Bistro by the Tracks

We made our reservations via Open Table, and our table was ready for us when we arrived.
This a lovely place to have a nice dinner. The wine selection is incredibly broad and diverse. The wait staff was helpful and patient. The food is wonderful. When I dine at non-​chain restaurants, I’m looking for dishes that are either a unique combo of flavors, or complex enough that cooking it at home would be too much of a production. I’m a sucker for savory duck confit, and this time they had a «ramen» interpretation of it which was unusual but still quite good.
The reviews that complain about portion sizes confuse me. This isn’t the Olive Garden with endless breadsticks. Imho thank goodness! I don’t need a 1500 calorie entrée. The entrees are appropriately sized for a finer dining restaurant where the whole point is to be able to get a few appetizers to share with the table, a bottle of wine, an entrée, and then desert. Or maybe that’s just how I do it.

What a pleasant surprise. Love to find these small out of the way finds. Food was excellent and service super. The soups were excellent and my veal francais could not have been better.

What has happened to this place?!?
Seriously. There’s a problem at this restaurant, and it needs to be addressed prontisimo. This has always been an unbelievable place to eat. The food was impeccable, the service the same, and cocktails were delicious. Monday night was a sad, flabby, dry slap in the face though. The food was simply boring — all around boring.
We started with charcuterie and tartar. Both were meh. Tartar was almost nonexistent. It was basically a plate full of filler. And the charcuterie was better but still forgettable. The charcuterie I typically go for is local, has a backstory, and is special in some sort of way. This was borderline deli meats. Which, don’t get me wrong, I can eat the hell out of some deli meats, but not really acceptable for whatever they charged.
Entrees were the same. I was trying to keep it light on a Monday night, so I was between the salmon and the chicken. I went with the chicken per the waiters recommendation. He recommended it in a way that was like ‘oh the chicken is delicious; go with that.’ So I did! It was overcooked, dry, and just sad looking. Come on people. It’s a damn piece of chicken. I actually couldn’t tell if it was overcooked or if it had died under the heat lamp for 45 minutes. Either way, it sucked though. Elsewhere in the party was a filet, a salmon, and a burger. Salmon was also dry and the accompaniments were an odd pairing. Were they navy beans? Filet was just okay. Honestly, the shining best part that came out of the kitchen were the fries that came with the burger. Delicious.. .. but for shame!!!
Service was fine though. Wine was delicious. The bartender was super nice and her cocktails were equally awesome. So kudos for that. I don’t think I’ll be returning though.

We try to make it to Bistro a few times a month. They have the most extensive wine and cocktail menu in Knoxville. The bar area is our preferred seating area, but they have a large open dining area, a private wine room dining table and outside seating. The food is excellent and the menu changes seasonally. We recently enjoyed the new fall menu. I had the lamb shank and my wife had the beef tips with gnocchi and sweet potato purée. Both were excellent. One of my favorite things about the restaurant is also the staff. They have a mature staff that in most cases have been working at the restaurant for years. It is nice to be able to get food or drink recommendation from someone who actually knows what they are talking about. I travel extensively on business, I would put this restaurant up against some of the best in Nashville, Asheville, or Atlanta. If you are staying at the Marriott Courtyard you can walk across the parking lot to the restaurant.

Great atmosphere and beautiful set up.
The entrees are on point. The salmon is especially good.
The cheese and charcuterie board leaves a little to be desired though.
I’m not a wine guy, but when asked to describe a particular wine, the only response from the server we could get was, «It’s very good, very good. You should try it.» Maybe a little more knowledge of the products at an establishment that is going to cost $ 100+ for dinner wouldn’t be uncalled for.

I was craving fine dining for the longest time ever and I assumed they would whip a kick ass vegan menu for me but they didn’t. My significant other enjoyed his meal; his only dietary restriction was lactose intolerant. I was surprised by their peach salad as the starter and anticipated for my main entrée. Unfortunately, I was disappointed; they offered me a pumpkin risotto that I could have made better, which I did the follow night. So what makes a fine dining salad better than any regular salad? Their mix of ingredients to create such a pleasant flavor. It’s expensive but worth the taste. So what sucked about the risotto? It was normal. there was nothing to it. I felt like I was eating risotto from a box. I forgot how many servings of bread I asked for to feel compensated for the expensive meal. Gotta love the free bread!

