The current location, Downtown Dive, opened to fulfill barbecue cravings in downtown Knoxville in 2015. Located at 410 W. Jackson Ave., Downtown Dive was borne from a love of classic American dive bars and barbecue joints and carries on the tradition of Sweet P’s Southern heritage.
In the spring of 2021, the first full-service Sweet P’s concept, Uptown Corner, will open in Fountain City. Featuring table service and a bar, we look forward to serving our customers at 3029 Tazewell Pike and joining the Fountain City community.
THE BEST MAC N CHEESE IN THE WORLD. Might sound like hyperbole, but I think it's true! The bbq is... read moreTHE BEST MAC N CHEESE IN THE WORLD. Might sound like hyperbole, but I think it's true! The bbq is awesome as well. And I love the cole slaw. They also keep a great selection of beer, and their rooftop patio is really nice. Parking can be tricky on the weekend though! read less
Great Wings! Really good macaroni. Definitely worth the stop!! We were able to have our dog with us on the... read moreGreat Wings! Really good macaroni. Definitely worth the stop!! We were able to have our dog with us on the outside area. The staff was really friendly. read less
Honestly everything on the menu here is incredible. I dream about the Mac and cheese and could really use a... read moreHonestly everything on the menu here is incredible. I dream about the Mac and cheese and could really use a slab of their ribs right now. Awesome outdoor spot too read less
Lots of "verys" for this place.
Very trendy,
Very friendly,
Very good smoked turkey,
Very expensive for a bbq lunch spot,
Very, very... read moreLots of "verys" for this place.
Very trendy,
Very friendly,
Very good smoked turkey,
Very expensive for a bbq lunch spot,
Very, very good brisket!
Very disappointed they don't sell their homemade rub for home consumption. I'd have bought pounds of it. read less
Good food. Here's what you should order: BBQ burrito with brisket and Mac and cheese in it. Add both the... read moreGood food. Here's what you should order: BBQ burrito with brisket and Mac and cheese in it. Add both the thick and spicy sauce. Make sure to get a side of the banana pudding. Amazing. read less
On our last cross country road trip I found this place on Yelp. The pictures of the mac n cheese... read moreOn our last cross country road trip I found this place on Yelp. The pictures of the mac n cheese drew me in....but once we ordered...Best ribs I've ever had in my entire life! Brisket was tender & juicy too. I always add bbq sauce but their rub was so delicious there was no need for sauce! So sad it's 9 hours away. read less
This was some of the best BBQ I've ever eaten. I chose the chicken plate with green beans and tater... read moreThis was some of the best BBQ I've ever eaten. I chose the chicken plate with green beans and tater salad, and all 3 sauces were delicious with the tender chicken. Also, the "thin" sauce made a tasty addition to my tater salad. For an appetizer my friend and I had the hot pimiento cheese and chips, which was also marvelous. My friend tried the BBQ burrito but he didn't want the beans or slaw inside cuz he's weird, so the cook suggested he add mac n cheese inside and my friend loved it. The staff here were all cheerful and helpful, the place was clean, and the food was delicious. I would definitely go back. read less
I will admit, the price is somewhat high, but this food really takes you to a backyard barbecue. One of... read moreI will admit, the price is somewhat high, but this food really takes you to a backyard barbecue. One of the best brisket plates that I have ever had. It is at a very cool location as well. read less
This is about as good of bbq as you'll get most any place, and I'm speaking as a visitor from... read moreThis is about as good of bbq as you'll get most any place, and I'm speaking as a visitor from Texas, where bbq is everywhere. This is probably a top 5 bbq place joint I've tried. My co-worker and I tried this place yesterday evening, being our last night in Knoxville, before flying out this afternoon. We came here due to the high ratings on Yelp.
It's definitely got a dive-type feel, as the restaurant is sitting by itself off a one-way road, and the food ordering process is cafeteria-style. you order first at the counter and take your food on a tray to your table.
