Diners' Choice: Great for outdoor dining restaurants in East Tennessee

OpenTable

Updated December 05, 2024

Looking for the best restaurants that are great for outdoor dining in East Tennessee? You’re in the right place. Each month, OpenTable analyzes nearly 2 million global diner reviews from the past four months. We sort the results by location and category to help you discover new favorite restaurants. It's a great partnership: you reserve, eat, and review. We listen...and deliver the results for all to benefit. Enjoy!

Dancing Bear Appalachian Bistro

4.9

4.9 (3597)

$50 and over

American

Knoxville

About the restaurant

At Dancing Bear Appalachian Bistro, we know that great food begins with fresh, quality sourced local ingredients. On our Modern Appalachian menu, Chef Jeff Carter and culinary team present seasonal and delicious dishes that are familiar and steeped in tradition yet enhanced with bold new dashes of flavor and component combinations that may surprise and delight you.

Dancing Bear provides a premium lodging experience. We bring the same commitment to excellence to our award-winning restaurant and full bar. Whether enjoying a romantic dinner for two or bringing the extended family together for a celebratory meal, we want your night out in Townsend to be a special experience. We offer a refined assortment of modern Appalachian cuisine — all served among elegant surroundings and calming wooded vistas.

Top review

John

Dined on Dec 18, 2024

The season menus surprised me but the service was best ever. Everything delicious.

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Popular dish

Truffled Filet Mignon

4.9

4.9 (289)

$30 and under

Mediterranean

Lookout Mountain

About the restaurant

Massey’s Kitchen is the community gathering place for friends and family to enjoy great food and drinks.

Our passion is authentic, made from scratch dishes reflected in our menu that provides housemade artisanal breads, pizzas, sandwiches and more all made with fresh ingredients.

We travelled to the Mediterranean regions in search of unique offerings and experiences. Massey’s Kitchen brings the flavors and culture of the Mediterranean to our local community through our open-air spaces, authentic menu and energetic atmosphere

Top review

Madison

Dined 7 days ago

Fantastic night. Great food and our waitress was an absolute doll. Will be back!

STIR - Knoxville

4.8

4.8 (660)

$31 to $50

American

Knoxville

About the restaurant

STIR is the perfect restaurant to sip a craft cocktail over a dozen oysters, enjoy a night out, or meet for lunch. Located in the heart of Old City, the restaurant is an open-air concept with a large, heated outdoor patio. We are open for lunch, dinner, and weekend brunch.

Great food starts with fresh, local ingredients. Our kitchen prepares everything from scratch, and our signature raw bar is stocked with fresh oysters and seasonal seafood. STIR is famous for craft cocktails. We freeze and carve 300-pound blocks of artisanal ice in-house, age certain cocktails in oak barrels for richer flavors, and place others on draft for crispness and carbonation. The result: categorically elevated cocktails. Our passion for fine spirits also compels us to find and share rare bottles, many of which are extremely difficult to procure. We welcome Knoxville to enjoy our unmatched cocktails, fresh seafood, and classic dishes in an atmosphere of genuine hospitality

Top review

AndrewVIP

Dined 3 days ago

Service and drinks were excellent. Food was good! Will go back.

Wilder at Windy Hill Farm and Preserve

4.8

4.8 (55)

$50 and over

Contemporary Southern

Loudon

About the restaurant

Voted "Best Splurge Worthy Restaurant" by Travel Awaits.

Appalachian tradition is rich in grit, resourceful charm, and determination, which drives our culinary heritage. At Wilder, we cultivate farm-to-table ingredients transformed by an appreciation for international cuisine to offer a fun and unique approach to well-loved Southern staples.

Four-Course Dinner experience offered Thursday - Saturday $85/person.

20% service fee assessed on all charges. Additional tipping optional.

Limited reservations are offered nightly. Non-alcoholic beverages included.

