Nixon’s Deli

Great Deli on Kingston Pike.
The smokehouse potato salad is great, and the club sandwich is extremely tasty.

Want good local conversation and a toasty sub with more meat on it than twice as much as the next place? Go here.
Nixon’s knows exactly what it does and does it darn well. They make toasted sandwiches and don’t skimp on the toppings. They’ll pack your sandwich full and leave you wanting to take another one home for dinner. Their potato salad with bacon is heavy and filling, just what you want when you decide to order it.
Luckily it’s also right off the highway, too! I’d recommend stopping here if you’re nearby instead of some old chain any day.

This is like Subway on steroids. Our sandwiches were packed with meat and cheese and huge. Pickles and peppers were a nice add on. Not like a New York deli, but ok.

When I’m down, I go to Nixon’ s. I love their corned beef or pastrami steamed subs. Completed with a crunchy pickle. Perfect! Nothing quite like a Nixon ’ s sandwich to up your spirits. Usually, the restaurant is a little quiet though, so it’s a great thing to take to a nearby park or picnic bench.

I’m doing a general review on Nixon’s since they are kind of a local chain and consistant from location to location, I think I’ve hit most of them over the years.
They have about 7 locations left (one in Oak Ridge), there used to be a few more, not sure what happened there. The sandwiches come with pickle and pepper on the side if you’d like.
They have specials in the evening, and you can get a card to get a free sandwich after you buy so many. If you dine in they have free refills on your drinks. Most of them have a little arcade in the back where you might find some games you havn’t seen in 30 years and some even have air hockey. Gives the kids something to do (if they dont have a phone to play with) till your order is ready but that dont usually take very long to begin with.
I love about everything on the menu (with the exception of the cheesesteaks since I’m from the East Coast and well, for some reason nobody seems to get them right the further south you get), but the rest of the sandwiches are great as well as the wide assortment of deserts. If you dont tell them otherwise your sandwich WILL be steamed. While this is great for dining in, it’s not so good for lunch the next day unless you like your bread soggy and falling apart.
They might not have the widest assortment of toppings on the planet, but what they do have is good. 3 choices of bread. They make a mean reuben, and the smoked potato salad and pasta salad is killer. The chips are the standard small bags that about everybody sells. The soups (that I’ve tried so far) are really good as well, sometimes I’ll just get a small sandwich and soup (like on the rare occasions it gets cold here). If you like fries though, good luck, they ain’t got em.
While it’s possible for a couple to eat here for under 20 bucks, it’s not likely with all the goodness they offer, let alone the deserts you’ll see in the case as soon as you walk in.
If you’re in a hurry you can call your order in before you go and it’ll be waiting when you get there.
BTW, if you really think a place like Subway has fresh food, Nixon’s will make your taste buds explode.
Keep in mind some of the locations can get super busy certain times of the day (and week) so it’s nice to know what you want while you’re in line to keep it moving right along. Nobody will be rude or hurry you, but the people behind you in line (like you were likely to begin with) will love you if you hurry the process along. Later in the evening though, you’ll mostly have the place to yourself.

It’s good, but I tend to like the Subway on Northshore better, especially for healthy items. Subway is hit and miss, but I like this one.

My God I love this place. It’s an old school deli with an amazing selection of sandwiches. They have a ton of their own creations or you can build your own. There’s probably a million combinations you can make with a great selection of breads, meats, cheeses, and toppings. Once you’ve created your masterpiece, they pop it in a steamer which, in turn, will make your face melt with deliciousness! if you haven’t experienced Nixon’s, go there immediately. You’re missing one of the best sandwiches of your life.

I had almost forgot how much I enjoyed nixon’s! I love the fact they still steam the buns. After spending the past 5 years in cali, where they are definitely lacking in the deli department, its nice to know I can come home to a great sandwich. They offer military discounts as well so I really can’t complain!

I’d seen Nixon’s Deli locations all over Knoxville, but I hadn’t tried it until recently. Frankly, the place doesn’t look like much. It’s a pretty typical short-​order delicatessen, with a busy counter and people furiously making sandwiches in the kitchen. It’s definitely not an upscale joint. However, I was blown away by the food! They offer a choice of breads, pile their sandwiches with thinly-​sliced meats, loads of fresh veggies, and then steam the whole thing. My current favorite is a turkey on pumpernickel with provolone. It reminds me of Poor Richards hero from my hometown. Yum!