Billy’s Time Out Deli

Been there a couple of times & the food has been good every time. Deli style, order at the counter, grab a soda or beer out of the cooler & kick back & & enjoy a good sandwich or burger in the dining room. We just moved to the area & have been doing laundry in Oak Ridge right behind this deli, So this was a great find for us. Laundry, lunch, & a cold beer. Does it get any better than that? Nope.

I must start by saying: I am used to a GYRO that is carved off a hunk a meat on a spit slowly rotating ever so tempting to make you want to run behind the counter and take a bite out of it. The meat would fall out of the pita as if it was doing it out of spite.
I read the reviews for Billy’s and tried the Gyro. I love the ambience. The location is the greatest– not being sarcastic at all– I will try the other food there. Not a fan of the GYRO. But I love the setting and looking forward to trying something else.

I just love this place! I’ve been going there for years and I’ve always loved the food. It is not only one of my favorite places in Oak Ridge, it’s just one of my favorite places period. The burgers are great & they are probably most known for their steak in a sack, but I am devoted to their yummy ham and cheese. They are like nowhere else. They even have some Greek food, too. The fries are also usually awesome, but I have occasionally gotten some that were a little below the standard. Everything else is always so good, it’s not worth complaining.
I’ve taken friends there & everyone has done nothing but rave, as well. Don’t miss this place. In my book, it is an institution!

Heavenly. Today, I got a Stack n Sack with smoke cheddar cheese and mushroom and an order of fried mushroom. Last week, I got Italian on dark bread and an order of fried mushroom. Yes, those fried mushroom are sooooo good. I talked to some of the customers there. This place has been there forever. I am making it a mission to try out everything on the menu. If you were to go there, I’d recommend the stake n sack with smoke cheddar cheese and mushroom.

Unlike other places reviews from 5 years ago probably described the same experience. Reliably well made moderate size and price. One unusual aspect is you give an order, pick it up with a ticket, and pay when you are done eating. That shows confidence not only that their customers are honest but that they will like the food.

I would give more stars if I could. Another great family ran business where their love for the business spews into their food. I’ve never once been here and been disappointed. Outstanding food! Deserve more stars! I suggest the steak in a sac, mmmmmmmmm.

Great food in a modest setting nestled between a gas station and a liquor store. The liquor store does carry a good selection of one of my favorite inexpensive wines from my home state of Washington. Hogue. They also carried St. Michelle 2 vines, another friend of mine.

This is a joint for regulars, it would take several visits to form a fair opinion but from the single sandwich visit I can say this place is excellent for Oak Ridge TN.
I had an idea what I wanted before I got here but with a menu board and little time to choose I went with my preconceive choice cored beef Swiss cole slaw on pumpernickel with 1000 island dressing and minus the slaw that’s what I got.
It’s business as usual deli here not too many special sandwiches and no home made salads. It’s not bad but lack luster in my opinion since I visit so many extraordinary joints.
Don’t take this review as negative this place suits a cold cut deli sandwich need in this town. Locals flock here that has to say a lot. I would come back if I need a lunch sandwich but there are a few more places to try in town.

Wonderful surprise! At first glance this place isn’t very noticeable, but the great food will get your attention! I had a side salad and Philly cheese steak that were stellar. Every ingredient of the side salad was fresh and crisp, and the best part, it was only 3 bucks and much larger than most other restaurants. The Philly was awesome as well, cook perfectly and just the right size. Fortunately I’m only visiting Oak Ridge or else this place could become very addictive.

This tiny little place sure can whip out some awesome food! It is definitely not your typical deli. And I think that makes it that much better.
There appetizers are original and super yummy. And for the entrée that I had, it was something along the lines of a philly cheese steak — in a sack! At first I had no idea what it meant so of course I had to ask, but basically it is a stuffed pita bread. And let me tell you, IT IS DELICIOUS!
DEFINITELY RECOMMEND!

Old school deli that churns out delicious food. I fantasize about having one of those sandwich steamers in my kitchen.
Don’t be put off by the fact they only have two types of bread («light» and «dark»). The Italian is my favorite.
The system can be confusing for the uninitiated. Order at the counter, then sit down and they’ll bring your food out to you. If it’s really busy, they’ll call out the number on your ticket. You grab bottled and canned drinks out of the fridge yourself (beer included). When you’re done you pay at the register. From what I can tell it’s an honor system — you tell them what you had & what you grabbed out of the fridge and they ring you up.

I LOVE Billy’s. I’ve been coming here since high school for off-​campus lunch and it’s still as good, if not better as it was then.
My «usual» is a ham and cheese sandwich – and it’s amazing. They melt it and it gets all juicy. Yum.
The atmosphere is very low-key…kind of dingy, but a great down-​home vibe. It gets really busy at lunch time, so be prepared.

Billy’s is a restaurant that is easy to miss. I did not know about this place until I found it here on Unilocal.Once I found the menu I knew I had to try it out. I decided to try the shaurama pita and an order of fried mushrooms. I added smoked cheddar to the pita at the suggestion of the friendly woman working there. service was quick and I was out the door with my takeout in about 5 minutes. The pita was filled with lettuce, tomato, mayonnaise, and spicy beef that had been formed into small patties. The beef had a good spicy flavor and the pita was fresh and soft. The fried mushrooms were the best part. The breading was tasty and crunchy with the mushroom in the middle still soft and juicy. I will be frequenting this place a lot more now that I know how good it is.

Billy’s isn’t your typical deli. They do serve sandwiches (like a typical deli), and they don’t really have table service (other than bringing your food that you ordered at the counter to your table when it’s ready), but in other respects «grille» (or perhaps «diner») might be a better noun for the place. I say that because of all the deliciously greasy stuff they serve (burgers, pizzas, fries, onion rings, fried mushrooms, gyros, and other «in a sack» (stuffed pita) offerings), as well as the dark ambiance of the place, and the refrigerated cases full of bottled beers for customers to choose from.
I couldn’t have told you how long they’ve been here, but their website (who knew that Billy’s had a website?!?) confirms my impression that it’s been more than 20 years, and I don’t think that anything other than the awning has changed much over the years.
I’m told their pizza is great (I think I had a couple of slices once) and I’ve enjoyed their onion rings and fried mushrooms, but when I go to Billy’s it’s mainly for what they call shaurama (in a sack) — described on their menu as «spicy beef in pita» — a middle eastern-​style ground meat item more commonly spelled «shawarma.» I don’t know the personal history of «Billy», but I’ve always assumed that «shaurama» is food from his native land, and the rest of the menu is either based on the Time Out Deli formula or copied from other American eateries. I enjoy the spiciness (it’s a bit on the hot side even) — and it’s not even greasy. I’ve tried Billy’s «steak in a sack», and it’s OK, but it lacks the spicy flavor of the shaurama.
Although much of Billy’s business seems to be take-​out, the eatery is also an OK place to eat — for people who aren’t easily offended by sitting at basic formica and steel furniture, drinking beer or soft drink from the bottle or can, and possibly having to walk past a few boxes of supplies to get to the rest room. In fact, with no TVs or loud music, it’s easier to have a quiet conversation at Billy’s than in quite a few more pretentious establishments.
A drawback of Billy’s is the early (8 pm) closing hour — although this feels to me like the sort of place that ought to be open late, the early closing means that it isn’t a place to grab a late supper, much less a late-​evening snack. UPDATE: A June 2010 article in the local paper says they’re going to start staying open until 9!