Probably my favorite place in Knoxville. Delicious food, the guac is to die for, a good variety of tacos. Servers are knowledgeable a d competant, bartenders know their business. I eat here whenever I can. read more

I ordered chicken milanesa. Chicken was full of grease, and the breading was burnt. Wife ordered grilled Caesar. The lettuce was not grilled. The outer leaves of the lettuce were wilted (old). Chips and salsa were good for an appetizer. There are no excuses for poor quality of food with an almost empty restaurant. The hostess had a more important cellphone text conversation going on than guests walking into the restaurant. read more

Food was okay, service was terrible. I know they are short handed like everyone but the manager had an attitude as well as the bartender. The hostess was great!!! read more

What a gem. Exactly what I was looking for. I wasn't planning on visiting this restaurant but saw their sign for Rose' flight and I headed in. Their Spanish and Portuguese wine selections are amazing. I was very impressed. My husband and I shared the charcuterie board with the roasted romaine Caesar salad and it was delicious. Topped it off with the affogato for dessert. Oh and the service was fantastic. I would definitely recommend you give this place a try. read more

Babalu - Rose' flight - Latin American Near Me - Knoxville, Tennessee

Service was wonderful. The vegetable chorizo tacos were divine. All of our appetizers were delicious. And our drinks were perfect. Will definitely return. read more

The atmosphere of this restaurant is very sophisticated and very aesthetic! The service at this restaurant is very nice and helpful! My mom and I ordered the Calamari, the wild mushrooms, and the Cuban. The calamari could have been a little bit more colder but it was super crispy and good. Plus the calamari dipping sauce was unexpectedly good. The mushrooms were divine and tasted so good. We were missing the kettle chips bc we were served tortilla chips instead. The Cuban was tasty and classic! read more

Took my mom their for a nice Mothers day - service was a joke - waited 10 min for water THREE TIMES, and the place was Not that busy. No tableside guacamole, which was a big reason I took her - just a bowl of dip and chips - no plates/garnish/limes or anything...Ordered 6 oysters - they were each the size of a nickel, literally, I was laughing - $22 dollars!....I tried a few to see if they were the most amazing things in the world then sent them back - no comp when I didn't eat them....terrible mgmt..: said "they were at the mercy of their distributor" , which is BS of course...I wouldn't serve that in Manhattan at that price - if you get ridiculously small shellfish you lower the price or WARN the customer, period. This is hardly some ritzy posh gourmet oyster house - if I'm paying $3.50 for something the size of a teaspoon (again - literally) I need to be told that...Mgmt never bothered coming to the table - hostess dropped the unchanged bill after my complaint and then just walked away....Complete insult....Never returning, and will do nothing but besmirch the place to everyone I know in town to keep them from ever going again....Ruined Day read more

I wish this place was as good as it was pre-covid. Since reopening I've given it two tries and have been severely disappointed each time. From the slow service to the bad food... I will not be returning. Today I got two mahi tacos togo .... I was actually dumbfounded when I opened the boxes. Three measley pieces of mahi mahi that tasted like last weeks fish that probably equated to two ounces of fish if that ... with two pieces of lettuce and a pile of pickled onions. When I called to ask if that was normal and see how many ounces the serving should be the person who answered wasn't only unsure but was rude when I expressed I wasn't happy and didn't offer to talk to a manger or anything. I am so so forgiving and usually just blasé with stuff like this but these tacos were a joke. I actually only made yelp in hopes that maybe the owner or the manger will see this and make changes. Super disappointing. read more

Babalu - $6 for this ??? - Latin American Near Me - Knoxville, Tennessee

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Pretty disappointed in the new management and the food. I knew not to expect the same Babalu but the difference in the quality of the food and drinks was just not good. We had a large party which can be confusing but restaurants should be prepared for that or just not allow them. Our waitresses were rude to us when they couldn't do their job correctly? Not a horrible experience just very disappointed and most likely won't be returning. read more

Do not expect daily special prices unless you order exactly what is advertised on the board out front. Went in to enjoy $5 margaritas only to discover at the time of payment that asking for flavored versions of the drink disallowed the discount. Was charged, with managers input, virtually full price ($18 vs. $10) for the drinks. Server never mentioned the up charge until the bill was presented. We came for the discounted drinks and made our server most aware of our intent. Live 50 yards from the restaurant, won't be back! read more

In one word: fantastic. Fantastic food, drinks, people, and atmosphere. I had to make a Yelp account just to make sure people knew how great this place is. If you want something local and delicious, I couldn't recommend a place strongly enough! I can't wait to come back again! read more

Babalu - Latin American Near Me - Knoxville, Tennessee

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The whiners down rating the new Babalu are the usual boring spoiled brat children. new place has more class, great service, great food and Christin, our server, was excellent. Will be back and new approach will attract a strong following. Whiners, go to Salsaritas. Carl read more

