This place was sooo good! We are from Florida and the spanish tapas made us feel back at home. The waiter was so friendly and accommodating. It also is the most instagramable spot inside!! Great spot! read more

Babalu - Latin American Near Me - Knoxville, Tennessee

Love the vibe and the food! My husband and I stopped in Friday night around 7pm with no reservation, and though the wait was going to be 45 minutes, we found two seats at the bar immediately with full service. Our bartender was excellent- friendly and attentive - and we both enjoyed our meals. I ordered the coconut curry fish and my husband had the jerk chicken. Both dishes had a lot of spice to them so if you aren't okay with some heat, you may want to ask for guidance on milder options. I also loved my cocktail, the Pink Flamingo. The decor is modern and airy, and they played video clips of beautiful travel destinations on the big corner TV to complement the Latin fusion menu and atmosphere. We will be back! read more

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We went for dinner yesterday and it was empty. We ordered a beer and a margarita. The beer arrived as we were finishing eating and the margarita never arrived. Told the waitress and she was not interested. Food arrived two minutes after we ordered. Tasted like it was premade and microwaved and the portions were small. Both entrees were tasteless. Only good thing was desert. read more

Great deal on Tuesdays! Food was delicious, my favorite was the pork taco! Excellent service and gorgeous restaurant. Also wasn't busy at 5:30pm on Tuesday night in May! read more

Babalu - Taco Tuesday Special - Latin American Near Me - Knoxville, Tennessee

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Stopped here on vacation based on a magazine recommendation. Other than the decor, this place is truly mediocre. The chicken flautas were dry, the queso was thick as paste, and the Cuban sandwich (which the waiter was ecstatic about) was completely lacking in flavor with awful bread. The plantains were a highlight among an otherwise really sad final dinner on our trip. We overheard the table next to us possibly saying this place is closing--if that's true, we are not surprised at all. read more

I went with my whole family for brunch and some of the entrees were great, but the Cuban sandwich was not. Probably deserves a 3.5 stars but I'll bump it up because my entree was very good. I had the huevos rancheros and my son had the churro french toast, both were very good. My mom had the cuban sandwich and it was just okay, nothing particularly wrong but she's had a lot better. I also got chips and guac and it had good flavor but I prefer guac to have more chunk of avocado. Their guacamole is very smooth, almost to the point that it seemed like it was blended. We'd go back but I wouldn't get a cuban again. read more

I would give a 4 for food but a 2-3 for service. We were a big party but there was a lot of waiting and the restaurant was empty. We started with charcuterie that was pretty delicious. Came with little toasties, prosciutto, cheeses, olives, peppers, lots of things. I ordered the seafood paella as my entree but we ordered the fried manchego cheese, croquettes, and shrimp skewers to start. All very tasty. I loved the fried manchego! The paella was also very delicious. We didn't get checked on often so getting drinks refilled or additional drinks was a little tough. Come for the food but don't expect urgent service. read more

Babalu - Seafood Paella - Latin American Near Me - Knoxville, Tennessee

Great vibe as we walked in... nicely freshened up since last open... service was great, nice variety of music and menu choices were good! 4 stars instead of 5 as 3 things we asked for were out! BUT... server gave us other recommendations which were great! Beet appetizer was off the hook great and my mahi mahi on corn was amazing!!! Nice flavors, seasoned great and very fresh! Good presentation!!! We will be back and will order or ask for suggestions as the variety is well served! My birthday ice-cream was served with a sparkler!!! Loved it! read more

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Yummmy Mexican and they make the guacamole in front of you at your table ! So you get a show and tasty food. The service can be slow sometimes, but that is just because they are so busy making the great food for everyone there :) read more

I used to love this restaurant! I have been multiple times over the past few years and almost every time have gotten the same order. Tajín fruit salad appetizer and Mole con Pollo for main. I noticed the fruit was a little different presentation which resulted in a smaller portion but didn't mind it too much. But then my Mole con Pollo came out and it was just shredded chicken breast with sauce when it used to be a big roasted chicken bone. I could make shredded chicken with sauce at home. One of my guests food was cold. Then, we ordered tres leches for dessert and let me just say if you have ever had tres leches before and enjoyed it do not order this. This was frozen angel food cake with icing on top. It was hard, dry and dense. Overall, this restaurant has just gone down hill. Nothing against the service - service was excellent. And drinks were good. read more

