Colonel's Cafe — Restaurant in Knoxville

This restaurant has amazing food! Today I did not even feel like eating because my poor hedgehog is at the vet for an emergency leg problem and needs serious work. It is so heartbreaking so understandably I didn't have much of an appetite. My husband and son are with me and they wanted to eat so we googled diners in knoxville and found this nice diner. Their support for the military was nice and the food on the Google page looked really good for them.

I had 2 eggs, English muffin & potatoes. Husband had Country Fried Steak and eggs and grits with toast. Son had the French toast and eggs and Sasuage and we all shared some bacon and ham. It is a lot of food and we all had a little of everything.

I did not expect to eat much but upon the first bite of eggs I was amazed! They were so delecious and well cooked. We loved the flavour of the ham and bacon. My son ate so fast and he never does that, he just loved his food so much. I haven't had grits since childhood and they were great.

I've never liked Country Fried Steak and it is my husband's favourite food. I keep trying but never enjoyed it that is until today. I tried a bite and my eyes went wide (it reminded me of the scene from ratatouille with the good critic haha) and wow! I finally liked it! I now want to come back another time and have some for myself. This is huge for me as I am really picky. So I actually ate a good amount of food. I wasn't even hungry and was feeling down and the food truly cheered me up a little.

The waitress was kind and checked on us just the right amount of times. The napkins and straws we needed extra of were taken care of right away.

The environment I give 3 stars only because it is quite crowded feeling. I love the feeling of a smaller dinner but I felt a little overwhelmed in this one due to the sound of people so close to me and so many people. I was able to ignore it somewhat though thanks to the excellence of the rest. I also think that behind the counter could be cleaned a little but it was not a big issue. The tables were cleaned as well as the floor.

Overall I would definitely reccomend anyone to try this restaurant! I am picky and usually it is hard for me to find more than 1 food that I enioy on my table and I liked everything, even things I've never liked before. I think there is something here for everyone without a doubt and your food will be cooked nicely. Thank you to the staff and the owner for providing us with such a nice experience especially on this...

This is an awesome little hole in the wall traditional diner. It is nothing fancy and it doesn’t have to be. I wish I hadn’t slept on this place all the years I’ve lived in Bearden. I ordered single biscuit and gravy, two scrambled eggs, basic fried potatoes which come with capers btw ask them to leave them off if you wish. I didn’t mind them. And 3 pieces crispy bacon.

Service was great and servers are very friendly you just sit wherever. About half the tables were full at brunch time so wasn’t super crowded. I got my menu and coffee super fast. It was fresh and taste good. Food came out just a few minutes later. Very nice portions. Previous reviews mentioned food lacking seasoning but I appreciated the level as there is salt and pepper (and hot sauce and ketchup) on the table so you can season to your liking.

I was checked on a time or two and asked if I liked a refill. I didn’t feel like they were hovering at all like some places. I was able to enjoy my meal. Ticket came super early but who cares it’s not because they want you to leave. It’s a diner, it’s just what they do. Price was very reasonable for all the food I got. Thanks ladies (and gents in the back)...

Some of the best service and food around! I’ve been twice now and will most definitely be back again.

Updated – 2025-03-13: I’ve been back many times since my original review, and I can confidently say the food is always top-notch. After reading some of the negative reviews, I felt compelled to share my perspective.

Yes, this place is a small, no-frills hole in the wall, but they make the most of what they have. If you’re expecting fine dining, you might be disappointed—but if you’re here for fantastic food, you won’t be.

As for complaints about the service being rude... let’s be real. The folks here don’t sugarcoat things, so if you’re expecting the over-the-top pleasantries of servers just angling for a bigger tip, you won’t find that. What you will find is honesty, and I’ve learned that respect begets respect. Every interaction I’ve had has been genuine and the staff treats you well if you treat them well. It gets busy here because of the popularity, so be ready to have some grace going in for the folks that have to deal with a large, hungry crowd.

I also appreciate that they keep prices low by cutting out unnecessary frills. We need more places like this...