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    Hot Rods 50's Diner

    4.4 (518 reviews)
    ModerateAmerican
    Open 11:00 am - 9:00 pm
    Updated 3 weeks ago

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    HOT RODS 50'S DINER ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Moderate noise
    Outdoor seating
    Good for groups

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    Bacon Cheese Burger with French Fries**
    Taz D.

    My family and I were seated within 5 minutes of waiting. Our waitress was really nice and patient with us and our 3 year old twin boys. The food came out piping hot. My kids got a hotdog and tater tot's, along with a grilled cheese sandwich and fries. My husband got the 11oz bacon cheeseburger with fries. I got the chicken burger with sweet potato fries. This is our 4th time being here and we love it! Definitely love the ambiance and the pinball machines out in the front. Was disappointed the candy machine and the claw machine didn't work. We will definitely be back.

    Reuben Sandwich
    Charles F.

    Johnny B Good all the way to Alcoa Tennessee. I had read some review on Yelp, - Thank you fellow Yelpers! and had Hot Rod's 50's Diner on my list. We pulled into the parking lot, and I could hear my compadre, RIP, say to me, ' Si está ocupado, va a ser bueno." If its busy, its going to be good. The parking lot was full and the inside of the restaurant was busy. We walked in and our Mom who was a teenager during the 50's loved the decor and signage and my brother immediately gravitated towards the pinball machines. We sat down at a booth. The booths are a little tight if you're tall and have had a couple of cheeseburgers over the years. The good news is that the table is moveable Our server Finch was delightful. By the way, it was her Birthday on the day we were there and even though she was working on her Birthday, she was still having a lot of fun. The regular menu is HUGE. I'm not talking Cheesecake Factory HUGE, I'm talking about triple that...... There's about 50 different burgers and I'm probably missing some. There's burger with a fried bologna slice and american cheese There's a burger with Military Chow The menu is clear to understand but there's an overwhelming amount of choices. I didn't see the vegan menu in the regular menu so I politely asked Finch for the vegan menu, and she skipped back to me with it. Wow - A lot of choices as well. Hot Rod's uses Beyond Meat for some of their burgers but they also custom craft their veggie burgers. The vegan cheese on my burger was most likely Follow Your Heart or Violife, but it was properly melted. The Beyond Burger was a frozen slab without any seasoning but cooked through. I would have preferred some seasoning but hey - I'm not going to knock it. The portion of fries is massive. The vegan ranch is Follow Your Heart and was a nice dipping sauce for the fries. My brother had a buffalo chicken sandwich and my mom had the reuben. We all shared the vegan banana split. Hot Rod 50's Diner as stated by another Yelp reviewer may be the best diner in the United States.

    Inside
    Peggy W.

    The food is fresh and cooked to order. The service was nice and our server was very nice. The ambiance is very casual and is cool with the oldie stuff inside the restaurant

    Pastrami burger cheese grits malt
    Marc W.

    This is one of the best diners in America. Full stop. The interior is a cornucopia of 50s plus memorabilia. It's practically a museum. Pinball machines. Small tvs showing commercials and shows from the 50s. 80 different burger choices means you're going to spend some time with the menu. Service (Keana) was off the charts. Attentive. Friendly. Fast. A chocolate malt to die for. Sides include cheesy grits for crying out loud. That burger? There are no words. Very good prices. If you're in the area do not miss a chance at perfection.

    Fried Pickles
    Suzette D.

    First off, our server, Marian, was what we needed for the day. She took excellent care of us, which made the meal better. She took our orders and we didn't have to wait or ask for anything. The tuna melt tasted like mom made it! Thanks for a nice lunch, Hot Rods. The price was reasonable, the restaurant is cozy, and the service was exceptional.

    The General Forster, with bacon and jalapeños added.
    Chris T.

    The initial reaction was "this place looks really cool". I love the "oldies" diner theme and this place didn't disappoint with the atmosphere. The second reaction was not so great. We entered and waited to be seated, to which we were ignored as staff walked past. Finally a young lady quietly asked if he had been helped and then seated us. The menu is a lot to take in, with so many choices. We started with the fried pimento cheese balls - we give these a 2 star rating; super greasy and the sauce was not the best. I ordered "The General Forster" and added bacon and jalapeños; this burger was delicious! Throughout our visit, the waitress assigned to our table was semi-attentive, but didn't check in very often once food was delivered. Overall the rating I'm giving is a four - it's deserved by the food alone and the missing star is due to service. Still worth a visit and we probably will visit again.

    Hot Rod Club Sandwich
    Doug W.

    I hadn't been to Hotrods in a number of years. In the past, the food was always outstanding. I decided to try their Club Sandwich and tots. The tots were good but the sandwich was terrible. The meat was dry and tasted like it looked. There were only four other people in the restaurant so they were not busy. Will never try it again. The service was fine.

