Not Watson’s kitchen + Bar

Fun atmosphere and pleasant staff. We were passing through Knoxville on our way south and stopped here for dinner. The chicken and waffles are a must order, so tasty the breading on the chicken was heavenly. Owner stopped by and chatted with us for a bit. Would return next time we are in town!

Fine, but not impressive. Menu spoke to us, but results weren’t up to par. Not bad, just not great either. Atmosphere was good, will give a second try.

Pretty good. Wings were recommended by concierge at hotel and they were no disappointment. The only thing they lacked was piping hotness. Very good simple buffalo sauce, pretty crisp, good size, fresh/​juicy, but not all that hot temp wise. I’m assuming they’re cooked ahead, and fired again for 3 – 4 before getting sauced and plated. Which is fine, really, but I like the wings to come out hotttt!
Burger was pretty darn good. And if my only criticism would be that there was nothing all that inspiring about it, I would be forced to admit that the meat quality was noticeably above par. The flavor of the burger — standing completely independent of bun and fixings — was fresh, light (not a homogenized, flat, meat disk), and delicious.
Only disappointment was the onion rings, but I can’t pin the fault entirely on the chef. When they hit the table, I thought they were grease-​logged, but it seems the culprit was a very, very watery yet abundantly flavorful and fresh onion. Despite interfering with the batter’s crispness, and creating a pretty wet onion ring experience, a huge bite of these things was still yummy.
I’m going out on a limb to say this is one place where not everything on the menu is dressing up the cheap ingredients. Freshness and quality — even to the detriment of execution, and standard technique. Good experience overall.

Not Watson’s name is so odd I actually cringed a little when I saw their sign for the first time…
Anyways, we came here as a group of 10 for Marz’s bday and service was awesome. We had Sam and he kept waters refilled and somehow remembered all the random orders we were yelling out and got all the checks right on the first try!
Beers could’ve been colder :((but their Not So Old Fashioned was soOoO good! The mojitos were light and refreshing as well, not toooo sweet.
We shared a few appetizers. The fried pickles were my favorite. They’re spears rather than little slices! Which I fell in love w immediately.
I really don’t understand the concept of unripe tomatoes but everyone else said the fried green tomatoes were *amazing* as well.
I got the portabella sandwich and mac and cheese as my side. The melted Brie on the sandwich was sooo goood, but the bread was overwhelming for the size of the mushroom. /​:
The mac and cheese was bland… it looked like it was drowning in velveeta. Lolll. I also had some sweet potato fries, which were perfectly crispy and slightly salty.
There were dramatic high and low notes but overall it was a fun dinner. Nice environment for a group outing.

This wasn’t our first choice because when you open Unilocal Stock and Barrel seems to be dominating the dinner scene. So on a rainy night we all walked there and the place was too busy for 4 of us. So we walked to Not Watson’d Kitchen + Bar which wasn’t busy but welcoming for sure. The décor was clean and eclectic.
Our server took our order of drinks (Interesting cocktails!!) and gave us time to look at the menu. Our order of Fried Green tomatoes, Wings and Oysters came in pretty quickly.
Oysters were great and Fried Green tomatoes were hands down winner for me because of Pimento Cheese. the portion sizes were good so we only had room for one entrée between all of us. Chicken and waffle was the unanimous decision.
Well i stay away from mixing those two together but it was probably wise to try here because those along with bourbon infuse maple syrup were divine. Despite being really full we polished the whole thing off.
Apart from great food, Watson’s have good vibe, music and spot on service too.
I will definitely go back for more of that syrup and waffles and of course fried chicken.

Good dogs and burgers. Haven’t had anything else from here other than that, beer, and mojitos. Mojitos could be better.

They serve creekstone beef! The quality of the burger is phonomenal. I have tried the pretty hot burger and the Parisian. I am a big fan of Brie cheese so I thought the Parisian tasted great. I have heard from other friends the ribs taste good. Since I don’t eat pork I can’t really compare those ribs with beef ribs. Nonetheless I really need to try the ribs next time I go. As a side, get the sweet potato fries. They are perfectly fried and taste just right. I think this place is probably one of the best burger places in Knoxville.

We had just come from the homecoming game vs North Texas and were hungry. I suggested Stock & Barrel, but they already had a line out the door. I had never been to Not Watson’s and The Boy had expressed a burger Jones.
We were promptly seated and greeted by a server. She was of Hispanic origin, yet had no trouble with our local accentuation. She took our drink orders while we perused the menu. Shortly, two Diet Cokes and a Yazoo Sue appeared. We ordered:
–The fried pickle appetizer
–Young bride; Olé Smokey burger (w/​fries)
–The Boy; The Carpetbagger (w/​fries)
–Me; The Chili-​Cheese Dog (w/​fries)
We evaluate the meal thusly:
The fried pickles were good and the remoulade sauce was fresh, but there was not enough for the number of pickle spears in the order. They came out later than they should have (only about 5 minutes before the main course) but that was not a server issue, as they were piping hot.
My young bride’s burger — ordered medium well — actually medium. She said that the flavor and quality of the beef was quite good and the bun was very high quality.
The Boy’s burger — ordered medium — came out medium-​rare, so both were just slightly under-​cooked. He also gave the flavor and quality high marks.
My dog was monstrous and perfect. Just enough of each ingredient so that all I needed to add was mustard to my own taste.
The only real issue with the meal was the fries. They were — in our group opinion — greasy and limp. When picked up, they flopped over consistently. We all felt that they should have been double-​fried in the Bobby Flay style to make them crispier. Also, they should have been drained better to allow more of the cooking oil to disperse. A minor issue also, the Diet Coke was inadequately carbonated. That’s a mechanical problem that probably had not been discovered by the staff.
On the flip side, our service was exemplary. The server smiled every time she showed and was courteous and pleasant overall. I won’t refuse to go back, but it can wait, The next time I’ll try something that comes minus the fries, or try one of the other sides.

