Beginning My Quest for the Best Coffee Shops in Knoxville

There are few things more enjoyable than meeting close friends for a latte on a Saturday morning. But nothing ruins the day quicker than the wrong atmosphere or yucky coffee. I’m thinking about a recent Saturday that was almost ruined by a coffee shop that just didn’t measure up. I am not wanting that to happen again,  so I’m on a quest for the best coffee shops in Knoxville.

As I sat down to write this, I realized I had a big problem. Your idea of the best coffee shops in Knoxville might not match mine. In addition, the best coffee shops for meeting with my friends might not be the best coffee shops for getting some work done.

I decided the goal would be to give you as much information as possible so you could decide which coffee shops in Knoxville were the best match for you. The four criteria I’m looking at are the atmosphere, the coffee, the food, and the location.

This may seem counterintuitive, but coffee isn’t the first thing I look at to determine if a coffee shop meets my standard for being one of the best coffee shops in Knoxville. I look at the atmosphere.

For you coffee purists, bypass these next paragraphs…you’ll be much happier. I’m going to be perfectly honest with you. When I plunk down my credit card to pay for a cup of coffee, I’m not only paying for the coffee, I’m paying for the atmosphere. And, for me, the atmosphere is more important. Whether I am wanting to get some work done away from my home office, or I’m meeting a couple of friends, the atmosphere makes all the difference.

Back during the pandemic when we weren’t allowed to meet in the coffee shops, I refused to go. I wasn’t willing to plunk down $6-8 for a latte to drink in my car….alone. That was just too depressing.  I can justify the added expense of coffee by the atmosphere. It’s the experience that makes spending $6-8 for one cup of coffee acceptable for me. I mean seriously, I can make a mean latte or mocha at home with less calories, and at a fraction of the cost.

In fact, I don’t normally go to those drive-thru only coffee places. For me the only time I get a drive- thru drink is when I am traveling. The rest of the time, I want the added value of the atmosphere of a coffee shop.

After all, how many world problems…or at least my world problems have been solved while talking with good friends at a coffee shop. Those conversations are the ones that aren’t interrupted by a waitress wanting to cash out her table. Once you get your coffee, you can count on some uninterrupted time with the girls. That’s why atmosphere is the top criteria I use to judge a coffee shop.

Full disclosure here. I don’t so much like coffee as I like the stuff that goes in it. So, I always need to take someone with me who can tell me if I am getting a really good cup of coffee. Hubby is usually my guinea pig.

Our coffee cups basically tell the story of who we are.. He’s black coffee…no nonsense…calls it like he sees it…he even acts affronted when they ask if he wants room for cream. And me…. I’m all about the milk (full-fat), the syrups and sauces…even the whipped cream. All about living life to the fullest with emotion. We drink our coffee like we live our lives – total opposites, but with a solid base. Somehow it works.

And if hubby can’t come, I have a couple of friends that I can drag along with me…to make sure that we are really getting good coffee, not just good syrups and sauces.

Unfortunately, this is where some of the coffee shops around town fall down. I don’t want to just drink coffee; I want something to go with it. And if it’s something sweet and chocolaty – that’s even better.

Although sometimes, I even want something a little more substantial, so we can call it breakfast without having to stop at a restaurant too.

Location is perhaps the least important criterion for me. Having relatives who are from out of town, I’m used to having to drive. I’ve been known to really go out of my way to get to a great coffee shop. In fact, one of my favorites is in Maryville. (We’ll talk more about it later.) But if I’m going to go out of my way, the coffee shop had better be really good, or on my way to another stop.

I must admit it…when I started this blog, this was one of the things that I was most looking forward to. There are oodles of coffee shops in Knoxville and the surrounding area, and I am looking forward to trying them all. So, make sure and check back often to see what new coffee shops we have discovered.

When I first started thinking about a coffee quest, Mahalo was not even on my radar. Not because they weren’t close. In fact, they are the closest coffee shop to me. It was the fact that my first experiences with Mahalo weren’t that great. But before you write them off, let me explain.

Hubby and I were so excited years ago when we realized that we were going to be getting a coffee shop only minutes away from us. We were more excited when we learned it was being opened by none other than Nascar driver Trevor Bayne. I mean seriously, who isn’t excited about a celebrity in their midst.

And the whole vibe about being a “surf-inspired roastery” and choosing the name Mahalo as “a reminder to be thankful for the support of friends and the community” that was just up our alley. I could already imagine Saturday mornings spent at our local coffee shop.

Unfortunately, when we tried them the first time, I realized they didn’t offer my drink of choice…a latte, or a mocha. I tried the affogato and the hot chocolate, but finally decided that’s not what I wanted, and I scratched Mahalo off my coffee shop list. … for years….

