Tennessee’s food scene keeps getting better, and right now there are restaurants across the state earning national attention and local buzz. From wood-fired Southern cooking to Filipino street snacks, these spots are pushing boundaries while staying true to what makes Tennessee dining special.
Whether you’re planning a road trip or just want to know where the state’s best chefs are cooking, these twelve restaurants represent the most exciting places to eat in Tennessee this year.
1. Potchke Deli – Knoxville
Knoxville needed a place like Potchke. This isn’t your grandfather’s deli—it’s a creative take on Jewish comfort food that respects tradition while adding fresh energy. The bagels are made by hand every day, and once you try one, you’ll understand why people line up before the doors open.
What sets Potchke apart is how it balances nostalgia with invention. Classic pastrami sits alongside inventive sandwich combinations that play with flavors you wouldn’t expect. The kitchen team isn’t afraid to experiment, but they never lose sight of what makes deli food so satisfying in the first place.
Earning a Michelin recommendation put Potchke on the national radar, but locals already knew this spot was special. The atmosphere feels welcoming rather than trendy, with counter service that keeps things moving without feeling rushed. You can grab a quick breakfast bagel or settle in for a longer lunch.
The menu changes with the seasons, so there’s always something new to try alongside the favorites. Smoked fish, house-made spreads, and pickles made in-house show the level of care going into each dish. Even the sides deserve attention—potato salad and coleslaw get the same thoughtful treatment as the main attractions.
Potchke represents a growing trend in Knoxville’s food scene: restaurants that honor culinary traditions while making them feel current and exciting. The Michelin nod means more visitors will discover it this year, but the real testament is how quickly it became a neighborhood staple.
Whether you’re craving a classic corned beef on rye or want to see what the chef is experimenting with this week, Potchke delivers the kind of meal that sticks with you long after you’ve finished eating.
2. J.C. Holdway – Knoxville
James Beard Award-winning chef Joseph Lenn built his reputation on understanding how fire transforms ingredients. At J.C. Holdway, wood-fired cooking isn’t just a technique—it’s the foundation of everything that comes out of the kitchen.
Smoke and char add layers of flavor to seasonal Southern ingredients that change with what’s available locally.
The restaurant occupies a beautifully restored space in downtown Knoxville, where exposed brick and warm lighting create an atmosphere that feels both refined and approachable. Lenn’s menu reads like a love letter to East Tennessee’s agricultural bounty, with dishes that highlight the region’s farms, rivers, and traditions. You’ll find familiar ingredients prepared in ways that feel both rooted and innovative.
What makes J.C. Holdway stand out in Tennessee’s competitive dining landscape is its commitment to technique without pretension. The cooking is sophisticated, but the vibe never feels stuffy or intimidating.
Servers know the menu inside out and can guide you through wine pairings or explain where specific ingredients came from.
Wood-fired vegetables get as much attention as proteins, with charred cabbage or ember-roasted carrots becoming unexpected stars of the meal. The kitchen team understands that cooking over live fire requires constant attention and adjustment, and that dedication shows in every carefully composed plate. Seasonal shifts mean the menu evolves throughout the year, giving regulars reasons to return.
J.C. Holdway has become one of East Tennessee’s most respected restaurants because it delivers consistently excellent food while staying connected to its place. Lenn’s national recognition brings attention to Knoxville’s growing culinary reputation, but locals keep coming back because the food simply tastes exceptional.
This is the kind of restaurant that makes you proud of your city’s dining scene.
3. Little Coyote – Chattanooga
Chattanooga’s food scene needed some Southwestern heat, and Little Coyote delivered exactly that. This isn’t Tex-Mex from a chain playbook—it’s hardwood-smoked meats paired with house-made moles and flavors that pull from across the Southwest. The agave cocktail program alone makes it worth the visit, with bartenders who know their way around mezcal and tequila.
Earning a Michelin Bib Gourmand put Little Coyote in rare company among Tennessee restaurants. That recognition celebrates places offering exceptional food at reasonable prices, and this spot nails both criteria. The casual atmosphere encourages you to relax and order another round of tacos while you debate which mole sauce deserves to be your favorite.
