In about 15 short minutes, you can escape the frenzy of your peers and colleagues and find complete solace at the most interesting little place in South Knoxville.
It’s one of those deals where you start questioning your GPS en route to the destination, wondering where in the world you’re going. But then, just as you begin to consider aborting your mission, you drive up to SoKno Market.
In reality, the market is not that far away — perhaps it’s just off the beaten path of a lot of Knoxvillians. Regardless, it’s like entering a new world. The lay of the land begins to change ever so slightly, and rolling hills give way to glimpses of distant mountaintops peaking over the horizon.
The building itself was a service station at some point during its former life, and abundant, charming outdoor seating now occupies the space where the gas pumps once were. Step inside and the retro black and white tile floor adds more character, as it meets walls that are covered with local artwork.
To the left of the entryway is the counter, where your inner child can’t help but notice a sizable ice cream station. From there, cookies and other sweet treats are displayed on the counter top, along with a full menu in the background.
As I came to the market un-caffeinated at noon, I was pleased to see a coffee menu. And since I’m a sucker for cleverly named drinks, I was immediately drawn to the “Grumpy Preacher” — a nitro infused cold brew.
“You want that straight-up?” the man behind the counter asked after I ordered it. “Straight-up,” I replied.
I also came with a sweet tooth and an appetite for some lunch, so I picked out a Ziploc baggie of two chocolate cookies and put in an order for a pizza panini.
I love a good cold brew coffee, and I’ve enjoyed good ones from different places around the country. I mention this to say that while I wasn’t at all disappointed with the Grumpy Preacher, it did seem to miss a little of the vigor that I’ve found in other cold brews. Even so, it’s hard to not enjoy drinking something with such a fun name.
My cookies were delicious, but how can you really mess up chocolate cookies? Similarly, my pizza panini hit the spot, and you can’t really screw up by ordering anything in the pizza family either.
Worth mentioning is that my order was just under $10, and while as a broke college student I can’t really go around casually dropping that kind of change on a lunch every day of the week, I think it’s a deal and a half for all that I got. I mean, I covered all the major food groups: pizza, coffee and dessert.
Another delight was the friendly service, and while this would be a great place to include an anecdotal example of such, you’ll just have to take me at my word.
The artwork that I mentioned is constantly in flux, with new stuff almost every week, and there’s more than wall art. The market currently has a couple of violins from a local woodworker, among other items.
If you’re looking for a charming place to grab a coffee or a quick, tasty meal or dessert, then this is your kind of place.
SoKno Market, located in South Knoxville, offers a quiet getaway to pick up a tasty treat, great coffee, or a delicious meal.
