Local eateries offer both food and fun, all in the same location. Date night anyone?
Many places are just dinner. You eat, you go home. But if you want more than just a meal, East Tennessee has eateries that offer all kinds of fun, games, and adventure. The night doesn’t have to stop at the tip. Let’s explore restaurants that serve dinner and…
Dancing Bear Appalachian Bistro | Dinner and… s’mores!
Rustic, regional and romantic. Trip Advisor ranked Dancing Bear Appalachian Bistro as one of the most romantic restaurants in America in 2019. Secluded, savory and sensational are also perfect alliterative words to describe this fabulous restaurant tucked quietly in the peaceful side of the Smokies in Townsend. A farm-to-table experience like no other with a focus on regional dishes using fresh produce grown on site. Summer’s Live on the Lawn series could have earned the “Dinner and… A Show” title, but with a packed s’mores bar next to roaring fires waiting outside for diners, the title was already taken.
Townsend: 7140 E. Lamar Alexander Parkway • (865) 448-6000 • dancingbearlodge.com/dining
T-Prime Steak & Seafood | Dinner and… Golf!
Most golf courses offer a “19th Hole” bar and grill, sometimes nicknamed “the waterhole”. You come in dirty and dusty after a round of golf, stay for a beer and a story about your bad golf game, and head to your car to unload your clubs. T-Prime Steak & Seafood at Avalon Golf and Country Club might be just a little bit different. Alone, it is one of the best restaurants in Knoxville. Combine it with a great golf course tucked in the Avalon subdivision between US 70 and Interstate 75 and you have a dynamic duo. All the classics are on the menu from Surf-and-Turf to Cilantro Glazed Lime Chicken. Even if you don’t play like Tiger Woods, you can eat here like you’re on the pro tour.
Lenoir City: 700 Turnberry Circle • (865) 816-6635 • avalongolf.com/t-prime
Token Game Tavern | Dinner and… video games!
I’m old enough to remember going somewhere to play video games. A bag full of quarters and Mom dropped you off at the arcade was the best day ever. Galaga, Joust and Space Invaders were just a few of my favorite games. When you’re ready to step into a virtual time machine, transport yourself to Token Game Tavern, where classic video games and pinball are king. The tavern serves all kinds of pub food from nachos to Chicago dogs and even a cocktail made with Nerds. For game nerds who also want to eat their fill, this is the place to be.
Knoxville: 213 N. Seven Oaks Drive • (865) 770-3870 • tokengametavern.com
Maple Room | Dinner and… Bowling!
Yes, we may have grown up on a bowling alley, but it wasn’t a place you really wanted to hang out when you weren’t bowling. Conversely, Maple Hall is a place you want to hang out, even if you can’t channel your inner Pete Weber. Boutique bowling alleys are growing in popularity, but few can rival the character of Maple Hall, tucked inconspicuously in a historic Gay Street building. You hang out here in the relaxed lounge area; locally sourced, made from scratch menu items like Springer Mountain Farms Hot Chicken; game night classics; oh, and some bowling. Pro tip: Walk between lanes like you work there to find the upstairs cocktail lounge that’s perfect for private gatherings.
Downtown: 414 South Gay Street • (865) 249-8454 • maplehallknox.com
Bucket Head Tavern | Dinner and… Pub Games!
This is the closest to a pub you will find in Knoxville. Golden Tee, Power Putt, Big Buck HD, PGA Tour Golf, cornhole, skee-ball, darts and many other games dotted around the restaurant. Pool tables, lavish sofas and a centrally located stone fireplace round out the tavern experience. Generous outdoor space ensures a comfortable and never too crowded feeling with regular live music performances on the newly renovated stage. Pro Tip: Come for the fun, stay for the Psycho’ Magic Mushrooms. Sit down, they are legal and spicy. Oh, and Jon Hamm might be there… in the form of a ham sandwich.
Knoxville: 8039 Ray Mears Boulevard • (865) 394-9936 • bucketheadtavern.com
Angle 16 | Dinner and… Lawn games!
If you’re from Knoxville, you’ll know about Mike Chase’s “C” restaurants – Calhoun’s, Copper Cellar, Cappuccino’s, Chesapeake’s, and others, now including Corner 16. Not sure when I was last on Astroturf, but there there are many square meters here that adorn the outdoor space. Cornhole, football and other fun stuff will keep the kids entertained as you dine on foods you’ve come to depend on from a “C” restaurant. Comfort food and comforting fire pits will keep you cozy when the temperature is cool. Lunch, brunch, dinner and socializing are waiting for you at Corner 16.
Middlebrook: 1640 Bob Kirby Road • Northshore: 9637 Kroger Park Drive • corner16.com
Top golf | Dinner and… a driving range!
Chipped golf balls that turn the driving range into a video game? What is there not to love. Long-awaited in the Marble City, Topgolf made its debut in mid-August, and while you may come to play golf, the on-site restaurant is not something to be missed. You’ll find traditional bar apps on the menu, but you’ll also find non-traditional items like Farmhouse Flatbread made with cauliflower crust and Meatalian Flatbread with prosciutto. Burgers, chicken sandwiches, and salads make up the dinner menu, and although the company is out of state, you’ll find local beer on tap. Pro Tip: Don’t leave without trying the injectable donut holes, as seen on TikTok.
Farragut: 11400 Outlet Drive
(865) 672-0311 • topgolf.com/us/knoxville
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