrate our 2nd anniversary. The menu had a lot of great dishes that it was hard to decide, but we knew exactly what we wanted for an appetizer! The calamari was delicious and they offered a horseradish and marinara sauce for dipping. I ordered the Vitello (Veal) Melanzane and my husband ordered the Snapper Parmigiana. They were both great dishes and we had plenty of leftovers. The only negative was the overcooked pasta. Next time, we will save room for dessert! read more

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I always loved coming to Altruda's, I mean, i would go out of my way to make this a stop Everytime i was in Knoxville. For years, it was my favorite restaurant. Since Covid hit and shut them down for a while, when they reopened it has never been the same. The food quality is not that good, they seem annoyed when you order to go, and they raised prices but not as good of portions as before and just not the same. Altruda's, you were for years my favorite restaurant in knoxville, please, please figure it out and get back to the great food you had!!!. I want you to be around for many years to come.... If you hired new cooks, teach them your old ways, fix it before it is too late. read more

Great meal. We stopped for the night and decided to have an Italian dinner. Altruda's didn't disappoint!! Shrimp Pomodori and Shrimp Altruda dishes were fabulous!! Just what we were craving. Atmosphere and service were also on point!!! read more

Altruda's - House garlic rolls and Italian Salad - Italian Near Me - Knoxville, Tennessee

Went for a date night with my partner who wanted something nice but not over stimulating. Altruda's was the perfect atmosphere and setting. We received great service from the team and our food came out quickly and hot. Only hiccup was the pasta that came with our entrees lacked much flavor, but the entrees themselves were very tasteful. Definitely recommend this locally owned restaurant. read more

Altruda's - Pollo Canzanese with Red Pepper Flakes - Italian Near Me - Knoxville, Tennessee

My friend recommended this Italian place to me. Private parking lot that is shared with other businesses in the lot. It might be hard to find parking around weekend dinner time. Altruda's does accept reservations, and I would recommend calling for one. My friend and I waited about 20 minutes my first time here because we did not have a reservation. The restaurant feels cozy and warm, especially with the dim lights and red tones. There is a huge menu selection with prices a tad high for Italian in Knoxville. Portions are generous though. FOOD: House Salad and Garlic Rolls (3/5): If you like Olive Garden's salad, then this salad is somewhat similar. Both use Italian dressing, but Altruda's has mushrooms, beets, and chickpeas. Garlic rolls are OK when they are freshly warm. If it's cold, then not going to touch them. Garlic rolls are literally soaked in garlic butter. Shrimp al Limone (Seven Large Shrimp, Dipped in Egg Batter and Sauteed in Butter, Lemon, and White Wine, 1/5): My goodness. This was definitely the worst pasta I've tried in my life. My boyfriend got a similar dish but the chicken one. We both agreed it was too much lemon with meat drowned in watered-down white wine. Salsiccia Con Pepe (Sausage With Peppers in Marinara and Garlic Sauce Served Over Pasta, 2/5): Rich marinara with nice, thick consistency but lacking everything else. Definitely a lot of pasta so was used for leftovers next day. Service was great. No problem. Both times, the servers were personable and would come by often. Would I return? Nope...... just average and not worth the price. But follow Altruda's on Facebook.. can get a house entree for half price off the menu. read more

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Now that's Italian! Dinner here on a weeknight and overall they delivered across the board. Plenty of parking but no reservations for parties under six. We had no trouble getting a table but wish they would allow us to book in advance. Greeted promptly and no wait. Service was "okay". Friendly but struggled to answer questions or offer advice. Maybe new? Food was delicious. Lasagna, manicotti, ravioli, and more all enjoyed and bowls cleaned. Salad was a highlight of the meal as well. Loved the dressing and big bowl refilled if needed. Yum! Cannoli shared by the table were very good and a nice ending to the meal. The website doesn't show but full bar with cocktails and wine. We will definitely be back and look forward to exploring the menu. read more

This was delicious! The service was top tier and everything the waiter recommended was great! The ambiance was super cool!

