OliBea

Mmmm the chicken biscuit and gravy is amazing! The chicken has a perfect crunch to it and the gravy is the best gravy I’ve ever had. Ever.

This was the best omelet of my life. Vibes. Soul. Real food and a lack of pretense. I love the funky, relaxed atmosphere. Get your potatoes smashed and start the day off right.

I love breakfast and I love this place. Often opt for the plate, but haven’t ever had anything I didn’t like. The orange juice is fresh and the coffee is strong and hot. Great place for out of town guests as most anyone can find something they like and the portions are filling.
Wait staff can be hit or miss on attentiveness, and if you want anything to go on your biscuit you have to ask for it (unlike Tupelo which comes with honey and jam). Can have a bit of a wait on weekends as the space is small, so plan accordingly.

I am glad we were so picky about our last meal in Knoxville during our 2 days here. We read reviews and picked this one out. The place looked popular since it was swarmed even on a weekday.
I loved the minimal décor and small but everything you want for breakfast menu.
We ordered tomato and spinach omelette which was their day special, scrambled eggs with spicy sausage and fried eggs with skillet potatoes. Everything comes with biscuits which were pillow soft and deliciously buttery they could fly your skirt up.
I loved the spicy sausage and skillet potatoes were one of the best i have ever had.
The only downer was slow service but I don’t mind that for good food. I know a lot of yo util agree with me on this.
So don’t miss it if you are in Knoxville.

We had a fantastic Sunday brunch! Service was on point and very kid friendly with blocks for your child to bring to the table to play. All the food was delicious! They have a small menu but every item is perfect. Highly recommend this lil gem!

Finally got to the Old City early enough and hungry enough to eat here! I was not disappointed. Staff is very friendly and personable, and my chicken biscuit was divine. The fried chicken was moist and crispy, and it was served atop a buttery pillow of a biscuit. Price points are really low for the quality of food, but I AM FINE with that! Will have to come back ASAP to try their other tasties.
Only «complaints»:
1. If I had my way, I’d have way more Chow Chow.
2. I usually like alcohol with my brunches. :P

Such a great place! Headed here for brunch with a friend on a Saturday. There was about a 20 minute wait, so we gave our name and phone number to the staff and wandered around the area. They called us pretty quickly, and we headed back in to be seated. The place is small but cute, and in addition to tables, they also have a small bar area you can sit at. Their menu is on the small side (see pictures), but everything sounds delicious. I ended up getting the Tennessee Benedict ($ 12), which had biscuits, local ham, poached eggs, smashed potatoes, and hollandaise sauce. I also ordered a latte ($ 4), and had two of those during the meal. Everything was delicious, our waitress was friendly, and we left feeling happy and full. There was a longer line by the time we left, so it might be worth coming earlier in the day. I would definitely come back here for brunch the next time I’m in Knoxville!

I’m not quite sure how it is that I’ve never written a review for this place. It is hands-​down one of my favorites. If anyone ever asks where they can get the best brunch in town, my response is always OliBea. Whenever out-​of-​towners come to visit Olibea is the one spot that we can’t miss.
It truly never disappoints. It’s like foodie heaven once you walk through the doors. Seriously, they squeeze their own orange juice, their coffee is strong, and they serve fresh made horchata. I have your attention now, don’t I?!
They have a regular menu that one can never get bored with, and just in case you think you might, they have specials that change on a regular basis. Whichever menu your order from, you may want to get some suspenders for your socks because they will be blown off. You can eat well whatever your price point is. I rarely stray from the $ 8 chicken biscuit. It’s the epitome of ‘southern’ to me.
I’m pleased that they are also now open for Sunday brunch. It gets pretty packed in here on the weekends so if you can sneak in for breakfast through the week, that’s the time to treat yourself!

I have tried OliBea twice now and had high hopes for a better experience. The atmosphere was what drew me in and I loved the bright colors surrounding me. The food is average and nothing stood out to me that I was dying to try.
My second visit was disappointing. I took a friend who was visiting from out of town and wanted to show off Knoxville. Unfortunately, the service was incredibly slow and the food was nothing to rave about.
I think there is a lot of potential here and some kinks need to be worked out. I will try again in the future and hope to write a better review!

