Bistro At the Bijou

I guess 2 out of 5 isn’t bad? I don’t know. I mean, ugh. I was wishing and hoping and praying for a culinary miracle. But yeah, NO.
Let’s get to it:
Brunch is good. Love the cheesy grits. And the bacon is hardcore yum. I love that they have specials and something different every time.
The risotto with benton’s ham is absolutely disgusting. Offensive and revolting. The risotto in my dish was way undercooked and very starchy. And the glob of something, the meat I guess? was just 100% terrible. I wish I could describe what it tasted like but every time I put my fork to my mouth I grimaced with torture. I don’t know what gave off that terrible stench but I think something was dearly amiss with the meat. In a word: Pungent.
The grouper was fantastic. So delicious. Breaded just right and perfectly golden crisp. Beautiful color. Beautiful taste. I’m mightly impressed since this is the best fish I have had in town since… Well, ever. Literally — I cleared my plate it was so good.
The fried goat cheese is on track. The fig jam could use a little more moisture. This appetizer is plated just fine but I think it could use a zap of citrus or a punch of _​_​_​to round it out.
Hoppin’ John is meh. The collard greens are redeeming; they taste pretty good. But the rice is just meh and the black eyed peas are just meh and then you wonder .hmm…why did I order this dish? The pickled flavor is not something I’m feeling I guess.
Service is good. The bartenders work as quickly as possibly to accommodate super busy nights. There is often a wait if you don’t come early. The décor is so hip and cool and isn’t it awesome to dine in this historic downtown spot? I just wish I could stomach the food.
I just don’t know. It’s a gamble every time.

Great date place. The atmosphere is cool and the food is delicious. They have a seasonal menu that always has some decent vegan options on it.

I’ve never had the food, but I’ve been 3 or 4 times for drinks. Honestly, it’s probably my favorite place to go for cocktails in town, but sometimes it’s hard for me to get friends my age (26) to go because they feel like it’s for an older crowd. However, I think it’s great. I’ve always enjoyed my drink and there is usually at least some seating. The Jazz is generally good; however, sometimes it’s so loud that I can’t talk to the people in my group.

Nothing special. Knoxville has many great restaurants, check them out instead. The food was underwhelming, however this might be a good spot for a drink

The service started glacial (slow) and the coffee was cold, but they fixed it. Typically the food is great but the lacking service spoils the mood.
The hash is amazing and they had a special green chile chicken hash that was phenomenal. The chicken artichoke soup was great as well.

Moderately short wait time on a Sunday, friendly staff, good service.
That being said, the andouille sausage Benedict was ok. I thought the grits were a little too sticky and my biscuit was too hard, and I didn’t love that they poured hollandaise all over my fruit, but the important parts (the poached eggs, siracha hollandaise, and sausage) were good. The mimosa was nice too.
This place is a 3.5 for me simply because the food was good, but not great. And with all the places there are to eat downtown that offer GREAT food, I probably wouldn’t pick this place first.

Last went on a Sunday. Brunch is served all day. My food had been prepared hours beforehand and was ice cold. The service wasn’t great either. We were the only table in the place and couldn’t get refills.
I live downtown and have been here before; for a place that is further out of the way than its competition you’d expect more. There are better options nearby.

Great place.
Good food, great atmosphere (with live Jazz), and friendly staff.
The entire meal was enjoyable, from appetizer to desert.
Food and atmosphere make for a nice romantic spot.
Haven’t been for brunch yet but the menu looks amazing. Need to make that happen.

We have been to brunch several times over the years. Always can expect a good meal bever have been disappointed. Decent prices i never feel like i have overspent.

After hearing about how fantastic this place is I finally made it here. However, I was fairly disappointed. I ordered the buffalo chicken sandwich and my friend had the fish tacos. I realize that my sandwich was a healthier version as it was blackened instead of breaded and friend, but it was pretty bland. The hot sauce used was tasty but that is all you tasted.
My friend enjoyed her tacos but felt they were a little spicy. The listing didn’t mention spice anywhere so this took her by surprise.
The ambiance was nice for lunch and the service was fantastic. I will come back here to try their infamous brunch menu which will hopefully change my mind.

I splurged on a Bistro lunch today…
White bean soup — at the first spoonful I almost wished I’d have ordered a bowl instead!
Cornbread — uhh, sorry Granny but this was good!
Fried Okra — if only Momma could’ve made it this good!
Chopped Sirloin — hamburger steak never had it so good!
Wrap it all up with outstanding service by Heather and to say I’m impressed is an understatement.

I have both a gluten allergy and I’m vegetarian, which makes finding restaurants very difficult. And surprisingly difficult when I drove through Knoxville, you’d expect a larger city to have some options!
I found Bistro At the Bijou and was excited to see a menu online with clear to read gluten free and vegetarian options next to each item. The menus at the restaurant had them too so I felt safe and confident to eat there.
I told the waitress about my food allergy and thanked her and the staff for the easy to read menu options. I ordered the Black Eyed Pea Patties which were clearly listed as GF/​V next to the order for our appetizer.
I had been looking forward to them all day, and as she placed the plate down on the table she stopped me before I ate… the new chef had ‘changed’ the menu so there was a ‘bit’ of flour in them.
Yeah no, this is unacceptable. I’m glad she took the time to look into this for me before I took a bite, I had a 6 hour drive home and I would have been deathly ill for days. She apologized and gave them to us free, my husband ate them but I was stuck without a main dish.
She doubled my veggie platter amount, giving me nearly 3 cups of fried okra and a good bunch of green beans. Sadly the green beans were WAY over cooked and not very good. But the okra was fantastic! It’s battered in just corn meal, very tasty.
My husband had gotten the Succotash and it ended up being mostly my meal, and it was pretty good. It had great flavors and you could tell the veggies were very fresh.
When I first learned I had Celiac I wouldn’t speak up at restaurants in fear of being a bother. I would choose only places that had it written on menus or that I contacted ahead of time. Thank god I am not that way anymore because I would be sick as a dog right now.
CHANGE THE DISH OR CHANGE THE MENU! It’s unacceptable to lie about something being GF when it’s not. If you are GF and you found this review, make sure to ask about those black eyed pea patties before you eat there!

