East Tennessee and BBQ – Don’t miss this review of Archer’s in Knoxville

The following is a 100% authentic, 100% real review. Dadtography was not provided a complimentary product or compensated in any way for this review.

Alright, ya’ll it’s time for a BBQ review. My buddy John and I were passing through Knoxville, TN, on our way back from the Indy500 to Florida. Well, when in east Tennessee, one must eat BBQ, right? But how do you decide where to go with so many options?

Choosing a BBQ Joint in Knoxville

Choosing a BBQ joint in east Tennessee is harder than it sounds! We weren’t in a super big hurry and we needed something to eat. We knew we had to make a stop at a BBQ joint. We decided to hit up Archer’s BBQ in Knoxville, TN by putting our dad brains together and use of the scientific method.

Okay, maybe not that last part.

We were coming through Knoxville after a long day of driving, so we had a few simple criteria for where we were going to stop:

• It had to be open on Sunday (obviously dad, uh!).
• It had to be close to I-40.
• It had to be an independent restaurant (no chains, please).
• They had to have a traditional Carolina BBQ and a spicy BBQ sauce options.

We drove past a few, stopped off at one (they didn’t have spicy BBQ) and then we landed at Archer’s.

Finding Archer’s BBQ, Knoxville

Okay, before I get to the food (I know that is important, but bear with me), I have to provide a little commentary about the Archer’s location we visited. Here’s the info:

Archer’s BBQ
5415 Kingston Pike
Knoxville, TN 37919

When we first approached Archer’s, we drove right past it. We totally looked like tourists the second time, counting down the street addresses, but we passed right by it again.

Finally, on the third try (we were determined), we found it. Here’s the deal: it looked like a converted cheap motel.

No, seriously, I think it used to be a motel. Here’s the view from the front door.

See what I mean? So let’s just say Archer’s had “vacancy” when we got here. Keep an eye out as you get close and watch for the small grey motel or you’ll drive right by just like we did!

The Food at Archer’s BBQ

Okay, so finally on to the food. The south is known for its bar-b-que and Archer’s didn’t disappoint. It was a Sunday, so it was pretty slow. We were the only ones in the restaurant at the time. They did have quite a few take-out orders while we were there, which was a good sign.

Archer’s selection of sauces is relatively simple but effective. My favorite was the spicy jalapeño personally. I like a little spice in my BBQ. You really can’t go wrong with any of them, though. Just be sure to get extra – you don’t want to run out!

The Staff at Archer’s BBQ

The Archer’s guys were pretty cool dudes, and by cool dudes, I mean guys in their 20’s. Ordinarily, that’s a recipe for disaster – an empty store, young employees with no “supervision” but seriously, these guys were nice, they were personable, they were helpful and they were funny.

They chatted us up about our travels and we reminisced about our trip to Indy, watching the classic 500 race and our dads-only road trip adventure. The staff was really a nice surprise at Archer’s.

Archer’s BBQ Mini Photo Gallery

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