Aubrey's - Casual Dining in East Tennessee

After attending a local social event on Cinco de Mayo and then finding that all of the local Mexican restaurants were pretty much overwhelmed, Laurie and I…along with Dennis and Edera, Irv and Martha, plus Dave and Diana…decided to go to Aubrey’s Restaurant in Lenoir City Tennessee.  It’s a big place built for casual dining and it has a varied menu.  Laurie and I have enjoyed several meals at Aubrey’s over the past couple of years. 

I failed to get a photo of the exterior prior to our meal and by the time we left, it was dark outside… So, I’ll start right out with the food!

This was the most attractive entrée.  One member of our little group ordered the Asian Chicken Salad.  This layered salad included grilled chicken, crispy wontons, mandarin oranges, peanuts and sesame seeds, served over mesclun with a sweet Thai vinaigrette dressing.  It received a very positive review!

Two of the guys at the table ordered the Southern Pulled BBQ Pork Platter.  This entrée comes with 2 sides…in this case the diner ordered Cole Slaw and Cinnamon Apples.  The score for this item was 1 = Very Good and 1 = Good.  Not too bad for a local chain, (6 Aubrey’s), in a heavy BBQ marketplace…

I tried to be healthy… I ordered the Peanut Crusted Catfish Fingers.  While I was unaware that catfish had ‘fingers’, these flash-fried catfish filets came with a lemon caper dipping sauce and a side of steamed broccoli.  The catfish was very nice, the dipping sauce was terrific and the broccoli was done perfectly!

Another healthy diner among us ordered the Lemon-Lime Chicken…a grilled 10 oz. marinated double breast.  For sides, this dish came with the broccoli and smashed new potatoes.  Again, a very positive review by one of our dining companions!

The Wisconsin Cheddar Burger…a half-pound of Black Angus chuck topped with Wisconsin cheddar cheese, lettuce, tomato and onion…also received high grades.  It was juicy and cooked just as ordered.  The accompanying Thick Cut Potato Chips got a rave review.  Laurie and I had these before…even ordering them as an appetizer…and we both like them a lot!  They come with a terrific buttermilk garlic dipping sauce.

Here we have the Haystack…grilled chicken and sautéed mushrooms, tossed with linguine in a classic parmesan and mushroom cream sauce.  As reported, it was very flavorful, rich and creamy… Plenty of food for sure!    

Last but not least, we have the Hickory Chicken…a boneless 10 oz. chicken breast with cheddar cheese, diced tomatoes and hickory barbeque sauce.  One of the sides was the parmesan spinach and the other was the baked yellow squash.  What’s important is that we had another very satisfied diner at our table!

Not too bad!  We scored 7 ‘very good’ ratings and one ‘good’ rating at our table.  FYI…service was competent and the casual atmosphere was relaxing.  Aubrey’s had once again served us well… Try it, you will like it!

In addition to the 6 Aubrey’s locations in East Tennessee, the same corporation has 4 other restaurants for those living in and around Knoxville to experience.  They include Sunspot, Bistro by the Tracks and, Barley’s Knoxville. 

The Lenoir City Aubrey’s is just east of I-75 at Exit 81 (US 321). The address is 401 Town Creek Road East…although the location is a bit strange.  It’s tucked in behind the Cracker Barrel Restaurant and next to the hospital… Phone: 865-986-3113.  Website: www.aubreysrestaurant.com/aubreys/.