The smoking process happens on-site, filling the restaurant with aromas that make your stomach growl before you’ve even ordered. Brisket, pork, and chicken all get the low-and-slow treatment, then find their way into tacos, bowls, and plates that layer textures and temperatures. House-made tortillas provide the perfect vehicle for all those carefully developed flavors.
Mole sauces showcase the kitchen’s commitment to building complex flavors from scratch. These aren’t shortcuts or store-bought versions—they’re multi-ingredient sauces that require time, patience, and skill. The result is depth that keeps you coming back for another bite, trying to identify all the layers working together.
Little Coyote represents Chattanooga’s evolution as a dining destination. The city has moved beyond being just a weekend adventure spot to hosting restaurants that can hold their own against bigger cities. The energy here feels celebratory without being loud, and the food hits that sweet spot between adventurous and approachable.
Whether you’re a Chattanooga regular or just passing through, this is the kind of meal that makes you want to tell everyone you know about it.
4. Calliope Restaurant & Bar – Chattanooga
Middle Eastern flavors don’t get enough attention in Tennessee, which makes Calliope such a welcome addition to Chattanooga’s restaurant landscape. Chef-driven Levantine dishes bring bold spices, fresh herbs, and cooking techniques that feel both ancient and completely current.
This isn’t fusion or watered-down versions of traditional recipes—it’s confident cooking that trusts diners to appreciate authentic flavors.
The menu reads like a tour through Lebanon, Syria, and surrounding regions, with mezze spreads that encourage sharing and conversation. Hummus gets made fresh with chickpeas that have the right creamy texture, tahini that adds nutty depth, and olive oil that ties everything together. Grilled meats arrive with charred edges and juicy centers, seasoned with spice blends that the kitchen prepares in-house.
Calliope’s bar program deserves as much attention as the food, with cocktails that incorporate ingredients like pomegranate, rose water, and cardamom. The wine list leans toward regions that complement the cuisine, offering bottles from Greece, Lebanon, and other Mediterranean areas. Even the non-alcoholic options show creativity, with house-made sodas and fresh juices that feel special.
What makes this restaurant stand out is how it has quickly become part of Chattanooga’s essential dining conversation. Food writers and local critics consistently mention it among the city’s best, and reservations have gotten harder to snag as word spreads. The dining room strikes a balance between intimate and energetic, with enough space between tables for private conversations but enough buzz to feel lively.
Calliope proves that Chattanooga diners are ready for bold, globally inspired cooking. The restaurant doesn’t simplify or apologize for its flavors—it presents them with confidence and lets the food speak for itself. As Tennessee’s food scene continues to diversify and mature, restaurants like this one push the entire state’s culinary reputation forward while giving locals incredible places to eat.
5. Kase x Noko – Nashville
Some meals demand your full attention, and that’s exactly what Kase x Noko delivers. This intimate omakase experience from the Noko team takes sushi to a more exclusive level, with Chef Dung “Junior” Vo orchestrating each course from behind the counter. You’re not just eating—you’re watching a craftsman work with ingredients that were swimming in Japanese waters days earlier.
Omakase means “I’ll leave it up to you,” and at Kase x Noko, that trust gets rewarded with a progression of courses that build in flavor and intensity. Vo’s growing national profile has brought attention to Nashville’s increasingly sophisticated sushi scene. He sources fish with the same care that fine dining chefs apply to seasonal produce, building relationships with suppliers who understand quality.
The counter seating creates an interactive experience where you can ask questions, watch techniques, and understand the thought behind each piece. Nigiri gets formed with warm rice that contrasts with cool fish, and the temperature difference matters as much as the knife work. Seasonal ingredients appear throughout the meal, from Japanese citrus to rare fish varieties that most Americans have never encountered.
What separates this from other high-end sushi experiences is Vo’s personality and approach. He’s serious about his craft without being intimidating, explaining ingredients and techniques in ways that enhance appreciation rather than create distance. The intimate setting means each guest receives personalized attention, with courses sometimes adjusted based on preferences or dietary needs.
