5 days ago
Dirty sodas, deep-fried PB&Js join University of Tennessee food options for the fall
Students arriving at or returning to the University of Tennessee at Knoxville campus for the fall 2025 semester will find new restaurants and cafes ready to serve a variety of food and drinks, from deep-fried PB&Js to dirty sodas.
UT has two dining halls where students can use their meal plans: Rocky Top Dining Hall at 1917 Andy Holt Ave. and Stokely Dining Hall at 1311 Lake Loudon Blvd.
But for students looking for some newer options, here's what UT has cooking on campus:
Crust - This personal pizza and wing concept is opening in Fred D. Brown Hall at 1817 Andy Holt Ave. Crust aims to be "the go-to spot for casual comfort food with a fresh twist," according to Vol Dining.
Hillside Café - Located inside the new College of Nursing Building, the cafe serves build-your-own breakfast sandwiches or omelets in the morning and Mediterranean flatbreads, bowls and pitas for lunch. The cafe also serves Starbucks coffee.
Keoke Coffee Bar - A local food truck, Keoke Coffee Bar is opening a permanent location in Stokely Hall at 1311 Lake Loudon Blvd. Along with coffee and energy drinks, the coffee shop will introduce dirty sodas to its menu!
Snackin' Wagon - UT is partnering with HT Hackney and Hackney Brands to create a new food truck stationed at the AMB Amphitheater outside Neyland Stadium. The menu includes a Nashville Crispy Chicken Sandwich and a deep-fried PB&J.
Traditions Deli - Located inside Volunteer Hall at 1525 White Ave., this new deli will feature stacked sandwiches, grilled cheeses and custom hot dogs in an environment adorned with Vols memorabilia.
Vol Dining also is rebranding the Vol Hall's Provisions on Demand Market - or P.O.D. Market - to become a Vol Market convenience store with snacks, quick grab items, drinks and essentials.
Cumberland Foodhall expanding Vol Dining footprint
Later this semester, the Cumberland Foodhall will open on the ground floor of Hub Knoxville on the Strip. The food hall came together through a partnership between UT's food vendor, Aramark Educational Services, and the building's co-developer Core Spaces.
Zen Sushi & Wok will be a counter-service concept inside the food hall with sushi rolls, poke bowls, bubble tea, dumplings and egg rolls. The Cumberland Foodhall also will have lockers that allow people to pick up food from two other vendors: Athenian Grill and Big Orange Grill.
Athenian Grill will serve Mediterranean food, including bowls, wraps and gyros. UT farm-raised beef burgers, chicken tenders and Philly cheesesteaks will be served at Big Orange Grill, the second location for this UT concept and the third restaurant partnership with UT's Northeast Tennessee AgResearch and Education Center.
The food hall will accept Dining Dollars, Flex Plan, VolCards, credit cards and debit cards.
Additional restaurant options at University of Tennessee
While UT and Aramark operate several locations on campus, UT provides some space for independent options. Food trucks can set up near Neyland Stadium or Circle Park, and students can use Dining Dollars and their VolCards to pay for meals. Food trucks operate on campus 10:30 a.m-3:30 p.m.
A longstanding restaurant on campus is Ray's Place, located at 1413 Circle Drive. The restaurant opened in the late 1980s in a space designated for Randolph-Sheppard Act vendors, who are visually impaired workers. Ray Mowery opened and operated the restaurant until his death in August 2023. His kids, Ray Mowery Jr. and Rennie Mowery, are operating the restaurant and honoring their father's legacy. The hours are 6:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. every weekday.
Here are more restaurants on and around the UT campus:
1817 Taqueria - A Mexican restaurant moving to the Student Union next to Big Orange Grill, it previously operated in Fred Brown Hall. | 1502 Cumberland Ave.
Arena Cafe and Arena Deli - The cafe is a hot bar offering breakfast and lunch, while the deli offers sandwiches and salads inside Thompson-Boling Arena at Food City Center. | 1600 Phillip Fulmer Way
Big Orange Grill - A newer concept featuring farm-raised UT beef and UT Creamery ice cream inside the Student Union. A second location will open in the Cumberland Foodhall. | 1502 Cumberland Ave.
Blenz - With locations at the Student Union and the Tennessee Recreation Center for Students, this smoothie bowl restaurant is for students seeking something refreshing. | 1502 Cumberland Ave. and 2111 Volunter Blvd.
Chick-fil-A - The popular fried chicken chain has three locations on campus at the Rocky Top Dining Hall, Student Union and on the Strip. | 1917 Andy Holt Ave., 1502 Cumberland Ave. and 1659 Cumberland Ave.
Choolaah - A fast-casual Indian restaurant in the food court area of the Student Union. | 1502 Cumberland Ave.
Dippers - A fried chicken restaurant on the first floor of Hess Hall, which is ready for residents. | 1720 Melrose Place
Einstein Bros. Bagels - Students needing their bagel fix can visit two locations, one in the Art and Architecture building and one in the Mossman Building. | 1715 Volunteer Blvd. and 1311 Cumberland Ave.
K Brew - Offering an alternative to Starbucks, K Brew has two express locations in Fred Brown Hall and the Haslam College of Business | 1817 Andy Holt Ave. and 1000 Volunteer Blvd.
Mabel's - A cafeteria serving the agriculture campus in McCord Hall. | 2640 Morgan Circle
Orange Acres Cafe - The restaurant serves burgers, sandwiches and salads inside the Agriculture and Natural Resources Building on the agriculture campus. | 2431 Joe Johnson Dr.
Panda Express - A classic chain option for students in the food court located in the Student Union. | 1502 Cumberland Ave.
P.O.D. Markets - There are multiple convenience stores across campus in Clement Hall, Hess Hall, Hodges Library, the Humanities and Social Sciences building, Laurel Hall, Pendergrass Library, Rocky Top Dining Hall, Stokely Hall, Taylor Law Center and the Zeanah Engineering Complex.
Southern Kitchen - A classic restaurant for students living in Volunteer Hall, Southern Kitchen will reopen with a facelift for the fall semester. But don't worry; it will have the same Southern menu. | 1525 White Ave.
Starbucks - The international coffee chain has two locations on campus, one in the Student Union and one at Hodges Library | 1502 Cumberland Ave. and 1015 Volunteer Blvd.
Status Dough - A local doughnut shop, Status Dough satisfies students' sweet tooth with coffee to wash it all down at Volunteer Hall. | 1525 White Ave.
Union Deli - This deli option offers sandwiches, salads and soups in the Student Union. | 1502 Cumberland Ave.
Keenan Thomas reports on higher education for the Knox News business growth and development team. You can reach him by email at
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This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: University of Tennessee at Knoxville campus restaurants, where to eat
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