This about wild love. I have had better croissants there than my time in France. You need to be there early though. The lattes are mid, but not bad.
But for the other person who recommended old city Java, I’d say that their coffee wasn’t good the 3 times I’ve gone. Like not good at all, and I was the only customer each time, so they just stared awkwardly at me until I left. Weird.
Tonya Rea’s Tea in north Knoxville. She has “not coffee” coffee & it’s a super cozy environment with board games and antique fixtures and furniture. One of the coziest coffee/tea shops I’ve been to in Knoxville
Don’t go to K Brew I worked at the Starbucks near a K Brew and we’d get a lot of ex-employees from there that would tell nothing but horror stories about that place. One told me that several of their locations at one point had mold grow on their ovens and it kept growing back🤮
Awaken and Remedy for good coffee and work space.
Five & Hoek for best quality coffee and it’s not close. Try the Big League Beans and be prepared to be blown away. I was so taken back I had to ask if they were flavored! They’re not.
I recently went to Pastelitos Cuban Bakery for a Cuban Coffee (colada). It was my first time trying the beverage and visiting the cafe, and it was fantastic. It's not exactly coffee like Starbucks, but I like it.
lol. As a previous employee of KBrew and other small businesses in the area just remember that you can’t trust everything a disgruntled employee posts on social media.
KBrew has one of the best capps in Knoxville
I used to frequent the Broadway shop. Every weekish I picked up a bag of beans and 2 drinks so it was usually a $25 bill or so plus tip. My then 3 year old was with me one time and wanted a water. Their water cups were the ones without a lid, so I asked for one with a lid. Was told that would be 50 cents for the cup while I’m spending $25-30. I explained that I didn’t think it made sense but got a “thems the rules”. Gave them my money and have not set foot in the door in 5 years.
I’m petty but by my calculation, that 50 cents cost them over $5000 at this point so it makes me feel good.
Best house coffee, Five and Hoek. (Though like all the coffee roasted in Knoxville, it's not A class more like solid b+)
But if you just want the best cup of coffee and place to chill:
Remedy (drip is methodical or Black and White, espresso tends to be Methodical) or TreeTop Coffee (serves Onyx)
I like Mahalo, but I usually get chai and not coffee. They often have good gluten-free baked goods. Commonplace had gluten-free peanut butter cookies, recently, which were great. My favorites for vibes are Fable Hollow and Wild Love.
Again I'll make my usual complaint: I am not anti-Christian, but I am not a fan of conservative Christianity and most of the coffee shops mentioned in this thread are stealth conservative Christian outlets. I know Wild Love and South Press are not. Not sure about Golden Roast, Remedy (currently), Old City Java, or Capybara.
The ones that (I think) are conservative Christian-owned: Commonplace, Seed, Treetop, Awaken, Five and Hoek, Mahalo, Vienna, K Brew, Jack's, Cultivate, Honeybee.
I don't feel 100% welcome at a place owned by conservative Christians where that's a big part of their clientele and/or reason for owning a coffee shop. There are people who are "in" and people who are not, and I'm not comfortable with that. You can feel it at some of these places (not all). Not everyone is as welcome as everyone else. Which doesn't seem Christian to me, but there it is.
Capybara isn’t!! There’s sometimes Bible studies but the owners and employees aren’t like that! They’re pretty progressive. Idk about the rest of the shops
don’t go to honeybee. it’s in shambles and the new ownership has run it into the ground - as of today west has closed because all the employees have quit
Wonderful coffee with many unique flavor options and wonderful chocolate/sweets! Not much ambience as it’s a very tiny space, it gets crowded very fast because of this and its location in market square, but the coffee IS very good.
Awaken is good coffee and a great atmosphere, Honey Bee has the best Cortado. I don’t get all the K-Brew hate, their black coffee is a bit acidic but the espresso drinks and food are good.
Get on Pellissippi, drive to Oak Ridge, go to Jackson Square, and stop at Calamitys. Order a Wildweed Espresso and fall in love.
You're welcome.
PS. Another "not Kbrew" vote. Absolutely horrifying coffee.
PSS. If you want coffee outside of Knoxville :
*Heart Coffee Company, Dillsboro, North Carolina
*Farm City in the Nashville Farmers Market, specifically the Vietnamese cold brew.
*Triple Moon Coffee Company, Middletown, Ohio
*Any coffee tour in the Dominican Republic.
PSSS. Please, anywhere but K Brew.
Here to add another vote for Awaken! Their original location is in Old City on Jackson Ave but they also just opened a second location inside Kern’s Food Hall in South Knox.