Kase x Noko represents Nashville’s maturation as a dining city. A decade ago, this level of sushi would have seemed out of place, but now the city supports multiple high-end Japanese restaurants with devoted followings. The buzz around Vo’s work continues to grow, with food media increasingly recognizing Nashville as a destination for more than just hot chicken.
Securing a reservation requires planning, but the meal justifies the effort with an experience that lingers in memory long after the final course.
6. Junior – Nashville
Nashville has fallen hard for Junior, and it’s easy to understand why. This stylish spot serves European-inspired food that feels both refined and approachable, hitting that sweet spot between special occasion dining and neighborhood favorite. The restaurant earned a place on Eater Nashville’s updated essential list faster than most new openings manage, signaling that it connected with diners and critics alike.
The menu pulls inspiration from across Europe without trying to be authentic to any single region. You might find French techniques applied to Italian ingredients, or Spanish flavors presented with Nordic minimalism. This approach could feel scattered, but the kitchen maintains a clear point of view that ties everything together.
Each dish shows technical skill while remaining focused on flavor rather than showmanship.
Junior’s dining room matches the food’s aesthetic—polished but not stuffy, with design details that create atmosphere without overwhelming the experience. The space works equally well for date nights and celebratory dinners with friends. Lighting levels stay warm and flattering, and acoustics allow conversation without shouting, details that matter more than many restaurants realize.
The wine program leans European as well, with bottles from smaller producers that pair beautifully with the menu. Servers can guide you toward discoveries rather than just reciting the usual suspects, and the by-the-glass selection changes frequently enough to reward repeat visits.
What makes Junior one of Nashville’s most talked-about tables is how quickly it established itself as essential. New restaurants often take time to find their rhythm, but this one arrived with confidence and consistency. The kitchen delivers the kind of cooking that makes you want to return and work through the entire menu, while the service team ensures every visit feels welcoming.
As Nashville’s dining scene continues to expand and evolve, Junior represents the city’s growing sophistication and appetite for diverse, high-quality cooking.
7. Curry Boys BBQ – Nashville
Nobody else is doing what Curry Boys BBQ does, and that originality has earned serious recognition. Combining Texas-style smoked meats with vibrant Thai curries sounds unusual on paper, but one bite makes the concept click into place. The low-and-slow smoking process builds flavor in the meat, while curry sauces add brightness and complexity that traditional barbecue sauces can’t match.
Multiple James Beard nominations put Curry Boys on the national barbecue map, proving that innovation has a place alongside tradition. The restaurant started as an original concept that could have easily failed if the execution didn’t deliver, but chef-owners Dee and Kaew Kamphouvieng understood both cuisines deeply enough to make the fusion work.
Their Thai heritage and love of Texas barbecue weren’t competing influences—they were complementary flavors waiting to be combined.
The smoking happens on-site, with brisket, ribs, and sausage getting the attention they deserve before meeting curry sauces like Panang, green, and Massaman. You can order your barbecue straight or with curry on the side, but trying the combination is the whole point. Sticky rice replaces the usual white bread, and pickled vegetables cut through richness with acidity and crunch.
East Nashville provides the perfect home for this kind of culinary experimentation. The neighborhood has become known for restaurants that take risks and push boundaries while maintaining approachable price points. Curry Boys fits right into that energy, with counter service and a casual vibe that never takes itself too seriously despite the national accolades.
What started as an unusual idea has become one of Tennessee’s most distinctive barbecue experiences. The restaurant proves that respecting traditions doesn’t mean refusing to evolve them, and that the best innovations come from deep knowledge rather than random combinations.
As barbecue continues to evolve across the South, Curry Boys stands as an example of how creativity and skill can produce something entirely new while honoring the foundations that make great barbecue possible.
8. The Catbird Seat – Nashville
Few restaurants in Tennessee command the same level of respect as The Catbird Seat. This intimate tasting-menu destination has been pushing Nashville’s culinary boundaries for years, and the recognition keeps coming. Being named among the nominees for Outstanding Restaurant in the 2026 James Beard Awards places it among the country’s best, a remarkable achievement for any restaurant and especially meaningful for Nashville’s dining reputation.