This was my second time eating here. The first time was 5 years ago, and although I don't remember what I ordered, I do remember I was not impressed. This visit was because the birthday girl wanted to eat here, so we did. I ordered the veal marsala. with a side of spaghetti. The veal was sooooo sweet! I ate a little, trying not to be rude, but I did not like it. The spaghetti was edible, but not very good. Very similar tasting to a poor quality canned spaghetti from the grocery store. The bottom pieces of bread in the bowl sat in either butter or oil. I had a piece from the top so it wasn't bad. The salad was the only thing I enjoyed. Before tip, my meal of Veal Marsala, which comes with a side of spaghetti, salad and rolls, and a water to drink was 29.44. For that price range, I would expect house made pasta, and rolls with a nice olive oil to DIP my bread into. Oh, and one person in our party ordered fettuccini alfredo. The fettuccini was actually egg noodles, which changes the conststancy and how the sauce sticks to the pasta. I don't understand how this quality justifies the prices. There are too many other Italian restaurants with better food and lower prices in town. There are also a few really good Italian spots around town that can justify their prices by the quality of the food they serve. read more

My dad was having cravings for Italian for Father's Day and this place delivered! I just moved to the area and didn't know of any places and Altruda's popped up in my search did not disappoint! We arrived 15 minutes before they opened and there was already a line at the door or people waiting to get in. We were seated once we were inside and immediately brought waters by our server. Tables are fairly close together but not right on top of each other. They bring out garlic rolls and salad for the table before your entrees and they were delicious! The salad had a good variety of veggies and a wonderful Italian dressing and the rolls were piping hot snd had just the right amount of butter and garlic! For our entrees we all ordered something different. We indulged in the veal parmigiana, chicken parmigiana, ziti, and manicotti. The pasta was perfectly cooked and the tomato/red sauce was very hearty. More importantly they did not skimp on the cheese! Every loved their dish and there was a lot more that we all wanted to try. From eggplant dishes, seafood, and other veal, chicken, and sausage dishes there's something to satisfy everyone. We didn't order an appetizer but several tables around us ordered the fried mozzarella. If you're looking for amazing Italian cuisine do not look any farther than Alruda's! We will definitely be back! read more

Omg sooo good and definitely not what you expect walking in. The salad is great, almost didn't try it but could have been my whole meal.

I gave it a second and last chance. The staff was very pleasant and accommodating. The atmosphere is dated but cozy; honestly, had better food at fazolis. Came out very cold and blahh. The pairings make absolutely no sense, but thank God for the slightly redeeming garlic rolls. Olive garden, I'll be back. read more

We were coming in town for a track meet and my son needed to carbo load so I told him to search for pasta near our hotel. He found Carrabba's and I replied blah, because a chain spot when we're out of town, no thank you. He then found Altruda's and he is a winner for that! The place is in a strip mall and very unassuming but when you walk in the lights are low and I felt like I was walking into an Italian spot in Brooklyn (I don't know why Brooklyn but I guess because of the movies). Our waitress was awesome and did her job very well. She made recommendations and explanations because the menu was very Italian. The food didn't disappoint, I had the Ziti Al Forno and he had the Rigatoni Alla Carbonara. Both were delicious and filling, we each had left overs. We also had the La Zuppa Di Salsiccia and it was wonderful. My son has had that soup at Olive Garden and he called that the fast food version. Super authentic, super delicious, one of the best Italian restaurants I've had in a while and would definitely come back or be here frequently if I was a local. read more

Altruda's - Garlic rolls - Italian Near Me - Knoxville, Tennessee

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There was one positive about this experience, and that was the server. He was friendly and prompt. Everything else was so poor that i couldnt believe this was the same restaurant i spent my 12th birthday at, and loved. The room was very hot, even my wife was sweating. The food was bland and watery, and incredibly expensive for what we got. Even gondolier is far better than this. I dont know if theyve slipped, or if standards have increased so much around town, but this place doesnt hold up. I honestly cant believe how crowded it was. 2 stars read more

Great Decor on the inside. We had a great server who took care of all 12 of us. Great appetizers and food. Highly recommend!

A group of us had dinner here Tuesday evening. Our server was great and the food was very good. I had their Ziti al Forno, which is basically baked ziti in a meat sauce with Italian sausage and ricotta. The portion is huge and I didn't eat it all so the manager came by to check on me. Like I said, great service! By the way, the bread bite floating in butter - albeit garlic butter - are pretty awesome too! read more

I really did not care for the food! The shrimp did not taste right and also the garlic in the bread tasted super fishy! The service was great but I am not sure I will be going back anytime soon read more

The best Authentic Italian desserts on the planet to go and to enjoy. And their famous made from tiramisu cake was just made from heaven. Altruda's has the best signature tiramisu made from scratch and baked fresh every day. read more

Altruda's - Italian Near Me - Knoxville, Tennessee

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Everything especially the salad and the veal Marsala Cannot wait to visit again Want to try the clams read more

So disappointing. Loved this place when I lived here 6 years ago. The wife and I had many date nights here. I was in town on business and took my coworker. Olive Garden would have been a better choice than this place. Only thing that was still good was the salad. They even changed the garlic knots to garlic rolls with old garlic not the green garlic that was used in the past. Past was old and gummy while the sauces tasted like that were right out of a can. Sadly this was my last visit. I was embarrassed taking someone there and then experiencing this quality. read more