The atmosphere of this restaurant is great. I've been looking forward to trying this for a while and was excited to finally get the chance. We made reservations a week in advance, and could only get 8:45pm for a Saturday night, which we were fine with. Our server was nice, but he didn't seem like he knew the menu. We asked many questions and he didn't really have an answer. The kitchen was also out of many things we wanted to order, which was annoying because why take reservations that late if you're going to run out of food? Our drinks were delicious. I got the blood orange margarita, others ordered the banana daiquiri and palomas. The monchego cheese wedges were terrible - there was barely ANY cheese it was just burnt breading. Our street corn was really good but it was served to us cold. I got the jerk chicken taco, it was tasty but fell apart immediately. My shrimp tacos were good but as I took a bite I saw the shrimp was NOT deveined and i lost my appetite. Overall, I liked the atmosphere but did not enjoy the food nor the service and probably will not be back. read more

I'm sad to say bad experience. Not what it use to be. Guacamole was good. The fried cheese was so greasy it was floppy. I ordered ceviche because I love it and it was disgusting big huge uneven chunks of fish, cilantro and lemon, that was it nothing else no flavor I couldn't even eat it, looked raw in places. Waitress didn't offer to take it off the tab. So hoping to have something better ordered the paella. It's my understanding that paella is rice & seafood cook together. Shrimp and clams came out on top very obviously cooked separately. Rice was almost frozen in some places like they had microwaved it for just a minute and didn't stir. Again disgusting, felt like I was eating leftovers not $20 fresh meal. We will not go back again. read more

Let me start by saying I hate leaving bad reviews, however this experience was such a disappointment. I used to love Babalu, it was my go to back in Memphis for birthday dinners. I went once when I moved here in 2018 and it was so good. I went last night and I was so disappointed. I definitely understand that there is a shortage with produce, but the guac (used to be my favorite so I'm rly sad) was absolutely awful. It was incredibly salty and did not taste or feel like the freshly made kind they used to have. THEN I got the Babalu burger which used to have fresh slices of avocado and roasted tomatoes. The menu now states guac instead of avocado but still advertises the roasted tomato. When I got it, it was nothing like it used to be. It was one slice of regular tomato, a little smear of the salty guac, wayyy too much sauce, and it was cooked until it was dry. I'm literally so sad about this experience but unfortunately I will not be going back. read more

Without a doubt Babalu is the best restaurant in Knoxville. Good vibes, great staff and amazing food. Check out their live jazz and $5 margaritas every Monday. I eat here every time I'm in town. read more

White sangria tasted like water. Not great service and below average food. Will consider before coming back. Memphis one is superior. I know they have a different owner now and it shows. read more

Babalu unfortunately tuned out to be Baba-boo since it's makeover. Our first time back will be our last. The Ceviche was bitter with 90% white fish and 10% shrimp. When we mentioned this to our server it was replaced AFTER THEY TASTED IT and agreed but it was now swimming in a creamy sauce. Kudos at least for replacing it. The guacamole seemed preprocessed and over limed. The tacos were over juicy and shells were greasy from being fried. Then, sitting near the kitchen, we heard the cook yelling out completed orders. Overall not a pleasant dining experience. My stars go to having vegetarian options on the menu, even though the chorizo had no flavor and a star for our server Santana who was friendly, prompt and attentive. read more

I really liked this restaurant. The inside is very pretty and elegant looking. Great place to grab dinner. Food was very flavorful... VERY FLAVORFUL...and that's rare for restaurants. If you like Spanish food I highly recommend it. read more

We had the best time celebrating my boyfriend's 30th birthday here last week! We booked a few pods in the back for family and friends to gather- not only was the area gorgeous and private, but the staff were so accommodating as well! Lauren and Nina were great and catered to our every need. Food and drinks were delicious and came out quickly, despite it being a busy Friday night. We loved it so much we went back Sunday afternoon for dinner! read more

First review ever but this beautiful new spot is already gross. Horrible service, disgusting bathrooms, sticky floors. Had to beg for water refills and our bill, couldn't wait to leave. Not a manager in sight and every employee standing around talking to each other without a care. This place can't last another month. read more

I wasn't quite sure what to expect, so I ordered some familiars that I've had many times elsewhere: a "paloma" drink and a "cuban" (sandwich). This place labels itself as "fusion," so I kept an open mind. Fusion or not, the Paloma didn't even remotely taste like a traditional Paloma. Too heavy on the tequila, not enough Squirt to balance it out, and devoid of seasoning (salt). The Squirt itself seemed flat as there was no carbonation in my drink. Plus, it seemed to be served as a room temperature drink. There may have been hints of "ice" in the drink, but the drink didn't seem cold. If the drink at least made me think of a traditional Paloma as a foundation and then they did their take on it, then great, I could get behind that. But this was too far from being a Paloma that it was a super let down. Next: the cuban sandwich. Rather bland. Not bad, but nothing appealing. I've had better. The place, regardless, was packed on the afternoon that my friend and I ate there. I don't know what it looked like before, so I can't speak to any remodeling that may have taken place, but the restaurant's interior was inviting and pleasing, so that was a plus. Service was good. Our waitress attended to us properly, so no complaints there. Overall, though, Babalu was a disappointment to me. read more

