A+ food and hospitality I've been a fan of Tarik's cooking…read moresince the first taste before the brick and mortar (when he did pop ups) Just go!

Fantastic, homemade food. Tasted very fresh and I probably had the best cheesecake with blueberry…read moreand whipped cream.

Amazing Chef / Owner - AVI ZENATTI If there was a 7 star…read moreoption, I would gladly give it and it would be GENUINE 7 star rating. Not only was the restaurant service great but the Owner / Chef AVI came to our table where 6 of us were seated for Dinner and spent time talking to us. When I told him we would love family style and some Vegeterian choices since 3 of our group were vegetarians so we will let you decide what to serve. First came the Vegeterian food - all very good but the Tomato Salad , Falafel and Shakshuka were outstanding which is an understatement. We are not big eaters but AVI insisted we try his selections and HE WAS PERSONALLY COOKING FOR US ! The next was Chicken Kebob platter really unbelievably tasty and we told them to stop since we were full but Avi's hospitality knew no bounds. The Fish ( Cod) melted in your mouth as did the LAMB CHOPS - I love eating out but have not experienced Mediterrean cuisine that good. Go try this place and you will truly enjoy the food. Thank you AVI ZENATTI

It's inside the Embassy Suites downtown, so really convenient! We ordered the chicken schnitzel,…read morechicken thighs, pita bread and various side dishes! It was DELICIOUS! We left no crumbs!! It did take a while for the food to come out, but it was well worth the wait!!

I'd had this spot bookmarked for a long time as it was listed as the best place to get a tamale in…read moreall of TN by Yelp a few years ago. I found myself in Knoxville for work and the stars aligned; I managed to convince my coworkers to come have lunch here! We found parking in a large lot about two blocks away. It sadly wasn't free but we enjoyed walking around and looking in the shops. The inside of the restaurant was clean, cool, and cute. One wall contains lots of coolers/fridges where they store drink options (shout out to Wiseacre beer!) as well as lots of their tamales, which you can take home to prepare. Staff are happy to provide tips on how this can be done, as one of my coworkers took several tamales home (and her family was pleased with them too!). It seemed like only one person was working. He was extremelyyyy soft spoken and not super friendly, honestly, but our food came out in a timely manner and he wasn't rude or anything. Four of us, myself included, got the chicken tinga tamale, and one person got the classic tamale. I got mine as a meal, which came with rice, black beans, and curtido. I also nabbed a bottled tea. Personally, I didn't love the drink selection -- all a little too bougie/health food-y for me (I'm a simple girl who wants a simple Diet Pepsi or Coke or regular fresh brewed sweet tea) - but no big deal. Everything was quite good! I've been trying to decide if I like tamales or not and this place brought me to the conclusion that yes, I do - I just hadn't had one this good before! The corn was fluffy, the chicken was tender and well-seasoned and plentiful, and the salsa on top rounded it out well. The beans and rice were also very well seasoned and tasty accompaniments. I'd never had curtido (fermented cabbage) before, but I'd say it's a bit brighter than its Korean cousin, kimchi. I liked it but the portion was so large and the flavor so strong that I did ultimately tire of it after 4-5 bites. My coworker took the rest home! Overall, I get the hype around the tamales in particular. If you're craving one, definitely give this place a try!

quick, affordable, and delicious. What more could you ask for? if you're wondering if one tamale is…read moreenough, it absolutely was with the 2 sides! I love this spot and I haven't seen tamales served anywhere else in Knox so I appreciate something new always. i'd 100% reccomend!

I came on a weekday, right at 11am before the lunch crowd rushed in. I was really excited for the…read morecream of mushroom soup that they had on their online menu for the day. But instead, the bartender told me that it would be a chicken mushroom soup today because that's what was left over from the day before. A little bummed out, I ordered that soup and a BLT. The BLT came out just on naked bread, with no mayo at all. As I was in a bit of a rush today, I ate it the way it was. I really loved the ambiance of the place with the dark wooden bar and the oil painting of Miss Lil at the center of the bar. In the end, I just kind of wished that the food matched the ambiance.

Exceptional service (tho it was practically empty) server was very nice and promptly recommended…read morespecials which were great. Daily specials, so something new to always try.

Spice Hut's lunch buffet is a great choice when you want a satisfying, flavorful meal without…read morewaiting for individual entrées. The selection offers a nice mix of classic Indian dishes, from rich curries and tender chicken options to vegetarian choices, rice, naan, and sauces that let you customize each plate. Everything I tried was fresh and well-seasoned, with good flavor rather than overwhelming heat. The buffet makes it easy to sample a little of everything, go back for favorites, and find something for different spice preferences. The naan was a standout alongside the curries, and the overall value is hard to beat for lunch. The restaurant was clean, the food was kept stocked, and the staff were friendly and attentive. Whether you already enjoy Indian food or are trying it for the first time, Spice Hut's lunch buffet is an easy recommendation for a filling, tasty, and reasonably priced meal.

