The chicken in both meals was raw with bloody juices, and the fries were limp and looked undercooked. I usually go to the Buddy's near Bearden High/Cheddar's with no issues, but I tried the location across from the old Sonic by Bearden Elementary and was really disappointed. I won't be returning to that location. read more

See all

I love Buddy's, and today we had it catered at work, for all shifts!!! Yum Os 10-11-23 It was yummy, pulled chicken, pork,baked beans, BBQ sauces,; and delicious coleslaw. The slaw is yummy on the pulled pork! Everyone ate and ate and had to roll us out to work! hehe just kidding. Came package great, had everything for a great BBQ. read more

Buddy’s bar-b-q - Tons of food for Wed. at work. - Barbeque Near Me - Knoxville, Tennessee

8402 Kingston Pike location at lunchtime, 3/3/2026 Hush puppies were cold Fries were cold hard Chicken wasn't warm, flavor was OK Tea was watered down Baked beans were OK Clerk at drive thru was nice Not the usually good meal like I've had in the past at Buddys. read more

Seriously? You actually put all of this in the same box? You were too lazy or too cheap to use separate containers? It's so unappetizing, I can't even eat it. Y'all might as well have sent me a box of dog barf. You also missed one of the drinks, and there were no hush puppies, which were supposed to be included. Not that they would have been edible, given the rest of this sloppy, grotesque mess. Do better. read more

Buddy’s bar-b-q - Baked bean potato salad barbecue stew - Barbeque Near Me - Knoxville, Tennessee

Let me start by saying this place was absolutely disgusting. The service was great, I was greeted nicely and all.. but the food was cold, the cheese looked moldy, AND THERE WAS AN ALIVE BUG IN THE FOOD. (Thank god it looked gross anyways). I have never experienced this first hand, and I'm very disappointed. You're better off eating anywhere else.. read more

Great food and service. Dinning room and bathrooms are very clean, staff are very polite and courteous

Buddy's has stayed solid through the years. While most restaurants have gone downhill over my life, Buddy's food quality has stayed the same. The prices haven't gone up that much. The staff at the Bearden location were so friendly and the food came out quick. I don't like that they changed to the white lightbulbs in the dining room. I miss the ambiance of the warmer light tone. Still has the great log cabin feel and the fireplace! read more

Buddy’s bar-b-q - The pulled chicken dinner - Barbeque Near Me - Knoxville, Tennessee

We had Buddy's cater a graduation party for us. It was graduation weekend so a very busy time for them. I don't even know where to start on my praises for them. From start to finish it was a world class experience. We got the pulled pork and grilled chicken breasts. This included ice tea, lemonade all plates and utensils, individual chips, beans, buns and coleslaw. The food was in convenient serving dishes and included spoons and tongs. So many guests complemented the quality of the food. It was absolutely delicious. If I could give them six stars I would. read more

We eat here at least once a week and not only is the food great we love the young cashier he is such a hard worker and is very kind. Daeshen makes our dining experience great ! read more

Was recommended by a few coworkers. Really great food and service. Pulled pork was a bit dry, but super filling. The Hot Fudge Cake is dangerous. It's so good and delicious! read more

always consistently fresh and ready when you need it. prices have remained fair and steady.

Solid barbecue, good menu choices including some veggies, friendly service, drive through window is convenient.

I have been a fan of Buddy's for many years but lately I have noticed a decline in quality. I will address the following; 1: we make it fresh daily. Do you think they do? Do they toss out everything? Of course they do not but my recent purchase of their chicken reveals the chicken was like mashed potatoes. No telling how longer ago it had been smoked. No taste and since the main cook is in Bearden, it could have been weeks. 2: we bought a five pound pork butt which was $30.00+. Can you believe they wanted to charge extra for BBQ sauce? Who in the USA charges extra for BBQ sauce? 3: ever bought their hush puppies? No taste in my opinion Come on down to Buddy's? They are sailing on yesterday's wind read more