We had an exceptionally hardy brunch at OliBea’s today. We found free parking right out front, and were greeted and seated by the friendly wait staff as soon as we walked in the door. There was a fine selection of locally sourced menu options. I had the eggs benedict, and it was excellent with a perfectly poached egg, a generous portion of smoky ham, atop a perfectly cooked biscuit, and a sprinkle of fresh green onion. To my delight, my dish was accompanied by a side of delicious crispy, browned, smashed potatoes, and I got to wash it all down with a large glass of fresh squeezed orange juice. My husband scarfed down his plate only to look up and exclaim, «This is the best bacon I have ever had.» Hats off the the chef and creator of OliBea, and thank you for coming to the Old City!

Good for breakfast or brunch.
Upon arriving in The Old City about three hours before kickoff I was about to park at a paid car park, but after seeing the game day rate of $ 10, I left. There is free public parking on Willow Ave., next to the recycling centre, under the highway. Vehicles were also parked on the street. From there, it was a brief walk to OliBea.
I entered OliBea and was seated at the counter. I did experience any service issues.
I ordered a cup of coffee (black). I’m not sure of its origin, etc… no complaints about the coffee.
After a few minutes of pursuing the menu, I ordered a OliBea Plate. It offers a choice of traditional breakfast items. I selected the duck eggs (scrambled), OliBea biscuit, squared potatoes and sage sausage.
This was the first experience eating duck egg. It was good. And so were the potatoes and biscuit.
One exception is that I’m used to having sausage cooked without pink on the inside. I ate it, but it was not my favourite. If I come again, I’ll choose another protein.

Went here for lunch with my husband last week and we were so impressed! Service was on point and the food was outstanding, my husband had a breakfast burrito which he loved and I had one of the specials, it was the cheesy/​jalapeño grits with brisket, a little spinach and brussel sprouts, then an egg on top, really good! I subtracted one star because they charged us a dollar or so to top off my husbands coffee (if I could do half a star I would). We’ll definitely be back!

Great place for breakfast and espresso. Really cool small space with great, friendly staff and creative dining options. Had the chickpea panisse and it was delicious. Basically ground chickpea patties with a fried egg on the top. Great flavors. Healthy and delicious!

I recently went to OliBea for the first time (on a Sunday morning), and it surely won’t be the last.
The atmosphere was very bright, sunny, cozy, comfortable and friendly. The space itself is great. The staff was fantastic, too. I was debating between two menu choices. Our server recommended that I choose the grilled cheese with mushrooms, and she was spot on. It was the best I’ve ever had. And, at $ 6, the value was unbeatable for the food quality. That same grilled cheese anywhere else probably would have cost more like $ 12.
I loved my first experience and will be back ASAP! Well done, OliBea staff!

Mmmmm… So delicious.
A place that has so much character. Nothing stands out. You just know it when you walk inside. It’s farm to table. Everything is fresh. The environment is refreshing.
It gets busy so expect to wait. Plan your day for it. Stop in. Provide your name and phone number and head out for a coffee around the corner. When your phone rings and it’s time to eat order the chickpea panisse. The duck egg even tastes like duck. You’ll eat so fast that you’ll wonder why you waited 30 minutes just to scarf down your meal in 10. And for that you’ll thank me for visiting this spot.
And if you’re on of those folks that likes orange juice, this place squeezes all of theirs. None of that boxed shit. Straight up oranges squeezed one by one by the peasant who draws the short straw.

I want to love this place so bad, however my experiences have been mediocre. I’m giving them a 3 because I need to go back other than on a Sunday since I haven’t seen the owner in here once on a Sunday. At least that’s why I’m assuming I’ve not had great experiences.
So, this place is a small, cute, perfect little breakfast spot in looks. I love the décor, it’s very modern country. The specials are written on oversized parchment paper, right beside the cash register.
If you wander in here past 11:00 expect to wait, as it is very small and there is not a lot of seating. The worst seats in the house are at the window, where the bar seats are located. I call this the worst seat because if it’s in the summer and you sit at that window I swear your face will be dripping and the back of your knees will be wet (my boyfriends face was dripping, and the back of my knees were sweaty). Gross.
Now for the food. I went last week and had the OliBea plate. It was good but not great. My biscuit was very crumbly and the eggs were overcooked, and were supposed to be over easy, however they turned out over medium+. My boyfriend had the chicken biscuit and said it was okay. However it looked a little better than just okay. So today we went back again. I got the OliBea plate again, he got the chicken biscuit again. He says the chicken biscuit was the same as last week, nothing to brag about. Now here’s where it went bad instead I got scrambled eggs, tried the sourdough bread, also tried the sausage. As soon as I had gotten about 3 bites into my breakfast I notice a hair standing up, so I pull it out. I decided to try and eat around it. My kid self would have pitched a fit. So I compose myself and continue to eat, trying the sausage in which it was completely pink throughout. Now, call me a weirdo if ya want but I don’t like ground sausage being pink. Pork chop pink, bring it, ground sausage pink, can’t do it. As I continue to pick around my plate, I think I see something else, my oh s*$t face is on. Sure enough I pull out another hair. This time in a different area from the first located hair. WTF?! I was sooo done after that. I understand hairs happen, but twice on the same plate?
I’m not a complainer and I never complain at a restaurant so this is my outlet. I’m not looking for freebies and don’t like to be persuaded that way. So Unilocal,my experience sucked for now. Until I am bold enough to go back which will probably take some time considering my hairy experience. I hope your experience is a better one than mine.
The idea of this place is awesome. I hope they can redeem themselves with me one day. The only thing I forgot to mention, is the fresh squeezed orange juice. It is delicious! Cheers & Enjoy!

