Caribbean Restaurant in Knoxville

June 15, 2026

A Caribbean restaurant in Knoxville offers East Tennessee diners island cooking they cannot get from a chain: jerk chicken seasoned and smoked the Jamaican way, oxtail braised until tender, brown stew, and sweet fried plantains made by cooks who carry family recipes from Kingston and beyond. Knoxville is Tennessee’s third-largest city, with a population of roughly 195,000 as of 2024 (U.S. Census Bureau), and while Caribbean restaurants are fewer here than in Nashville or Memphis, the city supports a small group of Jamaican kitchens, some operating from storefronts and some from food trucks with fixed routes. For diners craving island flavors, these spots cover North Knoxville, Fountain City, and the Cedar Bluff area.

Caribbean cooking in Knoxville is almost entirely Jamaican, anchored by jerk chicken, curry chicken, brown stew, oxtail, rasta pasta, cabbage, rice and peas, and beef patties, with sides such as fried plantains and stew cabbage rounding out the plates. Several of Knoxville’s Caribbean businesses began as part-time food trucks before adding brick-and-mortar locations, a path common to the sector, and family ownership is a recurring theme, with recipes named for and passed down from island matriarchs. Because the market is smaller, some of the city’s strongest options are mobile, and a food truck with a steady following and a fixed weekly schedule is a meaningful part of the Caribbean dining picture here rather than an afterthought.

Caribbean restaurants in Knoxville operate under Tennessee’s food-service rules. Each must hold a food-service establishment permit issued under the Tennessee Department of Health framework and administered locally by the Knox County Health Department, which inspects kitchens for food safety before issuing a permit and on a recurring basis afterward. State law sets the annual permit fee by seating capacity, at $210 for establishments with 50 seats or fewer and $360 for those with 51 or more, and the permit year runs from July 1 to June 30. At least one person on staff must complete a Department of Health approved food safety training course, and food trucks must hold the same permit as a sit-down kitchen. A restaurant that serves liquor, wine, or high-gravity beer for on-premises consumption also needs a Liquor-by-the-Drink license from the Tennessee Alcoholic Beverage Commission (TABC), with those sales carrying the state’s 15% liquor-by-the-drink tax.

Prepared food sold by a restaurant is taxed at the full combined sales-tax rate rather than the reduced grocery rate, which in Knox County reaches roughly 9.25% (7% state plus the local option). The rate is the same for dine-in, takeout, or catering. Tennessee’s consumer protection framework, administered by the Division of Consumer Affairs under the Tennessee Consumer Protection Act (TCA 47-18-104), handles complaints about deceptive business practices, while food-safety concerns such as suspected foodborne illness or sanitation problems are reported to the Knox County Health Department. Reviewing a restaurant’s current health-inspection score, posted by the county health department, is a useful step before a first visit, and confirming a food truck’s location and hours on its website or social media avoids a wasted trip.

Top Caribbean Restaurant Providers in Knoxville

1. Dulcie’s Cafe

Address: 703 N Cherry Street, Knoxville, TN 37914
Phone: (865) 805-7663
Website: not available (see social media and delivery-app listings)
Services: dine-in, takeout, catering, breakfast (select days), Jamaican entrees and sides
Description: Dulcie’s Cafe is a family-owned Jamaican restaurant run by the mother-and-daughter team of Sandra Allen and Jeneve Blake-Johnson, who opened the first location at 703 N. Cherry Street in 2020. The cafe is named in honor of family matriarch Dulcie Sherriah and carries forward the spirit of her Kingston kitchen. What began as a three-day-a-week food truck has grown into a business with two brick-and-mortar locations. The menu features Jamaican staples including oxtails, jerk chicken, brown stew, rasta pasta, cabbage, and beef patties, with island sides and traditional preparations. Dulcie’s offers dine-in and takeout, and the North Cherry Street location anchors the city’s Jamaican dining with a sit-down storefront. The cafe is a frequently cited option for authentic Jamaican cooking in Knoxville.

2. Chef Irie’s Jamaican Kitchen

Address: 4839 N Broadway, Knoxville, TN 37918 (food truck; second location at 9133 Executive Park, Cedar Bluff area)
Phone: (865) 399-7737
Website: https://chefiries.com
Services: takeout, third-party delivery, catering, online ordering
Description: Chef Irie’s Jamaican Kitchen is a family-owned Jamaican street-food operation that runs from two food-truck locations in Knoxville: a North Knoxville spot at 4839 N. Broadway in the Fountain City area and a West Knoxville spot at 9133 Executive Park in the Cedar Bluff area. The kitchen describes its cooking as generations-old Jamaican technique with bold spice, built on family recipes. The menu centers on jerk chicken offered as leg quarter, boneless breast, and wings, along with curry chicken, brown stew chicken, fried plantains, loaded fries, jerk chicken wraps, rice and peas, and stew cabbage, with house drinks including ginger lemonade and Jamaican sorrel. Chef Irie’s offers takeout from the trucks, third-party delivery through major platforms, direct online ordering, and catering for group events. Because the operation is mobile, checking the current schedule before visiting is recommended.