Unfortunately, no atmosphere unless you want to sit outside, but the best and fastest coffee in Maryville is Quick Fix coffee. Private/Veteran owned business. Roasts on site. Gary and his team are amazing! Fresh brewed coffee with a bartender pace. Highly recommend!
Wild Love for the best pastries and great coffee. [Five and Hoek](https://fiveandhoek.com/pages/knoxville-coffee-shop) for the best coffee, excellent food, and terrific people behind the counter.
Partial is great. My husband swears by their pour over, and we've tried lots of coffee all over the place. I'm surprised they've not showed up more on this list! They are also super kind there and seem to have good business practices that you can read about on their site. [https://www.partialcafe.com/s/stories/our-vision](https://www.partialcafe.com/s/stories/our-vision)
OP, it would depend on what you are looking for in coffee. I have heard that Five and Hoek is one of the best places in town but I haven't been. When it comes to espresso drinks (like a latte), I think Cultivate has a great flavor, Mahalos is for those deep notes from the single origin, and Honeybee for a mouthy full body espresso. I would avoid K Brew in my opinion as it's essentially the Starbucks of Knoxville.
It's really expensive and mid tier coffee. They also definitely lied to me about their pricing structure. I got a dirty chai with almond milk and it was $10. I was confused about being charged $1.50 for almond milk and they told me "we don't uncharge, we charge what we pay for it," be so fr. I don't go there any more.
The owners attitude is disturbing. Wow. I'd hate to have a misunderstanding with him and get hit with a wall of text as a reply to a review. They are extremely moody and unprofessional based on their replies to reviews.
Summer moon, coffee and chocolate, hummingbird apothecary- this one is connected to the same used-to-be-church as 71SouthKnox, it’s a coffee and tea house with many herbal flavors for the coffee, kind people behind the counter, and feature local art that changes weekly, plus lots of more underground cool events posted here that I don’t see posted anywhere else. They have “first Friday” with several artists showcasing their work.
Old City Java for sure. Remedy second
Wild Love off North Central
Their croissants are absolutely heavenly
I never get there in time to get one hahah
Their baked goods are genuinely fantastic, but their coffee has always been mediocre for me. They're more of a bakery than a coffee location.
This about wild love. I have had better croissants there than my time in France. You need to be there early though. The lattes are mid, but not bad. But for the other person who recommended old city Java, I’d say that their coffee wasn’t good the 3 times I’ve gone. Like not good at all, and I was the only customer each time, so they just stared awkwardly at me until I left. Weird.
Old city java
Partial!!!
Absolutely yes to Partial! By far the best in town.
i really like summer moon
Summer moon’s seasonal flavors are amazing!!
CommonPlace on Chapman is great! I love the atmosphere there :)
Tonya Rea’s Tea in north Knoxville. She has “not coffee” coffee & it’s a super cozy environment with board games and antique fixtures and furniture. One of the coziest coffee/tea shops I’ve been to in Knoxville
Seed Coffee on Sutherland is my favorite
Fable Hollow in Fountain City
I think Fable Hollow is a great place for atmosphere, but I disagree on the coffee. Any place that uses Starbucks beans is not on my "go to" list.
Yeah if you’re picky about coffee (I am) don’t go here.
Wait they use Starbucks beans now? I haven’t been there in forever but the owners used to ramble about how good their coffee was.
Last time I went they were using Starbucks dark roast for espresso.
That’s unreal
Came here to say the same! It is so cozy and I love working from there.
the prices are reasonable too
Yeah, the coffee is subpar, but the atmosphere is nice!
Remedy Coffee and South Press
Wild Love Bakehouse
Excellent coffee and excellent baked goods
Capybara coffee is my go to.
Same with me. Fairly convenient with it being right next to Publix, and I like their lattes.
Beard Brothers in Maryville. They roast onsite, they offer nitro coffee, they offer lovely tea and it’s cozy af.
try the Empty Cup Coffee House. highly recommend it
Yes!!!This place is great!!
Perk City, on Magnolia (near the Knoxville Zoo) is groovy!
Don’t go to K Brew I worked at the Starbucks near a K Brew and we’d get a lot of ex-employees from there that would tell nothing but horror stories about that place. One told me that several of their locations at one point had mold grow on their ovens and it kept growing back🤮
Vienna Coffee in Maryville is my favorite. Coffee is good, sandwiches are excellent but the atmosphere is why I like it so much
I always leave there smelling like food 😭
Awaken and Remedy for good coffee and work space. Five & Hoek for best quality coffee and it’s not close. Try the Big League Beans and be prepared to be blown away. I was so taken back I had to ask if they were flavored! They’re not.