I’m strictly giving this place a 5 star review because I’m obsessed with cheesesteaks and they have a good one here with Amoroso Rolls. That is the key. I ordered mine with white american AND whiz because I like it extra cheesy. I will say that I found this place on Unilocal!to plan a stop on a road trip and this was on the way. I stopped on my way to Bristol and on my way back to Nashville, and the first steak was much better simply because it had plenty of steak. My second steak on the way back was a little skimpy.

Not Watson’s has a cool story, bro. You can read all about it on the back of your menu while you wait for your drinks.
Our waitress was nice. We were quickly seated on the patio because who would deny beautiful weather?
Side note: everyone we met thought it was hot but they’re not from Texas.
Again, looking for vegan options and not a salad, I settled on the Veggie Power Wrap. It ended up being vegetarian because of the wheat flour tortilla wrap. I left off the sour cream and cheese and they offered to double up on the pico de gallo. HECK YES!
I love pico de gallo, I really do but doubling up on it sacrificed the wheat tortilla so I was left with a spongy wrap. Regardless, it was delicious. It contained kale, pico de gallo, black beans, avocado and fresh herbs and it comes with a side of crispy french fries –that were frickin’ delicious!
Market Square offers several great food options, that being said Not Watson’s isn’t as memorable but I did enjoy my food.

This was an excellent place with great food and the waffles and chicken outstanding. They had a nice selection of bourbon and scotch and wonderful service. By the way it’s not Watsons because the owners mom was a fanatic for a department store called Watsons and the kids would go NOT Watsons when asked where they wanted to go.

I reserved for a table of 14 for dinner; they can only hold the table for 10 – 15 minutes. When we arrived, our table wasn’t ready and we had quite a wait time but it worked out perfectly because a group of us were running late.
I ordered the spicy black bean burger with tater tots and I tried some of my friend’s sweet potato fries. The burger was way better than it looks. The bun was warm and toasty and the patty was flavorful, consistent, moist and filling. The tater tots were amazingly crunchy and the portion was pleasing. The sweet potato fries were also making my tongue dance; it wasn’t too mushy, too crunchy or too salty.
Overall, not only did I enjoy the food, but everyone else here that night did. The staff was attentive to my party of 14 and the food came out in a timely manner. The server split the check for all of us, which I’m super grateful for because there were no complications with the math and with people only having credit cards. I highly recommend coming here if you have a large party craving for burgers or hot dogs.

I have visited Not Waton’s twice and both times had a great meal and service. First off, their appetizers all look amazing, so narrowing it down to one visit will be hard. My favorite would have to be their friend green tomatoes with pimento cheese on top OOHHHH MYYYY LAAWWDDD its sooo goooooddddd. Next up we have their deviled eggs, and yes hunty they good too. Their wedge salad would have to be my all time favorite, that included classic blue cheese but also balsamic on it !!! Genius and delicious! And if you are struggling with a side, do the asparagus, always do the asparagus– I don’t know what kind of witchcraft is involved in making these, but I want MOOOAARR. I have enjoyed their salmon, which was really good and also their amazing mix drinks, the kingsman being my favorite. They also have a great selection of craft beer and 21 different kinds on draft. I can’t wait to go back to try everything else on this menu!
Drink Specials:
Every Monday is half price bottles of wine all day
Every Tuesday is $ 3 pints
Every Wednesday is $ 4 House Martini’s
Every Thursday is $ 5 House mojitos (many flavors to choose from)

Wow. Definetly not a frozen hamburger patty. Amazing Marketplace Hamburger… it was cooked perfectly, juicy, not greasy.
The fries were crispy, very well cooked. Fresh potatoes not frozen.
The waitress was very friendly and helpful.
We was seated and greeted immediately after walking in.
Ordered the carrot cake for dessert… ohhhhh myyyyyyy… the plating was excellently done.
Taste great… very moist, not overly sweet. Carmel adds alittle extra sweetness but doesn’t overpower the taste. Fresh carrots… buttercream frosting. Really good. MUST try.
Highly recommended…
Will definetly be back!!!