3. Caribbean Soul Authentic Jamaican Food

Address: Knoxville, TN 37915 (food truck; serves Knoxville and surrounding area)
Phone: (865) 297-5375
Website: not available (see social media and delivery-app listings)
Services: food truck, takeout, catering, Jamaican entrees and sides
Description: Caribbean Soul is a Knoxville food truck serving authentic Jamaican food, owned and operated by Jerome J. The operation is known for jerk chicken and a range of traditional Jamaican dishes including oxtail, paired with island sides such as caramelized plantains. As a mobile vendor, Caribbean Soul posts its operating days and locations rather than a fixed dining room, typically running later hours on Fridays and Saturdays, and it offers catering for events. Listed as a food truck, it represents the mobile side of Knoxville’s Caribbean scene, where strong island cooking is often found on wheels. Diners should confirm the current stop and hours through the operator’s listings or social media before heading out, since the location changes by day.

Availability note: Caribbean restaurants are relatively scarce in Knoxville compared with Tennessee’s two largest cities, and two of the three options profiled here operate as food trucks rather than full sit-down dining rooms. Dulcie’s Cafe is the primary brick-and-mortar Jamaican restaurant in the city. The food trucks are included because they have verifiable web or listing presences and established followings, and they are noted as trucks rather than presented as fixed-location restaurants.

Frequently Asked Questions About Caribbean Restaurant in Knoxville

Q: What kind of food does a Caribbean restaurant in Knoxville serve?

Caribbean cooking in Knoxville is almost entirely Jamaican, centered on jerk chicken, curry chicken, brown stew, oxtail, rasta pasta, cabbage, rice and peas, and beef patties. Sides commonly include fried plantains and stew cabbage, and several spots serve house-made drinks such as ginger lemonade and Jamaican sorrel. Menus lean toward traditional island plates rather than wide pan-Caribbean fusion.

Q: Are Caribbean restaurants common in Knoxville?

They are fewer than in Nashville or Memphis. Knoxville supports a small group of Jamaican kitchens, with one main brick-and-mortar restaurant and several food trucks that have steady followings and fixed weekly routes. The mobile vendors are a real part of the scene rather than a fallback, so diners looking for island food often track a truck’s schedule in addition to visiting a storefront.

Q: Do Caribbean food trucks in Knoxville need a health permit?

Yes. Food trucks must hold the same food-service establishment permit as a brick-and-mortar restaurant, administered by the Knox County Health Department under the Tennessee Department of Health framework, and they are inspected for food safety. The state sets the annual fee by seating capacity, $210 for 50 seats or fewer and $360 for 51 or more, the permit year runs July 1 to June 30, and at least one staff member must complete an approved food safety training course.

Q: How much is sales tax on a Caribbean restaurant meal in Knoxville?

Prepared food sold by a restaurant or food truck is taxed at the full combined rate, not the reduced grocery rate. In Knox County that combined rate is roughly 9.25%, which is the 7% state sales tax plus the local option tax. The rate applies the same to dine-in, takeout, and catering prepared plates.

Q: Can a Caribbean restaurant in Knoxville serve rum cocktails or Red Stripe?

A restaurant that wants to serve liquor, wine, or high-gravity beer for on-premises consumption needs a Liquor-by-the-Drink license from the Tennessee Alcoholic Beverage Commission, and those sales carry a 15% liquor-by-the-drink tax. Many of Knoxville’s Caribbean options are takeout-focused or mobile and do not serve alcohol, leaning instead on house-made juices, ginger drinks, and sorrel.

Q: How can I check a Knoxville restaurant’s health-inspection score or file a complaint?

Health-inspection scores for Knoxville restaurants and food trucks are issued by the Knox County Health Department, which also takes reports of sanitation problems or suspected foodborne illness. Complaints about deceptive business practices, such as billing disputes, can be filed with the Tennessee Division of Consumer Affairs under the Tennessee Consumer Protection Act (TCA 47-18-104). Keeping receipts and notes about the visit helps support any complaint.