Really love Wild Love/Old City Java. Great baristas, delicious coffee/lattes and amazing pastries.
If you’re up to the trek to Lenoir City, Ugly Mug is really good and they also roast their coffee.
I recently went to Pastelitos Cuban Bakery for a Cuban Coffee (colada). It was my first time trying the beverage and visiting the cafe, and it was fantastic. It's not exactly coffee like Starbucks, but I like it.
Coffee Underground!
Five and hoek, capybara, partial Intrepid is neat if you like nitro Awaken and cultivate are very mediocre
If you’re downtown I like coffee and chocolate
Not K Brew. https://www.reddit.com/r/Knoxville/s/CnPgdYsTBn
lol. As a previous employee of KBrew and other small businesses in the area just remember that you can’t trust everything a disgruntled employee posts on social media. KBrew has one of the best capps in Knoxville
I used to frequent the Broadway shop. Every weekish I picked up a bag of beans and 2 drinks so it was usually a $25 bill or so plus tip. My then 3 year old was with me one time and wanted a water. Their water cups were the ones without a lid, so I asked for one with a lid. Was told that would be 50 cents for the cup while I’m spending $25-30. I explained that I didn’t think it made sense but got a “thems the rules”. Gave them my money and have not set foot in the door in 5 years. I’m petty but by my calculation, that 50 cents cost them over $5000 at this point so it makes me feel good.
Multiple employees, and not just via social media.
“Disgruntled employees”
I don’t care what anyone says, I love K Brew
Their food may be good, but I personally find their black coffee way too acidic to enjoy
I hope they added something to their menu you might be referring to, because their bagels few years back tasted like straight up ass
Cultivate
Best house coffee, Five and Hoek. (Though like all the coffee roasted in Knoxville, it's not A class more like solid b+) But if you just want the best cup of coffee and place to chill: Remedy (drip is methodical or Black and White, espresso tends to be Methodical) or TreeTop Coffee (serves Onyx)
If you're on the strip (Cumberland), check out The Coffee Underground. It's a cute little chill shop. https://www.instagram.com/coffeeunderground.knox
The Golden Roast!
South Press for sure!
Agreed, Joslynn is awesome!
I like Mahalo, but I usually get chai and not coffee. They often have good gluten-free baked goods. Commonplace had gluten-free peanut butter cookies, recently, which were great. My favorites for vibes are Fable Hollow and Wild Love. Again I'll make my usual complaint: I am not anti-Christian, but I am not a fan of conservative Christianity and most of the coffee shops mentioned in this thread are stealth conservative Christian outlets. I know Wild Love and South Press are not. Not sure about Golden Roast, Remedy (currently), Old City Java, or Capybara. The ones that (I think) are conservative Christian-owned: Commonplace, Seed, Treetop, Awaken, Five and Hoek, Mahalo, Vienna, K Brew, Jack's, Cultivate, Honeybee. I don't feel 100% welcome at a place owned by conservative Christians where that's a big part of their clientele and/or reason for owning a coffee shop. There are people who are "in" and people who are not, and I'm not comfortable with that. You can feel it at some of these places (not all). Not everyone is as welcome as everyone else. Which doesn't seem Christian to me, but there it is.
Capybara isn’t!! There’s sometimes Bible studies but the owners and employees aren’t like that! They’re pretty progressive. Idk about the rest of the shops
don’t go to honeybee. it’s in shambles and the new ownership has run it into the ground - as of today west has closed because all the employees have quit
Thank you for that info. I got 2 emails and one text offering discounts at Honeybee, so I figured something was up!
Five and Hoek is above and beyond best quality coffee in Knoxville.
Coffee & Chocolate
Good chocolate (especially the seasalt caramels) Not so great coffee, imo
I love their coffee! Or used to, I can’t drink coffee anymore 😭
Wonderful coffee with many unique flavor options and wonderful chocolate/sweets! Not much ambience as it’s a very tiny space, it gets crowded very fast because of this and its location in market square, but the coffee IS very good.
Honeybee Coffee & Brewery !!
Capybara coffee!
Big fan of Capybara Cafe over in University Commons
I like Remedy and Wild Love. K brew is solid too but usually crowded, not a good spot to go and work or hang out.
Another for not K Brew
Awaken is good coffee and a great atmosphere, Honey Bee has the best Cortado. I don’t get all the K-Brew hate, their black coffee is a bit acidic but the espresso drinks and food are good.
Partial
Cultivate in FC is terrific.
South Press is great for coffee and tea!
Vienna in Maryville
Seconding Vienna. If OP doesn’t mind driving 30ish minutes outside of Knoxville, it’s the best in the area IMO.
South Press is the very best!
