CLOSE

The Flower Pot is part floral shop, part gift shop, part gourmet foods vendor and part restaurant. Knoxville News Sentinel

I inadvertently discovered this place online. It’s a cool little shop on Washington Avenue, near the 4th and Gill neighborhood. It’s part floral shop, part gift shop, part gourmet foods vendor and part restaurant. I gave the elder Grub Sprout a ride to get his second vaccination dose last week, and while we were out, we stopped by The Flower Pot for lunch to explore the eatery component of the business.

The server on duty informed us there would be a one-hour wait, which I found surprising since it was well after 1 p.m. But indeed, all tables in their four separate dining alcoves were seated. A woman behind the counter, who seemed to be either an owner or a manager, said we could be served at their front-window couches if we wished. I took advantage of that rather than waiting an hour. It didn’t take long, however, for another party to vacate its table, allowing The Sprout and me to slip in like regular customers.

We were too late for breakfast, which includes items like oatmeal bowls, breakfast sandwiches, a Belgian waffle and a country breakfast featuring biscuits and gravy with scrambled eggs plus bacon, oatmeal or grits.

The lunch fare is primarily split between sandwiches and entrees. There are several varieties of burgers, including a brisket burger and a bacon Swiss burger. I also noticed a smoked chicken breast sandwich, a BLT and deli sandwiches made with choice of meat. I ordered the Buffalo burger ($11.99), which the menu says is made with Buffalo sauce (not buffalo meat), cole slaw and served with waffle fries. I requested a small bowl of the soup of the day (brisket chili, $3.99) on the side.

Entrees include a brisket dinner, pulled pork dinner, pot roast, blackened chicken pasta and veggies Alfredo with mushrooms, zucchini and sun-dried tomatoes. The Sprout looked those over and wound up getting the 3 Cheese Griller and bowl of brisket chili ($10.99).

For the record, The Flower Pot also serves soups and salads, several flavors of chicken wings and appetizers like a meat-and-cheese tray and spinach dip with breadsticks.

We waited close to a half-hour before our meals were brought out. In the interim, our server had to come out and verify what kind of bread The Sprout wanted on his grilled cheese (he picked white over sourdough) and to ask me what kind of cheese I wanted on my burger. I picked provolone over Swiss, Monterrey jack and pepper jack.

Our meals were served in elegant-looking but flimsy plastic dishes with plastic cutlery. Shortly into my meal, I noticed there was no slaw on my burger; there were no waffle fries on my plate; and I had been given a large chili instead of a small. I learned they had run out of waffle fries, which would have been nice to know prior to ordering. Our server offered me another type of fries, but since I had received extra chili, I decided to call it good and proceed with my meal.

More: Check out the Knoxville restaurants and bars that have opened in 2021

More: From food trucks to rooftops, here's your guide to Knoxville's must-try dining experiences

The Sprout and I agreed the brisket chili was very good — meaty, beany, saucy and quite filling. The Sprout's grilled cheese was enjoyable in a gooey-cheese sort of way, and the bread was grilled to perfection. The burger was unremarkable. I appreciated the hot sauce, but otherwise, the well-done patty and slightly smashed buns did little to elevate this sandwich above the masses.

They have a lot of desserts at The Flower Pot, including pies, cakes, cheesecake and ice cream treats. The Sprout got a slice of cheesecake of the standard food-distributor variety ($4.99), while I got one of their few homemade goodies — the blueberry cobbler topped with vanilla ice cream ($4.99). I had mine served hot, and the combo of blueberry filling, blueberry-muffin-like breading and ice cream was the highlight of my meal. I would highly recommend it.

There were service oversights along the way, but our server did the right thing in the end by not charging us for one of our desserts to make up for the missing fries and other issues.

In general, I think this is a unique, laid-back space to have a relaxing meal with friends or family in an artsy and floral setting. My recommendation: Once you’re seated, don’t be in a rush.

The Flower Pot Galleria & Eatery

Food: 3.75

Service: 3.5

Atmosphere: 4

Overall: 3.75

Address: 1520 Washington Ave.

Phone: 865-240-3499

No alcohol service

Hours: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mondays through Sundays

This charming restaurant and shop provides a relaxing environment to enjoy a laid-back breakfast or lunch.

Read or Share this story: https://www.knoxnews.com/story/entertainment/columnists/grub-scout/2021/06/23/flower-pot-washington-avenue-offers-laid-back-dining-grub-scout/7766421002/