My meal here was excellent. It’s my new favorite restaurant in Knoxville. I came for breakfast and had the chicken fried steak with cheese grits and scrambled eggs. The tomato gravy that came on the steak was awesome. The eggs were also some of the best I’ve had. The cheese grits were pretty good but I wish I had gotten the brunch potatoes — I tried some of my girlfriends and they were great. Ask for the biscuits and homemade jam to start, those were great as well.
The atmosphere was cool; it’s very historic and probably hasn’t changed much since its opening in 1980. The service was great. The menu is seasonal and locally sourced. What’s not to love? I can’t wait to go back and try the lunch, or the the live jazz they have some nights.

On our way through Knoxville, the wife and I were looking for a place that was open a bit later on a Sunday and had vegan options and this place was rated well.
The wife had the vegan sweet potato mash and I had the buffalo chicken sandwich. The food was good and the service was great! Since it was a bit later on a Sunday it wasn’t very busy but it seems like it could be a place that’s probably hopping during weekends.

Fantastic restaurant whether you’re going for brunch or dinner. The red velvet mac and cheese is amazing and all the brunch options are solid. Great coffee.
They always have a good selection of specials too.

Every time I eat here I think to myself, «Why don’t I eat here more often?» Lunch time and happy hour can be a little crowded. Parking isn’t always ideal. Dinner lighting can be a little dark inside. Service can be a little slow (Other times it can be stellar). These are the only negative things that I can even think of to say about this place.
The crowd tends to be a little older… A little more professional and the menu adheres to it’s clientele. They change their menu seasonally, which I love, love, love. The menu is based on regionally sourced ingredients. Their daily chalkboard specials are creative and delicious! They provide many vegan and vegetarian options on their menu as well.
Not only is the Bistro a great place to go for lunch and dinner, it’s a gem for brunch! They have one of the most solid brunch menus in town. Their Grilled Andouille Sausage on Biscuits is ‘oh my’ good!
Stop by after work for a hand crafted cocktail at the bar and take in some live jazz. Or come in with your significant other for a quaint, romantic dinner.
What I’m trying to say is that whenever you come in and whatever you order, you’re going to leave happy… and with a full belly!

Finally had a chance to run by Bistro at the Bijou today for brunch.
Short version: It was amazing.
But, a one word review is helpful to no one.
By keeping a limited menu, Bistro is able to ensure the quality of each item and make them all great. In addition to the twelve items on the menu, there’s four specials on the blackboard by the bar. There’s traditional favorites, like Chicken Fried Steak and Three Eggs Any Style, but the rest of the menu is full of interesting combinations and great options.
We arrived at 11:30 and the place was pretty full. We decided to sit at the bar, rather than wait.
I got a Pimm’s Cup to drink, which was light and very well made.
To eat, we ordered a Vegetarian Eggs Benedict and Egg White Frittata. With the Benedict, I got the potatoes and with the Frittata, we got the grits.
The Frittata was good, but nothing special. The grits were about the same.
On the other hand, the Vegetarian Eggs Benedict actually came out as a Turkey Sausage Benedict. It looked so good that I didn’t care to let the waitress know it was wrong.
Honestly, it was one of the best I’ve ever had. I’m so glad I didn’t send it back. With a sriracha hollandaise topping, the meal was amazing. To make things even better, the potatoes were a godsend.
No joke. The potatoes were cheesy, cooked to perfection, and consumed in under a minute. I might just order potatoes next time.
As for service, the waitress did a great job. She had about sixteen folks sitting at the bar and was attentive to everyone.
Overall, had we gotten the frittata alone, I would have been very disappointed, but the eggs benedict made for a wonderful brunch.

This is my favorite spot on Knoxville.
The food is always spot on– not overly fussy or show-​offy, just solid fresh local food with a creative touch. I also love the dark cozy feel of the place. Whether I’m there for dinner or drinks at the bar.

Bistro is one of my favorite brunch spots. I love the bloody marys, not fancy or spicy. just a good drink. I usually get the chicken fried steak with brunch potatoes. The steak is perfectly fried and there is little risk of the breading completely falling off when you are trying to take a bite. They used to have normal gravy on it and now it is some tomato gravy which was actually pretty good. The brunch potatoes are fabulous featuring cheese! and green onion. They melt in your mouth. I have also tried the grits which aren’t bad, and I normally hate grits.
I prefer coming for brunch but I do not mind coming here for a drink and appetizer later. It’s a fun little place to get a drink before a show at the Bijou!

Butternut Squash Ravioli — Very smooth.
Hoppin’ John — Literally collard greens, rice and beans. I was hoping for a kick in flavor.
Blackeyed Pea Patty Burger — Deep fried fatty burger. Not what I want from a burger! Talk about heart attacks. I just tasted oil.