Highest-rated cafes in the Knoxville area by diners
From the first coffee houses in the Ottoman Empire to Boston's famed London Coffee House, cafes have always been an egalitarian place to gather, sip, and share ideas, many of which have changed the world.
During the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries, cafes regularly entertained the likes of Voltaire, Rousseau, Thomas Jefferson, and Isaac Newton. Later, Simone de Beauvoir and Jean-Paul Sartre would spend hours in cafes, pondering their works and holding court alongside other intellectuals.
Needless to say, coffee and cafes beget some revolutionary ideas; sipping a cup may even be a political act. When settlers dumped tea into the Boston Harbor to send a message to the British in 1773, tea became a British loyalist's drink, and coffee became a popular substitute.
Boston's London Coffee House, which had opened nearly 85 years earlier, was soon renamed the American Coffee House. Meanwhile, in Philadelphia, Merchants' Coffee House hosted the likes of George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and Paul Revere.
Many other coffee shops steeped in history abound in the United States, including New York City's Caffe Reggio. Founded in 1927, it was the first to serve cappuccino in the country. New Orleans' Cafe du Monde, founded in 1862, is a fixture in the French Quarter for its coffee and beignets.
Whether it's for a cup of Joe, a heady conversation, or simply a place to start the day, cafes have become landmarks of our daily lives. But where's the best one to find refuge and that perfect caffeinated cup near you?
compiled a list of the highest-rated cafes in the Knoxville area based on diners' reviews on as of February 2025. Cafes with at least 20 reviews tagged as "coffee" on Yelp within a 10-kilometer radius of Knoxville were included. As a result, some cafes featured may primarily serve other items besides coffee and tea. Also, in an effort to highlight independent businesses and local chains, those with more than 25 locations nationally, based on the Yelp data, were not included.
Keep reading to see if your favorite cafe made the list!
#29. Gourmets Market & Caf茅
- Rating: 4.0/5 (245 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 5107 Kingston Pike Knoxville, Tennessee
- Categories: Coffee & Tea, Breakfast & Brunch, American
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#28. Coffee & Chocolate
- Rating: 4.1/5 (185 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 327 Union Ave. Knoxville, Tennessee
- Categories: Chocolatiers & Shops, Coffee & Tea
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#27. Honeybee Coffee & Brewery
- Rating: 4.1/5 (95 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 700 Sevier Ave. Knoxville, Tennessee
- Categories: Coffee & Tea, Coffee Roasteries
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#26. Ale' Rae's Gastro Pub and Coffee Bar
- Rating: 4.2/5 (56 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 937 North Bdwy Knoxville, Tennessee
- Categories: Gastropubs, Coffee & Tea, Beer Bar
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#25. K Brew
- Rating: 4.2/5 (117 reviews)
- Address: 7822 Kingston Pike Knoxville, Tennessee
- Categories: Coffee & Tea, Bagels, Coffee Roasteries
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#24. Remedy Coffee
- Rating: 4.2/5 (119 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 800 Tyson St. Knoxville, Tennessee
- Categories: Coffee & Tea
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#23. Maple Street Biscuit Company - Sherrill Hill
- Rating: 4.2/5 (426 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 9314 Kingston Pike Knoxville, Tennessee
- Categories: Breakfast & Brunch, Coffee & Tea
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#22. Kung Fu Tea
- Rating: 4.3/5 (53 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 8851 Town And Country Cir Knoxville, Tennessee
- Categories: Coffee & Tea, Juice Bars & Smoothies, Bubble Tea
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#21. Duck Donuts
- Rating: 4.3/5 (187 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 6104 Kingston Pike Knoxville, Tennessee
- Categories: Donuts, Coffee & Tea, Breakfast & Brunch
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#20. Cultivate Coffee and Flowers
- Rating: 4.4/5 (45 reviews)
- Address: 5221 North Broadway St. Knoxville, Tennessee
- Categories: Florists, Coffee & Tea