Been here twice. First time we came we ordered The Parisian Burger, Mac and Cheese Burger and Philly Steak. Like other reviewers have pointed out the burger beef is completely bland and flavorless. No salt and pepper, no seasoning at all. We pointed this out to our waiter, he got the manager who said that was a problem they have been having for some reason. He was a nice guy and gave us free appetizer passes. We also ordered the Chcago Dog and Friend Green Tomatoes both were excellent.
Second visit we decided to use our free appetizer cards. The Nacho Libre and Fried Green Tomatoes came out and both are completely awesome. The Nachos are spicy but I liked it, and they tasted really good. The Fried Green Tomatoes here are notoriously good.
The problem on our second visit is that after the waiter took our coupon cards, and after our food came out, the waiter came when we were almost finished eating to say they would only honor one card! He said that it is clearly implied on the card itself. Nowhere on the card does it say one per visit. The closest it comes is where it reads: «Receive a free appetizer (up to $ 10).» It’s pretty obvious that means appetizers over $ 10 like the Fried Oysters are not covered with the coupon.
I submit that Not Watsons needs to update the writing on the card to say: «One free appetizer per visit.»
Maybe this happened because they put us all on one check and did not separate our checks like they should have. Again, this is a staff shortcoming.
They might also want to include the writing «One per table.» or «One coupon per check.»
Ultimately Not Watsons has some decent food options but they need constancy in the preparation (seasoning food), and training for the staff (we should of been notified about the one coupon policy before our food order was placed in the kitchen).

Ordered the chipotle pork loins. Sauce was good. Spicy and sweet. Well cooked. Asparagus was flame. Wanted to incorporate vegetables. But mac and cheese needs work so it doesn’t taste and look like cafeteria mac n cheese.

I had a delicious bacon Bloody Mary to go with my bacon burger. The waitress was a delight and the food was great. It was busy and felt fun but it wasn’t too noisy! That’s really all I have to say! Nothing went wrong, there was no aspect of the restaurant that turned me off, and my friend had a good meal too. It’s a clean jazzy looking place. We sat at a booth and it was cozy! That’s all! That’s all I got! And this picture!

My sister and I tried Not Watson’s for the first time this evening, and I must say, it’s pretty tasty. I had the fish and chips, which were some of the best I have had in Knoxville. The cod was perfectly breaded and cooked, and the fries were hand cut, which really amped up the dish.
There was live music in the Square tonight, and patrons seemed to be taking refuge from the drizzly weather inside restaurants. I assume this was part of why it was so busy, although since I’ve never been, it’s possible that this is common at Not Watson’s. Regardless of the crowd, we received great service.
All in all, Not Watson’s seems to really stack up to the competition in Market Square. Not an easy feat!

I didn’t know what to make out of Not Watson’s. I had heard the good and heard the bad. I decided that I needed to try this tator tot dishing place for myself.
I don’t know what I expected when I walked in, but the restaurant was really cool inside. The bar lines the left wall and booths on the right all the way back to the kitchen. We went on a Thursday night and found a lively crowd. Right off the bat, I got a sports bar vibe… but a cool sports bar. Lots of local memorabilia dawning the walls with local photos and loud music. Normally, I am not a fan of loud music in restaurants, but somehow it really works with the vibe… or maybe it was just the on point song selections.
We were seated promptly and our server grabbed our drink order right away. Our server was great! He talked me into their nightly drink special — a $ 5 mojito (which didn’t take much arm twisting) and gave us time with digest their hefty menu.
While making notes of about a dozen things I want to try on future visits (Yes, I was already committed to return trips), I ordered the ALL ORGANIC TURKEY BURGER NO.2. (BLEU CHEESE, BACON, CARAMELIZED ONIONS, LETTUCE, TOMATO & NOT SAUCE) It’s organic and turkey. That count’s as healthy, right?! As my sides, it felt like it would have been a crime to order anything other than the tots. While waiting for our food, our server brought us samples of the their latest beer, delivered with thorough knowledge of it’s origin. You did read that correctly. Our server brought us beer to try… for free. That’s what I’m saying. We had really great service!
Once our food arrived, I put any reservations about this place to rest. The tots were cooked to crispy perfection and my burger was the kind of mess you expect from a good burger. It was cooked perfectly and adorned with a healthy dose of bleu cheese and caramelized onions. I managed to make a healthy dent in my meal, but didn’t come close to finishing. The portion size will definitely not leave you hungry.
We had a great experience at Not Watson’s and I am eager for my next visit to cross some of the must eats off of my list. I hear a Chicago dog calling my name…

First off the only reason they don’t get a one star is how new they are. Came in after lunch crowd and the place looked like a bomb went off. Tables covered, uncleared after people left. About 5 minutes before we and others even saw a hostess. She came back smiling and sat someone out if order. Few minutes later we were told 30 minutes even though the place was half empty.
Not sure if it’s just disorganized or people issues. As I write this we asked our waitress. Looks like some people were out so managers running front with inexperienced help. So they may bounce back and I will give them another go in a few weeks
Food wise, the burgers are excellent here. Brats are also big on the menu. With the right help and leadership they should be better