Dead End BBQ Knoxville

I didn't know where to go this weekend, but I was craving BBQ and the recent episode of Man v. Food on the Travel Channel showcased a couple of establishments in Knoxville, however, I opted to try a different place I heard about...Dead End BBQ http://www.deadendbbq.com/

It's called Dead End for a couple of reasons, one because it is the last place you should go for BBQ (maybe)...2nd the is where it was born.  I thought maybe because of where it was, there is a dead end street close by. 

Located at 3621 Sutherland Ave. in Knoxville, TN...Dead End BBQ appears to be an old gas station, or at least that's what I think. 

They have won East Tennessee's Best BBQ.  The inside is modern, spacious and inviting.  Because it was so hot when I went I opted to dine inside instead of their outdoor patio.  I would assume, at some point, they may decide to offer live music.

I noticed they offered drink specials, and have a Happy Hour Special every day.  Now on to the important portion...the food.  Of course I had to order the sweet tea to drink, which was fresh brewed (or seemed to be) and it was ok, not the best, but passed my standards.  I was torn on what to get.  To me the true test of a BBQ joint is the Beef Brisket.  If you can make a good beef brisket, then you can work wonders with the other meats.  So, I decided on the combo (2 meats, I got the beef brisket and the pulled pork), then there was the decision on the 2 sides...the waiter suggested the Red, White and Bleu Slaw and Macaroni and Pimento Cheese.  Since I have been having difficulty perfecting my Mac N Cheese recipe I thought I would give theirs a shot.  I almost went with one of their bean dishes, but said I like Bleu Cheese that I went with the slaw.  And then there was the choice of bread (Texas Toast, Jalapeno Cornbread or Southern Style Cornbread)...I chose Southern Style Cornbread. 

I will say this...the sides were not desirable.  I do not like pimento cheese, so I should have known better, so that was my fault.  The slaw was ok...not my favorite, but slaw is difficult to make.  This was different, and if you like Bleu cheese I would say give it a shot.  The cornbread wasn't like I expected it.  I would have prefered a Hoe Cake or a small pone of cornbread, and this one they gave me tasted like the Jiffy mix cornbread, but it was ok...needed butter. 

The meats...I was impressed...the beef brisket and pulled pork were very good.  Didn't need BBQ sauce, but I do drown my meat in sauce...However, I was not impressed with their sauces.  They need work.  They offer 3 choices, Regular, Mild and Hot.  I did try all 3, and went with the regular, I think it needed to be sweeter. 

I also sampled the chicken...it too was excellent.  The moisture of the meats were perfect...most of the time it's either dry or too moist, this was just right, and there was also not the smokey taste you would normally find.  In all I would highly recommened checking this establishment out.  Let me know your thoughts and experiences. 

Being I was there at 3pm, there wasn't a crowd, and it was during shift change so I couldn't really evaluate the staff.  I did have to wait a while on drink refills. 

Amis Mill Eatery

Rogersville, TN may not have much, but they do have one little special place tucked away (and I do mean you have to be looking for this to find it).  Past the historic Amis house on a curvy road is the Amis Mill Eatery.  http://www.amismill.com/ It's a rustic looking cabin type place, I would say it seats 100 people, maybe, 60 in the entrance and 40 on the porch.  The porch is covered and has an amazing view.

If you're looking for a place to take a date, this is acceptable.  The staff is very friendly and the food isn't bad either, but if you're going for Cajun, I wouldn't recommend it.  I ordered the fried okra and fried crawfish tails for appetizer.  The okra was a pre-made as you would expect (I would have done some fresh okra myself), but the crawfish tails were good, I couldn't tell if they were frozen or fresh.  The "Old Mill Sauce" was excellent to dip both the crawfish and the okra in.  It was a horseradish based sauce instead of the traditional roumalade sauce.

For the main course, I elected to stick with Cajun and ordered the Jambalaya with a side of Red Beans and Rice.  The Jambalaya was ok, it was acceptable, but could have used more spice.  However, the red beans and rice was not.  The RB&R seemed like they opened a can of kidney beans, thickened the sauce a little and put it over rice.  I was none too happy with this dish. 