When I heard that Ham ‘N Goody’s took over in 2023, I was mildly interested, but not enough to try it out again. But I kept driving by and seeing an abundance of cars parked around it every time it was open. So, when I decided to begin a series of blog posts about my quest for the best coffee shops in Knoxville, I finally decided to do some research on Mahola Coffee Roasters.

I checked out their Facebook and Instagram pages and discovered that sometime in the past few years, Mahalo had added lattes. Add that to a lemon cookie from Ham ‘N Goody’s and I was ready to give Mahalo another try.

Mahalo goes with the philosophy of the  “third wave coffee shop”. Now y’all may know what this was, but I didn’t. So, I did some research. There are entire blog posts about the third wave coffee shops.

As far as I can tell, what it refers to is that the whole “third wave coffee shop” phenomenon “emphasizes the coffee bean’s origin, artisanal brewing techniques and a deep appreciation for the coffee craft, contrasting the commercialization and commoditization seen in previous waves.” (Could we be talking about the “green goddess” here? Who knew there was so much to this whole coffee thing.

All of that, in addition to a lemon cookie calling my name, sent me to Mahalo one afternoon last week with my iPad to set up shop for an hour or so and see what Mahalo was all about.

For those that don’t know, Mahalo Coffee Roasters is  open Monday through Friday from 630am to 6pm, Saturdays from 7am-3pm, and closed on Sundays. It’s located at 1317 East Emory Road. To get to their entrance, you have to first enter the subdivision entrance and then enter Mahalo.

I decided the best time to check out Mahalo for the ability to work remotely would be later in the afternoon. The crowd seemed to have died down a lot and I could probably get a little more work done. I was right. There were only a few other people in Mahalo when I walked in. I was struck by how open and airy the shop was.

They offer a variety of seating options. If you want to catch up with a group of friends, there are two large tables in the center of the room. For a more intimate vibe, you can sit at several tables for two as you first enter.

And if comfort is what you’re all about, there’s a comfy coach facing a fireplace with a surfboard hanging above. If work is on your mind, there are two “counters” where you can get that blog post done or finish that work presentation. And if you get stuck, you can gaze out the large windows for inspiration. While it isn’t a beach view, sometimes just looking at the sky can give you that creative idea you desperately need.

I’ve been to Mahalo two times now, and each time I’ve been impressed with their staff. The first time, I walked in and said, “I need something sweet and caffeinated.” It had been a hard week.  The barista immediately suggested an “Easy Squeezy” from their seasonal drinks. I hesitated when I realized it was a latte with orange and vanilla syrup….not something that sounded too great to me.

But they were so enthusiastic about it and told me they would make me something else if I didn’t like it, I decided to try it along with, get this, a lime cookie instead of one of Ham N Goody’s famous lemon cookies.

It was my best decision of the day; the lime cookie virtually melted in my mouth while providing a burst of citrusy zing. The Iced Easy Squeezy contained a pleasing proportion of sweet orange and vanilla perfectly blended with a velvety smooth coffee.  

Not only did I enjoy my coffee and cookie, but I also got a good bit of work done. One word of warning. Get those lime cookies as soon as you get there. When I went back to get some to take home, they were all gone.

As I said earlier, I needed to take someone with me before I wrote this post because I’m not the coffee expert. So, I took hubby, who has been known to put away as many as ten cups of coffee a day in his earlier years. I thought if he liked the coffee that was great.

For this trip, we decided to try out a Saturday. Hubby, of course, got black coffee…the single origin coffee that they had brewed and I got a hot caramel latte. Once again, my latte was perfectly blended providing a balance between the sweetness and the coffee.

We decided to try out the breakfast burrito. I really wanted to love that burrito.. but I didn’t. I do have to say that I am comparing it to a burrito I had in California while visiting a relative there.

That burrito was the best one I’ve ever had. I judge others based on it and I have yet to find one that compares equally to it. Saying all that, the burrito was ok, but I think I’ll stick to the lime or lemon cookies although next time maybe I’ll try a scone.

1. Ham ‘N Goody’s Lemon and Lime Cookies – need I say more?
2. Friendly Staff – They went out of their way to make sure I was satisfied with my drink, even offering to make me a different one for free if I didn’t like their suggestion.
3. They offer a coffee subscription online. You can enjoy their single origin and custom blends at home.
4. They also offer outside seating. I love the idea of sitting outside with a steaming cup of coffee and a lemon cookie on one of those cool fall mornings.

1. If you’re not on the North side, it’s pretty far to go. They do have an additional shop on Union Avenue, but I haven’t been there yet. For me the location is great. On those days when I’m tired of the four walls of my home office, I can take a break without driving all the way downtown or to west Knoxville.  
2. It can be pretty loud when it is full. The high ceiling and the fact that there is little in the way of textiles to dampen the noise means that the noise builds up quickly.

So, what about you? Do you have a favorite coffee shop or one you’d like us to try out? Leave us a comment below.