FLOW Brew Parlor

This is the best coffee shop in Knoxville. The espresso machine and operators are far superior to anyone around town. Food served here is also tasty. It is obvious that the team prided themselves in quality food and drinks. Craft beers move in and out of the taps, so there is always something good to try. Some older reviews complain about seating, but this has been fixed. Now, Flow is one of the best places to study. Music varies greatly from day to day, but it is always enjoyable. Overall, great place to spend your morning, afternoon, or evening.

Okay, but not my cup of «coffee». The gentleman behind the counter was friendly and provided quick service, the coffee was decent, but the atmosphere was definitely in particular taste. The furniture was uncomfortable, mismatched, and in my opinion, would not be good for long term (1 hour +) working or studying. The music seemed to be the personal choice of the owner/​manager, and was distracting/​loud for what I consider a work/​study environment. They were also out of dairy free milk alternatives (soy or almond).
Overall, FLOW provides a decent cup of coffee, but I would not use their shop for study or work in the future. Definitely drop by for a cup to go.

I do not live near FLOW Brew Parlor but purchased a 50.00 gift certificate for a family member who lives in the area. I spoke with Brad the day I called to make the purchase. He was very polite, helped me with my request and took my credit card information. The money was taken out of my bank account. Unfortunately, I have never received the gift card and every time I call the number to speak with Brad, the call goes to voice mail and the mailbox is FULL. I tried to find the FLOW Brew Parlor on Facebook, but the page has been removed!!! I have made purchases like this many, many times and never had a problem. If anyone ever is in this Brew Parlor, please ask for Brad and tell his he has a bad review on Unilocal!!!

Their coffee is the best in the world but also counterculture and sustainable. Did I say the Batista is a truly nice guy that knows and loves his coffee and tells you about the procedence, methods of cultivating and brewing. Also if you like Art Deco you will have «an experience» here. Truly this place is a feast for all the senses.

Flow is so good it inspired me to write my first Unilocal review. I stumbled on this wonderful coffee shop this afternoon. The coffee is fantastic, staff is friendly, music is good, and the atmosphere is the most relaxing I have seen in a very long time. Knoxville is my hometown but I live 4 hours away now. Pity. I’ll have to add a trip here to my family visit itinerary.

Spent most of my day at this coffee shop today. It was a great experience much thanks to good coffee, good wifi, and good space.
The space seemed intimidating in Unilocal photos but it was really a lot smaller and cozier. Big pluses were accessible power outlets and decent wifi. Seating was okay comfortable. The staff was friendly and passionate about their coffee and beer.
I started the day with a cup of drip coffee. I was told that it was naturally dried so it had all kinds of notes. Tasted great. Later I had a café cubano and it was deeelicious. I didn’t feel like plunking down for a pour over today but next time, maybe.
P. S. Really easy to find street parking on a non-​game day.

This place is very relaxed and chill. The cappuccino I got was so smooth and clean. Quality coffee (counter culture) and no acidic taste left in your mouth. Definitely the best coffee I’ve had in Knoxville. Missing a star because the physical comfort of the place/​seats isn’t as good as it can be and the owner could be a little more inviting. Regardless, awesome place!

Great coffee bar. Modern metro shop if u like city atmosphere. Not a college type hang out.

I’m bummed that they’ve dropped a star in my book. First things first — their cool concept aside, this is a coffee spot in what is essentially Knoxville’s business district. I am assuming a lot of their foot traffic consists of people working and living downtown. People who would like to stop in before business hours. That said, it is not uncommon to go in around 8:00 a.m. and find zero baked goods or maybe the coffee isn’t made. This makes it difficult for me to make the decision to stop there when I’m wanting a treat before heading into the office. Do I risk it and spend my 15 minutes in Flow waiting for a coffee and leaving without breakfast (which is advertised clearly as an offering on the sign prominently displayed outside the door on the corner of Main St.), or do I pick a safer option at one of the other numerous downtown coffee spots?
I appreciate what they’re going for but I need some consistency. This morning my drink was wrong when I got it but I didn’t have time to wait for another one. I had hoped for a snack but the bakery display was empty. It looked like there was some kind of scone in a box, and I heard another patron ask about tamales but they weren’t prepared (or so I deduced). I’m sure it’s a cozy spot when the goodies are on display and the sweet aroma of coffee is wafting in the air, but from a coffee shop advertising breakfast, I need that at 8:15, not mid-​morning when I am chained to the desk. (joking sort-​of).

Oh Flow… I wanted to like you so much, but you just keep giving me reasons to not. There are still so many kinks to work out in the operations. 1) Frequently, you run out of pastries. When I make a special trip to get a mid-​afternoon snack, you sometimes have no food. 2) Sometimes, there is no one there and patrons have to wait a significant amount of time for service. 3) The tables/​chairs/​benches inside are so uncomfortable that it does not inspire me to sit and linger (and spend more money while I linger). 4) You don’t maintain consisent hours of operation. If youf facebook and Google profile say that you’re open, be open. Post your hours and stick to them. If people go to your shop and you aren’t open when you’re supposed to me open, it’s very frustrating. Frustrating your patrons who live and work in the area is not a good strategy.
In short: Flow, please get it together.
Love, A Concerned Patron.

