Big Orange Philly’s specializes in sandwiches, burgers, other hearty pub fare | Grub Scout

The Grub Scout
·4 min read

I wasn’t familiar with Big Orange Philly’s until a couple of months ago. I made the erroneous assumption that it was a fairly new business, but once The Grub Spouse and I stepped inside the Maynardville Pike restaurant and sports bar, I got the impression that it had been around for a while. The bar and dining areas had a well-lived-in vibe, and if I were a betting person, I might even wager that BOP’s might have been a smoker-friendly establishment in the not-too-distant past.

At any rate, The Spouse and I were there for the food, which is showcased prominently on their website. Considering that Big Orange Philly’s is a sports bar with strands of blue-collar DNA, its menu unsurprisingly consists largely not only of Philly-style sandwiches but also of hearty American fare in general. Exhibit A: The appetizers include classics such as nachos, cheese sticks, several varieties of pita-based pizzas, onion rings and fried mushrooms or pickles. We opted to skip an appetizer, thinking that the lineup of desserts would be too tempting to pass up later.

As for sandwiches, they indeed serve several variations on the Philly, including a Heinz 57 steak or chicken Philly and a grilled Buffalo chicken Philly. The Spouse kept things old school by ordering a traditional Philly cheesesteak ($12.99): thin slices of steak covered with sautéed peppers, onions and — in a slight twist — mushrooms. Provolone cheese, lettuce, tomato and mayo round out this hoagie-contained sandwich.

The traditional Philly cheesesteak sandwich at Big Orange Philly's has thin slices of steak covered with sauteed peppers, onions and — in a slight twist — mushrooms.
The traditional Philly cheesesteak sandwich at Big Orange Philly's has thin slices of steak covered with sauteed peppers, onions and — in a slight twist — mushrooms.

Other sandwiches, subs and wraps include a club, ham and cheese, turkey, Reuben, chicken teriyaki, chicken Caesar wrap and a chicken ranch wrap. BOP’s also serves several types of burgers, which sounded especially good to me that evening. I ordered the Heart Attack Burger ($13.99) — a half-pound beef patty topped with bacon, smoked cheddar cheese, a fried egg, grilled onions, an onion ring, barbecue sauce, lettuce and tomato. Burgers come with a choice of fries or tots, and once our server told us that both our sandwiches were substantial, we decided to just share my side of fries.

As one might expect based on the name, University of Tennessee athletics is a prominent theme at Big Orange Philly’s. A lot of orange is indeed integrated into the color scheme of the open bar and dining area. You’ll also find bits of UT-themed décor on the walls, and true to its sports-bar nature, plenty of wall-mounted TVs are on hand to meet your viewing needs. I also took note of several poker tables toward the back of the main room; each accommodated a number of card sharps (or sharks).

The Heart Attack Burger at Big Orange Philly's in North Knoxville is made up of a half-pound beef patty topped with bacon, smoked cheddar cheese, a fried egg, grilled onions, an onion ring, barbecue sauce, lettuce and tomato.
The Heart Attack Burger at Big Orange Philly's in North Knoxville is made up of a half-pound beef patty topped with bacon, smoked cheddar cheese, a fried egg, grilled onions, an onion ring, barbecue sauce, lettuce and tomato.

I honestly didn’t have super-high expectations when it came to the food at this place, but I must admit I was pleasantly surprised. The Philly was an admirable effort, the hoagie roll piled high with meat and grilled-veggie toppings. And they certainly didn’t skimp on the cheese. This sammy was a greasy, gooey treat, and I even thought the mushrooms were a smart add-on.

I was also very fond of the burger. The hefty slab of meat was the foundation for an intimidating stack enhanced by the onion ring, egg and veggie toppings. With fresh buns added to the mix, I was able to chomp through only about half the thickness of this burger in each bite. It was a bit messy, but it was a delicious mess. The Spouse and I agreed that the from-the-freezer crinkle fries were OK, but we’re glad we didn’t overdo it when it came to sides.

The only disappointment of the evening came when we learned that the person who makes BOP’s desserts — someone I believe our server referred to as “Mamaw” — hadn’t been around to make the sweet stuff for several weeks. Too bad. If they indeed serve homemade desserts, and they’re made by someone’s mamaw, I would expect that they would have been quite enjoyable, based on the rest of our meal.

I don’t know if we’ll make a special trip back to Big Orange Philly’s just to give the desserts a go, but if you call North Knoxville home and are looking for tasty pub grub in a neighborhood-sports-bar atmosphere, you might want to take Philly's for a spin around the track.

Big Orange Philly’s

Food: 4.25

Service: 3.5

Atmosphere: 3.5

Overall: 3.75

Address: 6625 Maynardville Pike, Suite 105

Phone: 865-377-3162

Full bar service

Hours: 11 a.m.-11 p.m. Sundays through Wednesdays; 10 a.m.-midnight Thursdays; 11 a.m.-3 a.m. Fridays and Saturdays

You’ll find fresh, well-made Phillys, burgers and other American classics at this North Knoxville restaurant and sports bar.

This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Knoxville restaurant review: Big Orange Philly's serves hearty pub far