Top review

Judy

Dined 7 days ago

Stunning! Special holiday meal and the staff, food, ambiance, location all made it amazing! Everything is so special from cocktails, appetizers, and main courses! Outstanding! 👏🏻

Calhoun’s Oak Ridge

4.7

4.7 (85)

$30 and under

American

Oak Ridge

About the restaurant

Located along the banks of Melton Hill lake, Calhoun’s Oak Ridge sits along the beautiful Oak Ridge greenway with every seat in the restaurant offering a view of the water. This location is accessible by boat, has a a covered outdoor dining patio as well as seating around the fire pit with a panoramic view of Melton Hill Lake. Calhoun's has become a place where friends and family gather to celebrate what’s good in their lives while they sample some of Tennessee’s best BBQ, ribs, steak, and sandwiches. So come on down and experience the best hospitality and BBQ around.

Top review

Jack

Dined on Dec 8, 2024

Best meal and best service we’ve had there in two years. Really enjoyed it.

Balter Beerworks

4.7

4.7 (59)

$30 and under

American

Knoxville

About the restaurant

Balter Beerworks is a scratch kitchen brewpub located in downtown Knoxville. We offer a welcoming environment that celebrates craft beers and made from scratch food. Every bite and every sip at Balter is crafted daily from scratch, using the freshest ingredients available. We are constantly refreshing food and beer menus to highlight seasonal delicacies. Balter offers a place for friends and family to reconnect in a space that weaves urban aesthetics with the history of an old service station.

Top review

Volodia

Dined on Dec 14, 2024

Great service and nice ambiance. Apps were very good. Burger was very average and the buffalo chicken salad was sub par. Chicken not very warm and small and strange pieces and sauce was very smoky tasting.

Honey Seed

4.7

4.7 (76)

$30 and under

American

Chattanooga

About the restaurant

Honey Seed specializes in hand-rolled Montreal-style bagels and woodfired pizza. We are fresh, made from scratch and local. We are open 7am to 9pm daily.
Honey Seed also has a full brunch menu, salads, paninis, pizza starting at 12pm and burgers for dinner.

Top review

SandyVIP

Dined 4 days ago

Fabulous server and great food. Brunch at its best!

State of Confusion

4.6

4.6 (681)

$30 and under

Latin American

Chattanooga

About the restaurant

State of Confusion features authentic dishes from Latin America, New Orleans, and the Carolina Lowcountry. We serve lunch, dinner, and weekend brunch, with takeout and delivery available. Multiple indoor and heated outdoor hangout areas offer you and your groups a variety of options for dining in and special events.

Top review

Darryl

Dined 3 days ago

Took our grandsons out for a family style dinner. The atmosphere was good and the food tasty.

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Popular dish

Peruvian Paella

Tupelo Honey - Chattanooga

4.5

4.5 (1908)

$30 and under

Contemporary Southern

Chattanooga

About the restaurant

Tupelo Honey is a revival of Southern Comfort Food and traditions rooted in the Carolina Mountains we call home. We craft brunches, lunches and suppers that bring family and friends around the table and allow for conversations and cocktails to linger longer than usual. Always scratch-made, always responsibly-sourced, and always Southern.

Top review

Keren

Dined 3 days ago

We had a wonderful experience in our first night in Chattanooga!

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Experience

Holiday Brunch

Experience

Hoot & Holler Happy Hour

Top of the Rock Restaurant and Brewery

4.4

4.4 (1502)

$30 and under

American

Jasper

About the restaurant

PLEASE CALL US AT 423-939-9037 TO RESERVE IGLOOS:

Please note: Our outdoor seating is open-air, covered by a roof, and only partially enclosed. While we do have heaters to help keep you warm, temperatures can still be chilly during the winter months

The combination of chef-inspired food, expertly made craft beer, and spectacular views makes Top of The Rock a place like no other. Our recipes are made fresh from scratch using the best ingredients we can find. Our mission is to be your favorite locally-owned watering hole: a place where friends can gather to celebrate great food, great beers, and great times.

Top review

Vanessa

Dined 2 days ago

What a great place to visit on Christmas Eve. From staff to entrees everything was top notch. The scenery out on the deck is amazing!

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