Shono's Japanese Grill — Restaurant in Knoxville

Amazing! The Eddie's Special ( with no mushrooms) was my very first favorite meal in Knox Vegas. The spicy beef and chicken are both marinated for like thirty-six hours before being exquisitely grilled to perfection, and served with steamed or fried rice ( I always go steamed) and mixed veggies (zucchini, onions, bean sprouts, and mushrooms). The gyoza dumplings are seriously the best I've ever had anywhere, bar none. And the tangy dipping sauce has just enough vinegar to really give it a kick. The side salad itself is rather unimpressive(iceberg lettuce and whatnot), but the house-made dressing knocks it right out of the park! I usually get extra dressing, and dip gyoza in it, put it on my Eddie's Special, or just pour it all over myself (kidding, but I have taken shots of the stuff, and would most definitely do it again with a smile). My favorite is a mixture of the ginger dressing and sriracha poured pretty generously over my whole meal, but it's honestly already amazing exactly how is served. Mixing the shrimp sauce (yummy sauce, etc..) is very popular, but I don't do mayo, which is a main ingredient, so it's usually not for me. Truly a Knoxville...

This is the food they serve in Heaven! Since I always get the same thing, I can't address the other dishes personally, but Eddie's Special has been way way beyond special every time I've had it--and I've had it a lot. Friends who have had other things rave about those too. I hadn't been able to eat there for almost two months (surgery) and when I went in and that food was set down in front of me, I actually cried a little with joy--it's that good. If there are leftovers, they're just as delicious reheated, and you can't say that about most dishes from anywhere. Service is fast, the folks are friendly, prices are great. The only thing wrong with them is that they're not within walking distance. My favorite...

Original Zomato Review 1/30/26 - I think Shono's is a hidden gem. The times I've been in, there's not a crowd of people and the food is cooked to order (Hibachi style). I disagree with the food being dry and flavorless - the fried rice and chicken entree is quite good.

Service is a bit slow but the food is prepared when ordered, so the food quality is much better than one would see on a buffet. The meals are reasonably priced and two meals ran $22.50 which is pretty decent.

I'd like to see a bit better lettuce (no white sections) in the ginger salad and the shrimp sauce a bit sweeter (instead of horseradish based). But...