Tupelo Honey Cafe - Coming to the Tri-Cities (Knoxville, Johnson City: home, neighborhood)

[BlackandYellow]

Tupelo Honey sweet on city after tour

This would be great for the Tri-Cities. Nice to see the interest from the Asheville Market and some of those folks heading up I-26 over the Mountain.

[GingerSue]

They seemed impressed, I hope they decide to open here. I also hope everything will be as farm fresh as it is in their Asheville restaurants. Sadly, that's not something we find in local restaurants. I also hope they open in downtown JC. I think their presence would encourage more of the same. I can easily imagine them in the old health food store location, with those gorgeous doors and high ceilings.

[mbmouse]

Originally Posted by GingerSue

They seemed impressed, I hope they decide to open here. I also hope everything will be as farm fresh as it is in their Asheville restaurants. Sadly, that's not something we find in local restaurants. I also hope they open in downtown JC. I think their presence would encourage more of the same. I can easily imagine them in the old health food store location, with those gorgeous doors and high ceilings.

I have to disagree with you there. (highlighted above) We DO have localy owned restaurants in the area that DO use fresh foods and not always buy from the same food distributors as the rest. I have to say I have never been in a Tupelo Honey Cafe so I can not speak about it, but I am blown away at all the buzz about yet another chain restaurant?? Don't people want local flavor? .....Let me rephrase that....Don't people want something unique? Fresh? Different than every big chain place?
Again, not saying anything bad about Tupelo Honey, they maybe great. I am just not understanding why this huge excitement level community wide over yet another chain possibly comming here, yet we have many localy owned eatieries opening up all over the Tri-Cities and no one even blinks or makes any kind of deal over those.

[SmokyMtnPeace]

Originally Posted by mbmouse

I have to disagree with you there. (highlighted above) We DO have localy owned restaurants in the area that DO use fresh foods and not always buy from the same food distributors as the rest. I have to say I have never been in a Tupelo Honey Cafe so I can not speak about it, but I am blown away at all the buzz about yet another chain restaurant?? Don't people want local flavor? .....Let me rephrase that....Don't people want something unique? Fresh? Different than every big chain place?
Again, not saying anything bad about Tupelo Honey, they maybe great. I am just not understanding why this huge excitement level community wide over yet another chain possibly comming here, yet we have many localy owned eatieries opening up all over the Tri-Cities and no one even blinks or makes any kind of deal over those.

I've never been to a Tupelo Honey restaurant, so I can't say anything about them. I did take a look at their menu, and it looked ok. Not earth shattering though IMO. Everyone will not like the same things. I understand that. While I like some chains, I prefer giving my money to a local business so that it stays in the community. My husband and I in will be in the area in a little over a week while on vacation, and hope to find a good locally owned restaurant the locals frequent that offers fresh ingredients to get the feel of the area.

[jabogitlu]

I don't know all of the local eateries but here's something to get you started. This is all for Johnson City, but Kingsport, Bristol, Jonesborough, Elizabethton (especially Red Chili downtown), and Abingdon all have equally good choices. Not sure how long you're going to be here so I gave you lots of options. Hopefully, it's not overwhelming!

(BTW - if you're talking fresh, smartly-sourced foods and a good atmosphere I'd say try Korner-Copia in Kingsport, 200 East Center St. https://www.facebook.com/pages/Korne...a/321332953449 )

Downtown:
The Main Street Pizza Company (300 E Main St): https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-M...y/214522284363
Freiberg's (203 E Main Street): Welcome to Freiberg's The Area's only truly authentic German cuisine
The Battery (601 Spring Street): https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-B...12796668795127
Alley Kat (Better for lunch, not dinner: West Walnut Street): https://www.facebook.com/pages/Alley...19105484803687
Italian Pizza Pub (Better for lunch: West Walnut Street): https://www.facebook.com/pages/Itali...87324264628784
Taste Budz (T-F, 11am-4pm, Corner of South Roan and Market St): https://www.facebook.com/pages/Taste...70191606331598
The Firehouse (627 West Walnut Street): https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-F...t/110461443583
One 12 Fusion (owned by a Knoxville/Tri-Cities chain, 112 Tipton St): https://www.facebook.com/one12downtown
Scratch Bakery (pizza, 100 East Unaka Avenue): https://www.facebook.com/scratchbrickoven
Shamrock (lunch, 300 West Walnut St): https://www.facebook.com/shamrocktobaccoshop

