Lonesome Dove Knoxville

As a member of the service industry for over 20 years, I can be harsh or over critical at times in restaurant situations. I have to say this place knocked it out of the park. Everything from the reservation process to the cocktails and meal was perfect. Ian was well worded and extremely knowledgeable and made our experience that much better. Thank you guys for making our date night so perfect. We will be back to try more of the menu!

As a member of the service industry for over 20 years, I can be harsh or over critical at times in restaurant situations. I have to say this place knocked it out of the park. Everything from the reservation process to the cocktails and meal was perfect. Ian was well worded and extremely knowledgeable and made our experience that much better. Thank you guys for making our date night so perfect. We will be back to try more of the menu!

Let’s begin with a large round of applause. From the decor, to the elaborate menu and even seemingly upscale cocktail menu, this has to be the most elaborate restaurant grift out there. Don’t get me wrong, our server and subsequent manager interaction were beyond lovely and the former even got us somewhat giddy with anticipation regarding the flowery menu. Speaking of the menu, this is where things began to unravel. The ingredients in each dish are carefully worded as to take your attention away from the fact that you’re actually being sold salt-less kitchen waste for no less than 18 dollars and no more than 3 bites at a time. Don’t get me wrong, I love fine dining / omakase / tapas and whatever other pretentious crap is thrown my way, but this restaurant chain is consistently pawning off the same days-old vegetables and undercooked meat in multiple cities. Don’t fall for the pretty bow they put on the exterior. Let me break this down for you… Hamachi tostadas: Tastless wads of “fresh” fish carelessely thrown onto shards of tortilla chips locally sourced from dollar general. To crown them, they are thoughtfully adorned with a transparent slice of serano that had been aging nicely in the misen place drawer for no less than 48 hours. The perfume of other aging vegetables is the cherry on top. From what I gathered, the yuzu was an attempt at encouraging guests to “use-u” their imagination in hopes of conjuring up some level of conciously perceptable flavor. Mac(less) and “cheese”: Playful little dish of elmers glue and orzo(?). Whatever you can’t choke down is a great adhesive for any upcoming school projects. Fun for the whole family! Another indication that salt is potentially in short supply. Tim’s love for kindergarten paste really shines through here. So much so that he decided to make it available to patrons via menus across America. Judging from the price, I’d imagine they’re slaying the poor horses in the kitchen off to the right to get it to you fresh and piping hot. *neigh* Wild boar ribs: I’m not sure how anything went wrong here. Somehow, they managed to extract all the bbq sauce flavor and leave only the exquisite taste of… brown? It had the texture of human hair wound and compacted along the length of a scraggly bone. For a place that prizes their grilled meats, I’m suspicious it’s being sourced from disgruntled patrons. Our guess is ol’ Timmy actually cut a deal with Ronald to collect the Mcrib™ rejects that base jump off the conveyer belt and land themselves in Knoxville, TN. Bibb lettuce: A love letter to vegetable haters everywhere. Honestly my fingers are getting tired but don’t let the lardons distract you away from the oddly fork tender greens that dissolve on your tounge. Maybe some gastronomic tricks at play here. Think aspirational greens you routinely forget about in the back of your fridge on a weekly basis. One day though. Pork chops: Saved my last bit of strength for this tradgedy. It dxemplified what this restaurant seems to be about. Carefully plated, hot off the press and even had some tenderly painted on grill marks. The two chops were bathing in a pool of white flavorless goop and some sort of attempt at demis glace that again tasted like Tim’s favorite flavor, brown. To our glee they cooked it to a lovely rare (see attached image) just the way we like it at home. Seeing as we had an 8 hour drive the following day we decided to hold off on enjoying such a creation. There are enough memories here already to not warrant sharing them with rest stops up the east coast. The gas station attendants don’t deserve that. Again the service and atmosphere were perfect. We tipped the server handsomly and thanked her. It just feels like food execution which I thought was the goal of an eatery is lacking in all categories. If anything above tickled your taste buds feel free to stop by, but If I were you, I’d stop by Wendys like we did and you’ll thank us for it. We’ve never paid $200 for the stock of an abandoned grocery store before, but we won’t soon forget.