Sooo good! Each of our party tried something different and everyone was so pleased. The fresh guacamole and strawberry margarita was so delicious. The interior was so cute and overall had a great atmosphere. Our server was very kind and did a great job. read more

This was a great find in the downtown area. Staff was friendly and very helpful in explaining things. There were many great appetizer choices. Ultimately we chose the garden vegetable charcuterie board. My older son said he thought he would miss the meats that were on another option but when it came he said it was so good he didn't miss it. The local Goat Cheese Gouda was one of the many stars on the board along with house made tomato jam and pickled mustard seeds. For the main course we all chose something different so we could taste more things. My husband is trying stay healthier so he got the Babalu salad with grilled chicken, then my older son got the Paella which he would only let anyone try the broth and rice from but they were tasty. I had the Smoked Jerk Chicken which was deliciously sweet with a spicy kick. Our youngest was not feeling very adventurous and for a cheeseburger with house made potato chips which most of the adults stole at least one of. Dessert was an Affogato and Fruta Peefecta both were amazing. In the past the affogato I had tried used regular coffee which made the ice cream melt here they used whipped coffee and express syrup I don't much like coffee but this was so yummy. If you like lighter healthier desserts the Fruta Pefecta is perfect. We also got a to go order and the home body that got it said it was also very good I did taste the salsa he got with chips and it was obviously house made and amazing. Definitely will be back here in the future. read more

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Brought my sister in from out of town and stopped in for a drink and a snack, at which point the hostess instructed us that we could sit in the bar area as there were only about 4 tables of people there. After sitting down the manager came and fussed at us and rudely told us "next time you need to speak to the hostess about where to sit". This put a bad taste in our mouth for the rest of the time there which is a shame because the food and service were fine. Probably won't go back after this experience. read more

I was looking forward to the revamp of Babalu! I thought it would be similar considering it still has the same name, but it is now a completely different restaurant! The vibe and new look is great, but the menu is less than mediocre. The guacamole seems artificial, there are no sides and very few options on the menu. The margaritas were fabulous but would not go back for a meal. If you're looking forward to the old Babalu, this is not it! read more

Came in on a Friday at 7:30 already expecting a long wait. Was not expecting the terrible responses from the hostess along with horrible service. The hostess was notably rude to me. I have worked as a hostess before, and the way she talked to me was frankly unacceptable. Sat at the bar for 20 minutes before a bartender took our order and proceeded to wait another 10 minutes for our drinks. It was not crowded by the time we sat down. It was obvious that they did not want to be working or serving us. Food came out cold when we were finally sat. Overall, do not waste your time coming here. read more

It's not the same. Cold atmosphere. Food too salty. Drinks are overpriced and too much ice. A double is exactly double the cost which is bad business. Better off going to Chivo if you want better food and a bigger Tequila selection. read more

Unique experience with great service and food. Love the decor throughout the space. Must try the shrimp tacos.

Delicious food and great service! Was able to check out this place for a business dinner. The guacamole is truly to die for and every single taco is AMAZING - especially the vegetarian chorizo and the pork. Our server was great and the manager was kind and informative. Top notch! Great beer selection too. read more

Super impressed with the new designs! The food was outstanding. The shrimp taco is a must! Can't wait to come back!

Absolutely fantastic food & environment. A 'must do' on a trip to Knoxville. The wine list is fun and eclectic, all in all a well rounded experience. read more

So we loved the old Babalus. This is NOT the old babalus. The guacamole is no longer made table side. No French pressed coffee. We had the burger which was burnt beyond recognition. Our table had a view of the grill and we saw the chef put two burgers on the grill that literally caught on fire. Not charbroiled but caught on fire with flames two feet high. Then he squirted oil on them Just to make sure they were completely obliterated. Our $13 shrimp skewer was also fatally burnt and tasteless ( except for char). If you are a chef that cannot cook a burger you need to be selling shoes. The Romain Caesar salad was horrible. Burnt Romain and three slivers of Parmesan cheese. The shrimp tacos were excellent. The pork taco was okay. Heck, even the free olives were from a jar and flavorless. We paid $46 for a lunch that was burnt and flavorless. Complained to the waitress and got a "sorry" but no compensation. Last time they will see us. The atmosphere was awesome and that's about all we can say. If management reads this fire your kitchen staff immediately. read more