So—– we moved! We ventured across the country in our Cliche Californian, fuel efficient and super cozy Toyota Prius with a bunch of snacks, warm clothes and our Puppy. We made an amazing trip out of it, stopping in countless spots, eating and hiking more than we ever have. Our final destination, which will hopefully be the last move we make for a very long time, is Knoxville, TN. We have heard only great things about the food out here and are super excited to pursue a full time food career in the most famous BBQ state. One of our first stops (with our camera and intent to write about) was Tupelo Honey Cafe. We have asked locals, did some research and have seen the store front numerous times (which is beautiful) so we decided “lets dine!”
We came for an early dinner hoping to get some sunlight for naturally lighted pictures, and to avoid a busy environment, and to our surprise we were only 2 of 4 people dining at 4:30pm on a Friday. It was slightly confusing, as I figured it wouldn’t be packed, but for a place in the heart of Downtown Knox, on a Friday we assumed it would be at least half filled. This was weird to us, but overall doesn’t mean much. We were greeted by a friendly staff, and got seated at a window (without having to ask, yes!). We had an idea of what we wanted, as we did some prior stalking on their Instagram, and saw some nachos that looked OUTRAGEOUS. With that said, we ordered Crispy Brussels, the Pimento Cheese Nachos and a Honeysuckle & Lavender Cocktail. This is where I will start to explain the mixed feelings. For the cocktail, it was delicious, refreshing and basically perfect. I say ‘basically’ because I was expecting it to look more appealing, it came out looking like a glass of water w/ some pink lemonade in it–but luckily I have the most beautiful date that tends to make everything look better.
Next came out the appetizers. The Crispy Brussels were perfect. I don’t have a single complaint. The came out fast, were delicious, crispy and were a very good serving for two people.
Here is where disappointment set in. Both appetizers came out soooooo fast (Probably because we made up half of the customers in the building) which was great, but the nachos…..oh those nachos. I hate to say anything bad, but I pride myself on being honest. Ill start with the good–These nachos honestly had some of the best flavors we have ever tasted in nachos. SO much flavor! But, we were deceived immensely by their Instagram page. When we stalked their page 4 days prior to our visit they posted a picture of the Pimento Nachos, and I get it, nothing looks as perfect as they do in pictures (professional ones) but it wasn’t the quality that got us, it was the quantity. This was the biggest let down of 2018 ( granted we were only 2 days into 2018) but we were soooooo excited about eating all of the nachos they pictured and having a hearty portion. But, what we got was about 5 chips covered with the most delicious toppings, leaving us teased, disappointed and dissatisfied 🙁 I hate saying those things for a meal, but It had to be said. We were told they change the menu often, and that these are now a smaller version, which is fine, but why would they post a picture only a few days earlier and then change it?! Anyways, here they are, in all of their 5 chip glory
Finally we shared the Sweet Tea Roasted Chicken which we didn’t enjoy too much either. We felt obligated to get this as we are in a Southern Comfort state now, but sadly it didn’t tickle our fancies at all. 
I trust that all of the great reviews on yelp are true, and maybe we just ordered the wrong options, so maybe we will update this post in the near future, but overall we would have to give this experience a C- The restaurant itself was gorgeous and trendy, but we were very disappointed with the entree, and heartbroken with the Nachos. Oh yeah, I almost forgot, they brought biscuits to the table to free, which is amazing! (who doesn’t love free) They were warm, fresh and delicious and came with honey and a house-made jam
Stay Hungry,
-Buddy
Instagram: Tupelo Honey
Web:Tupelo Honey