Restaurants in Bristol

The grillmasters at Dixie Outpost slow-cook slabs of pork on-site to star on their menu of reinvented southern classics. Carnivores can tear into the original Dixie Pig sandwich, which comes in three sizes and tests jaw flexibility with heaping mounds of hickory-smoked pulled pork piled with coleslaw and mild barbecue sauce ($4.59–$6.99). Chefs wrangle chicken-breast strips into breading and one of nine sauces, including teriyaki or hot buffalo, to create chicken feathers ($3.99+) that, like deep-fried love letters, are tender on the inside and crispy on the outside. Guests can devour customized smoked or deep-fried hot dogs crowned with more than 30 toppings including honey, chopped garlic, and pulled pork, or they can try one of 17 pre-designed dogs ($1.39–$3.59) on the patio or in the Swine Diner BBQ Bus with a refreshing glass of sweet tea ($1.49–$3.99).

Near the banks of the Clinch River, visitors enter River Place on the Clinch, a community-based development equally committed to preserving the environment and the spirit of Appalachia. With a knack for eco-tourism, its staff has created an outdoor oasis complete with river activities, a local market, and a Southern-style café.

Boasting Class I and II rapids, Clinch River beckons rafts, kayaks, and canoes into its waters. The waterway flows on an 850-acre portion of the Kyles Ford Preserve. Echoing River Place's mission of conservation, groups work to save the preserve's endangered freshwater mussels. The area also hosts campsites, furnished wood cabins, and a restored retreat center for people looking to escape the monotonous monotony of everyday life.

Creamy curries, drunken noodles, and sushi rolls stuffed with barbecue eel and fried oysters helped earn Stir Fry Cafe runners-up nods in both the Best Asian and Best Sushi categories for Knoxville News Sentinel’s Best of 2012 list. Blackened tilapia and thai teriyaki chicken stand on plates beside walls decorated with art from local artists. Wine and beer flow freely at the black-and-white checkered bar, which also served as the base for Stir Fry Cafe’s attempt at crafting the longest fish taco in known space.

Atlanta Bread bakes more than a dozen varieties of fresh breads to frame a menu of hearty sandwiches and savory soup dippers served within its casual, WiFi-enabled café. The ABC Special signature sandwich places a bounty on the heads of four notorious lunchmeats—roast beef, turkey, pepperoni, and honey-maple ham—which can only be collected by the wrangling prowess of provolone and french baguette ($6.99). With applewood-smoked bacon strip-mined across a ciabatta bun, the Bistro Chicken Press detonates a palatable explosion of taste ($6.89). The Chopstick chicken salad appeases greens-craving taste buds with an incongruously appetizing pairing of leafy romaine lettuce and crispy chow-mein noodles ($6.99). Book meals a play date with one of five freshly brewed flavors from Italian coffee titan Lavazza ($1.79 for a grande), or save space for a cup or bowl of soup du jour, which varies depending on which jour is in season.

Performances will be held June 10, 11, 17, 18, 24, and 25 at 7:30 p.m. Doors open at 6 p.m., and dinner is served at 6:30 p.m.

Amid red-and-white checkered tablecloths, a canopy of team pennants, and TVs playing episodes of The Andy Griffith Show, Dixie Barbeque owner Alan Howell serves up a wide-ranging menu of succulent southern barbecue. The pulled-pork sandwich ($5.19 for a regular; $6.35 for a large) bundles up with a side of rolls, slaw upon request, and E.T. Red barbecue sauce, mesmerizing mouths both human and Martian. Or order a sandwich plain and douse it with a choice of sauces, such as Alabama White, South Carolina Gold, and the understated Sauce from Hell.