Roll On In and Buzzed Bull Creamery is a two-in-one treat spot on the Strip | Grub Scout
The Grub Spouse and I had hoped to visit Roll On In and Buzzed Bull Creamery before this year’s crop of students descended upon the University of Tennessee campus. No such luck; Cumberland Avenue was swarming with young adults. But I was fortunate enough to find a parking spot on the street, right around the corner from our destination.
I was intrigued by the Roll On In concept, which purports to be a fusion of Asian and Latin cuisines. That’s most apparent in their specialty burritos, which are composed of traditional sushi ingredients. One example is the Firecracker – zesty shrimp, cucumber, jalapeño, pickled red cabbage, green onion, romaine lettuce, fried sweet potato and wasabi mayo with rice and either seaweed or soy wrap. Other varieties include the spinach-centric Popeye and the Cali, which features crab and cucumber.
I got the Dyno ($16.45), made with spicy tuna, spicy salmon, corn salsa, cucumber, spinach, spicy mayo, sweet soy and crunchy tempura in a rice and seaweed wrap. I also ordered one of the appetizers, the Sushi Donut ($9.45), which is deep-fried white rice and cream cheese filled with a crabmeat mix, avocado mash, spicy mayo, sweet soy and spinach. Other apps include crab Rangoon, wonton tacos, spring rolls and dumplings.
The Spouse considered one of the six specialty bowls available, including the spicy Volcano bowl and the Heaven bowl, which is made with lo mein noodles, grilled salmon, crab mix and more. The Spouse got the Trio ($16.45), featuring fried rice, sweet chili steak, tempura shrimp, teriyaki chicken, carrot, avocado, citrus slaw, green onion, yum yum sauce and wonton strips.
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If you choose not to go with a specialty bowl or burrito, you may create your own dish, starting with a base, then adding your choice of proteins, fillers, toppings and sauces.
We learned from the staff that they’ve been open only for a few weeks. It seemed to us, however, that they were still stuck in the learning curve, working slowly but methodically as they referred to their recipe cards. And I’ll admit that there was a bit of a learning curve for us as patrons. The menu isn’t the most intuitive document I’ve ever seen.
However, we were very pleased with the final products that we took back to our table. The three different proteins in The Spouse’s bowl worked surprisingly well in concert, and the other ingredients really tied it all together. I was similarly happy with my burrito, which was a little heavy on rice, in my opinion, but the innards were a delight. The thin, crunchy seaweed wrap didn’t do a great job of containing its stuffing, but it was all very good.
The star of the show was the sushi donut. I might not have thought going in that deep-fried rice, cream cheese and crab meat would be as delicious as it was, but I quickly became a believer.
The proprietors of Roll On In also operate Buzzed Bull Creamery, which occupies the same store footprint. The Spouse and I decided to give it a go for dessert. The gimmick there is that they use liquid nitrogen to freeze their ice cream on the spot, and they are able to infuse their treats with alcohol. But the staffer told us early on that even though they had their liquor license, supply issues had prevented them from being able to add their signature buzz to their frozen desserts.
The Spouse and I forged ahead, ordering two of their 12 specialty items, a small Cherry Cordial (chocolate, cherry, Oreo, whipped cream – $6.19) and a large Strawberry Shortcake (strawberry, cake batter, graham crackers, whipped cream – $7.29). Although the suggested alcohol infusions weren’t available, we had fun watching them make the ice cream amidst clouds of nitrogen vapor.
The final products were tasty enough, but it was honestly difficult for me to distinguish the quality from the likes of Bruster’s, Marble Slab Creamery or other nitrogen-ice-cream vendors we’ve tried in the past.
Though the ice cream prices were competitive, I felt the Roll On In prices were steep, even in this current inflationary environment. I wouldn’t necessarily let that deter me from dining there again, but if I do, I think I’ll wait until their food-line processes become more streamlined and efficient.
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Roll On In
Food: 4
Service: 3.5
Atmosphere: 3.75
Overall: 4
Buzzed Bull Creamery
Food: 3.75
Service: 3.5
Atmosphere: 3.75
Overall: 3.75
Address: 2008 Cumberland Ave.
Phone: 865-394-9589
Alcohol may be used in the preparation of ice cream products.
Kids’ menu at Roll On In
Hours: 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays; 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sundays
This new two-in-one dining spot on the Cumberland Strip features Asian-fusion cuisine and nitrogen-ice-cream treats that are available with alcohol infusion.
This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Knoxville restaurant review: Roll On In is an Asian-Latin fusion treat