I have searched restaurants in Unilocal (in knoxville) and this one never came up. We discovered it only because of signage and, quite frankly, it is the best dining experience we’ve had since moving to Knoxville several months ago. The bar was fabulous — creative drinks and very friendly bartender. We both loved our entrees and our water was attentive, professional, and made great recommendations. We will be back and I recommend it highly.

I have never been so disappointed in a dinner. I have to admit it was a group setting, but the service was lackluster. We found it grossly overpriced for what it was. Will not be going back for any reason. I could see how after a few or more glasses of wine (thats how long it took to get food) the food would be great.

Service was excellent. We had the cream of mushroom soup. For our main course we had the Etoufee and Halibut. The Halibut had a crust that was by far the best I’ve ever had. It was beautifully white and flaky underneath.
My husband complained about the Etoufee… that it wasn’t enough! He wanted to lick the plate!
For dessert we had the Pecan Pie. It was topped with a scoop of ice cream.
The entire meal was fantastic. We will most definitely return.

We celebrated my sister’s birthday, it was just me and her tonight. I have to say this place was nicer than I expected; it definitely has an upscale feel to it, and I like the interior. The staff were very friendly and helpful, and service was great. We shared the asparagus salad, and it was a very interesting composure of ingredients, however it was nicely done. I tried the halibut and my sister got a filet. I tried her filet and it was really good, but I have had better. My halibut was cooked right, a nice sear and it had good flavor. The other things on the plate lacked in flavor a little bit, and my sister said the same with her dish. It wasn’t cheap, but I still enjoyed our time here tonight. I think it deserved a solid 4 stars.

Service was awesome (thanks TJ), food was the best we had on the whole trip. We had a graduation luncheon and they even baked a cake for the occasion. Members of our party ate crab cakes, burgers, chicken salad, and Reuben sandwich. Everyone was thrilled with their order.

Not bad, not great. I got the halibut, and cheesecake for dessert. The service was excellent, no complainants there. Judging on the dinner, the food was ok. I had the halibut, it was alright but considering the price I was expecting more. I would consider the brassiere over bistro by the tracks for nice dinners.

I was pleasantly surprised. Was looking for a classy place to take out the lady and our friends for Valentine’s Day while we stayed in Knoxville and looked online everywhere and found Bistro. I called, asked a few questions, they mentioned being at that location for 5 years, they’d have a special menu alongside their full menu, asked for the reservation requesting one of their senior servers.
Walking up to the little strip mall area with the attached Mexican restaurant next door, I was sweating a bit thinking I made a poor choice but once you step in the atmosphere takes over you with a sense of polished warmth.
Jason did a great job, was perfectly attentive, timely, and otherwise wonderful. Highly recommend you request him as well.
Started with some cocktails, paired some wine to every course, enjoyed some coffee with Buffalo Trace crème with desert. Only thing I was upset about and kept this review from 5 stars is that instead of an additional menu, they had a severely limited menu for Valentine’s dinner. We still got every course, and enjoyed our choices but I was looking to get a lot more. Scallops were well orchestrated and fresh, salad was outstanding, cobia and pork chop were great. Can’t remember dessert but do remember it being a great end to a great meal.
Will look forward to going back!

I was so disappointed here! Went for my birthday last year (2013). Completely impressed with the décor and ambiance. This place is stunning to the eye. If you’re a sucker for a beautiful restaurant – one that perhaps looks like it might belong in a larger, more cosmopolitan city, if you will – check this place out.
Unfortunately our meal was sub-​par. I’m sorry to have to use that word for such a gorgeous place, but there’s no other way to describe it. I’m not really sure if it was an ‘off’ night or if things had just gone downhill by the time we got around to trying it.
The cocktails (on the menu) appeared to be craft, unique, and creative. But they tasted like crud. I have a very open mind and a broad palate. I eat (& drink) pretty much anything. But the combination of alcoholic & non-​alcoholic ingredients was beyond strange… We had to send them back – not just because we didn’t like them, but because they actually tasted like something was wrong with them. We ended up ordering a glass of wine.
1 of the 3 entrees (there were 3 of us) was good, but the other two we actually had to send back. The fish was not fresh and it was also not hot. Ordered something else and it was too salty. We sent it back, they comped a good portion of the check (which was nice and to be expected) and literally left hungry.
We have not been back since. :(

