Places to Visit in Knoxville, Tennessee ↠ Artistic Bean (Now Southern Grace Coffee Co.)

A few weekends ago, we packed up the fam (how does one tiny person need so much STUFF for a quick outing?) and headed to the coffee shop down the street for the morning to try Southern Grace Coffee Co. in Maryville, Tennessee and their brand new waffles! My coffee love runs deep and I always prefer trying out a local coffee shop versus the chain options, but I don't always know what to order when I get there. Decisions make me nervous.

The owners of Artistic Bean coffee shop near Knoxville, TN (they have two locations, I'll list them below) were sweet enough to let us try a few of their options and chat about what goes into each one. Although, I have to admit I was so hopped up on caffeine by the time we discussed some of this, that I might not remember it all. There was a lot of nodding involved. 

Artistic Bean roasts their coffee in-house and uses all natural and organic ingredients and use local Cruze Farm milk. LOVE that! They also make their mocha and other sauces from scratch, I do the same at home and I promise you can taste the difference (and your body will thank you for it), but everything is better when someone else makes it for you. Am I right? Their Peppermint Frappe was so delicious! Not overly sweet like the chains, just perfect. Their chai mix is also made in-house, but they were out the day we visited so it's on our list to try next time.

Their latte coffee had the fancy instagram worthy latte art and was even more yummy than it was pretty...and that's saying a lot. I barely stopped for air as I sipped away, it has so much more flavor than the big chains and I really enjoyed the bold and strong coffee flavor of their latte. 

I do recommend the Chai Tea Latte (even though we didn't get to try it) if you're sensitive to caffeine or don't drink it often. Their coffee is strong! I don't consider myself at all sensitive to caffeine (I could drink it before bed and I'd be fine...I know this from experience), but after tasting several drinks I was definitely jittery!

We also tried their biscotti and new waffles. Iris loved the biscotti and I want to go back for more waffles! They had a hint of coffee flavor as well...but maybe that was just from all the coffee I was drinking with them? I just know they were delicious!

The staff at Southern Grace Coffee Co. in Maryville, TN are some of the friendliest I've encountered. I can't speak for the others myself, because I haven't been yet, but from the reviews online it seems like they all have very helpful and welcoming staff and owners. The coffee shop was full of regulars they knew by name. I felt like I was in the Cheers of coffee shops! I can see why people come back often.

What to try:

• Latte

• Peppermint Frappe

• Waffles

What I'm trying next time:

• Chai Tea Latte

• Cold Brew

• Pumpkin Spice Frappe

Where to find Southern Grace Coffee Co. and Artistic Bean:

• Maryville (Southern Grace Coffee Co.): 1738 W Broadway Ave, Maryville, TN 37801

• Townsend (Artistic Bean): 8027 E Lamar Alexander Pkwy, Townsend, TN 37882

Make sure to check out my other Knoxville, TN Places to Visit and Eat!

♡ MALLORIE

Places to Eat in Knoxville, Tennessee ↠ Aroma Cafe.

Our family tried the Knoxville restaurant Aroma Cafe in Maryville last week and I already can't wait to go back! The Knoxville food scene is super diverse and I love finding hole-in-the-wall spots that are super authentic. This fun little Cuban cafe is the real deal. 

If you're in Knoxville, TN area I would definitely add this to your list. The empanadas were fried to perfection and had the best flavor, the papa rellena was the perfect cold weather comfort food, and the guava and cream cheese dessert empanadas were sweet without being too rich. And you can't beat the prices. 

SEE ALSO: Apple Cake Tea Room restaurant in Knoxville, Tennessee

What to try: 

• Cuban Sandwich
• Beef Empanada
• Papa Rellena
• Desert Empanada

What I'm trying next time: 

• Ham Croquettes
• Homemade Flan
• Cuban Coffee

Let's start with the Cuban Sandwich: ham, pork, cheese, mayo, mustard, pickles. This isn't the place to try if you're gluten free or restricting calories, but I believe in moderation and I didn't leave feeling like an over-stuffed slug...it's called balance, people! The sandwich was delicious and the portions were huge, I got to enjoy half for dinner later that night. Leftovers are my love language.

I ordered a Beef Empanada and a Papa Rellena as my side and they were both my favorite part of the meal. Delicious cuban spices and beef all wrapped in breading. What's not to love? 

We tried the Guava and Cream Cheese Dessert Empanada to finish and it was just as delicious as the rest. This was Iris' favorite part, of course, she doesn't get sweets very often. The only thing missing from this dish was a scoop of vanilla ice cream, but luckily they have an ice cream shop attached to Aroma Cafe so... 

My only regret is they were out of Cuban Coffee when we ordered. I really needed caffeine (what else is new) and I wanted to try it, but they were really busy during the lunch hour that day. I'll definitely be trying it when we go back!

Have you tried Cuban food before? If so, did I miss something delicious that I have to try next time? Let me know in the comments...

More Places to Eat!

♡ MALLORIE