17-03-2025
Meat Madness: Not trying to start beef, but 16 Knoxville burger spots must go. Vote now!
It's quite the pickle: While Knox News is excited to crown the king of burgers in Knoxville, that requires smashing the dreams of 16 first-round restaurants rivaling for royalty. Voting is now open for our Meat Madness bracket!
We asked the staff, we asked the readers, and everyone delivered their recommendations to help us build one juicy bracket. Over the next few weeks, restaurants will go head-to-head, vying for your votes until just one remains. The grand prize: Burger bragging rights, of course, along with a Knox News feature story all about the burgers and the business.
The highest seeds (sesame, if you will) went to the businesses with the most nominations for having the best burger, while a handful of one-off nominations were prioritized by the order in which we received them. We stayed away from major chains for the most part, though you will see some regional ones, including ... the Food City deli? We love to see it!
Before we fire up this competition, familiarize yourself with the following dates so you don't get burned and miss out on voting (the survey closes at 11:45 p.m. at the end of each period):
Through March 19: Round of 32 voting
March 21-23: Round of 16 voting
March 25-27: Round of 8 voting
March 31- April 1: Semifinals voting
April 2-4: Finals voting
April 8: Best burger business announced with a feature story on the winner at
A new story with results from the previous round of voting will publish each time the next round opens at But if you ever get lost, you can come back here, as we'll update this page with a link to the latest.
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The first embed you'll see below is a survey for the head-to-head competitions. Below that is the bracket, which will update at the end of each round.
We have 16 matchups to kick things off, and the biggest storyline of this round has to be the two South Knoxville showdowns (in bold):
Abridged Beer Co. vs. Food City (deli)
Bit Burger vs. Vol Market #3
Balter Beerworks vs. The Original Louis' Restaurant
Sevier Avenue Burger Company vs. 71 South
The Burgers vs. Chismoso Cocktails & Comida
Union Place vs. Downtown Grill & Brewery
T. Ralph's Burgers & Fries vs. Redbud Kitchen
Inskip Grill vs. Nick & J's Cafe
Ye Olde Steak House vs. Sam & Andy's Bexhill
Stock & Barrel vs. Aubrey's
Litton's vs. Not Watson's
Ale' Rae's Gastro Pub vs. Emma's Southern Kitchen
The Kennedy vs. Tennessee Taphouse
Bistro By The Tracks vs. Hamburger Hill
Sunspot vs. SmashCity Knoxville
Gus's Good Times Deli vs. Gato Peligroso (at Trailhead Beer Market)
May the best patties prevail!
If you're having trouble with the embed or are using the Knox News app, just visit .
Joanna Hayes is the restaurant and retail reporter for Knox News, a job responsible for sharing the latest openings, closings and trends in the dining and shopping scenes of Knoxville.
As a member of the newsroom's growth and development team, she also reports on how big projects are affecting those scenes across town and how business owners are adapting to a city that continues to evolve as its population grows.
She's also the author behind Knoxville's new Eat65 newsletter, a weekly guide to what's happening in the food and beverage scenes of East Tennessee, along with her weekend recommendations and blurbs straight from the owners, chefs and managers of your favorite bars, restaurants and breweries.
Check out some of her recent stories from across East Tennessee:
Taco Bell x2: Two stories on the Strip and a drive-thru only planned for South Knoxville
As Knoxville says so long to a brewery, 'wings that changed it all' are Maryville bound
'Craft Corner' and all the places you'll drink inside Smokies stadium: What's on the menu?
More PB&J Mixtape? What Xul Beer Company's deal with Fanatic means for local fans
Popular pies get a SoKno store as Knoxville coffee adds another shop. Plus, KPOT is here!
Ryan Wilusz is the business growth and development editor. Phone: 865-317-5138. Email: Instagram: @knoxscruff.
Joanna Hayes is the restaurant and retail reporter. Email: | Sign up for the free Eat65 newsletter
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This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Knoxville best burger restaurant bracket begins: Vote in Meat Madness!