The format here is unique: a U-shaped counter surrounds an open kitchen where chefs prepare each course in front of you. There’s nowhere to hide and nothing between diners and the cooking process, which creates an electric energy that traditional dining rooms can’t match. Watching skilled cooks work with precision and creativity adds another dimension to the meal beyond just taste.
The menu changes frequently, sometimes dramatically, as new chefs bring their perspectives to the kitchen. This rotation keeps the restaurant evolving and prevents it from becoming predictable. You might encounter Nordic influences one visit and Japanese techniques the next, but the commitment to excellence remains constant regardless of the culinary direction.
Ingredients arrive from carefully selected farms, fisheries, and specialty suppliers who share the restaurant’s quality standards. Each course builds on the previous one, creating a progression that tells a story rather than just presenting a series of unrelated dishes. Beverage pairings enhance the experience, with sommeliers and bartenders crafting combinations that complement the food’s complexity.
The Catbird Seat represents Nashville’s arrival as a serious dining city. When it opened, some questioned whether the market could support this level of ambitious cooking, but the restaurant has not only survived but thrived. National critics who once overlooked Nashville now include it in conversations about America’s best dining destinations, and The Catbird Seat deserves credit for helping shift that perception.
Securing a reservation requires patience and planning, but the meal delivers an experience that justifies the effort and expense.
9. Cocozza – Memphis
Cocozza brings the kind of Italian-American cooking that makes you feel like you’ve been invited to a big family dinner. Generous portions, red-sauce classics, and a playful atmosphere create an experience that feels nostalgic without being stuck in the past. This isn’t trying to be the trendiest restaurant in Memphis—it’s aiming to be the one you want to visit again and again because it makes you happy.
The menu leans into familiar favorites: spaghetti and meatballs, chicken parmesan, lasagna that arrives bubbling hot with cheese stretching as you serve yourself. These dishes could feel tired or predictable, but Cocozza executes them with enough care and quality ingredients to make them satisfying rather than forgettable.
The neighborhood vibe encourages lingering over another glass of wine or sharing one more appetizer. Tables fill with groups celebrating birthdays, families with kids who actually want to be there, and couples who chose casual warmth over formal romance. The energy stays lively without becoming chaotic, and servers move through the room with genuine friendliness rather than rehearsed hospitality.
Portion sizes reflect an old-school generosity that modern restaurants often abandon in favor of smaller, more expensive plates. Here, you’ll likely have leftovers, and that’s part of the appeal. Taking home tomorrow’s lunch feels like getting bonus value rather than evidence of excess.
Memphis has plenty of restaurants chasing national attention with innovative concepts, but Cocozza succeeds by focusing on what makes Italian-American food so beloved. It’s the kind of place that becomes part of your routine, where servers remember your usual order and the food delivers reliable satisfaction. As dining trends come and go, restaurants like this one remind us that sometimes the best meal is simply one that makes you feel good.
10. KUYA – Memphis
What started as a pop-up has grown into one of Memphis’s most interesting dining additions. KUYA serves Filipino food that many Memphians had never encountered before, introducing flavors and dishes that deserve wider recognition. Lumpia, chicken skewers, sisig, adobo rice bowls, and halo-halo represent just a fraction of Filipino cuisine’s diversity, but they provide an excellent introduction.
The South Main location fits KUYA’s energetic, approachable vibe perfectly. This neighborhood has become Memphis’s hub for creative, independent restaurants, and KUYA contributes to that energy with food that’s both distinctive and welcoming. The snack bar format keeps things casual—order at the counter, grab a seat, and enjoy food that balances sweet, sour, salty, and savory in ways that might surprise you.
Lumpia arrives crispy and golden, filled with seasoned meat and vegetables, perfect for dipping in vinegar-based sauce. Adobo rice bowls showcase the Filipino technique of braising meat in vinegar, soy sauce, and garlic until it becomes tender and deeply flavorful. Sisig brings together chopped pork, onions, and peppers on a sizzling plate that continues cooking as you eat, creating crispy edges and aromatic steam.
