Ye Olde Steak House — Restaurant in Knoxville

My significant other & I visited for the first time tonight. We've both been wanting to check it out for a long time due to its history & reputation in Knoxville. Parking was easier than expected due to the large back lot. Getting a table for 2 at 7pm on a Saturday night was also much quicker than expected, but there was a wait for larger tables. I did really enjoy the atmosphere overall, but there was entirely too much confusion & clutter to feel like it was a super hygienic environment. I wish the entryway at least had been more organized for a steakhouse of its caliber, but the whole place is still absolutely charming. The only reason I am giving 4 stars is due to the service. The staff gave the southern hospitality that keeps people wanting to come back. Everyone was so accommodating, warm & inviting. It was very busy & our server did a fantastic job balancing the workload & keeping us taken care of. For the food & drinks: Note, you must bring your own bottles of wine. We both ordered sweet tea. They served us very large cups with straws unopened straws provided & the tea was perfect. We started with the sample platter, with cheese sticks, onion rings & fried mushrooms. He says it was delicious, but the cheese sticks weren't remarkable - I felt it all to be bland, so I was thankful for the marinara & honey mustard. I ordered the combination ribeye (med rare) + shrimp with mushrooms & woodshed potatoes. I'd say the ribeye came out more medium, but I still thoroughly enjoyed it all. Not the most marbling, and a little greasy, but it definitely still appeased my steak craving. The shrimp, I would not recommend. Burnt on the sides & overly smokey flavor, but not overcooked. Sides were a little bland but I enjoyed the potatoes. He ordered the prime rib with the loaded baked potato & sweet potato. The prime rib was HUGE. Like an inch thick & filled the whole plate. He says it was med rare & tender, but fatty (which he prefers). The baked potato was delicious, soft & cooked all the way through. The sweet potato was also cooked all the way through & good, just ask for cinnamon sugar. Another note, we weren't personally offended by it, but there were workers smoking near the entrance. If this is something that would bother you, this may be the wrong environment for you. Overall, the food was a little bland. We probably won't return, but it was definitely worth going one time. I have no doubt the nostalgia & staff keep regulars loyal. We're just personally looking for a different experience from...

First, I'll admit that the service is a little slow. That being said, good things come to those who wait! I really don't understand people complaining about the meat...because it's some of the best I've ever had. And I've had Albert's grilled steak. The steak is delicious, the broccoli casserole is amazing, the sweet potatoes are huge, and the quality of the service is amazing. Yes you have to talk to the people at the table with you, or entertain yourself while you wait for the amazing mouthgasm that IS a Ye Olde Prime Rib. But really, if you can't wait 5 minutes for someone to come by your table to get your drink, get out and go to McDonalds. I can't recall a time when I've ordered a steak here that I haven't walked away satisfied with everything that's ever happened in my life...because it led me here. It led me to you Ye Olde...and I'm so grateful it did. Let me tell you a little about the restaurant, because I don't want people to think they're going to get some amazing 5 star silk table linen. It's wooden, cluttered, the bathrooms are tiny, and the seating isn't as comfortable as it could be. I feel like this is one of those hole in the wall restaurants when I walk in, which is how I like to feel. Let's get to the price. What the heck are you guys ordering that you say it's overpriced?? The meat is fairly priced (though if you live on a budget, you might go to Texas Roadhouse or buy your own. I'm lucky enough that I am able to afford this place without foaming at the mouth at the price.) and well cooked. I recommend you get your steak cooked medium or medium rare. People who go out to buy a 40 dollar well done Filet Mignon need to stop writing reviews. Anyway, long story short: You'll wait for your meal. Get over that right now, because the reviews on the service are true. You'll get a great meal if you wait and if you are ordering your steak correctly. The restaurant currently has an A, so it's not dirty, but it is small and the seating isn't very comfortable. Hope you guys enjoy as much as I did! Don't be fooled by Negative Nancy! This place is great! (Seriously, who the heck orders a...

This local, well-regarded restaurant has good service, but the food was disappointing.

My wife and I, respectively, had an 8 oz filet (M) and a 16 oz bone-in ribeye (MR) that were the most tasteless pieces of beef we've ever eaten. When asked, the waitress said they were seasoned with pepper and "Tiger Seasoning" (?), but those must have been used exceedingly sparingly. Although cooked over a flame, the steaks also had no sense of smoky char and little seared crust.

At the table, a generous dose of additional pepper and some salt made the meat somewhat edible. I ended up ordering A-1 Sauce, something I never do at steak restaurants, which helped a bit. Frankly, these were worse than Sizzler steaks, let alone a Texas Roadhouse, and no comparison to another local favorite, Connors.

The salads were simple but good, with tasty homemade bleu cheese and ranch dressings. My side was something called “woodshed” potatoes, basically sliced, unpeeled potatoes lightly browned with grilled onions, which were delicious. My wife’s baked potato was boring, with an unseasoned skin that seemed more steamed than baked.

For dessert, we tried their homemade key lime pie. It was light and chiffon-like, a nice consistency, and would have been great had it not suffered the near omission of a critical ingredient... limes. Other key lime pie I've eaten has been simultaneously tart and sweet, and very limey. This one, like the steaks, was almost tasteless.

We love to patronize local eateries, and really wanted to like Ye Olde Steak House. But I'm sad to say this is one place we will...