Sapphire

I hadn’t been to Sapphire in about a year and decided to check it out again recently. Overall, there have been some good changes and I hope more people will visit.
I noticed that they have a much more simplified food and drink menu. I miss some of my old time favorite drinks (like the Pimm’s cup) but the current drink offerings were equally satisfying. Their food menu consists mostly of small plates and a few burgers. They also have an entrée special (usually three meals) to choose from. I LOVE the fried chicken dish. It is so good that I haven’t been able to try something else. Pretty darn delicious. My only gripe is that it is a small plate, meaning not a lot of food and a little bit pricy for the amount of food you get ($ 14).
They now have a host stand at the door although there hasn’t been anybody standing there the last three times I’ve visited. You still have to make your way over to the bar to get someone’s attention. The staff has been generally friendly and helpful. My food has also been delivered within reasonable waiting times and like I inferred, I have been very happy with the quality of the food.
I still get really confused when the restaurant next door has a gizzillion people eating there and Sapphire is empty. The quality of the food and drink (minus beer) is far more superior at Sapphire. I recommend that more people give Sapphire a try. I don’t think you would be disappointed.

Sunday at 6 pm, me and two friends take a seat for dinner. There were maybe 10 people total in the restaurant. Our waitress took our order and I ordered a glass of Garnacha off the menu. The waitress left to put in our drink order but then came back to tell me that the bartender informed her that they don’t serve Garnacha. I pointed it out on the menu and she then went and retrieved the glass of Garnacha. This was my first clue that something was off.
The two ladies I was with chose to order the steak to split and specifically requested two plates. The waitress, who was very pleasant, assured us that wouldn’t be a problem and I ordered the Three Little Pigs (three tacos). We wait at least 45 minutes — at this point our water is gone as is our wine and our patience. The waitress finally comes over and asks how we’re doing and I told her we were hungry and getting edgy. She walks away after apologizing as the dining room is starting to fill up around us.
Another 15 – 20 minutes goes by and I see the meal that I ordered being placed on a table of people that were seated after I ordered AND our glasses are STILL empty. The waitress returns and offers drinks and I point out the absurdity of the situation as I see the plates being removed from the table that just enjoyed my Three Little Pigs!
Our meal takes at least another 15 minutes to come out and when it finally does, my Three Little Pigs are cold — apparently their house had been blown right on down! I didn’t even bother mentioning that as I didn’t care to wait any longer but what I did need were utensils to eat my meal with and a napkin to wipe my dirty little fingers — that too took forever to get from our waitress. I just wanted to walk out and if I would have had cash to throw on the table, I would have.
After we finished the meal, we waited another 15 minutes for our table to be cleaned by random staff as they passed by on their way to the kitchen. Our server finally reappeared and asked if we were done. I calmly as possible said, «I am so beyond done and would like your manager to bring me my check.» A few minutes later, a manager came to the table and offered an apology and to comp our meal. I insisted that she charge us for something so that I could tip the waitress — I work in the service industry and understand that it’s not entirely her fault and that she depends on tips as part of her income. She agreed to only charge us for our drinks, which seemed acceptable to me. Our bill was still $ 74, just for two rounds of wine and the whole experience took nearly two hours.
This wasn’t the first time I’ve had this kind of experience here but it will certainly be my last! I have gotten lost and forgotten there too many times and the staff seem to simply not care, as if my presence is a bother to them. For the prices Sapphire charges, I expect quality service.
A tip for the bartenders, a smile and willingness to serve will make you much more money than exposing yourself ever will. If I wanted a Hooters experience, I would have gone to Hooters, but I never want a Hooters experience. What I want, and have no problem paying for, is a good meal and drinks served by a staff that cares.
I don’t need another apology, just make changes to your level of service.

My absolute «go to» bar! I love this place! Signature drinks are amazing; excellent food and the bartenders are very friendly and provide great service! Best in Knoxville by far!

Service slow –considering only 3 other customers — took 1 hour to get out appetizers our– not that we were in a hurry but would have enjoyed them more if they came out in a reasonable amount of time–

Drinks were good. Had a good time. Enjoying myself here tonight. Will come back. Margaritas were good!

The specialty martinis are very good and the appetizers are unique and excellent but the service was so bad we left to get dinner somewhere else. The bartender was serving tables and it didn’t work at all. Also regular martini was not good at all.

Went to Sapphire again with a group. Still mostly empty at dinner time. It’s mainly a late night bar. The burger is still good and this time it came with fries which were also pretty good.
Unfortunately the service is glacier slow. Long long wait for food. The cook must have fallen asleep.

If I could give this place zero stars, I would. Came here with a group of my girlfriends and our waitress was terrible. She had a nasty attitude, took forever to take our order (even though the bar was EMPTY) and was sitting at the bar talking to guys — I had to go up to her to ask for our bill. We were so excited to come here because it seems like a cool place but the service was absolute crap. I’ll never come back.

Sapphire has a great happy hour and definitely holds its own downtown! If I’m looking for a small bite, the Boursin stuffed mushroom are a go-​to (and there’s enough for two).
I’m a martini lover, and Sapphire makes the best! Yum.
This is a great place to kill time before a movie or a show, but it’s rarely a destination. On week days, it’s pretty bare, which can be awkward… and on weekends, it’s absolutely jam packed, which makes it difficult to receive good service.

