Diners' Choice: American restaurants in East Tennessee

OpenTable

Updated July 05, 2025

Looking for restaurants with the best overall American cuisine in East Tennessee? You’re in the right place. Each month OpenTable analyzes more than 400,000 new diner reviews. We sort the results by category to help you discover new favorites. It's a great partnership: you reserve, eat, and review. We listen...and deliver the results for all to benefit. Enjoy!

Gourmet and Company

4.9

4.9 (759)

$31 to $50

American

Johnson City

About the restaurant

A Johnson City tradition since 1989, Gourmet and Company offers a dining experience that is unique to the region. Dinner menu selections run the gamut from traditional fine dinning classics to exciting specials including exotic meats and exceedingly fresh seafood. Lunches are casual and perfect for socializing or business. We also have an indoor lounge and outdoor patio bar that are fully stocked with a wide selection of wines, fine spirits, and craft beers.

Top review

Rachel

Dined on Jul 18, 2025

Fabulous meal and wonderful service!! My favorite restaurant!!

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Dancing Bear Appalachian Bistro

4.9

4.9 (3925)

$50 and over

American

Knoxville

About the restaurant

At Dancing Bear Appalachian Bistro, we know that great food begins with fresh, quality sourced local ingredients. On our Modern Appalachian menu, Chef Jeff Carter and culinary team present seasonal and delicious dishes that are familiar and steeped in tradition yet enhanced with bold new dashes of flavor and component combinations that may surprise and delight you.

Dancing Bear provides a premium lodging experience. We bring the same commitment to excellence to our award-winning restaurant and full bar. Whether enjoying a romantic dinner for two or bringing the extended family together for a celebratory meal, we want your night out in Townsend to be a special experience. We offer a refined assortment of modern Appalachian cuisine — all served among elegant surroundings and calming wooded vistas.

Top review

Joy

Dined 5 days ago

Wonderful dinner to celebrate a special occasion! 🩷

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Eggspectation - Knoxville

4.7

4.7 (11)

$30 and under

American

Knoxville

About the restaurant

Founded in Montreal in 1993, eggspectation is world-famous for elevated takes on comfort-food classics for brunch, lunch, dinner, and cocktails. Eggspectation uses classic ingredients and bold new flavors to create memorable dishes in a cozy yet sophisticated atmosphere. When you are dining with the people who matter during the moments that matter, eggspectation is where memories are made. Our menu... *Brunch, including elevated takes on pancakes, French toast, omelettes, and Benedicts, where you will always taste the quality with free-range eggs, thick-cut bacon, and always 100% real maple syrup. *Lunch, including hand-crafted sandwiches and burgers, served on artisanal breads. *Dinner, including culinary adventures of seafood, steaks, lamb chops, pasta, and more. *Plus tastes from our home in Montreal, including poutine, crêpes, and duck confit. *Full-bar, available all day, serving all your favorite libations as well as our own signature cocktails and mimosas.

Top review

JohnVIP

Dined on Jul 18, 2025

My wife and I went there for a date night. We enjoyed the evening. Our food was great and our server, Halie, did a great job taking care of our needs. My wife had the chicken snitzle and I had the crab cakes. Everything was prepared well and food was hot when it arrived. Friday date night is a great value at Eggspectation.

Public House - Chattanooga

4.8

4.8 (2926)

$30 and under

American

Chattanooga

About the restaurant

Several years ago, I decided that my future in the restaurant business would most likely not remain in the realm of fine dining and gourmands, but would rather lean towards the style of restaurant that I found myself frequenting most often - places that provided consistency and quality at a price that was fair for the quality of the food and experience. Public House plays to the comforts of good, solid food, while applying the principles of premium food products to a more casual setting. You will find all the fish is delivered from Foley’s in Boston, high quality steaks and a rotating selection of vegetable sides that are true to the region and season. You’ll also find a really good hamburger and fish sandwich, along with fun snacks and small plates that pair well with cocktails, beer and wine.
Welcome,
Nathan Lindley

Top review

Charlotte

Dined 5 days ago

The food was delicious and the service was excellent.

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Experience

Anniversary Bubbly and Flowers Package

Experience

Semi-Private Dining Room - Oak Room

Copper Cellar (West)

4.8

4.8 (455)

$30 and under

American

Knoxville

About the restaurant

The classics of Copper Cellar have been refined over 40 years and offered in this West Knoxville fine-dining destination in a comfortable setting. From our steakhouse selections and premium seafood to our Award-Winning Sunday Brunch, the food is always special and delicious.
Cappuccino's side with Italian fare open Sunday - Saturday from 5pm - close. If Cappuccino's seating desired please note in special request box. If any questions, please call the restaurant.

Top review

Joanna

Dined on Jul 20, 2025

The service was good and the Sunday brunch selection was superb! It was an excellent experience! We plan to return soon.