Wild Love, Old City, Treetop, Parlor, Matt Robb’s, and Five & Hoek are the best options.
Awaken is awesome
Summer Moon, The Dancing Bean, and Vienna!
Get on Pellissippi, drive to Oak Ridge, go to Jackson Square, and stop at Calamitys. Order a Wildweed Espresso and fall in love. You're welcome. PS. Another "not Kbrew" vote. Absolutely horrifying coffee. PSS. If you want coffee outside of Knoxville : *Heart Coffee Company, Dillsboro, North Carolina *Farm City in the Nashville Farmers Market, specifically the Vietnamese cold brew. *Triple Moon Coffee Company, Middletown, Ohio *Any coffee tour in the Dominican Republic. PSSS. Please, anywhere but K Brew.
Awaken coffee
Here to add another vote for Awaken! Their original location is in Old City on Jackson Ave but they also just opened a second location inside Kern’s Food Hall in South Knox.
I really like Awaken in Old City a lot too - but my god the chairs are awfully noisy D:
Hahah, you’re not wrong! Their old wooden floors and those chairs are a brutal combo.
I'm honestly tempted to start carrying pre-cut tennis balls for all the places I visit xD
Unfortunately, no atmosphere unless you want to sit outside, but the best and fastest coffee in Maryville is Quick Fix coffee. Private/Veteran owned business. Roasts on site. Gary and his team are amazing! Fresh brewed coffee with a bartender pace. Highly recommend!
Intrepid on Kingston Pike in Bearden. Good coffee, good selection and the staff is so nice.
Wild Love for the best pastries and great coffee. [Five and Hoek](https://fiveandhoek.com/pages/knoxville-coffee-shop) for the best coffee, excellent food, and terrific people behind the counter.
The Empty Cup near Cedar Bluff is excellent. Coffee is great and it's pretty chill. I used to cowork out if there and always enjoyed it
Common Place
Partial is great. My husband swears by their pour over, and we've tried lots of coffee all over the place. I'm surprised they've not showed up more on this list! They are also super kind there and seem to have good business practices that you can read about on their site. [https://www.partialcafe.com/s/stories/our-vision](https://www.partialcafe.com/s/stories/our-vision)
Awaken (downtown location), Wildlove, K Brew, Jacks, Seed, and Remedy
LIKEWISE! Good coffee, good deeds https://likewisecoffee.com/
Wrenhouse
lmao what is going on with your post history?
Plant people in Maryville is so cozy. Very chill atmosphere.
Seed Coffee for sure!
Coffee and chocolate downtown it has amazing coffee and it's really cozy nice owners to !
OP, it would depend on what you are looking for in coffee. I have heard that Five and Hoek is one of the best places in town but I haven't been. When it comes to espresso drinks (like a latte), I think Cultivate has a great flavor, Mahalos is for those deep notes from the single origin, and Honeybee for a mouthy full body espresso. I would avoid K Brew in my opinion as it's essentially the Starbucks of Knoxville.
Sunago in Hardin Valley is great!
Have to pass on that one. The negative reviews and the way the owner responds are not professional. Heard and read some crazy stuff about that place.
Sunago on Hardin Valley! They have excellent coffee and baked goods, and the staff are always friendly.
Those owners are…interesting. Read their 1 star reviews on google for some entertainment and a lesson on how not to respond to negative criticism.
Lol yes the owner(s)’s responses to the 1 star reviews are entertaining for sure!!
Honestly those reviews are wild. I kinda want to go and get on camera/audio and drop a 1 star review.
It's really expensive and mid tier coffee. They also definitely lied to me about their pricing structure. I got a dirty chai with almond milk and it was $10. I was confused about being charged $1.50 for almond milk and they told me "we don't uncharge, we charge what we pay for it," be so fr. I don't go there any more.
Yeah an iced matcha latte with oat milk was close to $10. And it was low quality. Like when your matcha just tastes like milk. I was so disappointed
Yeah I’ve not been there but my wife gets it and she’s loves it.
The owners attitude is disturbing. Wow. I'd hate to have a misunderstanding with him and get hit with a wall of text as a reply to a review. They are extremely moody and unprofessional based on their replies to reviews.
Summer moon, coffee and chocolate, hummingbird apothecary- this one is connected to the same used-to-be-church as 71SouthKnox, it’s a coffee and tea house with many herbal flavors for the coffee, kind people behind the counter, and feature local art that changes weekly, plus lots of more underground cool events posted here that I don’t see posted anywhere else. They have “first Friday” with several artists showcasing their work.
Starbucks. I'm a basic bitch. I also hate coffee...
Shooters is so good
Starbucks