Sapphire has come a long way over the years. First, let me say there is still a distinctly different vibe from Happy Hour /​Dinner and then the late-​night crowd. I am personally not into the dj’ing and loud after-​hours atmosphere, but I think this is a true gem for Happy Hour and Dinner and encourage you to check it out if you think of this place as ONLY a loud, swanky dive. Their food is truly delicious — the Hope Brother plate alone is the perfect thing to share and graze over while you have cocktails. They have a good variety of snacks, small plates, and entrees. My favorite food items are: stuffed dates, pulled pork nachos, the burger, the almond chicken, and the chips with truffle oil. Currently, to my knowledge, they have stopped doing Sunday brunch. While the bar at Sapphire has always been extensive, recently they seem to have upped their cocktail game and there are some beautifully crafted drinks on the menu.
My one lingering disappointment here is, and has been for several years, the service. It can be pretty good, but often, it leaves much to be desired. You will wait for a very long time to get a drink more often than not. You will sit at your table, and look at a gaggle of servers hanging out by the bar talking and not tending to the patrons. It isn’t ALWAYS this way and there have been some very sweet and attentive servers in my experience, but too often you just wait and wait and wait. Also, despite the delicious cocktails, they can vary based on who makes them. I had 2 old fashioned’s for Happy Hour last month and the two drinks looked and tasted completely different. I respect the well-​curated cocktail menu, but I think everyone should be on the same page about executing the drinks. Over all, I do love this place and it’s worth sifting through the issues to enjoy the food and drinks. Happy hour specials are A+ by the way.

Always accommodating and I can be unintentionally particular about things at times. Bartenders I have experienced are knowledgeable and experienced so when not seeing anything on the drink menu I am in the mood for, I can tell them what I am in the mood for and they will custom make a delicious cocktail. The food get the job done, their delicious, signature cheeseburger is now being served for $ 5 on Thursdays. Great people watching when sitting on the patio! Anytime we are our roaming around downtown we make it a point to stop in and enjoy a cocktail and the great atmosphere.

I great place to go for some good drinks. They have a pretty good selection and the building and atmosphere is top notch for Knoxville.

Great people!
We just moved here from Seattle, no connections, and popped in here based on Unilocal reviews. Glad we did! Great food, amazing staff and fun patrons. We will be back

We had a wonderful time here. Service was great, the beer was very cold, and it was clean. Sitting out front was great for people watching. Knoxville is awesome!

We had the steakhouse and veggie burgers. I understand the prices and quality and it seems to me that everything is made in house, even the bun.
The steakhouse patty needed some salt or seasoning and the silver skin needs to be trim before grounding it into the patty. Other that it was good.
The veggie patty was gooey and need some texture, perhaps adding some mushroom to it.

Gay Street is the hip place to hang out in Knoxville these days and Sapphire is firmly in the center of it all. It’s conveniently located near The Tennessee Theatre, the Regal Riviera Stadium movie theater, Market Square and the Bijou, so you can grab dinner before a show or event or a drink afterward.
I love the concept of preserving the old jewelry store cases and cabinetry and playing off the theme so much that they offer a martini with real sapphires in it — by far the most expensive cocktail I’ve ever seen on a menu.
I’ve always enjoyed meeting with friends there for drinks. The cocktails are intriguing and delicious.
Though I’ve never had dinner there, I’ve tried several of their appetizers. The Tennessee Fruit and Cheese Plate and the hummus are great accompaniments to the cocktails.
The service is on the slow side, but I’ve never been in a hurry when I’ve visited. Maybe the servers sensed that and wanted to minimize the disruptions. It will always be my rendezvous spot downtown.

I went here with a bachelorette party. The cocktail drinks and anything the bartender makes up are fantastic.
so the pros:
Amazing cocktail drinks
Solid beer selection
Decent vibe
Cons:
Service was a little slow (8 people, but only 4 ordered drinks)
No soap in the bathroom
The music was straight out of an elevator. Doesn’t need to be crazy club music, but I’d rather not be put to sleep. It was a good volume though.
There doesn’t appear to be much of a night life anywhere in town on a Thursdays, so if you find yourself out on the town this is pretty much THE ONLY place I would suggest going.

I don’t know what I was thinking, but I came to Sapphire for Sunday brunch. There weren’t many people there, but it still took over 40 minutes to cook 2 sunny side up eggs & breakfast potatoes. When I got them, they were cold. Waffle House is better.
The atmosphere is kinda creepy too.

Tries a little too hard.
Drinks overpriced.
Food bland.
Atmosphere lacking.
The DJ was saving grace that pushes the review to two stars.

20 somethings and 30 somethings should really give Sapphire a try. Sapphire is located in the middle of downtown and has a cool, swanky feel. You will find art on the walls, weekend DJ playing house music, and a pretty decent bar. They also have the best mojito in Knoxville.
The food and drink menus have recently been changed and that has made the restaurant great. They eliminated their crummy sushi and incorporated more fresh ingredients and gourmet style dishes. Their burger and fruit and cheese plates are my favorites.
This place is a bit pricey, but it’s usually worth it.