Hickory, at Nicewonder Farm & Vineyards

4.7

4.7 (397)

$31 to $50

American

Bristol

About the restaurant

Hickory at Nicewonder Farm & Vineyards is the signature restaurant from James Beard award nominee, Chef Travis Milton, offering the finest dining in the region. The menu is inspired by his Appalachian heritage, culture, and traditions and uses
locally sourced produce to create a menu rooted in the beauty of the Appalachian mountains. Located on the ground floor of The Inn, a boutique luxury property with 28 elegantly appointed rooms and suites, you will enjoy breathtaking views of the rolling hills, lake, and vineyards, whether sitting at the vast bar enjoying a craft cocktail, in the private dining room for that special evening, being awed at the Chef’s Table, or being treated to a wine tasting in our wine cellar that boasts a 1700 bottle curated wine collection, including Nicewonder Vineyards’ own award-winning wines. From the breakfast meeting to start the day, midday snacks, or celebrating a special occasion for dinner, the Hickory team will make your experience unforgettable.

Top review

SusanVIP

Dined on Jul 18, 2025

Delicious food and such an awesome atmosphere! Love Hickory!!

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Experience

Copy of Summer Supper Somm Dinner

Balter Beerworks

4.8

4.8 (84)

$30 and under

American

Knoxville

About the restaurant

Balter Beerworks is a scratch kitchen brewpub located in downtown Knoxville. We offer a welcoming environment that celebrates craft beers and made from scratch food. Every bite and every sip at Balter is crafted daily from scratch, using the freshest ingredients available. We are constantly refreshing food and beer menus to highlight seasonal delicacies. Balter offers a place for friends and family to reconnect in a space that weaves urban aesthetics with the history of an old service station.

Top review

TedVIP

Dined on Jul 3, 2025

Our server was excellent and the shrimp cocktail salad special was great!

STIR - Knoxville

4.6

4.6 (835)

$31 to $50

American

Knoxville

About the restaurant

STIR is the perfect restaurant to sip a craft cocktail over a dozen oysters, enjoy a night out, or meet for lunch. Located in the heart of Old City, the restaurant is an open-air concept with a large, heated outdoor patio. We are open for lunch, dinner, and weekend brunch.

Great food starts with fresh, local ingredients. Our kitchen prepares everything from scratch, and our signature raw bar is stocked with fresh oysters and seasonal seafood. STIR is famous for craft cocktails. We freeze and carve 300-pound blocks of artisanal ice in-house, age certain cocktails in oak barrels for richer flavors, and place others on draft for crispness and carbonation. The result: categorically elevated cocktails. Our passion for fine spirits also compels us to find and share rare bottles, many of which are extremely difficult to procure. We welcome Knoxville to enjoy our unmatched cocktails, fresh seafood, and classic dishes in an atmosphere of genuine hospitality

Top review

Teresa

Dined 3 days ago

Food was excellent. There was live music playing great songs. Waitress was great.

STIR - Chattanooga

4.6

4.6 (2358)

$31 to $50

American

Chattanooga

About the restaurant

STIR is the perfect restaurant to sip a craft cocktail over a dozen oysters, enjoy a night out, or meet for lunch. Located in the historic Chattanooga Choo Choo complex, the restaurant is an open-air concept with a large, heated outdoor patio. We are open for lunch, dinner, and weekend brunch.

Great food starts with fresh, local ingredients. Our kitchen prepares everything from scratch, and our signature raw bar is stocked with fresh oysters and seasonal seafood.

STIR is famous for craft cocktails. We freeze and carve 300-pound blocks of artisanal ice in-house, age certain cocktails in oak barrels for richer flavors, and place others on draft for crispness and carbonation. The result: categorically elevated cocktails. Our passion for fine spirits also compels us to find and share rare bottles, many of which are extremely difficult to procure.

We validate parking from Omega Parking l Zone # 5511

Top review

Patrick

Dined 4 days ago

Amos, our waiter, was FANTASTIC! And the food and drink matched his mood! Everything about this place was top-notch and we couldn’t have asked for a better experience! We were so pleased, we asked to see the manager, Scott, to share just how great EVERYTHING was!

Firebirds Wood Fired Grill - Knoxville

4.6

4.6 (1871)

$30 and under

American

Knoxville

About the restaurant

Firebirds Wood Fired Grill is your destination for bold flavors and warm hospitality. From expertly crafted wood-fired steaks and fresh seafood to signature cocktails, mocktails, and curated wines, every detail is designed to deliver an unforgettable dining experience. Whether you're gathering with family, hosting a client, or toasting to a special occasion, Firebirds offers elevated cuisine at an approachable price. Join us for Happy Hour at the FIREBAR® or on the patio and let us show you what extraordinary dining feels like. Reserve your table today — we can’t wait to serve you.

Top review

Vernon

Dined 6 days ago

Always a great experience! Our goto place for family celebrations.

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Popular dish

Filet & Shrimp

Popular dish

Creme Brulee Cheesecake

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