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Father's Day evening and we were looking for a nice, sort of fancy dinner spot. Altruda's fit the bill. They weren't terrible busy so we didn't need to wait, but they were going to seat us in the bar area near a large table that was mostly younger children. I had listened to children cry and act up all day and asked for a different table. The lady was super nice and said she completely understood -- guess she had been listening to crying children all day too! They seated us in a different room near the back and it was quiet. Our server appeared promptly and took our drink orders. DH got the Italian Sausage and Peppers that he really enjoyed, although he wished it had been served on pasta instead of egg noodles. I ordered the Rigatoni Anthony and it was delish. Meals came with hot rolls (OMG, fabulous!) and a beautiful, fresh salad. We aren't in Knoxville often, but we would definitely come back here! read more

Fantastic food and service and the atmosphere is so warming and welcoming! I definitely will be coming back and bringing others along to enjoy the food read more

Debated between 4 and 5 stars-- wish I could give 4.5...but the bottom line is that for what it is, this is a great place: a basic Italian place that serves Italian classics that are very tasty, and with lots of good extra touches. Don't expect new or creative dishes; just the traditional fare common in most Italian restaurants, but very well done. The dish that most pushed me to the high rating was the veal marsala....a very delicate sauce along with the many mushrooms above the very tender meat. We upgraded on both sides and loved the pasta alfredo and sauteed spinach (with no upgrade, you get spaghetti with marinara sauce). Also loved VERY much the rolls served over an olive oil/pesto sauce as well as the very tasty salad (refillable, on top of all). We don't judge a restaurant by the volume of food...but after having lots of the tasty salad and bread along with appetizers (not to mention some good cold martinis), we could hardly eat much of the entrees, no matter how good they tasted-- so we ended up with LOTS to take home. We had noticed as we waited that many people had walked out before us with to-go boxes and now we understand! Again-- nothing fancy here, nothing new and exciting-- but traditional basic (American) Italian food done VERY well. read more

My wife, another couple and I went on 2/8/2024. We got there about 7:15 and was told the wait would be about 60 minutes. It only took about 30 minutes, which was great. The menu had a lot of options and all sounded good. They start you off with garlic rolls and a large salad to share at the table. The salad was great, it was loaded with tomatoes, cucumbers, mushrooms, beets and the dressing was nice and tangy. The garlic rolls were a standard roll with melted butter and garlic. Refer back to the menu sounded good, but it really feel short. I had the Ziti Al Forno. It was just ok at best. The sauce was very bland and the sausage and meatballs again were lacking any flavor. My wife had the Pollo Al Limone. This was just the chicken on a plate with the butter and wine sauce served with a random plate of spaghetti and meat sauce. Usually this dish is served with noodles accompanied by the butter and wine sauce or potatoes. They really need to step up their flavor profiles. read more

Quality food. Good portions on pasta dishes for the price. I enjoyed the salad and bread, but it's more of a garlic oil bread versus a garlic butter. So I tried to get the least oily pieces of that...but over all, good pasta options and good portion for the price. Maybe it was an off night, but the meatballs absolutely tasted like nothing...very friendly service. Good atmosphere but it's dark and a bit loud. read more

Altruda's serves some of the best Italian food that you will find in any city and that's one of the reasons I consider theirs to be Knoxville's finest. Altruda's has a dark, cellar atmosphere, that's both quiet and intimate with a traditional menu that spans classical Southern and Northern Italian fare. All entrees are served with unlimited salad and garlic rolls. That may sound similar to some lowbrow Italian chains but I promise that you will never mistake Altruda's family salad, consisting of at least 7 ingredients and fresh-made dressing or their daily made garlic rolls, bathed in butter and topped with fresh garlic, with those of any chain. As far as entrees go, I favor the veal parmigiana or fettuccine Alfredo. Their manicotti and cheese ravioli are excellent Northern Italian dishes that are well balanced by traditional Southern fare like baked ziti with Italian sausage and spaghetti and meatballs. Also, don't leave without trying their Cannoli. You're going to thank me for this tip: "like" their Facebook page. Every night, they offer the "Facebook special." It's announced on their FB page every day and you only get the discount when you mention it, but if you bring friends, it can save the table enough money for a couple of deserts or bottle of wine. read more

This restaurant is often overlooked in Knoxville! It is in a strip mall so the outside is misleading. It is a great restaurant. It is quaint and made up of small rooms. Their rolls are hot, fresh, and delicious. The pasta dishes are very good. Service was good. No outside seating, but it is not a big deal to us. I recommend Altruda's!! Great Italian food. read more