To try everything, my co-worker I was traveling with and I ordered the sampler platter with 2 orders of mac and cheese and green beans. We each ordered a chocolate chess pie and ordered one brisket burrito, just in case the other food wasn't enough. It was...
Mac and cheese - awesome. Ribs - amazing. Pulled pork sandwich - dang good. I used the thick bbq sauce on the pulled pork sandwich...the sauce was so good, I wish they bottled it and offered to sell it. I would've taken a full case home. It had just enough kick and the tangy flavor was perfect to me.
We both had a big lunch, so by the time we got to our pies and the burrito, which was attempted at last...it was a done deal. I took my slice of pie back to the hotel to eat later in the evening. I eventually got to it, and it was good. The burrito we didn't finish. The brisket inside was good, but we ordered it without slaw inside....and they prepared and gave it to us with slaw inside. We didn't make a deal out of it because we were so full anyway by the time we got to it...we each ate only about 5% of it.
Great, casual dining experience. Staff was nice and helpful directing us to the sampler platter to try everything. read less
1 word: Brisket! You can thank me later. It willMelt in your mouth and fill you up. The sauces are... read more1 word: Brisket! You can thank me later. It willMelt in your mouth and fill you up. The sauces are to die for but the barbecue is the best I've had. Steer clear from the the standards and try some of their daily specials too! read less
It was all excellent! We had the sampler platter which is a lot of food. The mac and cheese side... read moreIt was all excellent! We had the sampler platter which is a lot of food. The mac and cheese side was absolutely delicious. The slaw is slightly dressed and not overly mayonaised. The collard greens were perfectly seasoned as well. The ribs were dry rubbed to perfection as was the brisket. My husband loved the banana pudding side. He can't stop raving about it. This place is in a beautiful part of Knoxville. The area has an arty vibe, is in a clean, and safe area . Take a stroll on the Main Street after lunch to help you digest. We parked about 500 ft away on the parking bridge. But there is a cheap paid parking lot right across from the restaurant too. Worth the detour off of I-40 for lunch. Only 1.8 miles off the highway. read less
Best BBQ in Knoxville. Awesome Mac and cheese and banana pudding. Offers different styles of sauce. Go through the serving... read moreBest BBQ in Knoxville. Awesome Mac and cheese and banana pudding. Offers different styles of sauce. Go through the serving line, pay, and head up to the picnic tables in the beer garden. Lots of 1980's world's fair memorabilia, great bar inside as well. read less
Beware: This food is delicious. As soon as you're done eating absolutely anything from their menu, you need to keep... read moreBeware: This food is delicious. As soon as you're done eating absolutely anything from their menu, you need to keep moving. It's very easy to wanna just curl up in a ball and go to sleep after you patron this place. 🙂 In all seriousness, this is THE bbq joint downtown- the staff are always friendly, give generous portions and make you feel at home. I would say, it would be a little easier on my wallet if buying lunch with a drink wasn't 12-14$.. however, this is a small business that serves quality food- so the dude abides! read less
We were passing through Knoxville on the way to Gatlinburg on our honeymoon. I saw this place on Yelp and... read moreWe were passing through Knoxville on the way to Gatlinburg on our honeymoon. I saw this place on Yelp and had to get some Tennessee bbq in. The menu was overwhelming but the friendly guys behind the counter and register helped us order the sampler telling us it's the best way to try more for less. They gave us the brisket, half rack of ribs (my favorite!) even gave us half and half of the pulled chicken (my next fave) and the pork. Sides were Mac and cheese (yum!!), sautéed greens and banana pudding (omg). Tried their pineapple cider special.
