Two Trips On The Tracks At Tupelo Honey Cafe

It has been a while since I did a restaurant blog so here is one on the Tupelo Honey Cafe in Johnson City, TN. I meant to do this back in the summer after enjoying my birthday dinner there in July. Well another birthday, this time Deb's, has provided another opportunity to talk about this wonderful restaurant in my adopted hometown.

The restaurant is a regional chain which started in Asheville, NC and now has locations in 12 in 11 cities. The Johnson City location is less than a year old. It resides in the old Clinchfield Train Station, off downtown. The restaurant plays on the old train station. From the outdoor seating on the old platform to the railway signs inside the old station to the model train that weaves through the miniature landscape of Johnson City of the past.

Outside the restaurant.

Hours.

Dinning area and kitchen.

Bar area.

Part of the miniature train set...

...& old Johnson City.

With any restaurant it is the food where the train hits the tracks, and Tupelo scores plenty of points here. I don't always get appetizers, but here you will want too, the reason Appalachian Egg Rolls! They are egg rolls but they are filled with barbeque pork, greens and served with jalapeno BBQ sauce and spicy mustard...they alone are worth the trip to the restaurant. During my first visit I also had the Tomato Soup and this is another winner. Then on my most recent visit we also had the Herbed Lamb Meatballs and while very good the egg rolls are better. Oh, you can also get bisques with jelly and acourse some Tupelo honey.

Appalachian Egg Rolls...

...egg rolls & Herbed Lamb Meatballs.

Tomato Soup.

As for entrées on my first trip I had the Southern Buttermilk Fried Chicken, with Smashed Sweet Potatoes and Benne Coated Asparagus, which was really good, but I have to say the meal I had last week was sublime. It was off the seasonal menu and it was a Roasted Duck Breast in a Cherry Port Wine Sauce. As anyone who knows me know duck is the king of bird meat. So anytime I can get a great duck meal I am happy and let just say this meal took me to my happy place. It also came with a shaved Brussels Sprout Salad and a Root Vegetable Pot Pie...nice!

Southern Buttermilk Fried Chicken.

Roasted Duck Breast.

Because of the tornado warning on our first visit I wasn't able to get a desert because they were thinking that we might have to go to the kitchen in case the storm hit the restaurant. So, last week, while it was raining the weather was not near as bad. Anyway, the desert we ordered was an excellent Pecan Pie with Vanilla Ice Cream.

A tornado meant no dessert in July...

...but on my next visit I got Pecan Pie.

Yazoo Sue Smoked Stout.

While the beer menu may not be important to some, it is too me, the restaurant scores bonus points on it selection of local draft beers. Some of the breweries I have enjoyed were first from Saw Works (Knoxville, TN), Wolf Hills (Abingdon, VA) and Holston River (Bristol, TN). Like I said bonus points!

So, if you are in Johnson City you cannot go wrong crossing the tracks at Tupelo Honey Cafe. Oh, and a location will open soon in Atlanta!