First time in Knoxville

[TrumpedUpVol]

Stay: You're getting a late start, to be honest. Hotels book many, many months in advance and this being a homecoming game against a low-tier non-conference opponent is the perfect storm for complete hotel sellouts downtown (prices not as high because of the opponent, but demand being strong for out of area alumni). There appear to be a few hotels downtown that aren't full-up, and they'll run you $400+ a night (The Graduate, right next to campus, is cool to stay at once but looks to be completely booked). The further away from downtown/campus you go, the cheaper the hotels will be; downtown is undeniably the best place to stay, since it's walkable from Neyland and has the most to do, but I'd say around West Town Mall or a little further into West Knox is a decent secondary option that would be less expensive.

Eat: Downtown Knoxville has a pretty stout variety of restaurants/bars, though the only option there for breakfast/early lunch is Ruby Sunshine (crowded, not my cup of tea) so you'll likely be eating in the hotel on Saturday morning (most restaurants open at 11, and you'll want to be on campus by then).

If you want a nice dinner on Friday night, I'd recommend Lonesome Dove (best restaurant in town, in my mind) for steak, J.C. Holdway or Drawing Room or Oliver Royale for fine American dining and Osteria Stella or Emilia for Italian. More casual but still "meal places" would be Chivo for Mexican, Harvest or Cafe 4 for American and Stock & Barrel for burgers. If you want casual/tavern, Barley's is great and (despite many people considering it Sodexo cafeteria food) I'm partial to Downtown Grill & Brewery (which, alongside Cafe 4 and Preservation Pub, typify Downtown Knoxville to me). Game should end at like 3:15 and you can walk back downtown for around 4:00, so the same list covers a late lunch or dinner.

Drink: Downtown Knoxville doesn't have any great sports bars (Tommy Trent's has awkward television vantage points/has loud music and Old City Sports Bar is super young and not an actual sports bar), so the best spots downtown to catch LSU/Alabama or any other games would probably be Clancy's Tavern, Tommy Trent's if you can stand it or the two televisions at the aforementioned Barley's. Nightlife in Market Square is built around Preservation Pub and Scruffy City Hall, while the Old City skews rather young now (even on a gameday weekend) and I guess your best options would be Monkey's Bar or Corner Lounge/Central Flats (~1 mile walk, Uber recommended) for neighborhood feel, Urban Bar/Marie's if you want a smokey bar (the latter being super divey) and Brother Wolf if you want a more upscale feel.

It's a great town, and you'll be sure to enjoy it.

 

[ArmchairQB]

This is my first stop every time I go to Knoxville.

Going to Gus's is like paying tribute to the Strip That Was. Not the current two lane road full of huge apartment buildings. It's a place that serves deli sandwiches to drunk people at 3 am; haute cuisine it ain't. I'm glad they kept it going when Gus retired, and now I want a kielbasa on dark.

 

[leeroyphi136]

A first time trip to Neyland:
--Calhoun's on the River on Friday night would be a good move
--Eat somewhere in Market Sq before the game
--Ye Olde Steakhouse after the game
--Get to the stadium early so you can see the "Players Walk" about 2 1/2 hours before kick off and the band come down the hill an hour later.
--Be in your seat in time for the pregame that is "unrivaled"
--No matter the score, you have to stay for the playing of the Tennessee Waltz after the game.

This man knows

 

[bigdaddy]

Skip Ye Olde…way overrated