Everything was so so good! Customer service was perfect. I think we need to come back on the way back to Nashville. read less
Delicious! My family and I came to try this place out based on reviews. We ordered the Sampler and tried... read moreDelicious! My family and I came to try this place out based on reviews. We ordered the Sampler and tried some of everything and it was all really good. We sat outside in their patio area and enjoyed every minute of it. The thick sauce was amazing on everything. read less
I love good bbq and I found some good "q" at Sweet P's. I ordered he bbq burrito. It was... read moreI love good bbq and I found some good "q" at Sweet P's. I ordered he bbq burrito. It was so tasty. I selected the pork bbq for the meat. Chicken and beef were also choices. The cole slaw was so crunchy and added a nice texture. The beans on the burrito were just enough. It was huge and I did not think I could eat the whole burrito. I did! I will order this as soon As I return! read less
Wow! We can in town to see the Backstreet Boys (don't judge ) and we came to Sweet P's because... read moreWow! We can in town to see the Backstreet Boys (don't judge ) and we came to Sweet P's because of the man vs food episode. We were not disappointed.
When you walk in you get in line, it's cafeteria style. When they are out of something you can't preorder for the next batch you have to wait for more and get back in line. I had the pork, cole slaw, greens, and Mac and cheese. The pork had tons of flavor, I tried the non-spicy sauce they had and added the slaw to my pork and it was so good. The Mac and cheese is not on my diet (keto) but it looked too good not to try... definitely worth it, super cheesy. The greens I was interested in trying because it had so much in it... carrots, celery and black eyed peas... definitely good enough to be its own meal . I finished up with the ches pie... super chocolatey and almost has a grit to it from all the sugar, I loved it.
I plan on being my family soon. read less
Came here after our train ride Three Rivers Rambler son, daughter-in-law and grand daughter husband. Food was great trying to... read moreCame here after our train ride Three Rivers Rambler son, daughter-in-law and grand daughter husband. Food was great trying to get there was a challenge seems like every street navigation tried to take us down was closed! But once we got here is was so good! Husband got a sampler greens Mac and cheese and pinto beans he absolutely loved the greens said they were delicious. I just got the chopped pork with mac and cheese potato salad. Yummy Not fancy but food was spot on. read less
So glad we stopped to eat here. Some of the best bbq I've ever had. The brisket melted in my... read moreSo glad we stopped to eat here. Some of the best bbq I've ever had. The brisket melted in my mouth it was perfectly seasoned and smoked. The pulled pork was flavorful and juicy. The ribs are the 2nd best ribs I've ever had. Also had the Mac n cheese which was fantastic. Yes I was a fatty that day, totally worth. read less
11/17/18 - update. I will 5 star the hell out of this place everytime we go in town. Becoming one... read more11/17/18 - update. I will 5 star the hell out of this place everytime we go in town. Becoming one of our Knoxville staples when we are in town.
9/22/18 Went to Sweet Ps again last night and the wife for some Florida Hate Eve rage eating to get a nice foundation for today's tailgating. We have come to the verdict that this place is hands down our favorite BBQ joint in the country. Everything on the menu is fantastic. The lima beans were next level and a great addition to the menu. And those smoked dry rub wings are a flavor party that will touch your tongue and slap ya in the brain. Great stuff, will be back (especially if we win read less
OH MY GOD THE MAC N CHEESE IS AMAZING! Staff is super sweet and food is delicious. Inside is cute... read moreOH MY GOD THE MAC N CHEESE IS AMAZING! Staff is super sweet and food is delicious. Inside is cute too! 10/10 read less
We had our favorite BBQ here from our DC to Knoxville roadtrip! My boyfriend and I shared a sample platter,... read moreWe had our favorite BBQ here from our DC to Knoxville roadtrip! My boyfriend and I shared a sample platter, which comes with quarter rack of ribs, pork or chicken (you can also add a bun to make it a sandwich,) brisket, and three sides. For our sides, we had mac and cheese, collard greens, and potato salad. It was SO delicious!! The unique seasoning they add to their meats is amazing, and there's a variety of sauces to add to the meats too. I thought the brisket was great! The spare ribs were a little dry. The pork tasted delicious as a sandwich. I loved the sides; collard greens weren't too sour, the mac and cheese was creamy and cheesy, and the potato salad was tasty. Would definitely come again!! read less