Absolutely surprised by their veggie burgers! UT has a tendency to order from Buddy's for large events and they have been great so far. They set up, serve and clean up. The pork is moist and flavorful. This was my first experience with a pulled pork sandwich and I must say, I understand why people have this often. I didn't eat the bun with the pulled pork since it was buns in a bag - if I am going to eat carbs, it better be a fresh batch of bread. Their usual sides are beans and potato salad which were okay. I'm not a fan of potatoes so I can't judge the potato salad, as for their beans, it tends to be on the salty side. Their dessert option is usually oatmeal raisin cookies or chocolate chip cookies. Both cookies are soft but not chewy soft, a tad closer to the firm texture. Overall, I still prefer the veggie burgers. read more

Buddy’s bar-b-q - Baked potato - Barbeque Near Me - Knoxville, Tennessee

They say insanity is doing the same thing repeatedly and expecting a different result. Well, I must be insane because I keep coming to this location expecting at least decent food and have yet to get it. Maybe I should've specified I'd like more than a sprinkle of slaw...honestly, there were individual pieces of cabbage sprinkled on it. I don't know what the issue is at this location, but they never get it right. I wish this location would close and something decent would take its place. read more

We had lunch there today, the barbecue was good as usual. However the baked beans were cold to the touch! I spoke with the staff member taking orders, he indicated he would let his manager know. I was disappointed that the manager did not come out to the dining room to apologize or offer a different side dish, nothing. I was not pleased with my experience today. Two stars read more

If you want an adult meal, don't buy the Tuesday $7 special. Pay only a couple bucks more and get real food.

I have always enjoyed coming to buddy's. They're very fast service very good food consistent. This store in particular is one I really enjoy it's brand new and has a great feel to it great interior. read more

Buddy’s bar-b-q - Barbeque Near Me - Knoxville, Tennessee

Yes it's a chain, albeit a local one. Even still it's bbq is as good or better than a lot of "local" joints I've eaten at over the years. It's a quick easy way to get your bbq fix and not be disappointed. The smoke flavor they get on their pulled pork is perfect in my opinion. I don't understand people complaining about the price. It's just as cheap as any fast food place considering what you get. So there's no $1 menu. You're getting bbq not some tiny, frozen, possibly beef, patty on a bun. read more

This is a chain barbecue restaurant, so by nature, it's just not as delicious as a great local joint with a ton of soul. They produce a solid product and have a good family pack. Also, I appreciate the fact that they have a drive through window. However, the food is fairly unimaginative and very basic. To sum up, don't pass Buddy's up if you're in a hurry or there aren't many dining options. But NEVER choose it over something that's delicious and locally owned! read more

Pretty good deal and meal for $6.99. Got the pork dinner with hush puppies, fries and slaw and have to admit it was pretty good. The price makes it a good value especially if you consider the prices of burgers and other fast food offerings all around Buddy's. Give it a try, don't think you'll be disappointed. read more

Went thru the Drive THru.. got bbq chicken Green beans and corn.!!!Was Great.. have to say some of the best bbq ever..... Convenient to Cedat Bluff Road read more

It's a chain place and yeah the BBQ isn't the best I've ever had but it's still pretty good! I think it's going to be one of my new favorites. As far as I'm concerned the price is unbeatable and they have good weekly deals too. oI got the small portions of everything and left feeling quite full so a full dinner would be very filling. The food all tasted good, and I really liked their fries. They've got bottles of sauce sitting on the table and it's a decent BBQ sauce. I love their hush puppies too, I would recommend them to anybody. Definitely give this place a shot if you like BBQ and good prices. read more

If I could leave half a star I would. Ice cold hush puppies. Searing hot corn on the cob. Green beans that looked like green beans but tasted of pure salt. And what I can only describe as pork soup. Pulled pork with so much bbq soup that it squelched when moved with my fork. I now remember why I don't go here for lunch. read more

I picked up an order of ribs last night. Unfortunately , they were just OK. The ribs were missing that distinct smokey flavor. I guess experiences vary from time to time. I would never want to be in the restaurant business managing all of the variables. I will give them another try. read more