    The "Woody" Dog
    Greg C.

    This place is a trip. It has an enormous menu. Two entire pages are burgers and more than a few were tempting. Ultimately, I decide to try a variety of smaller offerings to get a taste of what they were doing here. I started with the sweet potato fries that were served with pulled pork, bbq sauce and cole slaw. Unfortunately the pork was like shoe leather. The rest of the dish was fine. Next up, a cup of their chili, which was really good. It had a different flavor profile - maybe cinnamon used to give it a different taste? Not sure, but I enjoyed it and would get it again. Then I got one of their all beef hotdogs, split in two and stuffed with cheese, then wrapped in bacon and deep fried. The bun was buttered and toasted on the grille. Perfection! And finally, I washed that down with a brown cow root beer float. There were many other items on the menu that caught my eye, so if I ever make it down this way again, I will return.

    Christina C.

    Can I just say this restaurant is freaking awesome! We showed up with hungry threeagers and the staff were amazing! Everyone in our party could pick what they wanted because the menu has so many options!!!! All the food was great! Huge serving sizes and the restaurant theme was excellent! Lots of different decorations, pictures, and memorabilia to keep playing I spy! Excellent worth the drive and $$$$

    Vegan Menu

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    2 months ago

    Great place for a burger, 50s vibe. Skip the glazed donut burger, not worth it. Great milkshakes.

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    1 year ago

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    10 months ago

    Pricey, but the burgers are always good along with the staff never have a problem when I come here

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    6 months ago

    Excellent food! Great Cool cars atmosphere! everything there is just family cooking!

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    1 year ago

    Huge selection of old and new comfort food dishes. Atmosphere definitely takes you back to the 1950's and service is good.

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    Page 1 of 13

    Ask the Community - Hot Rods 50's Diner

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    I so wanted to love this place. I went with a friend on a Sat. afternoon. Not crowded at all and…read morethe shop is adorable. The staff is very friendly. I ordered the Blackberry Smoke. I was fully expecting a mouth-watering combo of sweet, salty and savory. I did not taste any of the blackberry jam even though I could see it was on there. Smoke was the sandwich's primary flavor profile. A bit much for me. I think my biggest issue was the globs of fat that made their way into my mouth. It was a big turn off and I did not finish the 2nd half of my sandwich. My friend got the Ricky Ricardo (which would have been my 2nd choice). She could not bite through the tough meat. I do recommend you give this place a try though. I will definitely revisit and try a different sammy.

    I stopped by for some dinner tonight while attending the 3rd Thursday event. I got the Ricky…read moreRicardo, which is a variation of a Cuban sandwich. I also got a cinnamon roll to go. The sandwich was pretty good. I prefer a more classic tale with pork and ham versus deli ham and bacon but it was not bad at all. The shop and eating area is really cute. I like that the sandwiches are prepared when you order so you can customize anything if you want to. The cinnamon roll was hugely disappointing. The bottom portion was totally raw dough but the top that was fully cooked was way too dry. I love grilled cheese sandwiches and I liked that they sold cheese curds so I'd probably give this place another try. Service was also friendly, which is a plus.

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    Walnut Kitchen

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    It is date lunch Friday with my beloved so we drove about 40 minutes to give Walnut Kitchen a try…read more We arrived a few minutes before our reservation and easily found a parking spot. We stepped inside, and we were kindly greeted by the hostess. The restaurant was beautifully decorated and had a warm feel. The bar in the corner was both beautiful and extremely well stocked. J greeted us promptly at our table and gave us a thorough walk through of the menu. The offerings were creative and well thought out. We ordered the pimento cheese and grit chips appetizer. A great suggestion from J. It was surprisingly flavorful and super well balanced. I knew at that point, we were in for a treat. Even the iced tea was out of this world. My wife thought it was perhaps the best tea she had ever tasted. My bride ordered the Chicken Spiedie with fries and I did the beef and cheddar with onion rings. The beef and cheddar was absolutely delicious. It was piled high with juicy smoked brisket, smoked cheddar, blackberry bbq sauce and pickles. The order of onion rings and fries were more than enough to share. They were also just fabulous. I have a feeling, everything on the menu is delicious. We finished things off with the Mama's Brownies. Just bonkers. That is all I have to say: Warm cookie dough layered with a vanilla cheesecake center topped with vanilla bean ice cream with a caramel and fudge drizzle. It was an outstanding suggestion. The food was excellent. The service was top notch (thank you J). I plan on spending a significant amount of time here trying everything on the menu. Do yourself a favor and head over for dinner tonight. You can thank me later.

    Dude. Get here…read more Been twice and each time felt like the first. Chicken Lollipops are fun to try - get different flavors and have fun with it - this is the way. The inside looked great, the staff were awesome, everything looked clean, and the food was simply splendid. My only tip would be to know there is additional parking around that location beyond what's on the restaurant front. Excited to get back again soon. Happy Yelping everyone, onward!