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#19. The Empty Cup
- Rating: 4.4/5 (114 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 9111 Executive Park Drive Knoxville, Tennessee
- Categories: Coffee & Tea, Community Service/Non-Profit, Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt
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#18. Scooter's Coffee
- Rating: 4.4/5 (37 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 10512 Kingston Pike Knoxville, Tennessee
- Categories: Coffee & Tea, Juice Bars & Smoothies, Sandwiches
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#17. Capybara Coffee
- Rating: 4.4/5 (45 reviews)
- Address: 2457 University Commons Way Knoxville, Tennessee
- Categories: Coffee & Tea
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#16. K Brew
- Rating: 4.4/5 (191 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 1138 North Broadway Knoxville, Tennessee
- Categories: Coffee & Tea, Bagels, Coffee Roasteries
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#15. Old City Java
- Rating: 4.5/5 (198 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 109 South Central St. Knoxville, Tennessee
- Categories: Coffee & Tea
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#14. Mahalo Coffee Roasters
- Rating: 4.5/5 (63 reviews)
- Address: 1317 East Emory Road Knoxville, Tennessee
- Categories: Coffee Roasteries, Coffee & Tea, Cafes
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#13. Mahalo Coffee Roasters
- Rating: 4.5/5 (51 reviews)
- Address: 513 Union Ave. Knoxville, Tennessee
- Categories: Coffee & Tea, Coffee Roasteries, Breakfast & Brunch
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#12. Wild Love Bakehouse
- Rating: 4.5/5 (229 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 1625 North Central St. Knoxville, Tennessee
- Categories: Coffee & Tea, Bakeries
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#11. Beaver's Dough-Joe
- Rating: 4.5/5 (65 reviews)
- Address: 7650 Oak Ridge Hwy Knoxville, Tennessee
- Categories: Donuts, Coffee & Tea, Cafes
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#10. Awaken Coffee
- Rating: 4.5/5 (96 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 125 West Jackson Ave. Knoxville, Tennessee
- Categories: Coffee & Tea
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#9. Status Dough - Knoxville
- Rating: 4.5/5 (243 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 6535 Kingston Pike Knoxville, Tennessee
- Categories: Coffee & Tea, Donuts, Breakfast & Brunch
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#8. Status Dough
- Rating: 4.6/5 (64 reviews)
- Address: 418 South Gay St. Knoxville, Tennessee
- Categories: Donuts, Coffee & Tea, Breakfast & Brunch
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#7. Treetop Coffee Shop
- Rating: 4.7/5 (21 reviews)
- Address: 1206 Kenesaw Ave. Knoxville, Tennessee
- Categories: Coffee & Tea, Food Trucks
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#6. Likewise Coffee
- Rating: 4.7/5 (26 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 1209 East Magnolia Ave. Knoxville, Tennessee
- Categories: Coffee Roasteries, Coffee & Tea, Breakfast & Brunch
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#5. Matt Robbs Biscuits
- Rating: 4.9/5 (156 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 800 Market St. Knoxville, Tennessee
- Categories: Coffee & Tea
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#4. South Press
- Rating: 4.9/5 (30 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 3615 Chapman Hwy Knoxville, Tennessee
- Categories: Coffee & Tea, Comfort Food, Community Centers
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#3. The Ultimate Doughnut Shop
- Rating: 4.9/5 (27 reviews)
- Address: 7815 Oak Ridge Hwy Knoxville, Tennessee
- Categories: Donuts, Coffee & Tea, Juice Bars & Smoothies
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#2. Intrepid Nitro Coffee and Tea Bar
- Rating: 4.9/5 (28 reviews)
- Address: 5201 Kingston Pike Ste 6 Knoxville, Tennessee
- Categories: Coffee & Tea
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#1. CommonPlace
- Rating: 5.0/5 (25 reviews)
- Address: 6000 Chapman Hwy Knoxville, Tennessee
- Categories: Coffee & Tea
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This story features data reporting by Wade Zhou, writing by Rasha Aly and Carren Jao, and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 313 metros.