Till now I’d only visited the shops and cafes of Old City Knoxville, but I’m very happy that my friend suggested this place for brunch!
We saw upon entering that OliBea was a little small; however, we found a few extra seats and tables in the adjoining room near the window looking out on Old City. I loved the look of this room as the art upon the walls was especially cool, including one of a Transformer guarding over us I presume. Plus with the glass window we had the chance to enjoy the scenery and life of Old City while still beating the summer heat.
Now for the food itself though! My friend and I had quite the trouble deciding what to order as it all looked so good, especially when we saw plates brought out for our dining room neighbors. Even as I thought I knew what I wanted, a make my own breakfast meal, the waitress listed off the specials and changed my mind so I went for the torta. (Basically if you say torta and avocados I’m sold!)
I wasn’t sure what was in the torta itself, but when it came out it appeared to be braised pork which itself was quite delicious! Everything though from the bread all around, to the egg on top, to the avocado that perfectly spread across the bottom, was superb. My only warnings might be 1) you can pick this up for maybe 1 bite but it’s a bit soggy so fork and knife become a must and 2) this torta is quite large! I was ravenously hungry that day I guess, so I consumed it all, but you may not want to do likewise.
Even though this was my first time here I would certainly recommend OliBea! Just writing this review has me drooling on my keyboard and thinking about the next time eating there.

Oh, oh, oh. I am SO glad we stumbled on this place.
It’s a nook, hidden away in historic downtown, and it doesn’t have a lot of room. HEAR ME, MORTALS. IT IS WORTH THE WAIT.
The food is all from local farms, and it shows. I ended up ordering scrambled eggs on the fly because of how gorgeously yellow they were — a sign of healthy hens.
I had the special: lemon buttermilk pancakes. Wowie zowie. Sweet, light, cooked just right with crispy edges and soft centers.
Husband had the Tennessee Benedict, which… I can’t even describe how good it was. The photos should speak for themselves.
Even the OJ was fresh-​squeezed and wonderful.
This is a definite favorite breakfast place (or would be if I lived in Knoxville). You won’t regret a visit.

Everyone I know has had a knockout experience at OliBea, but mine was sub par. I’ll start with what was good, and that’s the food. I had a greatly prepared tostada with a green sauce that was just the right touch of spice. It was tasty, but sadly the customer service ruined it for me.
To be fair I’m not a huge fan of counter ordering systems, and the tight space in this place makes it frustrating. I went around 11:30, so the crowd was coming in. There’re specials on the back wall, but they are easy to miss through the crowd. I only noticed after I ordered and paid. I sat for a while and noticed the group that came in after me got their food. I had to seek an attendant to let her know that my food had yet to arrive. After following up she commented that the order had been lost. After several follow-​ups to recount various portions of my order my food arrived. They were apologetic, but I guess I expected more.
I’d definitely eat there again, but I don’t think the service matches the quality of the food. In a place so small, that’s something to consider if you are planning to go at peak hours.

I wholeheartedly recommend Olibea. It has that warm, neighborly, feeling that hits you right when you walk in the door. The waitstaff are nice and accommodating, and the food is marvelous and always farm-​to-​table fresh. They’re doing an awesome job here.
Couple things: it’s not a huge place, so get there early or be prepared to wait a few minutes. As quarters are tight, it’s not a set-​up-​camp sort of spot. Come in, enjoy the ambiance and vibe, savor your delicious breakfast, and then head out. Also, I can’t remember the hours, but I remember them being atypical. Keep an eye on that.