Knoxville, TN burgers

If any of you guys that are Roadfood.com readers are ever in Knoxvill, TN and you want a delicous burger, I suggest Littons on Broadway in Fountain City which is just about five miles north of Knoxville. They are consistant winners for the best burger in Knoxville. In addition their dessert menu is superb.

Paul E. Smith
Knoxville, TN

I'll second this one, as Litton's is my all-time favorite place for burgers!!

I tried Littons the other day. The fries were good,albeit greasy since they use vegetable oil,would be better with beef tallow and/or lard . The bun was just what I would expect,evenly browned with good heft, and just the right amount of softness. I was dissapointed in the burger, it was good, but it was too dry. The service also wasn't quite what I expected. I dined there at about 3-430pm,Friday evening, and the service was not very good (ie. drink refills). The desserts looked very tempting, but after the burger, I had no room for them. I may give them another try, but compared to Fuddruckers in Pigeon Forge, Fuddruckers has a better burger.

quote:

Originally posted by ToddH

I tried Littons the other day. The fries were good,albeit greasy since they use vegetable oil,would be better with beef tallow and/or lard . The bun was just what I would expect,evenly browned with good heft, and just the right amount of softness. I was dissapointed in the burger, it was good, but it was too dry. The service also wasn't quite what I expected. I dined there at about 3-430pm,Friday evening, and the service was not very good (ie. drink refills). The desserts looked very tempting, but after the burger, I had no room for them. I may give them another try, but compared to Fuddruckers in Pigeon Forge, Fuddruckers has a better burger.

Fuddruckers? Uh-oh. I've never been to Littons, but I've got a feeling that advocating a Fuddruckers (chain) burger might cause a bit of a dust-up. Better call the sheriff.

Well, Todd, I'm sorry you had a bad experience, but I had just the opposite. My burger there was tasty (although I agree with you that the patty could have been juicier) and nice. As for the desserts, you should have gotten one to go. One of the best Key Lime pies I've ever had.

quote:

Originally posted by Phil J.

quote:

Originally posted by ToddH

I tried Littons the other day. The fries were good,albeit greasy since they use vegetable oil,would be better with beef tallow and/or lard . The bun was just what I would expect,evenly browned with good heft, and just the right amount of softness. I was dissapointed in the burger, it was good, but it was too dry. The service also wasn't quite what I expected. I dined there at about 3-430pm,Friday evening, and the service was not very good (ie. drink refills). The desserts looked very tempting, but after the burger, I had no room for them. I may give them another try, but compared to Fuddruckers in Pigeon Forge, Fuddruckers has a better burger.

Fuddruckers? Uh-oh. I've never been to Littons, but I've got a feeling that advocating a Fuddruckers (chain) burger might cause a bit of a dust-up. Better call the sheriff.

Fuddruckers makes quality 100% black angus burgers.

Add me to the crowd of people who enjoy and appreciate Litton's. I've eaten at the Fountain City store half a dozen times and always had a great meal. I like their burger so much that I always get it. I've had real good dessert there too.

Litton's once had a location on Downtown West in West Knoxville. I only ate their once. It was fine, but, for me, the atmosphere didn't compare to the Fountain City store

I'm glad Paul joggled our memory on this Knox County treasure.

Litton's is on Knoxville's northern edge, close to the interstates.

I've never had a burger at Litton's that wasn't absolutely bursting with juices. Dry? Hard to imagine... I'll refrain from commenting on Fuddrucker's beyond saying that we have Fuddrucker's here in Nashville - and I find them tolerable at best. But I'd kill to have Litton's here...

quote:

Originally posted by Sundancer7

If any of you guys that are Roadfood.com readers are ever in Knoxvill, TN and you want a delicous burger, I suggest Littons on Broadway in Fountain City which is just about five miles north of Knoxville. They are consistant winners for the best burger in Knoxville. In addition their dessert menu is superb.

Paul E. Smith
Knoxville, TN

Paul, how about an address, directions for Littons from I-81, etc. I'll be up that way soon.

I'll cast my pickle chips for Litton's, too. And this may well be the red velvet cake epicenter.

Fred Sauceman
Johnson City, Tennessee

quote:

Originally posted by sauceman

I'll cast my pickle chips for Litton's, too. And this may well be the red velvet cake epicenter.

