Simply put: amazing food, helpful staff, fun vibe inside and good for small groups…read more I was a sucker for the chicken and carrots and must admit I may have stolen a couple bites off another plate (I asked!). Kidding aside, would recommend a visit and supporting a good option in Knoxville.

The good news 1st. Sitting at the bar for drinks is a 5-star experience. Good cocktails and the bar…read morestaff have great service and are friendly to talk with. But just about every thing to do with our dinner was low quality The Maitre d (or host mgr) has poor customer service skills. He is the wrong person to be in that position. Sometimes I would suggest to have him train at one of better dinner houses in Knoxville, but his attitude is such I'm not sure he would understand his deficiencies. Overall, he does not treat guests as if they are the lifeline for a restaurant. He made no effort to make us feel he was glad we came to The Kennedy and when we left he made no attempt to thank us or ask how our experience was. If he is not replaced the restaurant will steadily lose customers. The food quality was poor. The salmon on top of Brussel sprouts tasted as if someone in the kitchen poured molasses on top of the Brussel Spouts. Then after it was sent back with the request to re-do the dinner without the sweetener it came back (after a very long delay) with a huge plate of Brussel Sprouts that were completely dried out. It seemed like the people in the kitchen attempted to make up for the poor taste by giving a helping size 3 X as normal. The crab on noodles was a "C" at best. The crab was stringy and the noodles were very bland. If people at coming for drinks and appetizers it probably is a good choice but if someone wants a quality dinner experience I was told by 2 locals who come downtown a lot to eat at Lonesome Dove Brass Pearl JC Holdway (the best chef) Oliver Royale ( we ate here and the food quality and service were exceptional) Osteria Stella Emelia

Cool atmosphere it's an underground speakeasy type of deal and had a cool list of cocktails…read more My cocktail was pretty good I wouldn't get it again but I liked it and the banana and gin was fun and new. Tapas were good the carrots were by far the best roasted perfectly and the sauce was so flavorful. The crab dip was good but typical same with mushroom truffle pizza. The empanadas were good but a little dry I was glad they had sauce. Would go again and get the carrots and new items!

The Vault was our second stop on our cocktail hop night, and I'm so glad we found it!…read more First off, the interior is chef's kiss. The dark, glamorous aesthetic is stunning--perfect for date night or for impressing out-of-town guests. I loved the gold accents, layered textures, and thoughtful lighting. Everything worked together beautifully. We chose to sit at the bar to watch the mixologists work their magic. They were incredibly helpful in guiding us toward drinks that matched our preferences. I absolutely loved my cocktail--even if I can't recall the name--because it delivered the spicy kick they promised. We also ordered several shareable plates, all of which were delicious. We tried the Carnitas Tamales (shredded pork, ancho mole, fresh corn, masa, cilantro, yuzu arbequina oil), the Vegetable Empanadas (house-made pastry, wilted kale, roasted sweet potato, Oaxaca and cotija cheese, black bean purée, and adobo & chile-lime aioli), and a salad. I'd happily order any of them again. I did find myself wishing for a bit more heat, but I've learned that's hard to come by in Tennessee. At least the staff gave us a heads-up that the spice level is toned down. I'm already looking forward to coming back and exploring more of the menu. The vibe is fantastic--and while they have a nice outdoor space, the interior is so eye-catching I'm not sure I'd want to sit anywhere else.

I could have given this 5 stars but having us wait about 10 minutes to be seated was more funny…read more The hostess started to seat us and then said it will be 5 min because she didn't want to "overwhelm" the waitress. 5 min? In a bar that is using moving quick and it was 5pm? As I said, not a problem just funny. Kyla was our waitress and was great. Friendly and very helpful in giving us information on two restaurants we were considering. Prices weren't bad considering it's a roof top bar with a great view.

The service and ambiance was really great. The drinks were also very good which helped with the…read moreexperience. However, the food is something that needs to be worked on. I ordered on of the "sushi" spicy tuna tacos were very bland. The taco shell was also very stale. The burnt ends were a little dry and lacked flavor. The last thing we had was the teriyaki chicken skewers. They were served as sliced chicken breast pieces with a seemingly store bough teriyaki sauce. The chicken was dry and tasted odd. This place has a solid foundation for a rooftop bar but needs serious work on the food part.

