Brunch in Knoxville: 8 downtown spots with weekend hours

Last checked Oct. 17, 2026. Days and hours come from each restaurant’s own website, linked below, except where we say they come from Downtown Knoxville’s business listings. Restaurants change hours, especially on holidays and UT home game days; check before you go.

These eight downtown Knoxville restaurants say on their own websites or menus that they serve brunch. They are listed alphabetically. This is a list, not a ranking: we report what each restaurant says it serves, and we will add neighborhoods beyond downtown as we confirm them.

At a glance

• Saturday and Sunday brunch: Balter Beerworks, Cafe 4, Lilou, The Tomato Head
• Every day: Ruby Sunshine (from 7 a.m.), Tupelo Honey (from 8 a.m.)
• Earliest: Ruby Sunshine, 7 a.m.
• Live jazz: Lilou’s Weekend Jazz Brunch
• Parking: city garages are free on weekends, except a $3 flat fee at the Market Square Garage.

Brunch hours

*STIR’s weekend opening time is from its Downtown Knoxville listing; its own site does not list hours. Addresses and phone numbers for Balter, the Bistro, Tupelo Honey and STIR also come from Downtown Knoxville’s listings.

Market Square

Cafe 4, 4 Market Square. The restaurant, which calls itself a pioneer of downtown’s revival, serves brunch from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday, then reopens for dinner. Menu

Ruby Sunshine, 37 Market Square. A New Orleans-style breakfast, brunch and lunch restaurant with benedicts, biscuits and pancakes, open 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday to Friday and 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Ruby Sunshine

The Tomato Head, 12 Market Square. Brunch is served from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday, with the regular menu the rest of the day. The Tomato Head

Tupelo Honey, 1 Market Square, at the base of the Oliver Hotel. The Southern kitchen serves scratch-made brunch, lunch and dinner and lists its hours as 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. every day. Street and garage parking are nearby. Tupelo Honey

Gay Street

Lilou, 428 S. Gay St. A French brasserie serving steak frites, oysters and daily specials. Its Weekend Jazz Brunch runs 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Lilou

The Bistro at the Bijou, 807 S. Gay St., next to the Bijou Theatre. It opens at 10 a.m. on Saturday and Sunday and 11 a.m. on weekdays, and says it was voted Knoxville’s “Best Brunch” by Metro Pulse three years running. The Bistro

Old City and the edge of downtown

Balter Beerworks, 100 Broadway SW, in a rebuilt old service station. Brunch is served 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday and Sunday; every entree comes with the brunch bar of starters. Brunch menu

STIR, 215 Willow Ave. An oyster and seafood restaurant that calls itself a local favorite for brunch, with bloody marys, mimosas and cocktails in the dining room or on its dog-friendly patio. STIR

Tips

• UT home football Saturdays: the Locust Street and Langley garages, free on other weekends, charge on game days, Nourish Knoxville notes.
• Saturday farmers market: pair brunch with the Market Square Farmers Market, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. May to October and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. November to March. See our farmers markets page.
• Holidays: Easter, Mother’s Day and Father’s Day menus are on our Easter, Mother’s Day and Father’s Day pages when restaurants announce them.

Is your restaurant missing, or have your hours changed? Tell us through our contact page.

Related: date night in Knoxville, live music and nightlife and restaurant inspections.

Frequently asked questions

Where can I get brunch on Market Square in Knoxville?

Cafe 4 (brunch 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday and Sunday), The Tomato Head (brunch 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday and Sunday), Ruby Sunshine (brunch all day from 7 a.m.) and Tupelo Honey (open 8 a.m. daily) are all on Market Square.

Is there a jazz brunch in Knoxville?

Yes. Lilou, 428 S. Gay St., serves a Weekend Jazz Brunch from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.

What is the earliest brunch in downtown Knoxville?

Ruby Sunshine, 37 Market Square, opens at 7 a.m. every day and serves brunch until 2 p.m. on weekdays and 3 p.m. on weekends.

Where can I get brunch on a weekday in Knoxville?

Ruby Sunshine serves its brunch menu 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday to Friday, and Tupelo Honey opens at 8 a.m. every day.

Which Knoxville brunch spots have a dog-friendly patio?

STIR, 215 Willow Ave. in the Old City, says it serves brunch in the dining room or on its dog-friendly patio.