Fred, Mr. Sundancer was telling me just today that the Red Velvet Cake was awesome. I'll try that next time I'm in Knoxville. I had the Key Lime Pie, though, and it was heavenly.

Littons has great burgers! Another good place is the Old College Inn (may be Old Campus Inn, can't remember) on the strip near UT. I know it isn't Knoxville, but there's two places in Newport that has awesome burgers - The Grease Rack Restaurant and the Fox and Hounds. Ever been to or heard of these places?

Buckshot

Buckshot:

Yes, it is indeed Old College Inn, on Cumberland. A bit off topic, but their signature dish is Metts and Beans, which has been served in Knoxville since the 1930s.

I second your recommendation of the Grease Rack in Newport. Fine ribeye there, too.

Fred Sauceman

quote:

Originally posted by oneiron339

<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<div style="border: 1px #999999 solid; background-color: #DCDCDC; padding: 4px;">Originally posted by Sundancer7

If any of you guys that are Roadfood.com readers are ever in Knoxvill, TN and you want a delicous burger, I suggest Littons on Broadway in Fountain City which is just about five miles north of Knoxville. They are consistant winners for the best burger in Knoxville. In addition their dessert menu is superb.

Paul E. Smith
Knoxville, TN

Paul, how about an address, directions for Littons from I-81, etc. I'll be up that way soon.



Oneiron:

Desserts at Littons are out of sign and burgers are great. I have attached an address and a testimonial.

http://www.we8there.com/rest_detail.php?busid=1070

Paul E. Smith
Knoxville, TN

quote:

Originally posted by Buckshot

Littons has great burgers! Another good place is the Old College Inn (may be Old Campus Inn, can't remember) on the strip near UT. I know it isn't Knoxville, but there's two places in Newport that has awesome burgers - The Grease Rack Restaurant and the Fox and Hounds. Ever been to or heard of these places?

Buckshot

Buckshot: Where would the Grease Rack be located?

Paul E. Smith
Knoxville, TN

Paul,
Give me a little time to write the directions - it's a little hard to find if ya ain't ever been! The owners, the Woods family were old friends of my family, and I've been going there since the '70s. They still own it. Back in 1981 in my younger and wilder days, I had it leased with an option to buy, but I didn't exercise my option. Hardest dang job I've ever had! Even back then Joyce Woods (the mom) cooked for me and Judy Woods (the daughter) ran the bar. Found out right quick that I'd rather be a patron than a proprietor. They still serve some of the best ribeyes and filets that I've ever eaten. They are still so consistent with what they do! A word of caution - don't go and be in a hurry to eat - service is slooooow!!!

I'll get the directions to you soon>

Buckshot

Buckshot: I have been through Newport several times. I recently met "Al the Mayor" at Walmart and we went over to Culvers Orchard south of Newport toward Gatlinburg last October. I had a great lunch with Al and Janet.

I have driven toward Hot Springs several times and I am fairly familar with Newport. Use to be a notorious little town and maybe still is.

Paul E. Smith
Knoxville, TN

Directions to the Grease Rack from Knoxville:

Take I40 toward Asheville. Take Exit 435 and turn left on US321 (SR32). Go across the Interstate to the first traffic signal. Turn right on Heritage Blvd. (there's a Shoney's on the corner and a Sagebrush right past Shoney's). Go to the end of Heritage Blvd. and turn left on Morrell Springs Road. The Grease Rack is approximately one mile on the left. Tell Judy that Warren Carpenter said hello!

Hope this helps.

Buckshot

PS - There's another good place on the way to Hot Springs in Del Rio. I'll tell you where it is if you're interested. Also, you gotta try the Fox and Hounds in Newport.

I am a vegetarian now, but I really did enjoy going to Litton's during my meat eating days! I enjoyed the service, even though I wasn't a regular, I got treated like one!

Littons was the very first place I tried out of the current edition of Roadfood (we happened to be visiting my wife's sister in Knoxville at the time), and I even had the Thunder Road burger that J&M recommended.

Frankly, the burger was mediocre at best, a drippy, greasy mess that tasted like it had been sitting under a heat lamp. I was wildly unimpressed and I'd strike it off the list entirely except that they also had Italian cream cake. Next time, I'll go for the cake and have a burger someplace else. I'd take a Whopper over that.