Let’s begin with a large round of applause. From the decor, to the elaborate menu and even seemingly upscale cocktail menu, this has to be the most elaborate restaurant grift out there. Don’t get me wrong, our server and subsequent manager interaction were beyond lovely and the former even got us somewhat giddy with anticipation regarding the flowery menu. Speaking of the menu, this is where things began to unravel. The ingredients in each dish are carefully worded as to take your attention away from the fact that you’re actually being sold salt-less kitchen waste for no less than 18 dollars and no more than 3 bites at a time. Don’t get me wrong, I love fine dining / omakase / tapas and whatever other pretentious crap is thrown my way, but this restaurant chain is consistently pawning off the same days-old vegetables and undercooked meat in multiple cities. Don’t fall for the pretty bow they put on the exterior. Let me break this down for you… Hamachi tostadas: Tastless wads of “fresh” fish carelessely thrown onto shards of tortilla chips locally sourced from dollar general. To crown them, they are thoughtfully adorned with a transparent slice of serano that had been aging nicely in the misen place drawer for no less than 48 hours. The perfume of other aging vegetables is the cherry on top. From what I gathered, the yuzu was an attempt at encouraging guests to “use-u” their imagination in hopes of conjuring up some level of conciously perceptable flavor. Mac(less) and “cheese”: Playful little dish of elmers glue and orzo(?). Whatever you can’t choke down is a great adhesive for any upcoming school projects. Fun for the whole family! Another indication that salt is potentially in short supply. Tim’s love for kindergarten paste really shines through here. So much so that he decided to make it available to patrons via menus across America. Judging from the price, I’d imagine they’re slaying the poor horses in the kitchen off to the right to get it to you fresh and piping hot. *neigh* Wild boar ribs: I’m not sure how anything went wrong here. Somehow, they managed to extract all the bbq sauce flavor and leave only the exquisite taste of… brown? It had the texture of human hair wound and compacted along the length of a scraggly bone. For a place that prizes their grilled meats, I’m suspicious it’s being sourced from disgruntled patrons. Our guess is ol’ Timmy actually cut a deal with Ronald to collect the Mcrib™ rejects that base jump off the conveyer belt and land themselves in Knoxville, TN. Bibb lettuce: A love letter to vegetable haters everywhere. Honestly my fingers are getting tired but don’t let the lardons distract you away from the oddly fork tender greens that dissolve on your tounge. Maybe some gastronomic tricks at play here. Think aspirational greens you routinely forget about in the back of your fridge on a weekly basis. One day though. Pork chops: Saved my last bit of strength for this tradgedy. It dxemplified what this restaurant seems to be about. Carefully plated, hot off the press and even had some tenderly painted on grill marks. The two chops were bathing in a pool of white flavorless goop and some sort of attempt at demis glace that again tasted like Tim’s favorite flavor, brown. To our glee they cooked it to a lovely rare (see attached image) just the way we like it at home. Seeing as we had an 8 hour drive the following day we decided to hold off on enjoying such a creation. There are enough memories here already to not warrant sharing them with rest stops up the east coast. The gas station attendants don’t deserve that. Again the service and atmosphere were perfect. We tipped the server handsomly and thanked her. It just feels like food execution which I thought was the goal of an eatery is lacking in all categories. If anything above tickled your taste buds feel free to stop by, but If I were you, I’d stop by Wendys like we did and you’ll thank us for it. We’ve never paid $200 for the stock of an abandoned grocery store before, but we won’t soon forget.

Atmosphere is very cool, service was great but the food was a big disappointment. I ordered my steak medium rare and it was literally raw, like cold raw meat, sent back for an up cook and all it did char the outside. The other dishes were ok but there are far better options in the Knoxville area, especially for the price. Update, 2 emails were sent to the email in the response to this review with no response.

Atmosphere is very cool, service was great but the food was a big disappointment. I ordered my steak medium rare and it was literally raw, like cold raw meat, sent back for an up cook and all it did char the outside. The other dishes were ok but there are far better options in the Knoxville area, especially for the price. Update, 2 emails were sent to the email in the response to this review with no response.

Seems high to give straight five stars on a place but I thought the spot was amazing. Right on the corner, immediately great experience with staff. Our waitresses name was Matisse and she was exceptional. They were the most incredibly accommodating when it came to allergies since I’m weak-blooded and have a shellfish allergy. Started with complimentary champagne for our first time. The food is killer, elk sliders with blueberry jam and foie gras were savory, Texas red chili was fantastic with several types of meat and came with some heat I’d say it’s 5 out of 10 spicy level, not overbearing but something to keep in mind. No wonder why the garlic stuffed ribeye is one of the favorites at this establishment. Get it. Wife had the rack of lamb also very good but if I had to pick between the two I’d pick ribeye personally. Ancho chili chocolate cake was muah chefs kiss. They were able to pair each dish with drinks better than most places if you ask them to. Not cheap but I didn’t want it to be. I think pricing is fair for the dishes. Would like to come back for a cocktail hour at the bar sometime soon.

Seems high to give straight five stars on a place but I thought the spot was amazing. Right on the corner, immediately great experience with staff. Our waitresses name was Matisse and she was exceptional. They were the most incredibly accommodating when it came to allergies since I’m weak-blooded and have a shellfish allergy. Started with complimentary champagne for our first time. The food is killer, elk sliders with blueberry jam and foie gras were savory, Texas red chili was fantastic with several types of meat and came with some heat I’d say it’s 5 out of 10 spicy level, not overbearing but something to keep in mind. No wonder why the garlic stuffed ribeye is one of the favorites at this establishment. Get it. Wife had the rack of lamb also very good but if I had to pick between the two I’d pick ribeye personally. Ancho chili chocolate cake was muah chefs kiss. They were able to pair each dish with drinks better than most places if you ask them to. Not cheap but I didn’t want it to be. I think pricing is fair for the dishes. Would like to come back for a cocktail hour at the bar sometime soon.