North Johnson City:
Cafe One 11 (111 Broyles Drive): https://www.facebook.com/pages/Cafe-...82411295130763
Cafe Lola (1805 North Roan St): https://www.facebook.com/pages/Cafe-Lola/253184421803
Gourmet and Company (Mountcastle Road): https://www.facebook.com/gourmetandcompany
Jack's City Grill (1805 North Roan St): https://www.facebook.com/pages/Jacks...45749962107551
Cootie Brown's (2715 North Roan St): https://www.facebook.com/pages/Cooti...14372395268827
Mona Lisa Gelato (lunch and, yes, gelato; 305 West Oakland) https://www.facebook.com/monalisasgelato
Jade's Market (600 North State of Franklin Road): https://www.facebook.com/jadesmarket?ref=ts

And for the best local breakfast around (don't let the surroundings scare you, it's not really a terrible neighborhood): Pennyman's Diner (1409 E Main St) https://www.facebook.com/pages/Penny...05450629523505


Not sure if you drink or enjoy "nightlife," but since you're on vacation, here are some other ideas too...
Capone's (YMMV; 227 E Main St, downtown): https://www.facebook.com/pages/Capones/113520835348389
Acoustic Coffeehouse (lots of youngin's and hipsters; 415 West Walnut): https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-A...e/131339056030
Down Home (300 West Main St, excellent live-music venue): The Down Home - Johnson City, TN est 1976 - Front Page
Tipton Street Pub: https://www.facebook.com/tiptonstreetpub
Galaxy Lounge (216 E Main St, downtown): https://www.facebook.com/TheGalaxyLoungeJC?ref=ts

Also some of the other listings (like One 12) also transition to evening venues after dinner hours.


If you're gonna be here May 4, Corazon Latino (Latino heritage festival combined with First Friday) is downtown. Frito Puente is playing, and there's going to be a running of the bulls, Little City Roller Girls (local roller derby league) style. Should be fun.

[GingerSue]

I don't think Tupelo Honey Cafe is a chain. It's independently owned and until recently there was just the one restaurant in Asheville. The owner opened their second location on the other side of Asheville, and is just now venturing into TN. They grow a lot of their own (organic) vegetables on their farm and source their meats from local farms.

It really is an experience to eat there and people drive for many miles for their food. But as I said, i hope they can continue to offer the same experience when they open their restaurants on this side of the border. Of course everyones tastes will be different, but I've personally not found anything locally that compares in both flavor and quality. We do have some good locally owned restaurants, but my personal experience with them hasn't been as good as what I've found in Asheville.

Boo to chains, lol, I don't do those.

I still haven't tried Jades Market yet. I keep checking their daily menu on Facebook hoping to see something that sings to me, but my timing is never right.

[SmokyMtnPeace]

Thanks everyone for the recommendations. I'll show my husband the list, and we'll try to check out a couple while we're down there.

[rccrain]

Anyone tried The Battery in DTJC? I love low country food, love it!

601 Spring St. - https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-B...12796668795127

[bkjonesborough]

Tupelo Honey is not a chain. They were so successful in Asheville that they needed a second location. I think the first one was open about 20 years before they expanded. We always try to eat there when we go, but most of the time cannot get in because of a 1-2 hour wait. They've been featured in the NY Times, Southern Living, and on Rachel Ray $30 a Day (The sweet potato pancakes are the size of your head and I think $5ish dollars - at least back then) so the publicity keeps a line formed.

They just opened another in Knoxville and would like to open here, but from what I've read, I don't expect it to grow much more, if any. Based on their Field to Fork philosophies, I'm surprised that they expanded this much. A portion of their food comes from their own organic farms in Yancy County, and they try to be as eco-friendly as possible. They aren't the greatest food on earth, but they are very good, and consistently good. They put a nice twist on regular southern food. Goat cheese grits, brussel sprouts that were the first that anybody in my family would eat, warm pimento cheese dip, omelets the size of your forearm that are made from cage free eggs and fresh vegetables and the hormone free meats of your choice (did you know IHOP puts pancake batter in their eggs?). They try to source everything as local and independent as possible for less impact on the environment, ethical farm practices, and healthier, tastier food with a farmers market feel. Everything is made from scratch. They are as whole food as you get in a restaurant. It's their philosophy that is as exciting as their food. It's a good thing to spread. Whew, I'm getting hungry over here!

The Battery - I haven't tried it, but live nearby and they seem to have a pretty good crowd every night! I can't find a menu - anybody have a link to one?

[rccrain]

Their web site is still under construction. Someone posted a truncated menu on their facebook, but it wasn't very high quality. This link may or may not work... https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/555066_3705433637613_1328677782_3600018_1030695238 _n.jpg (broken link)