Awaken Coffee — Restaurant in Knoxville

Before I say anything you NEED to come to Awaken Coffee! This is absolutely my favorite coffee I've ever had and I'm wishing I didn't live in Texas just to come back. The coffee is not overly sweetened (perfect in my book) and they have super cute names for a lot of their drinks!

My husband and I were passing through Knoxville on part of our road trip from Asheville to Nashville. We're huge into coffee and wanted to find the best in Knoxville and boy did we luck out with Awaken!

The staff were very friendly, welcoming and don't make you feel in a rush. Below their menu they have a board with specialty drinks which range from the Grinch to the Hulk to a s'mores latte. I love their variety and fun names! My husband asked for a caramel latte going light on the caramel (he doesn't like when it's too sweet) and the barista assured us they are not like Starbucks and don't over do it on syrup and sweetness. thank goodness. I went for the Polar Bear (white mocha and peppermint). Sadly we had to get going so we took them to-go. Wow. Absolutely perfect coffee. We both compliment them on their ratios. I love the subtle peppermint flavors in mine- I won't be burnt out on peppermint in just one drink- so thank you Awaken!

The inside is very warm and inviting with more of a modern atmosphere. Comfy seating of course and a Christmas tree! I wish I had taken a photo but they had painted Buddy the Elf on the front window with the "best cup of coffee". Bathrooms are available to customers and a key is needed to access.

I'm sad there's not a big chance we'll be back in Knoxville anytime soon but I really hope people continue to come to Awaken and get to experience and enjoy...

I have been here twice, with very different experiences each time. The first time was great, the service was good and the drinks we got were amazing (I got a "Hulk", which is matcha and espresso) , which made us go back the next time we were in the area. The second time we went was definitely not the same level of quality. My wife and both ordered different matcha and espresso drinks and went to sit down and wait. A few minutes later we were informed they were out of matcha and we would need to order something else (which is fine, stuff happens). The problem with this is that the drinks we ended up ordering were significantly cheaper than the original order, and we received no offer of compensation of any kind for the difference (a little sketchy, but whatever). My replacement drink was fine (peppermint mocha), but my wife's eggnog latte was nauseatingly sweet and tasted nothing like eggnog (she ended up dumping over half of it). Next time we are in the area we will probably try one of the other...

This coffeehouse was in an older building with nice wood trim. There was pleasant, low-volume background music. The service, however, was lacking. I got the feeling that the barista did not know much about their craft, as if they had only started a few days ago. It was hard to get information from them about the coffee or the food. Almost like an interrogation. My wife and I ordered the same central American coffee, but she had a pour over and I had a French press. Mine was actually quite good, with aromas of fruit and caramel. My wife’s, however, tasted burnt ; it was essentially undrinkable. Also, the barista did not ask us whether we’re going to stay or take the coffee to go and they just gave us paper cups. My wife ordered a plain bagel, but she received one with everything on it, which apparently was the only kind they had, and certainly did not go out with the coffee. If you are serious about good coffee, I would...