I'll start off by saying that, for most people, this is not a once-a-week restaurant. It's pricey (very pricey), and for a lot of people that might steer them away from ever trying Lonesome Dove. Trust me, I was in the same boat, but after having dinner there for the first time last night I'm here to tell you to do what you need to do (sell blood, raid the children’s college fund, take out a small business loan – whatever it takes) to give it a try. Everything is excellent – from the complimentary champagne toast to our first course that consisted of the elk sliders and lobster hushpuppies, all the way through to the ancho chili chocolate cake and churro dessert, the entire meal was fantastic. The showstopper, however, was the roasted garlic stuffed beef tenderloin. It was quite possibly the best tasting, best prepared steak I’ve ever had – the thing steak lovers dreams are made of. It will haunt me for the indefinite future, and my friends and family will become annoyed with me bringing it up at every opportunity. Is it an expensive dish? Yes it is. Is it worth it? Absolutely – every… single… penny. Our biggest regret of the night is that we only got the six ounce and not the nine (a mistake I won’t make again). This place just works - the unique atmosphere, the incredible staff and chefs, the amazing food. This restaurant is a masterpiece and has most likely vaulted into the first place spot for best restaurant in Knoxville.

I'll start off by saying that, for most people, this is not a once-a-week restaurant. It's pricey (very pricey), and for a lot of people that might steer them away from ever trying Lonesome Dove. Trust me, I was in the same boat, but after having dinner there for the first time last night I'm here to tell you to do what you need to do (sell blood, raid the children’s college fund, take out a small business loan – whatever it takes) to give it a try. Everything is excellent – from the complimentary champagne toast to our first course that consisted of the elk sliders and lobster hushpuppies, all the way through to the ancho chili chocolate cake and churro dessert, the entire meal was fantastic. The showstopper, however, was the roasted garlic stuffed beef tenderloin. It was quite possibly the best tasting, best prepared steak I’ve ever had – the thing steak lovers dreams are made of. It will haunt me for the indefinite future, and my friends and family will become annoyed with me bringing it up at every opportunity. Is it an expensive dish? Yes it is. Is it worth it? Absolutely – every… single… penny. Our biggest regret of the night is that we only got the six ounce and not the nine (a mistake I won’t make again). This place just works - the unique atmosphere, the incredible staff and chefs, the amazing food. This restaurant is a masterpiece and has most likely vaulted into the first place spot for best restaurant in Knoxville.

Lonesome Dove is by far the best steakhouse in Knoxville! I love the book Lonesome Dove so naturally I had to come eat dinner at the Lonesome Dove! And boy was it worth it! The steak was to die for! The building in the center of Old Town Knoxville is very historical having served many purposes! It was a really cool atmosphere here! Make sure to have dinner at Lonesome Dove!

Lonesome Dove is by far the best steakhouse in Knoxville! I love the book Lonesome Dove so naturally I had to come eat dinner at the Lonesome Dove! And boy was it worth it! The steak was to die for! The building in the center of Old Town Knoxville is very historical having served many purposes! It was a really cool atmosphere here! Make sure to have dinner at Lonesome Dove!

Costco gift cards never failed me. But you may want to buy $200 to $300 worth of gift cards for one meal for 2 at this place. My friend and I curbed our hunger with some blue corn lobster hushpuppies. They didn't taste anything out of ordinary. Then came my main course roasted garlic beef tenderloin. The western plaid hash tasted superb and the beef tenderloin was cooked appropriately with the right amount of seasoning. We were sitting at the bar and my friend had been talking to the bartender about whiskey. All in all, it was a pleasant experience.

Costco gift cards never failed me. But you may want to buy $200 to $300 worth of gift cards for one meal for 2 at this place. My friend and I curbed our hunger with some blue corn lobster hushpuppies. They didn't taste anything out of ordinary. Then came my main course roasted garlic beef tenderloin. The western plaid hash tasted superb and the beef tenderloin was cooked appropriately with the right amount of seasoning. We were sitting at the bar and my friend had been talking to the bartender about whiskey. All in all, it was a pleasant experience.

We came here on Friday to try the Primerib special for $20. Wow! It was tender and juicy. Probably the BEST prime we’ve ever had. We tried the chocolate cake and it was so moist and good. Highly recommend with a cup of coffee. The food was so GOOD that we came back on Monday for Happy hour. This time I took a picture before we ate all the delicious food. My husband got the wagyu beef hotdog w/fries and I got the nachos and prime rib sandwich. Hands down our favorite place. Oh and I got the smoked old fashion during happy hour for $6. We definitely will be back on Thursday. My new favorite place. I wish I could leave 20 stars!!

We came here on Friday to try the Primerib special for $20. Wow! It was tender and juicy. Probably the BEST prime we’ve ever had. We tried the chocolate cake and it was so moist and good. Highly recommend with a cup of coffee. The food was so GOOD that we came back on Monday for Happy hour. This time I took a picture before we ate all the delicious food. My husband got the wagyu beef hotdog w/fries and I got the nachos and prime rib sandwich. Hands down our favorite place. Oh and I got the smoked old fashion during happy hour for $6. We definitely will be back on Thursday. My new favorite place. I wish I could leave 20 stars!!