What a fun spot! I was in town for work, and my coworker is local - took us all out here before…read moredinner. The cocktails are fun, the vibe is amazing, and I was bummed our dinner reservation was coming up and we had to leave! And as we left, we each got matchbooks.

Cute little hidden library bar with great drinks…read more The only issue we had were some rambunctious neighbors in a booth nearby, but staff was really good at keeping the peace. We got: -Ines (my fav) -Lumiere -Maimie Mannering (very booze forward) -Harry Morgan (the banana didn't really come through, but I could see where they were going with it!)

This was a cute tropical themed bar across from our airbnb for the weekend. We were the last guests…read moreof the night and the service we received was awesome. Unfortunately we came too late to try the bites, but we were given a yummy snack mix to enjoy with our drinks. I'd definitely visit this place again when in Knoxville.

Super cute little cocktail bar; great for a date night or a night out with friends. The menu is…read moreextensive, but exclusively cocktails - no food, and no beer/wine from what we could tell. But - the cocktails are FANTASTIC. We went with a small group of friends, and tried a number of drinks. They were all fantastic, and our server was so incredibly helpful narrowing down what we wanted to order.

Stir was great from start to finish. We had oysters and they were fresh and tasty…read more We had some old fashioned's and they were great drinks! The service was fast and with a smile. The place was large inside and clean. The restrooms were very clean despite being busy that day. The steaks were perfect. We will be back !!

Very tasty! My husband & I were visting friend in Knoxville, and had lunch at Stir. There is a "pay…read moreto park" lot across the street from the restaurant. The decor inside was funky, and I really loved the bar set up. I started off with an espresso martini, which was delicious. For lunch, I had the lobster crab cakes with a side of roasted root vegetables. The veggies were seasoned extremely well, and the crab cakes were good. My husband ordered the matcha cheesecake for dessert and it was a show stopper. I am unsure if it is still on the menu, but it most definitely made it to our "top 10 cheesecake" list!

The food is incredible. The live bands are always great…read more I don't recommend this place, because it's busy enough and I don't need more of patrons to compete with ROFL

Casual, comfortable ambiance "home flair" food fabulous, I was thinking salmon salad and ended up…read morewith after midnight burger.....delish!!! Spicy yet palatable oh and the staff on point Ya must try if you are in town Worth every bite

We stopped here as part of the Whiskey Trail experience, and not only was it the worst customer…read moreservice of the 28 distilleries we visited, the female bartender (red hair, black glasses) was the rudest bartender I have met in my 20 years of being in hospitality. When we walked in, she glared at us as if we had interrupted something. She didn't greet us, didn't ask what we'd like to try, only gave us one word answers to any question that we asked. Never once smiled or tried to engage us. My friend was so frustrated with trying to get information from her that he stood up and almost walked out. I kept trying to engage her and even complemented her cute dress. Nothing. Stone face. I wanted to try the amaro flight and asked for it. She prepared it, set it in front of me, and said "so you'll want to close out now?" I told her "yes, that would be great, when I'm finished with my tasting". She proceeded to lean up against the bar with her back to us and didn't say another word. I had to get up and walk to the register, and when she finally turned around, I asked her "have we done something to upset you?" She said "no, why?" I said "because you seem REALLY annoyed that we're here". Her only response was to turn the register screen around and tell me the total. I'm so sad about this because I really wanted to taste other items and get a cocktail, but she was SO unpleasant and we felt SO unwelcome., Seeing all of the other great reviews, I can only imagine that they were with other people. I wish those other bartenders had been there.

Boozy grapefruit slushy? YES. Just say yes. This cocktail bar distills their own booze right next…read moredoor (you can be a creepster and peek in!). They sell bottles of varying sizes at the bar and also at other places around town, including Total Wine. We love that they offer sampler flights with different liquors and also different size pours. They give you a tray with a sheet that describes the flavor profile for each offering. We also were given slushy samples and a customized gin sample, mixed with another shot to sip. We ordered slushies to enjoy on the patio and a flight with Hi Rye Whiskey, Ginferous Gin (favorite!), Uproot Gin, and Barrel Rested Cacoa Liqueur. I can't believe the differing flavors they can produce within the same type of booze. Masterful! The bartenders are friendly and so dang knowledgable. We purchased a bottle of Ginferous Gin and have kept the party going at home. Can't wait to go back! What a cool spot.