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 barbecue eel and fried shrimp 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. Teriyaki chicken and spicy noodles 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.

Weather, sports, and the adorable antics of children. Too frequently these topics dominate dinner-table discussions. Seldom do diners dig into the important topics of the day, such as who is sending threatening letters to a famous country music family? How did someone end up dead on the set of an '80s trivia game show? And who could have possibly wanted a Roaring Twenties gangster dead?

These kinds of riveting questions swirl around the dinner tables at the Casbah Theater, where Two Pence Productions inspires intrigue with a lineup of dinner shows, many of which are murder mysteries penned by playwright Eileen Moushy. Her original whodunits follow the classic sleuth framework that begins with a prelude to a murder, progresses to the dastardly deed, and culminates in an epic revelatory scene.

As the actors circulate throughout the theater and among the tables, guests listen in on dialogue to pick out clues and root out motives. Each plot line unfolds in a rich, evocative setting––such as the glamorous '80s or the dapper '20s––and the theater encourages guests to dress in costume, often awarding prizes to those who stay in character and use their cell phones as lie detector devices.

Since the first Fuddruckers opened its doors in 1980, the eatery has unabashedly proclaimed its signature sandwich to be the world's greatest hamburger. Thirty years and 140 franchised stores later lend some real weight to that claim. Using 100% USDA all-American premium cut beef, freshly baked buns, and a garden's worth of crispy vegetables on each burger, Fuddruckers has revolutionized the hamburger in North, Central, and South America. Their menu also includes a slew of specialty burgers and meats.

Waiting in the wings stands a supporting cast of American mainstays, including their hand-blended milkshake and the the oatmeal raisin cookie, and families tuck into the classic drive-in delights alongside a host of arcade games and sports memorabilia as classic tunes play over loudspeakers.

In 1937, Vernon Rudolph founded Krispy Kreme in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, with the first location on South Main Street in Old Salem. Seventy-seven years later, his secret doughnut recipe lives on within hundreds of Krispy Kreme locations, serving premium sweet treats across the globe.

The entire doughnut-making process, which customers can view up close and personal at many of Krispy Kreme?s outposts, begins with fresh ingredients and ends with the click of a fluorescent sign bearing the words, "Hot Doughnuts Now." From the original, mold-breaking glazed doughnut to newer doughnut varieties, such as Chocolate Iced with Kreme Filling, Glazed Raspberry Filled, and Glazed Chocolate Cake, each round dainty pairs with piping-hot coffee for a compact snack.