Litton's has excellent hamburgers and desserts and hard to beat. No one's mentioned Bel Air Grill which I think is a small local chain. They've been voted "Best Cheeseburger" a time or two. I've had a few and thought they were good also.

carl reitz

Hamburger at Litton's yesterday with my father in law. They truly are good!!

carl reitz

Calling any Knoxvillians!! I live in Powell, on the NW side of Knoxvegas. There is a little gas station/convenience store called "Hump"s, on Clinton Hwy, that advertises best hamburger, and always wins the local hot dog contest every year. I've lived here 12 years and have yet to try either one. Anybody ever had one? I may have to do a community service and try one and report.

carl reitz

Another place comes to mind for great burgers and that's Sam & Andy's deli on Broadway, just north of I-640. excellent cheeseburgers and fries are really good, also.

carl reitz

Which Littons am I supposed to go to? There is a Littons on Essary Dr. and there is a Littons Diner on West Blvd. My girlfriend and I travel a lot and we always try to find the best burgers in town. May sound a little crazy, but the world needs all types.

quote:

Originally posted by Burger Eater

Which Littons am I supposed to go to? There is a Littons on Essary Dr. and there is a Littons Diner on West Blvd. My girlfriend and I travel a lot and we always try to find the best burgers in town. May sound a little crazy, but the world needs all types.

Littons in Fountain City across from the duck pond. It is real good. I guarantee it. I guess their address is Essary Drive but it is really on Broadway.

Paul E. Smith
Knoxville, TN

I've lived here a dozen years and until today had not tried a little place right near my house. It's called Hump's, and it's alittle gas station on Clinton Hwy. just before you get to the old airplane/former gas station landmark. The owner's name is Humphammer, thus the name. it's a neat little station, one or two tables for the local spit 'n whittle club to sit and discuss what's wrong with the world and how George Bush will fix it. He wins the Best Hotdog contest every year we have in Powell (not known for food of any kind, really).
Anyway, the hamburger was actually quite good!@@! Very flavorful and juicy and worthy of a photo if I knew how to get it on the website. They also offer fried boloney and griled cheese sandwiches, et al.

Any other good burger joints in this town besides Litton's and College Inn?

Leo's Pulled Pig in Lenoir City has a one pound burger that is worth the trip. It is only $5.50. Good quality meat with homegrown tomatoes. Very tasty.

Also, Ruby Tueday's Triple Prime is excellent (maybe one of the best burgers anywhere) but at $10.50 too pricey.

I like the Ali baba vol burger.

quote:

Originally posted by subrosa

Leo's Pulled Pig in Lenoir City has a one pound burger that is worth the trip. It is only $5.50. Good quality meat with homegrown tomatoes. Very tasty.

Also, Ruby Tueday's Triple Prime is excellent (maybe one of the best burgers anywhere) but at $10.50 too pricey.

I have had the Ruby Tuesday burger. It was expensive and the taste was very good. I am not sure how many folks will purchase.

Paul E. Smith
Knoxville, TN

quote:

Originally posted by V960

I like the Ali baba vol burger.

I've never been to Ali baba's....but I've heard good things about it. Unless your heading the right direction on Kingston Pike, it looks like it's hard to get into the lot.

New burger places in Knoxville. Gridiron burgers are outstanding. One on Clinton Hwy and one in Turkey Creek. fresh beef and handmade fries as well, really good.
Five Guys is opening all over town as well. better burgers than I expected for a chain.

There are many places to get a great burger in Knoxville. If you happen to be near campus, ya can't beat Vic and Bill's or Gus's Goodtime Deli. If you do visit Vic and Bill's, be sure to park in their small lot, not in the huge empty lot across the street as your car will get towed in a heartbeat. The Time Out Deli on North Broadway never failed me either. I had Litton's a couple times when I lived in Knoxville, but for my money I would much rather walk across the street to the Fountain City Creamery. Great selection, awesome atmosphere and no more expensive than Litton's.

The family had to make a trip down to pigeon forge to pick up a few gifts today so we shot over to knoxville to give a few of these joints a try - today we hit 5 guys, gridiron, and littons.