Side note...everyone knows that I am the guru of sweet tea, especially if you claim to have "Southern" sweet tea, then I am all about it.  WELL...the Amis Mill claimed to have Southern Sweet Tea...yea, well they did, in the form of the pre-mix crap that the soda companies put in the fountain machine.  I think if you're going to advertise a Southern Sweet tea then go the extra mile and brew it yourself, don't use the pre-mix.  It's cheaper to do it yourself and it taste better.

I did not opt for a dessert...

The owner, made a special visit to the table to see how things were, and I of course, didn't hold back, and I told him my thoughts (If you don't wanna know, don't ask)...I'm sure it was a surprise to him, most would say everything was fine and go on, not I said the lil elf...I told him exactly what I thought.  That growing up in the deep south and Cajun cooking (come on I learned from the best before he got famous, so don't mess with my Cajun food) being one of my forte, that I was disappointed in their Cajun fare that it could have been much better.  He explained that he didn't have a Cajun cook, so it may have been off (my first thoughts were, why serve Cajun food if you don't know how to cook Cajun?).  We talked further, and I told him that I would be more than happy to share my Creole recipes and even come back up there to demonstrate how to cook it.  He was receptive to the idea.  He said he's always looking for something new and inventive.  SO...looks like I'll be making a trip back to Rogersville soon to help fix the Cajun side of the menu. 

Overall, I would recommend this place, if for nothing else the atmosphere and the historic value.  I would give this place a 3 out of 5 stars (ok, so I need to be more creative with my rating system...give me some ideas!!!)

Also, if you have a place you want me to go check out and report on, shoot me an email and I'll be more than happy to give my opinions.

Happy eating y'all!

King Tut's Knoxville

     Over the weekend I was craving Greek food and didn't know where to go, so I looked in Knoxville and seen the list of Greek restaurants.  I decided to try out King Tut's.  This restaurant is located off of Champan Highway on Martin Mill Pike (it's real esay to get to). 

  When you first see this place you are like, what in the world???  This cannot be good.  But, if anyone knows me, I am always up for an adventure...this was no exception.  Upon entering the premises the inside shocks you even more.

     There are all kinds of signs and such scattered throughout the place.  It's great!!  Seriously, if you are looking for a unique place, this is it!!  Upon sitting in this tiny establishment, I was greeted by Mo, the owner.  This guy is one of a kind.  He brought a menu (which is hard to decipher, it's scattered and you really don't know what's what).  He made some suggestions on what to get (Egyptian Platter or the Greek Salad).  I choose a gyro (if it's no good then I know the rest won't be).  I do like my Greek food.  As always I order a sweet tea (sorry Mo, but your sweet tea is a mix and not brewed, so I didn't like it as much).  What made my sweet tea tolerable is how it came...IN A VASE!!!  I LOVE THIS!!!

     Mo was highly interactive with me...did a magic trick...then we played a game of chess for dessert.  Mo cleaned my clock...come to find out he plays 7 days a week and plays customers often...so be prepared to lose if you take him up on his challenge. 
     Mid chess game the food came out.  The gyro was great, it had sauteed peppers and onions, with the Tzatziki sauce along with lettuce, purple onions and tomatos (I chose no lettuce or purple onions).  Then I had the dessert (since I lost I had to but it). 
     Talking to Mo, he informed me at night he gives everyone in the restaurant an instrument and then he turns on all his lights (as seen in the photos) and they have a big party with people standing in the seats and on the tables, they even karaokee...I must return for this.  granted there would probably be 15 people max in this place, I still be it would be fun. 
     Overall, this was a great experience, not a place to take a first date, unless they are as demented as you are.  The pricing and food are a good value.  I would highly recommend this experience.  I would like to know your thoughts if you go. 

King Tut's Grill
4132 Martin Mill Pike
Knoxville, TN 37920
(865) 573-6021