14 Hidden Italian Restaurants In Tennessee That Only Locals Know About
Tennessee is known for barbecue and hot chicken, but in small towns and quiet neighborhoods you’ll find Italian spots run by families who’ve cooked the same recipes for years.
Expect slow-simmered red sauce, hand-rolled meatballs, and pasta made the way they learned at home. Many of these restaurants stay under the radar, loved by regulars and easy to miss if you’re just passing through.
If you’re craving a relaxed plate of Italian comfort with friendly service, this list maps out places worth the drive across Tennessee. Bring an appetite and plan to linger over cannoli.
1. Savelli’s Italian Restaurant, Knoxville
Walk through the door and you’ll smell garlic simmering in olive oil before you even see the menu. The Savelli family has been feeding Knoxville since the 1970s, and their lasagna still uses Nonna’s original recipe.
Regulars swear by the chicken parmigiana, which arrives on a platter big enough to share, though most people don’t.
Red sauce simmers on the stove all day, and you can taste the difference that kind of patience makes in every bite.
2. Altruda’s Italian Restaurant, Knoxville
Locals have been sneaking off to Altruda’s for date nights since before their kids were born. Now those kids bring their own dates here, which tells you everything you need to know about consistency.
The veal piccata practically melts on your fork, and the tiramisu gets made fresh every morning by someone who learned the craft in Sicily.
You won’t find this place on any tourist maps, and that’s exactly how the regulars like it.
3. Marina’s On The Square, Murfreesboro
Right on the historic square, Marina’s sits in a building that’s seen more than a century of Tennessee history. But step inside and you might as well be in a little trattoria outside Naples.
The shrimp scampi arrives still sizzling in butter and garlic, served with crusty bread perfect for soaking up every drop.
Marina herself often works the dining room, remembering faces and favorite dishes like she’s hosting Sunday supper at her own home.
4. Casa D’Italia Ristorante, Clarksville
Military families stationed at Fort Campbell stumbled onto this place years ago and never stopped coming back, even after transfers took them across the country. That kind of loyalty doesn’t happen by accident.
The fettuccine alfredo gets tossed tableside, and watching that creamy sauce come together is half the experience.
Portions are generous enough that you’ll be taking home tomorrow’s lunch, and the leftovers somehow taste even better the next day.
5. Tony’s Pasta Shop And Trattoria, Chattanooga
Tony makes his pasta from scratch every single morning, and you can watch him work through the kitchen window if you arrive early enough. The ravioli gets stuffed by hand, just like his grandmother taught him back in Brooklyn.
Locals know to call ahead on weekends because this tiny spot fills up fast with folks who understand what real Italian food tastes like.
The marinara is simple but perfect, letting the quality of those fresh ingredients shine through without any fancy tricks.
6. Il Primo, Chattanooga Northshore
Tucked into the Northshore neighborhood, Il Primo doesn’t advertise much because word of mouth keeps every table full most nights. The osso buco falls off the bone after hours of slow braising, served over creamy polenta that soaks up all those rich flavors.
Chef Marco sources ingredients from local farms when possible, but the imported Italian cheeses and cured meats come straight from the old country.
You’ll spot the same faces here week after week, which speaks volumes.
7. Portofino’s Greek And Italian, East Ridge
The menu bounces between Athens and Rome, but somehow it all works beautifully under one roof. Regulars can’t decide whether they love the moussaka or the manicotti more, so most just order both and share.
Family recipes from both sides of the Mediterranean get equal respect here, and you’ll taste generations of tradition in every dish.
The owner greets customers like extended family, remembering birthdays and anniversaries without needing to check any notes.
8. Mauricio’s Italian Restaurant, Cookeville
Cookeville locals guard this secret fiercely, worried that too much attention might change what makes Mauricio’s special.
The cannelloni arrives bubbling hot from the oven, stuffed with ricotta that tastes like it was made that morning because it was.
Mauricio himself still cooks most nights, refusing to let anyone else handle his grandmother’s red sauce recipe. College kids from Tennessee Tech discovered this place decades ago, and now they bring their own kids back when visiting campus.
9. Forte’s Restaurant On The Square, Crossville
Sitting right on the Crossville square, Forte’s has been feeding folks since long before the area became a retirement destination.
The eggplant parmigiana gets layered so thick you need a steak knife to cut through it, but every layer delivers perfect flavor.
Retirees who moved here from up north finally found a place that reminds them of the Italian joints back home. Fresh bread arrives warm at every table, and you’ll finish the whole basket before your entree even shows up.
10. Giuseppe’s Italian Restaurant, Kingsport
Giuseppe opened this place after retiring from a restaurant career that took him all over the East Coast. Now he cooks exactly what he wants, which means old-school Italian American classics done the right way.
The spaghetti carbonara follows the traditional recipe, none of that cream sauce nonsense some places try to pass off as authentic.
Locals know to save room for the spumoni, which Giuseppe makes himself in flavors that change with whatever strikes his fancy that week.
11. Raffaele’s Italian Restaurant, Kingsport
Raffaele came to Kingsport from Calabria thirty years ago and never left, probably because folks here appreciate his cooking too much to let him go.
The braciole gets rolled around a filling of breadcrumbs, cheese, and herbs, then simmered until fork-tender. This isn’t the kind of place you stumble into by accident.
You find it because someone who loves you shared the secret, and now you’re part of the club that knows where real Italian food hides in East Tennessee.
12. Best Italian Cafe And Pizzeria Elks Plaza, Gatlinburg
While tourists pack into the Parkway restaurants, locals slip away to this spot in Elks Plaza for pizza that actually tastes like pizza should.
The crust gets that perfect char from a proper hot oven, and they don’t drown it in toppings like some places do. Simple ingredients treated with respect make all the difference here.
The margherita pizza proves you don’t need fifteen toppings when you start with great tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, and basil that was growing yesterday.
13. Culaccino Italian Restaurant And Bar, Franklin
Franklin has grown like crazy in recent years, but Culaccino has stayed true to its roots while the town transformed around it.
The gnocchi gets made by hand every day, light as clouds and served with whatever sauce the chef feels inspired to create.
You might spot a country music star in the corner booth, but nobody makes a fuss because good food brings everyone to the same level. The pappardelle with wild boar ragu is worth the drive from Nashville alone.
14. Nicoletto’s Italian Kitchen, Nashville
Nashville has exploded with new restaurants, but Nicoletto’s keeps doing what it’s always done without chasing trends or trying to be something it’s not.
The chicken marsala arrives with mushrooms that actually taste like mushrooms, not some flavorless button variety.
Tucked into a neighborhood most visitors never see, this place survives on locals who refuse to share their favorite spot with the tourist crowds. Make a reservation because tables fill up fast with folks who know quality when they taste it.