Babalu - Latin American Near Me - Knoxville, Tennessee

Had a reservation for a party of 6. Had been previously for brunch which was good. Dinner was another story. Service was extremely slow. Took @ 20 minutes to get our drink orders. Another 10 to get chips/salsa. I wish I took a picture of my dish, the vegetable Saltado. It should never have left the kitchen. Over 50% of the vegetables were charred beyond recognition and inedible. The rice in my dish as well as 2 others was very under cooked and hard. 5 of the entrees came out at the same time while one in our party had to wait 10 minutes for his to arrive.. it was the carne asada which was extremely fatty and very undercooked. Our water glasses were never refilled. Our reservation was 6:30 on a Friday. When seated we were informed they were out of sangria, paella and there was only 1 order of the risotto left. 6:30 on a Friday!!! We will not return. read more

Good vibe Great food Charcuterie plate was perfect to share and all was good Ceviche was perfect Good calamari- not greasy not dry Good drinks Great for small bites and cocktails We were there around 4 pm Saturday- no wait seating inside Will recommend read more

Babalu - Charcuterie plate - Latin American Near Me - Knoxville, Tennessee

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Saturday night, 9:45pm, bellied up to the bar for a pint of beer. Not realizing they closed at 10pm, the bartender was gracious and assured us we were welcome and could stay as he had plenty to do. He even offered us a second round at 10:20pm. This is a really cool space, prime location, nice bar, friendly service, nice drink menu, local beer on tap. I can't figure out why it closes so early on a Saturday night, but who am I? I enjoyed my drink here, and think you'll enjoy one too. Until next time... read more

I've been to Babalu twice in the past two weeks! The food is so good, the atmosphere is fun, the service is fast and it's just an overall good experience! read more

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had an extremely disappointing experience at Babalu Knoxville. My party of six was denied seating, despite there being plenty of open tables. The staff claimed they couldn't accommodate us, yet moments later, I watched them seat a white family of six--who also had no reservation. Throughout our time waiting, multiple other groups were seated with no issue, making it clear that we were being singled out. This type of bias and discrimination is unacceptable. No one should be treated differently based on race, especially in a public establishment. I would not recommend this restaurant to anyone who values fairness, inclusivity, or basic respect. Do better, Babalu. read more

This was the second time here and the food has been great both times! I got two different tacos and Street corn. The pork taco was a little bit greasy, but still overall good. The beef taco was amazing. Highly recommend. read more

Babalu - Tacos and street corn - Latin American Near Me - Knoxville, Tennessee

Not sure where to start, the interior of the place is very eye-catching, lots of unique designs, and a very warm and inviting vibe! The music not too overpowering, but a great selection in the service from my experience was very excellent. Our server Kya (Kiya? Kia?) Gave us a great personal experience when deciding on white wine, excellent choice as well as being an overall great server! The chips, fresh crispy, delicious and real, unlike many other places that serves Tostitos chips! read more

Babalu - Queso Birria taco - Latin American Near Me - Knoxville, Tennessee

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I just wanted to give a shout out to Babalu. we went there today for the first time. It was fantastic! My husband and I just stopped in and we were not disappointed. We sat at the bar and while the food was great, the service was incredible. CJ, the bartender, was awesome! He was so friendly and made sure we enjoyed everything and the best part were the drinks. He knew about the liquors and other ingredients and we were very impressed. We absolutely will recommend this place. read more

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Nice dinner, but a little hit and miss with the dishes we ordered. We started out with chip trio that included queso, guacamole and salsa. Queso and guacamole were excellent but sent salsa back as it was so thin it was like water. I ordered the black bean burger with a side of street corn. Both were FANTASTIC. My husband had the paella. The shrimp and mussels in it were very good but the rice was very mushy. Not how more authentic paella is. read more

Came in town for a week for work. Definitely should be higher rated. Went twice. Good food+ambiance+drinks. Fast and kind workers as well!! Definitely would recommend! read more