Our thoughts:

We eat burgers about once a week at home almost exclusively off the grill, often with meat we grind, and we only buy good rolls..so the bar is pretty high and we like to think we know a good burger. Plus, we cut our own fries to cook fresh with our home burgers.

5 Guys - ordered 4 smalls plain/ketchup only/ketchup and mustard/mayo,lettuce,tomato,onions and 1 large fry to split.

The roll was almost perfect. It fit the burger size, wasn't to much bread, and had great texture..substantial and firm with a freshly baked flavor. Handled all the burgers and their fixins' perfectly. All 4 burgers had a very fresh taste and all the vegetables were excellent including the tomato. The amount of fries in one large order was to much for the 4 of us to finish. They were slightly over cooked but still rated a 7 on a scale of 10.

Overall everybody was pleased with their burger and fries and while not grilled, this was a burger we could eat every week with no hesitation. As a group we rated the overall experience an 8. a small burger was $3.09 (fries extra)


Our second stop was gridiron - hockey puck was the agreed upon description with the exception of my son who enjoyed the spice on the burger enough to rate it high. all the burgers were over cooked even though 2 of them were ordered medium and medium well. the veggies were fresh and the bun was grilled and substantial but was much more like a hamburger bun then the "good bread" type at 5 guys. the fries were excellent. if they got the burgers cooked properly, this place would be a winner. as it was, it rated a 6 primarily for the great fries. their regular burger was slightly larger then the 5 guys small and the cost was $4.95 (fries extra)

Third stop was Litton's - if you haven't been to Litton's and you were only making one stop in knoxville for food (not necessarily burgers), this is the place I would recommend. the burger is a good example of why you should eat here...the bun baked from scratch, the burger freshly ground and fried, and the veggies on the burger were excellent. they have a bakery on premise and an excellent selection of desserts. back to the burger...very good all around and came in a close second to 5 guys. the burger was larger then 5 guys and cost $6.99 (fries extra).


when we considered both price and quality, 5 guys was the hands down winner for this outing. i've read a lot of hype about 5 guys and I didn't expect the place to live up to the clippings but we were all pleasantly surprised.

Larry, thanks for your report. I will try Five Guys in Turkey Creek PDQ. To rate them above Littons is really something.

Paul E. Smith
Knoxville, TN

Best burger Sam Andys fountain city!!!

Ok, can I just say that you burger fans simply must visit Littons? Crazy good burgers and amazing dessert selections! 

Hey, Kosten

welcome to Roadfood and thanks for your thoughts about Littons.    There's an interesting little chain that originates in Knoxville called Steamboat.  There's one or two in Knoxville, Chattanooga and in KY & IN and a few other places.  Anyway, they recently moved their flagship location to Market Sq.  They have a pretty awesome hamburger as well. 
Hope you'll post some more.

I have been reading through this forum and oh how the resturant landscapes do change over time.  I would say Litton's is right up there on my list as top burger in Knoxville, but 5 Guys has fallen to atleast 3rd for me as a place called We're Cooking - All American Grill is now my favorite burger in Knoxville.  The burgers come in 3 sizes 1/4 of the cow $3.50, 1/2 the cow for $5.50, or most of the cow (3/4) for $7.50.  They are grilled to order (i like mine well done) and they have a variety of toppings and cheeses.  We're Cooking is located between the old Circuit City building and Panera Bread on North Peter's Road.  If you have not been there yet i highly recommend you check it out.
 
Thanks,
Patrick Freeman

Looks like We're Cooking has been open for about 1-1/2 years now, according to this article.  Kudos to Mr. Oliwa for what he's accomplished.
 
Brad

I would second ( or is it third) what you guys had to say about "We're Cooking".  I've been there a couple times now and the burger is awesome.  I had a chicken breast which was good but I'll stick with the burger from now on.
I went to Litton's last night and I had not been there in a very long time and I must say their burger is awesome as well.  Everything homemade including the buns.  Pretty hard to beat.

I have not been to "we're Cooking" yet but thanks to all of your suggestions, the next time I am in Turkey Creek, I will try them.
 
There is also a new place on the UT strip called "Cook Out" which I tried a couple of years ago in another city.  At that time it was very good.
 
Paul E. Smith
Knoxville, TN