The Great Indian Food Letdown…read more Listen -- I'm fully on board with a hole-in-the-wall serving up incredible food. That's my favorite kind of find. And maybe we caught this place on an off day, but for me, this was just... okay. And I genuinely do not understand what the rave reviews are talking about. Coming from Houston, a city with roughly a thousand Indian restaurants where almost every single one delivers, this felt like a real step down. Yes, it's attached to a gas station -- fine, no judgment there. They clearly put effort into making the inside feel a little charming. But our table was sticky and gross, and the bathroom matched. Not exactly the first impression you want. And it left me wondering: if the front of house can't notice -- or doesn't care -- that things are dirty, what on earth is happening back in the kitchen? As for the food, we ordered my personal benchmark trio for judging any Indian restaurant: Samosa Chaat, Palak Paneer, and Dosa (when available). They had all three, so I walked in optimistic -- maybe this sticky-table situation was about to redeem itself. Spoiler: it did not. The Samosa Chaat was fine, no real complaints there. But then my Palak Paneer arrived, and I genuinely did not recognize it. It was a strange brownish color -- think baby poop -- and the flavor bore zero resemblance to any Palak Paneer I've had in my life. I didn't finish it, and if you know me with Indian food, that tells you everything you need to know. My husband's dosa fared a little better, but the chutney tasted off, and there was only one variety with no clear indication of what was even in it -- whatever it was, it wasn't good. Traditionally, we're used to getting both coconut and mint chutney on the side, so this felt noticeably incomplete. Honestly, it was such a letdown that I'm not sure I have it in me to give this place a second shot. I'm just sitting here mourning the fear that I may never find great Indian food again after moving here.

I got lamb meatballs (that Drew, the guy who served us, recommended - he was nice and service was…read moreexcellent) and they were a little spicy and good. They had just come out fresh and looked more tasty than the steak I had originally thought I was going to get. The bowl I got tasted fresh, I even finished the whole thing! I didn't expect to since it looks so big, but I guess I was hungry. Overall, it was good, I would give the a solid 4 stars. It seemed a bit pricey but it may be because I don't come downtown often. On game day it was pretty busy and the tables were kind of gross. It's expected that the bathroom will also be gross on game day and this was no exception. I didn't take off anything for that though since they were busy and they can't always get to the bathroom when people are rude and get it dirty.

No wait; vegetarians I Highly recommend; great taste and large selection. Highly customizable…read moremeals/choices. Excellent exotic drinks, without the exotic price! Great if you have alpha gal (can't eat mammalian meat) with vegetarian and chicken; friendly staff and great service

I went in thanks to the vegan chef challenge in March 2025. This is a small, local non-chain…read morebusiness located in West Town Mall near the food court area that opened last fall. First, you should know, this is definitely NOT a vegan place, but there are some yummy vegan options for plant-based / vegan eaters who happen to be at the mall or are with a crowd who love BBQ. Keep reading (or skim down) for info on the meat products. The two vegan protein options are both soy-based. Then they are seasoned as either "chicken" or "beef." The beef flavored option was tasty, but the texture was a bit "meh." Only 3-4 stars for that. However I chatted with the owner and suggested he consider smoking the soy product, which would help considerably. As for sides, I chose the green beans, which are also vegan, as well as the vegan version of their baked beans. The green beans were fine ... basic green beans. Nothing special - cooked like a typical southern style cut green beans, just without any meat. The baked beans though ...!!! They are the reason for the 5 stars along with the house-made sauces here- more on those in a bit. These vegan baked beans y'all - SO GOOD! They are **SPICY** sweet with just the right amount of tang. The sauce is thick and the beans are perfectly cooked and seasoned. If you don't mind a little burn with your beans these are a MUST! (My mouth is still tingling an hour later!). I was the only customer in the place, so I sat at the counter and chatted with the owner a bit. He told me his "regular" baked beans are made with pork and a healthy dose of brown sugar. The potato salad is a mustard-style potato salad. And apparently there is an "all meat" dish that comes with heaping portions of ALL the meats, and no sides. They have brisket every day in addition to chicken, pork, and sausage. The menu is small, and if you like greens, ask for them. They aren't on the menu. Even though it's in the mall, this place has a modified smoker in the kitchen and so all their meats are smoked daily with hickory. Next, can we talk about the house-made BBQ sauces? There are just two. They are both tomato based sauces: their house sauce, which is mild, and the hot sauce. The hot sauce is probably more of a medium heat so you definitely won't burn your face off. In fact, the vegan baked beans are spicier. But these sauces have a nice blend of tang and sweetness, with just the right viscosity- thick but easily pourable. Really nice. It's a small place but there are a few tables and some seating at the bar (see the photos). On the counter you'll see the traditionally baked cookies. They have lemon, strawberry, chocolate, red velvet, and the owner's favorite, orange. If you're looking for an alternative to the chain BBQ places around, this is a good option. When you go in, tell the owner you saw this review on Yelp. He doesn't think he'll get much business from here. As a long-time Yelper, that makes me laugh. I would never have gone in there if it wasn't for the vegan challenge promoting them. I don't go to the mall much and this place is worth the visit.

The food is great and the atmosphere is super quaint! Service is amazing!! Left happy and full!read more

This is a great Mediterranean menu. They have a good variety of healthy options and the prices are…read morevery reasonable. Nothing is above $8 and everything includes a drink. I really enjoyed the stuffed chicken -- it was marinated and stuffed with walnuts, jalapeño, and herbs. Wonderful. They are usually parked at various businesses around Oak Ridge. The locations are listed on Facebook. I found them on Union Valley Dr. on Wednesday during lunch hours. Very fast service and awesome food.

Amazing food, worth a trip The wrapped grape leaves are a…read moredefinite favorite. Haven't yet ordered anything that wasn't delicious