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.
Our very favorite BBQ in Knoxville! They've got it going on.
Delish trio plater w/ potatoe salad & slaw.
Long wait lines... read moreOur very favorite BBQ in Knoxville! They've got it going on.
Delish trio plater w/ potatoe salad & slaw.
Long wait lines tell it all... read less
As a bonus, they made brisket chili which I also had as a side. They decided to add the chili today because of the cold weather. Now that's looking after your customers.
I can't wrap this up without saying the bbq was excellent as always. FYI. Best brisket in town. read less
Pork sandwich - cooked to perfection and very well seasoned. Didn't even need to add any bbq sauce! Although their bbq sauce is also pretty dang good (comes in thin, thick, and hot!)
Dry rubbed ribs - not something I would ever think to order but oh gosh, everything just fell off the bone. From the meat to the cartilage, all that ended up in my stomach.
Brisket - melted in my mouth. Seasoning was a little different from what I'm used to. There wasn't that much flavor in my opinion but with a touch of that bbq sauce, YUM!
Sides - my brother isn't a fan of collared greens but boy did that change his mind. It wasn't mushy and had good texture. The Mac n cheese was my favorite!!! It had a different flavor to it. I think it had jalapeño added in but their cheese stayed runny and thick. It didn't solidify or anything. Good stuff. Potato salad was also seasoned very well. We needed something a little more on the refreshing side and this added just that.
Service was on point. From the ordering, to the paying, to the waiting... the Sweet P team is absolutely stellar! And to top it all off, they have $3 mimosas. Absolute WIN. read less
To sweet P's anyways and was elated that I did. Maybe I am a bit biased since this was immediately after Central BBQ but boy oh boy, this was one of the best BBQ I've had.
I was hesitant to get the dry rub since my last experience, it was so dry. I had to do it though, I refuse to believe all dry rub ribs in Tennessee tasted like tree barks. I was very happy with my choice. My half rack dry rub was amazing. The dry seasoning sprinkled on top had a crunchy sweetness to it, like crushed candy for meat! The ribs themselves were so juicy and moist. The meat simply fell off the bone, the crust was not hard at all and packed a lot of smoked flavor.
I also had a brisket plate that came with a side of mac and cheese and tater salad. The mac and cheese was good, nothing extravagant but a great pair for the BBQ. The tater salad had eggs and onion that added a fresh break for the heavy BBQ. Their brisket was fatty and moist and seasoned just right, although I wish it was a bit softer, some bites were still chewy.
The atmosphere was also great, you could dine inside or out in the patio, iced cold water was free. Sitting by the window you can overlook an industrial train track that was distinctly Tennessee. Overall, I'd give the place a 4.5 but since I had to compare it to places like Central BBQ, I'd give it a solid 5 stars. read less
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
Everything was so so good! Customer service was perfect. I think we need to come back on the way back to Nashville. read less