I must say, this place has got to be my favorite in town by far for some upscale drinks and food. By upscale, I mean when I’m feeling rich with cash monies in my pocket. I’ve ordered the duck confit and was very impressed. Nice crispy skin and moist meat calls for perfection. The burger is large and comes with a generous amount of fries. The patty is cooked to how you want it. Their salads are quite delicious! They are refreshing with the right amount of acidity. Can I mention that the deep fried chicken livers are amazing. They are crispy with a nice batter and not saturated in the fat that its been frying in.
I am a huge fan of the sweater weather. Nice refreshing bubbly drink with an italian bitter to elevate the personality of the overall beverage. There is also a wide selection of whisky drinks on the menu which is so trending. Something to please the man was definitely considered.
minus 1star due to the fact that the scallops are still mediocre! They have a nice sear but they taste rubbery. Textually it is unsound. I’ve given several tries hoping that it would improve, but each time I am disappointed. Maybe for Knoxville, it is the best that can be offered. Note to self, will not order the scallops in the future.

Paul’s Unilocal Elite Rating: EASILY 5 STARS
Came here with my buddies Dean and Steve as our last meal out before I return home to Charlotte. When I lived here in the late nineties, we used to go to the original Bistro by the tracks at its original location. I just found out that the last person to buy that business moved it over here to accommodate the ridiculously large wine selection that they currently have.
The appetizer I chose to get was the braised pork belly and it was served over a homemade kimchi that had a delicious sweet and sour sauce to it. The pork was amazingly tender and very delicious, but the surprise was how good the kimchi was! Normally I am NOT a kimchi fan, but this kimchi was unique as it was home fermented, with a homemade sweet and sour sauce that worked absolutely perfectly with the salty pork.
For my main course, I decided to go traditional with a filet mignon accompanied with Yukon Gold potatoes, broccoli, and topped with shitakke mushrooms. I don’t know what they did to those mushrooms, but they were outrageously delicious! If I’m not mistaken they were poached in butter because they sure were buttery! The filet was done perfectly medium rare and the meat was perfectly seasoned. The Yukon Gold potatoes were very creamy and also buttery, and the broccoli was perfectly al dente.
For dessert I opted for their chocolate dish. I don’t think it’s called anything other than chocolate as it features several types of chocolate, including a absolutely delicious chocolate panna cotta.
Our server, Dan, was very courteous, friendly, and very professional as he attended to all of our needs without being annoying. The atmosphere is low key, much like that of an old style steak house but the lighting was good without feeling like you’re being interrogated by the SS.
As many of you know, I come to Knoxville relatively often to visit my best friends Dean and Steve. But this was the best dinner I have had in Knoxville in many years and I do believe that this restaurant is quite possibly the very best Knoxville has to offer. Their wine list is certainly Wine Spectator worthy as I recommended that they submit their tremendously large wine list to the Wine Spectator for consideration for receiving a Wine Spectator award.
Look this is definitely upscale dining so don’t expect el cheapo prices. But in this case you get what you pay for, and it is worth every darn penny!
I highly, highly, highly recommend Bistro by the tracks restaurant! And go next door to their drink establishment called, ironically, Drink. It is a high tech wine bar. Check out my review for that establishment in another Unilocal posting.

Ate here this weekend for the first time; not sure why we hadn’t been here before but,…
It was a nice experience for us. I like the atmosphere here: full of a good mix of people (small oval booths are nice for two) who seemed to be enjoying themselves but, didn’t seem too crowded or noisy even as full as it was. As noted in many reviews, their substantial wine cellar is visible everywhere.
I’d highly recommend the poached pear salad. I think it’s good enough to get even if you have to order a ‘small plate’ entrée to not get too full. Wife had the beet salad and loved it. I also had cobia for my entrée and it was good. But, this was the first time I’d eaten cobia, and I’d get something else next time. It’s the fish, not the restaurant or preparation. I’m more of a ‘flaky, melt in your mouth’ fish guy (like sea bass), and could get a great piece of sea bass in the same price range. We split the pecan pie and it was wonderful; easily in the top 10% of pecan pies, which is high praise coming from two southerners.
The service was efficient but, our waiter was a little detached. Not much personality there. I think this was an opportunity missed to improve the dining experience, and it is the only reason this rating is not 5-​stars.
Side note: They have a bar immediately next door (separate entrance) that our dinner friends had tried before meeting us, and they liked it very much. We poked our head in, and would definitely try it next time we visit Bistro by the Tracks.