Energy was off , food was tasteless , wouldn't recommend and wouldn't go back . Didn't have mignonuette sauce for oysters ( which they advertise heavily ) . Drinks and decor were best part and service was fast , maybe was an off day for them but had much higher expectations. read more

Babalu has been on my list for a while since it reopened under new ownership. I absolutely love what they did with the place - the interior looks great; I love the colors, the booths, the lighting. But the food left so much to be desired. I don't leave many 3 star reviews but having tried a few dishes on the menu, I just left feeling so disappointed! I was happy to see vegetarian options but was disappointed in how heavily breaded and fried the cheese and cauliflower were. They were both just okay... the red pepper purée that came with the cheese was very good. The chorizo taco was probably the best of the three things I ordered. Blood orange marg was just ok, same with the guac we shared as a table. My friend who ordered the risotto seemed really happy with her decision, so if I end up coming back I'll be sure to give that a try. We went on a Thursday evening. We made a reservation same day but it seemed like walk ins would've been fine too! read more

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Such cool vibes! Came here to celebrate a few family birthdays before Christmas. This place looks so cool! The menu is super interesting! I started with their Gin & Tonic. It was so good and looked adorable. It had juniper berries in it which I loved! We got the dip trio to start. It came with Salsa, Guacamole, and a Bean Hummus. They were all so tasty, but my favorite part was the chips! So crispy and salty! There were quite a few things that I wanted to try, but wasn't too hungry so I settled on a salad. I ordered the Grilled Peach and Burrata Salad. I LOVE BURRATA!! The salad was good, but not fantastic. It was drowning in a Lime Vinaigrette. It was interesting, but just a little too tart for my liking! For the birthdays, they brought out ice cream and churros with a delicious chocolate ganache. So yummy!! I would really love to try this place again and try the tacos instead! read more

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SO VERY GOOD!!!Food was amazing so yummy. The vibe was eating so good. Just loved being there and the service was great. They just kept asking if we needed anything. 100% would recommend to come here have a few drinks and to eat some food!!! Coming back soon! read more

The interior was very well designed and the Cuban along with the frites was quite good. The only thing was our waitress wasn't like terrible, but she wasn't like the best. read more

Babalu - Cuban with frites - Latin American Near Me - Knoxville, Tennessee

Definitely one of my favorites on Gay St. I ordered the famous guacamole and a taco plate. The taco plate is your choice of two tacos and a side. The guacamole is easily the best I've eaten in Knoxville. I was a little disappointed that it wasn't table-side like the old place. However, I suspect that might be a dinner only thing. We had lunch. The chicken and pork tacos were very tasty. The shells were the perfect texture, the cilantro was very fresh, and the fillings were delicious. The fruit salad was spicy and I wouldn't have it any other way. I also ordered a gin and tonic which was excellent. The extra juniper berries are a nice touch. The interior was quite trendy and very clean. Fitting for what you'd expect from a newly reopened place but, with a very subtle tropical kind of twist. Overall, an excellent place. read more

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Our waiter Rick was awesome, otherwise this place was terrible. Great decor drew us in, but portions were tiny for what you pay and overall bad experience so I won't be back. Bartender girl was too busy chatting with her two friends sitting at the bar instead of making drinks for the customers. Once we got our drinks they came in tiny cups and literally 90% ice. The Coconut curry cod recipe needs to be redone, it's terrible, highly recommend you DO NOT get it. The shrimp skewers weren't cooked properly, they were still glassy (and were from Florida so we know how to prepare seafood lol). Tacos were good, but for so many things to be wrong I wouldn't ever come back. Hope the owners seriously take a look at the menu, chefs, and the bartender lmao. read more

Great food and ambiance! Service was good, however, they had one server for the entire restaurant, but he handled it great! A little wait for things due to that, but still worth it. I enjoyed a Gin Tonica prior to dinner, and if you're a Gin person, this was great! I ordered the Mole con Pollo and it was delightful. Very good flavor for this area. I was very happy to find this. read more

Food is Authentic! Very Great! You must try if you're in Knoxville, Tn. We recommend the shrimp tacos, very fantastic we did ordered twice! Paella is very smooth flavor, authentic and seafoods on it were very soft and just the right texture. Peter is our server, very the best! Very informative and has initiative to split our food into 2 so that it's convenient for us. Ambiance is very aesthetically modern, relaxing and not overwhelming kind of place. read more

