Stock & Barrel — Restaurant in Knoxville

Stimulating to the senses and stacked, like I like my...burgers And that's not just the local bourbon/whiskey talking. Looking at the menu, this place specializes in burgers (with the local bakery bread and brisket blend...etc). And judging by the packed crowd of diners toddling, caning, crutching, partying, and everything in-between many wearing local brands and styles on a random June Wed, it's a locally+approved joint and not just conveniently placed in the center of downtown. So based on superficial first impressions, I did what I do when expectations are high - order something simple and like a true redwhiteandblue american, a good ole fashioned bacon cheeseburger. I think it's called Classic Bacon but in my case without the cheese. The caramelized bourbon onions swayed me from the 'Merican. I must've been feeling like something a bit sweeter. Server asked how I wanted the temperature and I asked for med-well. If by now I failed in my foreshadowing - this place delivered on their menu promises. I barely heard the manager when she brought out the plate because it was very busy. First thing I noticed was how tall it was, it was stacked and the ingredients were brightly colored and fresh. The bread is perfect for burgers and had that fresh bakery powdery flour scent & feel and they didn't over-butter and grill it like many "good" burger restaurants. Next time I'm in the area I'd definitely check out the bakery they source it from, it probably has good sourdough or pastries. I do want to warn, based on the type of bread used, this burger has to be eaten shortly after it comes out of the kitchen and won't hold as well delivered or saved for later. So skinny Bs need to finish it and don't let it go to waste. Greens, tomatoes, and pickles were simply executed. The beef was as advertised - juicy, tender, and packed with fatty brisket goodness. I could just imagine the sound of it getting seared and seasoned back in the kitchen. And it wasn't oversalted like many "good" burger restaurants. My burger came out well done (pictured) but I'm not knocking em for that, it was DELICIOUS. And as expected the onions came out sweet and added that little extra I required. I'm not going into the fries or onion rings, but I did eat them. I really wanted the duckfat fries but didn't want to override my heartburn threshold. I would easily put this burger up against some of the best in the country and now I am hesitant to try any other burger in Knoxville fearing that I'd just end up being disappointed that I misplaced my hard earned lunch money and end up craving and saving till the next time. All prices being equal for burgers priced $12-18, this place likely has best BANG. It tasted more like what you would get at the $50/burger places and what rich jerk spends $50 on a burger?! Thank you S&B for...

Every time I visit a new city, I synthesize data that I gather from multiple websites. Just because a restaurant is rated highly on one list doesn't mean it is on other lists. I try and find the restaurant that is most widely accepted as the best, and when I was preparing for my Knoxville trip, Stock & Barrel was that #1 spot. It was universally loved by many different people on many different sites. So, of course I had to check it out.

One of things I kept hearing about were the Duck Fat Fries (Rendered Duck Fat + Grated Parmesan + Scallions + Garlic Aioli). I've had duck fat fries before, pretty good ones, so I had to compare. These were better, much better. The duck fat adds another depth of flavor to the fries. It's impossible to describe, but it activates another spot on your tongue and makes you go yum. You'll just have to try these to find out. Easily the most appealing starter on their menu.

I also got to share another starter, the Spicy Crab Dib (Lump Crab + Roasted Red Pepper + Pepper Jack + Cream Cheese + Cajun Spices + Scallions + Dusted Pita Chips). Large chunks of lump crab; all you need to know. A nice mix of flavors in the creamy dip, not too spicy. And the pita chips were perfectly crispy. I rationed them and asked for a few more. Solid dish.

Then, I got to my burger. There are many different options, and they all sound differently unique, and they all sound delicious. I ended up choosing The Bernie (Mitchell Family Beef + Blue Cheese Crumbles + Benton’s Bacon + Blueberry Preserve + Beer Battered Jalapeños).

Sounds a little interesting, but the flavors matched up well, the funky cheese, the sweet preserve, and the spicy jalapenos. It all comes together into a fun little burger. I was pleased. And it was all served on a high quality bun that they didn't just get from a mass distributor.

Oh, and their onions rings were perfect. Very crispy, and a hefty onion ring inside. Heaven. This place was heaven.

Overall, out of everything I ate in this little part of Tennessee, I could see why this place got so much love. They offer a ton of great stuff, and it all seems to be high quality. The next time I'm in town, I'll gladly come to gorgeous downtown Knoxville and check this...

Let me start out by saying this place would have received 5 stars if the 1 hour wait they told us for a party of 6 was correct instead of a 2.5 hour wait.

Now, I thought the wait wasn’t going to be worth it, but I was so wrong. Amazing. That’s the only word I can use to describe the experience. The burgers were absolutely excellent (I got the spicy burger and the bison burger with regular friends, onion rings, and their duck confit fries (fries that are fried in duck fat). I also got their fried green tomatoes (they were topped with feta and a balsamic glaze).

From start to finish, that meal blew my mind. The fried green tomatoes were thick slices of tomatoes that were very crispy. I didn’t expect a big juicy tomato topped with a glaze to be crispy after being fried, but I was wrong. They were excellent and tangy, and the acidic tomato and glaze were balanced excellent with the fatty feta and fried outer layer.

Now to the burgers: unbelievable. They cooked them perfectly, and presentation is a 10/10. Taste was excellent. The bison burger was super juicy, and the flavor in that was elevated with all the accoutrements that we had.

The regular fries were great. They were crispy and seasoned perfectly, and they were kind enough to bring out a ranch and honey mustard for me to dip my fries in.

The onion rings were perfect. The onion was cooked enough that it wasn’t slimy inside, and extremely crispy overall for a satisfying bite.

Now the pièce de résistance: the duck confit fries. I thought these were just going to be a simple marketing tactic to try some regular fries with maybe a slightly different flavor. These fries were the real deal. There was a heavy, fatty duck flavor in these crispy fries topped with Parmesan. These would easily fill you up on their own, as the extremely fatty and satiating. Absolutely lovely.

Edit: visited again and had much better experience. Made reservation on Yelp when I was within a 1 mile radius of the restaurant (required on app). The food was solid again. I had the Billy which was a goat cheese burger with tomato jam. Duck fat fries are still...