Remember that Christmas when you were a kid and one specific present called out to you from under the tree? It was wrapped in the shiniest paper with the fanciest ribbon and your name in the brightest letters. You opened it first and found … house shoes.
That seems to be the way it often goes with restaurants, too. Big, bright, and flashy can end up being a major disappointment. Yet small and unassuming can prove to be giants in taste and service.
That is the situation the Dining Duo found themselves in when arriving at the Lunch House on Holston Drive in Knoxville. It was a small white building with a black-lettered sign and lots and lots of cars parked all around it.
As we walked in, we were immediately greeted and told to sit wherever we liked. They took our drink order, and we checked out the dining room and the menu. It was clean and bright, with lots of friendly talk going on between the staff and their customers. The only problem with the menu was that it had so many delicious-sounding items that making up our minds was not easy!
Duo 1 chose steak and gravy with mashed potatoes and green beans. Rolls, cornbread or fried cornbread were also included. Duo 2 chose pinto beans and cornbread.
Our food arrived almost instantly — hot, flavorful and as close to perfect as we have ever eaten. It was one of those meals you hoped would not end.
But it did. Right in front of the dessert menu.
Blackberry cobbler with ice cream was one choice, and pecan pie was the other. I have to say that I fell madly in love with our server when he offered to heat the pecan pie for me. It was the best dessert I have eaten lately.
The Lunch House has been around since 1991, when it was started by Bill and Joyce Collier. Today, it is run by the Colliers’ grandson, Devon, who proudly carries on the family tradition of good food for good people.
It is open from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday. Devon also said they follow the Knox County Schools schedule, usually being closed at the same times schools are out for breaks and holidays. They are a cash-only establishment, but with prices this reasonable, you don’t have to carry a fortune with you.
Try the Lunch House. We think you will soon be saying the same words we heard over and over as customers left: “See you tomorrow.”
Dining Duo is always searching for hidden-gem eateries where locals gather for breakfast and lunch — favorite neighborhood spots tucked off the beaten path or hiding in plain sight. Know a place we should visit? Email your recommendation to knoxtndiningduo@gmail.com.
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