I am so happy to find this place. Small, but great beer selection, plus coffee.
But the location is easy to get to, wi-​fi is strong and the vibe is great. Nice staff, nice place. I will always return here when I am in town.
Places like this are hard to come by when you are on the road. I got work done, service was perfect… Nice job

My new favorite coffee shop in Knoxville «FLOW». I think the most attractive feature about this space aside from the IDIDO blend of coffee, OMG, it’s the best in town, is the awesome, tall windows. While enjoying an awesome cup of coffee on the inside you get to see a side of Knoxvilles downtown that you don’t get to see on market square. Friendly service, awesome coffee, posh space that is very attractive for those who love the feel a coffee shops.

An excellent little coffee place! I went mid-​afternoon and it was pretty slow but the guy at the counter has customer service down pat! He was patient and attentive.
This place is SUPER clean and the décor is nice. You don’t feel rushed like in some other coffee shops.
The drinks are fantastic! I had a chai latte that was perfect in every way! It wasn’t too sweet and it was the perfect temp to drink!

Excellently made lattes with a very fine if not also very select choose of craft beer. Highly recommend over other Knoxville coffee shops as the atmosphere is so much more mellow.
Seating needs to be expanded and more comfortable but the selection and expertise of the barista is worth a stop here over the rest.

Great, bright, sunlit atmosphere with a contemporary feel. Coffee and beer together is a great concept. The seating is unique, but difficult for laptop use. Ask the owner and he will bring you a box for your desk. Limited food menu, but the chili is very good. The addition of wine would be excellent, but the size of the place limits the seating capacity required for wine service. Would love to see sidewalk seating too.

Great little coffee shop downtown!
I’m not a big «coffee» guy, but they have mochas and lattes that are sweet and delicious. Jon took good care of us and recommended the Nutella pastry, which was really good. Great little find in downtown Knoxville!

Outstanding! Stopped here for a coffee this morning for the first time and when I took my first sip I thought that I was back in the Pacific Northwest. These folks at Flow know how to make coffee!
The store is open and clean. The staff was welcoming and I highly recommend you skip the Starbucks and give Flow a try. It is well worth it!

I stopped by tonight and got a well made, very affordable, delicious cup of hot chocolate. One that makes me yearn for more and I know I will satisfy that craving soon
It was overall a great experience. The staff was nice. I could recognize the amazing pastries from OCJ. I was delighted to see they have the only kind of beer I ever drink (Lambic!!!) and the chairs looked super comfortable. I think their location is perfect. In a complex with tons of residents and around many commercial buildings. I am rooting for them to do exceptionally well.
Downtown now has three amazing coffee shops (not counting Café 4, coffee&chocolate and PKL). I look forward to spending some time on a comfy chair at Flow and enjoying more of that yummy hot chocolate.

nice place to escape the typical coffee scene. wait a minute, is there really a «typical» coffee scene here? no, unless you consider SBucks to be one.
the vibe: new rustic modern eclectic flair or whatever you call it with Art on the wall
1 cappuccino dry + 1 americano light water + $ 1tip = $ 8.54 + $ 0.75 meter parking = success first visit
there are small sweet bites available, beer, and good company. I would love to see this place grow further as today is probably their 3^rd day opening.

I think to be fair, Flow has only been open for a few days and is still working out some kinks. When we went in tonight, they were working like mad scientists in what we deemed «the lab» (a tv tray table covered with a hot burner and some condiments), to perfect their pour over coffee. The gentleman before me snatched it up before I could try it. Bugger!
First the space! The location is not ideal, but there is plenty of metered street parking and a parking garage near by. The interior is cool. Lots of white and unstained wood. Comfy places to sit, either by yourself or in a large group. For now it provides a quiet atmosphere that would afford a great place to set up with your laptop to knock out a couple of hours of work.
The staff seems a bit new (understandably so). The barista had to pour multiple shots for my latte, trying to adjust for the right grind. I appreciate that he knew what he was looking for and wasn’t willing to serve me subpar espresso. That being said the latte and hot chocolate that we ordered were delicious! They server Counter Culture so it’s hard to go wrong! The milk was steamed to velvety perfection and to just the right temperature.
Flow also has a small selection of brews to choose from. Aside from PKL, I think this is the only coffee shop in town to serve any alcohol. That’s always a plus.
Another thing that will keep me coming back to Flow is their partnership with Savory and Sweet. S&S is providing them with soups and some small food items. They said that they are hoping that it will develop into a more established menu, but for now they are feeling out the demand. They also have a small selections of cookies and muffins at the counter that looked heavenly. Had we not just eaten lunch, I would have devoured… tasted…a cookie. For research, of course!
I will certainly find myself back here. It’s good coffee… duh! But I do hope that my next trip will be a little more polished.