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This is an excellent Cuban/Mexican experience. The food is very tasty with good portions. Staff are very friendly and service is outstanding. A definite unique experience in downtown Knoxville. read more

Glad this place was able to be salvaged post-Covid, but it's not the same Babalu. Let's talk guac: it is not nearly as good. No tableside which is a disappointment but not even the same recipe. This new guacamole is creamier and not as chunky or tasty. I got the trio dip and wasn't crazy about any of them (bean hummus, salsa and guac) but the chips are always a favorite. A little thicker and a good balance of salt/pepper. Manchego cheese was a spin off of mozzarella sticks and it wasn't bad. Wish I had the red pepper purée as dip but it was spread in a thin layer at the bottom. The grilled Cesear salad is my favorite dish - I actually think it's better than the one at Abridged. I've had the black bean bowl before and it's pretty good. I add shrimp to it. Husband tried the steak with chimichurri and it was really tasty. It comes paired with potatoes. The strangest thing about this new menu is that there are no sides on it! Street corn is gone. Only sides seem to be rice and salad. Disappointing. My most favorite thing is the remodel - the bathrooms are gorgeous. And as always, the free mouthwash is appreciated. For tacos downtown, Chivo over Babalu will be my go-to. read more

Unusually eccentric restaurant on main drag of Knoxville serving tapas and drinks. Christmas week around noon was not busy. Quiet ambiance with light classical piano music (4-star). Good selection of seating types (4-star): bar, raised tables, booths. Very good service (5-star). Very good, healthy food (5-star); wife thought bread pudding was the best she's had (and she's an excellent cook). Very good cocktails, though out of egg nog (4-star). Good prices and value (4-star). Recommend. Overall: 4-star. read more

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Great service and good. The menu was very gluten free friendly, providing me with tons of options. Restaurant was pretty on the inside and had a cool modern vibe to it. read more

The appetizers were wonderful, drinks were great too, but the entrees all had issues. My wife got tacos which were not impressive at all, I got the paella which was horrible. Paella is all about the rice, and the rice was soggy and greasy. They comp'd us our appetizer to make up for it. The ambiance was nice, the restaurant is well decorated. read more

We sat at the bar after a football game, and the service was great and friendly, and the food was delicious! The Mojo chicken sandwich was seasoned perfectly and the blood orange margaritas were delish! I loved the decor! read more

Good menu with a good selection. Fresh scallops all at a reasonable price point for even a weekday option. Service was odd as our server was caring but a bit absent minded. He did fix it but it was numerous and we had a large group. Drinks were fantastic too once we got the right ones. Definitely would come w a group again when downtown. read more

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The drinks and chips were delicious. The atmosphere was beautiful and they provided mouthwash in the bathroom. BUT, the food left a lot to be desired. For a Latin inspired place, the food was bland. I got the mushroom risotto with chicken on top and it tasted okay but the smell wafting off of it was not appetizing. The paella had a single flavor throughout, there were no distinct flavors. read more

Babalu - Risotto, Manhattan, Haitian Rum Sour, and Paella - Latin American Near Me - Knoxville, Tennessee

We were visiting from Indiana and wanted to hear some live jazz. We found this place with an internet search. Everyone in our group of seven was happy with their food orders. The shrimp that came with the risotto was especially good. The Cuban sandwich and the jerk chicken were also excellent. The band, Frog and Toads Dixie Quartet, was fantastic. The music was jazzy and fun and not too loud. Great service too. Highly recommend this place on a Monday night when the band is playing. read more

Brunch was delicious and the restaurant is not as crowded as some better known brunch spots downtown. $3 mimosas are a huge bonus! Service was wonderful and the ambiance has a cool, laid back vibe. Lots of natural light from the front windows on gay street. read more

Babalu - Brunch avocado toast, add bacon, and grapefruit juice mimosa. - Latin American Near Me - Knoxville, Tennessee

The corn was fabulous! I got the pickled beet crostini also and the flavors were delicious i just would've liked more beets! They were able to fit our party of ten on short notice so that was great! read more

Babalu - pickled beet crostini and street corn - Latin American Near Me - Knoxville, Tennessee