Halo-halo, the famous Filipino dessert, provides a sweet ending with its layers of shaved ice, evaporated milk, sweet beans, jellies, and fruit. The name means “mix-mix,” and that’s exactly what you do—stir everything together into a refreshing treat that works particularly well in Memphis’s humid summers.
KUYA represents the kind of culinary diversity that makes a city’s food scene more interesting. Memphis already has strong barbecue and soul food traditions, but adding Filipino flavors to the mix gives residents and visitors more reasons to explore. The restaurant’s success shows that diners are ready for flavors beyond the familiar, especially when they’re presented with confidence and authenticity.
As KUYA continues to introduce Memphis to Filipino cooking, it’s helping expand the city’s culinary identity one delicious plate at a time.
11. Acre – Memphis
Chef Andrew Adams transformed an East Memphis home into one of the city’s most compelling restaurants. Acre’s setting immediately sets it apart—dining in a converted house creates intimacy and charm that traditional restaurant spaces can’t replicate. The seasonal modern American menu pulls influences from Southern traditions and pan-Asian techniques, creating dishes that feel both familiar and surprising.
Adams’s recent James Beard recognition brought renewed national attention to Acre, but locals have been filling the dining room for years. The recognition validates what Memphis diners already knew: this is cooking that holds its own against restaurants in much larger cities. The menu changes with what’s available from local farms and seasonal suppliers, ensuring that repeat visits bring new discoveries.
Southern ingredients get treated with techniques borrowed from across Asia, creating flavor combinations that shouldn’t work on paper but taste completely natural on the plate. You might find Tennessee pork paired with miso and fermented chili, or Gulf seafood prepared with Thai-inspired aromatics.
The residential setting means the dining room feels more like attending a dinner party than visiting a restaurant. Tables are spaced comfortably within rooms that once served as living spaces, and the atmosphere stays relaxed despite the sophisticated cooking. This isn’t a place where you need to whisper or worry about using the wrong fork—it’s where excellent food meets genuine hospitality.
Acre proves that Memphis can support ambitious, chef-driven restaurants that push creative boundaries. The city’s dining scene has evolved significantly in recent years, with restaurants like this one demonstrating that quality and innovation have an eager audience. Adams’s James Beard nomination helps put Memphis on the national culinary map while giving the city another reason to celebrate its growing food culture.
Whether you’re a Memphis regular or visiting from elsewhere, Acre delivers the kind of meal that makes you reconsider what you thought you knew about the city’s restaurants.
12. Josephine Estelle – Germantown
Chefs Andy Ticer and Michael Hudman have built a Memphis restaurant empire on Italian-inspired cooking that honors tradition while feeling completely current. Their decision to open a Germantown location of Josephine Estelle brings their acclaimed cooking to a new audience and creates fresh excitement in the suburbs. This expansion represents confidence in both their concept and the suburban dining market’s appetite for high-quality Italian food.
Josephine Estelle’s menu showcases the kind of Italian-American cooking that Ticer and Hudman have perfected over years of operating successful restaurants. House-made pastas, wood-fired pizzas, and seasonal vegetables prepared with Italian techniques form the foundation, while Southern ingredients and sensibilities keep the food rooted in place.
The Germantown expansion makes their food accessible to diners who might not regularly venture into Memphis proper. Suburban locations sometimes get dismissed as less serious or watered-down versions of urban concepts, but Ticer and Hudman aren’t the type of chefs to compromise quality based on zip code. Expect the same attention to ingredients, technique, and hospitality that made the original location successful.
Italian-inspired cooking provides a versatile framework that works for quick weeknight dinners and special celebrations alike. Families can find pastas that kids will actually eat while adults explore more adventurous preparations. The wine list focuses on Italian regions, with bottles that complement the food without requiring a sommelier certification to navigate.
Opening in Germantown creates buzz beyond just the immediate neighborhood. Food writers and critics will visit to see how the concept translates to a new location, generating coverage that keeps Josephine Estelle in conversations throughout the year. For Memphis diners, it means another excellent option from chefs who have proven their ability to deliver memorable meals consistently.
As Tennessee’s restaurant scene continues to grow and evolve, expansions like this one demonstrate that quality dining isn’t limited to urban cores—it’s spreading to serve communities wherever they are.