Harby's Pizza & Deli — Restaurant in Knoxville

Harby's is an institution in North Knoxville, and we eat there at least twice a week. His pizza is so good you can't decide between the crispy buttery crust or the delicious toppings. So you eat it all and let your viscerals sort it out, which in my case takes about an adventurous week or so.

This gastronomic dilemma doesn't end at the pizza. The signature Wedgie sandwich, with ten ounces of meat, is enough for two people, and is a culinary masterpiece. It's a meat mountain of flavor. But what about this Wedgie makes it so much more desirable than its namesake, that teeth-gritting experience from Junior High, the very memory of which brings tears to the eye and causes grown men to need reassuring hugs? Is it the crispy, apple-smoked bacon, the fresh tomatoes, the thin-sliced smoked turkey? Or maybe it's the toasted flat bread that barely contains the delectable hoard competing for your taste buds' approval. I like mine with jalapeno.

Harby's offers baked French fries, which are crunchy and tasty without all the grease, and generous salads with classic thick-cut lettuce and oil-and-vinegar dressing. The Greek salad is virtually buried under an avalanche of feta. Once excavated, beneath the snowy layer are fresh crunchy vegetables crouching like the survivors of the Donner party waiting to be devoured. See what I did there?

There's a selection of desserts ranging from cookies to baklava, and I usually leave with one or two treats to enjoy later. I'd eat them there, but I'm usually full to the point of endangering myself if I risk one more bite.

To say the atmosphere is eclectic is an understatement. Vintage and classic rock plays continuously. An out of tune piano sits in the middle of the booth area for anyone to attempt to tinkle out a discordant ballad. Decades of rock n' roll ephemera is scattered throughout in a whimsical and seemingly random fashion. Don't be fooled though. There's a pattern, and I challenge you to find it.

Harby's also has free giveaway books for the kids to keep them out of your hair. Everyone in my family​ loves the place, and we're a...

UPDATE... ABSOLUTELY HORRIBLE!!! The first 2 pizzas were wonderful. The last 2 were made with cheaper lesser quality ingredients. The bacon was now bacon bits as you will see from my pics and this is supposed to be extra bacon. I called and complained and it didn't seem to matter. I am including their Maui Wowi pic from their site which is what we got the first 2 times then you can see the difference with the cheap bacon bits they now use. I won't pay 37.00 for a large and a small pizza where they don't care if their quality goes down with inferior ingredients.

First Review: Absolutely loved this hidden gem. Came across it by shear accident and gave it a try. We tried the Maui Wowi Pizza 2xs. Once with chicken and once with extra bacon. They were incredible but because we love bacon so much we couldn't get enough of the extra bacon Maui Wowi. The crust is thin and delicious and was topped with BBQ sauce, jalapeños, pineapple and bacon. I ate 2 pieces for lunch the next day cold and loved every bite. My son loved their pepperoni with extra pepperoni. We also tried their version of bread sticks which is a super thin crust with cheese and topped with what tasted like garlic and some other herb. OMG... It was also amazing. They give you dipping sauce but who needed it; not us. We are going to try their sandwiches next which also...

The owner is just the most genuine, caring guy that wants to make sure you get exactly what you want.... He took his time explaining what certain things were on the menu and never rushed or hurried his answers with us. I LOVE his Pizzas. They are just the best I've ever had!!! And my husband loves his hoagies, because they bread is soft and steamed, the meat is piled high, and you have more than a dozen toppings to pick from. Prices are Fair. Deserts in the case are out of this world. And even the antique Pac-Man machine in the corner ended up with a couple dollars from us while we were waiting. The atmosphere isn't fancy. It's a jeans and tennis shoe kind of place, but whether you are on a solo lunch adventure, a date night with the other half, or just friends going out for good grub,... I HIGHLY recommend Harbys. I've probably ordered there 6 times now, and never - once - been...