19 (Nineteen) More Places to Eat in the City of Johnson City Tennessee

So we decided to put ourselves out there again, and eat some more in the beautiful City of Johnson City Tennessee. There are so many hidden gems around here that you could go for days and days, doing foodie tours, eating, drinking, meeting cool folks, and having a great time! If you have not read our blog about the 1st 10 Johnson City Restaurants that we posted about, please do so. Yo! Of course there are ups and downs, like that steakhouse where I erased the photos that I took because the food was horrible. Or that pub that had an amazing Cuban, but the staff was pretentious and dismissive. So we just take notes and try not to make that mistake again. We happily move on to create great experiences at the next spot. You should too. With that said, here are 19 restaurants, eateries, and dessert stops in Johnson City that you need to check out!…

I have friends from Laos and Thailand, so when we saw this place, we quickly put it on our list. Zaap Lai Thai & Lao Cuisine has some yummy Thai food, but they also have several foodie features from Laos. I am telling you, skip the Chinese food for a night and try this, it’s so good!

Right downtown is this little eatery called Mid City Grill and they offer a bunch of items that you would find on a normal grill menu but the quality of their food and the staff were definitely above the norm. Plus, they have a Vegan section on their menu that is sure to please those who don’t eat meat.

Looking for some delicious and authentic Italian food in the Johnson City Tennessee area? Bella Vita is definitely the place to be! I stopped in for a quick lunch, but after looking at the menu, I actually got stuck for quite some time. There were so many dishes that I wanted, ones that I remember eating years ago in New York City, and it’s right here in JC. Wow! So yum all around.

Johnny Brusco Pizza has been around for a long time and they have just about perfected the pizzeria concept. They originated in New York City and now have locations in 6 States across the southeast. And although it is a chain, it is definitely much better than the other chain pizzerias that you would normally find around town. And, on Monday nights, they usually have a per-slice or pizza special available!

When you’re looking for a biscuit in Johnson City Tennessee, there is a really tasty place to be, and that is Maple Street Biscuit Company! We had such a great meal here… the food, drinks, staff, everything. One of the things we noticed is that there was a round community table, where individuals, possibly eating alone, can have a place to eat with others. Sometimes we can’t even get our own family together at one table for a meal, and then there are some people who may not have family, so we love what they did here. They also have Muletown Coffee available at all of their locations.

We definitely didn’t expect this tasty meal from Kickback Jacks, but we are so glad we got it! They have locations across North Carolina, Virginia, and Tennessee; and a packed menu of eats that you will surely want to try. Plus they have a great bar area with lots of cocktails and beers.

Want something sweet? Sam’s Snoball Paradise is a fantastic spot to get some of the most creative desserts in Johnson City Tennessee. They have so many variations of shaved ice, with ice cream, flavors, and topping galore. This dessert heaven is a must stop when you are in the area.

After a long night of love in Johnson City Tennessee, I wanted tacos, but not just any tacos; I wanted Birria tacos. If you have not had these types of tacos, they are so delicious, and the first place that popped up was Calaveras, so I jumped in the truck and headed that way, but much to my dismay, it was closed. Sometimes I’m not looking at hours, I’m coming through, and stop by on the fly, by faith, kinda ride or die lol. So after they were closed, I stopped by someplace named Tacos & Grill and they only did Birria tacos on Mondays, and then I called about 5 other Mexican restaurants, and nothing. One place said they used to make them, but stopped because of lack of interest. Hardly anyone knows about these tacos, so you wouldn’t look for them or order them on the regular. I remember the first time I tried them, my friend and her mom made them, and then she told me that these were premium authentic Birria tacos, and gave me one. I took a bite, looked at her and said “how long have you been hiding these from me, the non-Mexican?” Then the story gets even better, see below…

Then I got a text from that still small voice (HER) that said… “Ole’s Guacamoles lol” so I called them.  I spoke to the lady who answered the phone and explained to her what I was looking for, and by this time I pretty much just wanted her to say no, but she said yes! I raced that way and this place really made my day. The atmosphere was clean and inviting, the staff had good energy and it showed by the smiles on their faces, and the food, well let me tell you, it was so perfectooooo! They have Birria tacos errday and they are my go-to after this. If you have not been here, get here.