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    Peaceful Side Brewery

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    Let's address the elephant in the room: the big, bearded guy who looks like he could toss you out…read morewithout blinking. Total opposite. Friendly, welcoming, and part of what makes this place work. I went with a flight (plus one, because...of course), and every beer delivered exactly what the menu promised--no guessing games, no letdowns. That's harder to find than it should be. We grabbed the bar pretzels with beer cheese and spicy mustard, and honestly, that beer cheese stole the show. Creamy, bold, and the kind of thing you wish you could buy by the jar and take home. Great beer, great food, even better people. This was a stop worth making.

    Beers: The IPA is the closest to British beer, the other beers have a Germanic slant, all of them…read morehave a little too much carbination. This might not be the beer but the ultra lazy dispensing, using a blanket of Co2 which froths everything, Note to the facility: Electric pumps are safer to use. Food: The smash burger was great and creative. Not likely to be reccomended by anyones cardiologist, but very very tasty. The fries are horrible batter covered tasteless sticks, try something else. Portions are hearty and food is served quickly. Facility: Staff that are a solid 5 stars, large tables abound, kids are happy to be there, there is plenty of parking adjacent. It's cool looking inside, the atmosphere is chill. Check it out soon!

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    Foothills Milling

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    I took my wife and mother to Foothills Milling Company to celebrate them as mothers as a Mother's…read moreDay gift. The service provided by Sergio was exemplary, and we just cannot say enough good things about him. Hard-working, always attentive without ever being over-bearing, kind, respectful, and very knowledgeable about every menu item we asked about. We know we can sometimes ask a lot of our servers, and Sergio never hesitated or faltered in providing some of the best service we have EVER experienced. Kudos to Sergio! Not to leave out the rest of the staff - the manager and everyone else we were in contact with were exceedingly warm and welcoming. And the food! Wow! Everything we ordered (soups, lobster, steaks, and desserts) was perfectly prepared and also among the best meals any of us have ever had. My wife and I have spent a lot of time in Southern Carolina and have become huge fans of She Crab soup and we didn't think we would ever have soup as good as we get there, but we were wrong. The She Crab soup at Foothills Milling Company was better than any we've ever had, anywhere. The steaks were cooked to the perfect temperature and were seasoned just right, and the lobster was amazing. This was seriously among the best dining experiences any of us have ever had, and we will happily recommend Foothills Milling Company to everyone we know. We cannot wait for our next visit. Thank you to Sergio, the chef(s), and the rest of the staff for making our Mother's Day celebration so special.

    A wonderful dining experience...definitely suggest reservations! I was lucky enough to get a table…read moreas a walk-in, and was very happy I did. The ambiance is nice, and the wait staff welcoming and helpful. My table attendant Sergio was excellent, paying just enough attention but not too much that it was smothering. He greeted me with a smile, and definitely seemed dedicated to making my visit special. I am a vegetarian, so they had a special menu for vegetarians and vegans. I decided on the Orechiette Mushroom Pasta, with a nice South American Malbec. So happy with both...the pasta was delicious, with the mushrooms and tomatoes cooked and spiced to perfection. And the maybe paired well with the pasta. Fabulous and delicious meal, and when next I am in Maryville I will be happy to partake again.

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    The Barn

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    We had a beautiful anniversary dinner at The Barn during our stay at BlackBerry Farm. The four…read morecourse, farm to table menu had so many delectable choices. We ended up with a spread of lamb, NC trout, and a myriad of gorgeous vegetables and tantalizing sauces. The service was attentive without being overbearing and the modern barn decor had great ambiance. This was a one of kind special meal that we won't forget!

    Ultra high end, gourmet restaurant located at the BlackBerry Farm resort. While it is primarily…read morefor guests, it is possible to dine here with some advanced planning. For guests, (like us), dinner here is included in your room rate and consists of 4 courses (wine is extra) and the menu changes daily depending on what's in season. You can expect top notch service, high quality, flavorful food in a gorgeous setting in the repurposed barn from "up north". We had a fantastic meal that was amplified by the assistance from sommelier Greg who found an amazing wine for us from the 4" thick wine list. My only COMPLAINT is the dress code. Note to the Barn-it's not 1950! Requiring jackets for men is oh so southern country club-it's time to ditch this vestige of the old south! Now if you are like me and forget your jacket at home, they do have some "loaner jackets" but in my case there was't the proper size so I was made to wear my raincoat throughout dinner making me feel very self-conscious, especially since we were seated in the middle of the dinning room. Definitely kept me from fully enjoying the evening. Bottom line: -5 star food and service -1 star for antiquated, behind the times dress code

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    Hot Rods 50's Diner - tradamerican - Updated July 2026

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