I told my wife I wanted to go to Buddy's tonight. We moved back to Knoxville two weeks ago and I really wanted the good food I remembered. Sadly, We were disappointed. She asked for a BBQ turkey sandwich and I got a pork plate with corn and slaw. Her turkey was cold, sliced thin like a deli sandwich, and it came with mayo, not BBQ sauce. That was not what she (or I) expected. As she said "I could have gotten this out of the refrigerator of a convenience store!" My pork plate was only marginally better. The corn was excellent! But it was downhill from there. The pork was pretty dry and tasteless. It needed copious quantities of sauce to make it worthwhile. The slaw was bland and had too much liquid sloshing about. I like slaw to have just a bit of 'bite' with some vinegar and a dash of pepper but this slaw just laid there. And to add insult to injury, the hush puppies were undercooked in the middle. Raw dough is not a pleasant eating experience. So many folks love this place, and I wanted to add to my memories, but this want not the place and not the night. We felt the staff was just going through the motions and waiting for closing time. If just a little more attention was given to the food You could have gotten a rave review. Heat your sandwich meat and buns. Use real BBQ sauce on a BBQ Turkey sandwich (mayo is heresy!). Cook the damn hush puppies!. Give the slaw some flavor. And most importantly, make sure your pork is cooked with enough smoke to be good even before being drowned in sauce. read more

This place is amazing. It's like $20 barbecue but for eight dollars in a really nice setting actually. You even get to side so you don't have to choose just one. And you can even upgrade an ounce of me for $.60 which is just crazy. If you like barbecue, this place is actually really good read more

$5.33 for a "regular" (small) pork sandwich and a tea??!! Seriously? C'mon Buddy's, your BBQ is good but that's ridiculous. Rude girl at the window to boot. Three bites and it's gone. Smh sorry but you need to step up your game. read more

Buddy's has very good smoked pork and chicken, but the sauce could be better and I have never cared for the ribs. The sides are really good with fantastic baked beans and fries. If you are feeling a little off the cuff try the hawg back potato or one of their all beef hot dogs. Both are very good. The one thing they do really well is speed. This is fast food BBQ. It is a great place for lunch. read more

Always good and home made and dirt cheap. A very good place to take your family or date if you want a good meal and don't have much money. And get the hot fudge cake with homemade cake. And they now have a junior size. Sandwich or dinner or hotdog or diet turkey sandwich on wheat. They have it all to please everyone. read more

I love smoked food and this place delivered on that aspect. I thought it was a little pricey for it pretty much being a fast food joint. Sides weren't anything special. Service was decent but felt like I was in an Arby's. Not totally disappointed but not awed either. read more

Terrible service just received .... I just went to this location and my friend had a rotten potato and they won't give her another one ...... I never received a receipt.. went back and they don't give her another one .. and nothing else given in replace. Won't be back to this location ! read more

Many places claim the 'best' bar-b-q; in Knoxville, the most instantly recognizable is Buddy's. Exceptionally savory sauce, and reasonable prices: on Tuesdays, a bbq, half chicken, or brisket platter is only $6- with beverage - and this stuff is served fast food style, with no wait - their motto is something like 'we cook it slow, but you get it fast'. Travelers passing through should definitely make a stop, esp. if they don't have Buddy's back home. read more

Great food but better service. Southern hospitality charm. They came around with free hush puppies. Very clean restaurant. Only tip could be to use Bush's beans. Enydia is a great friendly employee who goes above and beyond to make guests feel welcome. read more

I had the Buddy's catering department do a pasta bar for my parent's 50th anniversary in Lenoir City and I am still regretting it. It was a pasta bar and the marinara sauce was little more than catsup, the grilled chicken had no flavor whatsoever (I could tell it come from a frozen bag of mass produced strips), likewise for the meatballs.Only two kinds of dressings for the salad. 65+ attendees and NOBODY went back for seconds, so there were a lot of leftovers (no wonder they said to bring a lot of Tupperware for leftovers). Overall, it was just massed produced food from cans and bags from a big box warehouse club. This was a complete waste of money and I will never use them again. read more