Curious Dog Hotdogs & Sandwiches — Restaurant in Knoxville

The worst experience I have ever had. Today, my company decided that we wanted to support a local business so we placed a large order at curious dog. My coworker and I went to pick it up and the customer service was horrible. I do not know who the lady was that was helping us but she definitely was not friendly nor professional. When we walked in, we were the only customers there. We let them know that we were picking up an online order and she stated that they had not even gotten to our order though our manager got a text stating that our order was ready. The lady at the front was running around spastically and was cursing about how she could not find our order. I had the confirmation on my phone so I offered to show her our order on my phone. She became more frustrated that she could not understand the words on my screen and ended up throwing my phone on the counter. LUCKILY, my phone was not damaged. Finally by the grace of God, she was able to find our order to start on it. Though she was not the one cooking, she was acting very stressed and was still running around acting outrageous. My coworker and I are both work and have worked in customer service so we understood how it felt to be having a rough morning. We let her know that it was fine and that we did not mind waiting. We wanted to put her mind at ease. We shouldn't have. As we took our seat to wait, more customers came in. The man cooking told them that it was going to be a minute. When the lady finally got back to the counter, she began COMPLAINING TO THE OTHER CUSTOMERS ABOUT US PLACING A LARGE ORDER WITH THEM. The young man in line had called his order in." You better be glad that you called in before them. They placed a large order as if we're some kind of chain restaurant," she stated whilst pointing her finger at us. There were about 6 or 7 customers in line and they all glared at us. We were so embarrassed about supporting them. We sat quietly (feeling extremely embarrassed) as we waited for our food. When part of our order was finished, she yelled at us to, "Come get this out of my way!" I slowly went up and grabbed the food and went back to wait on the rest of our order. Finally, we got the rest of our order and left in a complete humiliation. When we got back to the office, we realized that after all that time of waiting, THEY STILL LEFT 2 ITEMS OFF OUR ORDER.

Update: In the midst of typing this, our manager called in to speak to their manager, Todd. He was also very rude and was very unapologetic about the situation. I will never eat from here again....

A Brute’s Kitchen: A Review of Pour Ventilation Sandwich Shop

Step inside Pour Ventilation and you’re greeted not with the warm scent of grilled bread or simmering meats, but the unmistakable stench of damp rags and raw tension. The air hangs heavy, soaked in unease. You feel it instantly— the way you feel a storm brewing, or the moment before a glass shatters.

At the center of the chaos: a brute— a man who seemed to own the place, though ruled would be more accurate. He hurled commands like grenades, tearing through the space with a presence so toxic it could wilt herbs. His staff—defeated, silent, and hollow-eyed—moved like ghosts. One in particular, Maddy, looked utterly shattered. Not tired—crushed. Like someone who once cared and had it beaten out of her shift by shift.

Behind the counter, complete disarray. No one had a station, no one had direction— just bodies darting back and forth in a panicked ballet of confusion. Each step seemed reactionary, not intentional. The result? A wait that stretched on forever. Not due to volume, but because chaos has no clock.

When my sandwich finally arrived, it looked as though it had been assembled during a hurricane and given up halfway through. It tasted like surrender. No flavor, no soul—just sadness between bread.

Dining here isn’t an experience; it’s a warning. A masterclass in how not to lead, how not to serve, how not to exist in hospitality.

If you’re in the mood for a side of secondhand misery with a main course of anxiety—congratulations, you’ve found your place. As for me, I’ll never return. Not because the food was bad, but because no sandwich is worth watching someone’s spirit get crushed for...

This place is a definite gem in Knoxville! We were told about this spot by an employee at Old Tennessee Distilling Co. in Servierville. We are on town working through the Tennessee Whiskey Trail. The guy who told us about this spot said it's a great local spot that is not touristy. We walked in and there's a huge selection of beverages. Then you come up to the counter where you can place your order. The gentleman behind the counter was very nice and helpful. We asked what his favorite was and he said the Daytona. We ordered the Daytona, Philly and Knoxville. They were all 3 delicious! The Daytona had tots, bacon, jalapeños, a yummy Chipotle sauce and nice melty cheese. The Philly had roasted beef, provolone, grilled pepperonchinis and onions, BBQ sauce, white sauce and melty cheese. The Knoxville had a delicious chili, BBQ sauce, Chipotle sauce and coleslaw. They were all 3 delicious. The only thing we would change would be to replace the BBQ sauce with cream cheese, which the guy said we could swap out next time. All of the ingredients are premium and we left nice and full! We will definitely have to come back next time we're in town. The guy was one of the owners and you could tell he takes great pride in his food, which he definitely should as I'm sure all of the other menu items are just as delicious. He was also very personable and enhanced...