First the customer service was excellent; more specifically our waiter. He was very knowledgeable, patient and attentive. The ambiance was dark and over decorated though some of the furniture items towards the front were beautiful. Now the food--the salad was great and plentiful; the garlic rolls were some of the best I've tasted. The appetizers: mushrooms, baked clams, fried calamari were delicious; especially the clams. Then the meal came and it just didn't measure up. We had shrimp fettuccini Alfredo, chicken, ravioli and spaghetti w/meatballs. They don't have too many choices for someone who can't eat dairy. The spaghetti sauce and meatballs were strange. I took a couple of bites and that's it. Unlike any spaghetti I've ever had. I'm not a big fan of spaghetti but there wasn't much else to try. The tiramisu also left much to be desired. Three stars largely for the main meal and ambiance. read more

Garlic rolls soft buttery delicious - eggplant with meat sauce tasted like a lasagna - salad was fresh and not your typical salad - definitely elevated with beets and other fresh ingredients-good date place - service was outstanding- read more

I came here with my first yelp gal pal. The decor and attire was casual. They had booth and round tables for seating. I ordered the Scallops Florentine and she ordered a fish pasta dish. My dish was so creamy and packed with protein. The scallops were perfectly grilled and incredibly tender. I highly recommend this dish. The free garlic bread and house salad was quite filling. We took majority of our main dish to go because we got full off the salad and bread. read more

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This was our first time here. My wife ordered the veal Parm and I ordered sausage and peppers. We both got rigatoni as a pasta they do not carry penne nor angel hair. I asked for Parmesan cheese and I was charged three dollars extra I agreed to it but it really wasn't worth it. The salad was delicious the rolls were delicious and the food was pretty good as well. The beer prices were pretty good at five dollars for a corona the mixed drink was outrageously expensive at nine dollars and watered down. The deserts are $9.50 for a cannoli which is ridiculous. So with all this being said if we go again we'll definitely not order a mixed drink and we will definitely not order dessert and we won't order the three dollar extra Parmesan cheese. My wife did not care for the sauce that came with her pasta it was kind of thick dark and maybe burnt. read more

Unless you grew up going here or have some nostalgic reason for for eating here....don't go...food marginal to terrible and they serve carafes of boxed wine.. and the bar area is closed.. ordered a vodka soda, got a double soda vodka..don't go if you want Italian...frazoli's is better read more

The garlic rolls are delicious- the eggplant is also delicious - never disappointed Tony was great and we never needed for anything

Loved it years ago. Recently moved back. Tried them out. The food was very salty and the service was lacking to say the least. Disappointed. I used to love this place. read more

This place needs 10 stars!! Seriously....some of the best Italian EVER!! Passing through on the way to Nashville, we choose it based on Yelp reviews. The reviews dont do it justice!!! First off...the house salad, which comes family style, is full of everything. Artichoke hears, olives, feta cheese, cucumbers, beets, tomato...it was a 10.00 salad and comes with the meal. It was absolutely beautiful and so tasty. The chicken parmesean was so moist and well seasoned!! I cant remember the name of my dish but it was a stack of veal and eggplant done in a parmesean preparation. OMG...it was one of the top 10 things I have EVER eaten. It was almost an out-of-body experience. The marinara sauce was so impressive.....just WOW!! When the owner saw that we were new, he introduced himself then treated us to the biggest, richest, most awesome cannolli I have ever eaten. It would easily feed 4 people. Never tried cannoli? This is the place to start...geeze oh wheeze...addicting!! The owner claims all the recipes are his grandmothers....totally believable and a good reason EVERYONE needs an Italian nona!! read more

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Been to Altruda's 6 times before writing this review. My wife and I find Altruda's one of the best run restaurants in Knoxville. The food and service is consistently excellent, the restaurant is always clean. You can tell the owner/manager truly cares about his brand and product. Love the Eggplant Nicole, Veal Marsala, Lasagna, and Chicken Limone. The one one thing we didn't care for was the cannoli. If you love old school Italian food, in an old school Italian atmosphere. you will love Altruda's. read more

We had been eagerly looking forward to trying out two days since moving here from Kansas City. With all of the height that it is one of the better Italian cuisine establishments in Knoxville we were very let down. Honestly, many of the food trucks here produce a better tasting meal than what we were served. The environment was decent, a little dark for reading the menu, but overall felt like an old Italian joint. When asking about the menu and specials we were directed to try the Snapper. The waiter was very young, so I understand where service would fall benchmark for lack of experience. However, we made it clear that meat and vegetables were what we were looking for no bread on the main... The fish came out over cooked and breaded. A side of spaghetti Tasted like some thing from a school lunch rather than an authentic Italian recipe. I truly hope that our experience was an exception to the rule, but with so many other options in town there isn't a motivation to return. The health screening process before entering the building was well received though. read more