Probably the best meal I’ve had in Knoxville. We purposely went during a home UT game to miss the crowd on a Saturday night.
Easy to make reservations online with open table.
The atmosphere and display of the wine collection makes you feel like you’re in a much bigger city than Knoxville.
Our server was very knowledgable about the menu. He offered several facts about the origination of the locally provided ingredients in each of our dishes. And it paid off. From local Benton Bacon to Cruze Farm cream and Vienna Coffee from Maryville– we enjoyed every course and we’ll definitely return and recommend this restaurant.

Bistro by the Tracks was our go-​to nice dinner spot for almost a decade. All was well. Then one day, management felt the need to tweak the menu, let the long-​time chef go and hire a guy named Christopher Stallard. We showed up for Valentine’s Day last year to a completely different, less-​appealing, pricier menu and were gutted. All our favorites: gone.
We suffered through for a year, coming in less often, sticking to a few basics on the menu which they eventually added back in from the old menu (except in a fancier version and $$$). But we kept coming when we could because honestly, when you live in Knoxville, TN and you finally get a night out from your kids and you want a next-​tier atmosphere, tablecloths, excellent service/​staff and great drinks… the options are few and Bistro is central.
Fast forward a year and a half: Christopher Stallard has now vamoosed. Basically this guy moved in, changed everything, devastated us, and then left. But lo – what light through yonder kitchen breaks? A new executive chef – Jeff Carter of Dancing Bear Lodge (run by some folks who used to be in the mix up at Blackberry Farm). A new hope dawns…
We went in tonight for the first time since the changeover and loved what we tasted. Some Stallard holdovers are still there, but a few wonderful new dishes have appeared. Hopefully, as Carter settles in, he will continue the… updating.
My Heirloom Tomato Salad with feta and fried okra was summer on a fork and made my mouth come alive. The new prep scallops small plate wasn’t as tasty as the tomato salad, but it was respectable. My husband had the new pork chop dish with Boursin cheese broiled over the top of the pork, bourbon peaches to garnish and some kind of grits underneath. This dish really works. It’s just so darn tasty and comforting. Of course our cocktails were on par as was the signature crusty dinner bread.
For the first time since Jan. 2013, we felt excited again for this beloved jewel in the Knoxville restaurant scene. The staff are almost visibly bursting with pride and have remained constant as one of Bistro’s top assets through all the changes. Press on, Jeff Carter – we’re with you… and we’re hungry.

Exceptional dining experience. Five stars with a cherry on top.
My entire dining experience was very positive. Everything from calling to make reservations, service, the quality of the food and attention to details. As my friend said at the end of the meal– «Even their water is delicious».
We started off with 3 appetizers. Their appetizers are a little tricky to share because of the mostly deconstructed nature of their meal. One of them ended up being a soup (can’t remember what it was called) but they were all delicious. The beet salad was served with beets in three preparations. For someone who doesn’t really like cheese, I enjoyed the cheese from the cheese plate.
Greatest find of the night is that they have a special vegetarian and gluten free menu. We had started off looking at the regular menu and when it was time to order, I asked our waiter, Ted, if the chef could make a vegetarian dish. He quickly whipped out a complete vegetarian menu with veg appetizers, hot plates and main entrees. And I had the option of 5 – 6 vegetarian entrees. Greatest discovery ever.
Our main entrees were also fantastic. My two companions got the fish of the day while I went with the potato gnocchi. We had to get dessert. The soft chocolate comes highly recommended. It was yet another deconstructed dish but all the separate components blended well together.
Extensive wine menu with delicious specialty cocktails. Try the Pear Tree. Exceptional service from very professional employees. I saw Ted a few times in the background, watching from
afar and ensuring we didn’t need anything. Service was more than adequate and never intrusive. Some people complained about the service being slow but this is a place you take your time to eat. Relax, soak in the ambience, enjoy the food and the conversation.