Potchke Deli — Restaurant in Knoxville

I saw this restaurant recognized in USA today so I grabbed my sister and we went to check it out. I really wanted to give it a 5 star rating, but to be honest, this just wasn't a 5 star experience. Factoring just a teeny tiny bit into my rating (because I am aware of the pop-up origins of the restaurant) is my first impression...aggravation that I couldn't find it. Google says it's in the "Catholic Charities of East Tennessee Center", maybe that's an old or different name for the Regas building, I don't know. We walked around on an extremely windy day trying to find it. When we asked for help, we were directed to the correct place, and immediately understood why we couldn't find it, there's nothing but a little stick-on sign in the window with the name. Once inside, there was one register open and a line, which I totally expected because the USA today article had just come out, no problem, we enjoyed chatting with our line neighbor. The moment we got to the register is when the 5 stars I was hoping to give started to look more like 4 stars, the girl at the register didn't smile, say hello or thank you. She did explain questions we had about the menu, including the fact that I had seen pastrami sandwiches mentioned online, but didn't see it on the menu. She informed that it's a secret item, which you actually can find on the back of the menu, in very light, fine print. A cute idea. We placed our order and got a number to take to the table and waited for our food. This place is expensive! I had the pastrami sandwich, and a cup of borst and a canned drink. My companion had the mushroom reuben, a bowl of matzo ball soup and a canned drink. With 20% tip, our lunch came to $78! In hindsight, a 20% tip was too much considering the fact that we had to go to the water station to get our own water/silverware / napkins and bus our own table when done eating. They did bring the food to the table. Quite an expensive lunch in an atmosphere much like a fast food restaurant. As far as the food itself, it was excellent presentation. The bread on the sandwiches is very thick and makes a good first impression, the soups looked appetizing and were at a good temperature. The mushroom ruben was tasty, the pastrami sandwich was very skimpy on the pastrami, but other than that, it was tasty as well. A lot of bread! Neither of us had ever had borsht or matzo ball soup, but since we went there to try something new, no complaints about the soups even though it wasn't our taste. The restaurant looked clean and had a bright and airy feel. I love to see new restaurants come to Knoxville and wish...

When we arrived at Potchke at around noon time on a Tuesday afternoon, we could see that Chef Laurence Faber has quite a culinary following. The outside was buzzing with happy lunch couples and the inside was getting quite crowded as well. I got in line, while my better half grabbed a seat along the windows. I like how airy and bright the inside of Potchke is, with many live plants lining the windows and a whole lot of retro vibes. There's also a fireplace nook room where you can sit and enjoy your meal and read a book/work. Being a Ukrainian native, I wanted to try the borscht on my first visit. I loved the flavor and how Chef Faber added mushrooms to his version, but what bothered me was that the veggies were half raw!! I've tried many variations of borscht growing up as a child in Ukraine, and the grated veggies were always fully cooked. I ended up taking half home, and cooking it all the way through. I loved the pampushki (bread rolls) that the borscht came with so much and they reminded me of the ones back home. My cappuccino was absolutely heavenly, one of the best that I've had in Knoxville. I do want to come back to Potchke and try the matzo ball soup next time and also their famous babka. Will update my review...

I really can’t recommend this place highly enough. The prices are quite high, so be prepared for that, but they are high because you are definitely getting what you paid for. I also trust it means they are taking good care of their employees. But y’all, seriously every bite of food here is top notch. Both blintzes are incredible and I highly recommend them to anyone. The lox bialy is pretty heavenly, and like most things on their menu, it’s covered in a ton of fresh goodies like herbs, radish, & onion. And, as an avid hater of beets, I was genuinely shook to find myself practically pouring the borscht down my throat. That mess is a garlicky, herb loaded HEAVEN.

Pro tips- anything they make that is bread related is just fantastic. Also, the pastrami (secret menu item) is luxe af and richer than the grandparents you wish you had so treat yourself to it and thank me later.

The vibe is gorg- chock full of plants and alphabet mafia. The chairs don’t have arm rests so people in larger bodies rejoice! If you are unable to use stairs, don’t fret- though the main entrance is up a flight of stairs, you can enter through the main Regas entrance and enter...