Another dessert stop that you will surely want to make is Mona Lisa’s Gelato & Cafe. We ate at like 5 places that day already, but stopped by here to try their Gelato, delish!.. and then realized that they have other eats as well, so we are definitely going back for lunch and brunch!

Whyyy can’t we just have a Wheeler’s Bagels in Asheville? I know we have Bruegger’s and other places that have good bagels, blah blah blah, but it’s just not a Wheeler’s. This place is fantastic and a nice representation of an old school bagel shop with new energy, with several creative bagel eats on the menu. This shop is bagelicious, like you baby!

I saw Burg’r N Barrel and Gather JC Depot several times, stopped by once or twice and it was closed, or raining like crazy, something like that, I don’t know; but this time we made it, and were so glad that we did. You can go inside the main restaurant, you can sit out on the patio, you could grab a one top, a two top, a three top, you get the gist. Anywaysss, we sat at the outside bar, ordered drinks and some brisket, and had an amazing evening. Don was on the tunes, the bar staff was kicking ass, folks were dancing, so much fun for everyone! It almost got Coyote Ugly up in there but I tried to tame them down some. Not my norm, since I’m the fire, and it seemed like the perfect opportunity to go ape shit (in a good way), but we had other places to go, other things to see, and other people to do. So we left.

There is the incredible little cafe in Johnson City Tennessee that you really need to check out. We have stopped by Open Doors Coffeehouse several times, once with the whole family for breakfast/brunch, and each and every time, it is delicious. Plus the staff that works here and even the people that frequent this spot are pretty cool. Here is a berry salad special that they had on the chalkboard, yes, get that, or anything here, everything is so good!

Cootie Brown’s rules in Eastern Tennessee. They are definitely a staple and go-to in the community, and their food, atmosphere, and customer service has been all-around pretty great. We have had several incredible times here and look forward to many more.

Here’s a MUST stop dessert in Johnson City Tennessee that is another hidden gem in the community that you do not want to miss. The ice cream and frozen desserts at Michoacana are so incredibly delicious, made right there in their shop, fruity, healthy, perfecto! Even if you don’t speak Spanish, no problemo, the staff can speak English too, but all you have to do is point at what you want and pay for it, it’s that easy and so worth it.

In other news, Al’s Deli in Johnson City TN, over there in that mall, has bought a pizza oven and added pizza to their menu, in addition to a handful of their delicious signature sandwiches; and although we have yet to try it, they are now offering 2 slices and a drink for $6 during lunch. Not much of a gamble. Why not put them to the test?! Yay or nay.

We came across (acrost) this spot called Project BBQ and from the looks of it, their reviews, and their presentation, it better be good! Heading here soon to munch.

This is probably the biggest and best news that we have for those of you living in Johnson City Tennessee, and for those who will be visiting. Some of you may not know, but the name Ruth is so special to me. First there was Ruth & Boaz, then Dr. Ruth, and one day I found myself madly in love with a lady named Ruth who was… wait for it… a Doctor. Anyway, back to food news. Auntie Ruth’s Doughnuts & Pretzels is coming to JC!!! I’ve been trekking it out to Troyer’s to get some of their deliciousness, but I can’t be doing that every day. Now, most likely because of me, they have found another way. Come to me baby! And bring a lemon donut wit ya. I love you. Thank you.

And last, but definitely not least, Hooter’s has a location in Johnson City Tennessee! The one in Asheville didn’t make it, so thousands travel weekly from Western North Carolina to visit this location. I don’t have any data on that, just made it up, but who cares. Go there, get you some wings, and call it a day. Goodnight people. Mwah! -g

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