Daddy Mac’s Down Home Dive

It’s not often you find a restaurant that’s a great spot for a date night AND a fun family dinner out, but Daddy Mac’s Down Home Dive is just that! This new-ish restaurant in Farragut prides itself on offering a modern take on Southern hospitality.  The menu is deeply rooted in the recipes and personalities of owner Dave McFarland’s grandparents. As McFarland likes to say, Daddy Mac’s is “steeped in family tradition and pickle juice.” Daddy Mac’s hosted Knoxville Moms for a special night out showcasing menu favorites and tasty cocktails. Spoiler alert: We all went home with full, happy bellies!

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Our culinary tour of Daddy Mac’s started with a round of appetizers. Our mouths
dropped (and started salivating) when the Bar-B-Cue-Terie Board arrived at our table. It’s all the things you love about a great barbecue meal in shareable form. There was smoked brisket, pulled pork and smoked BBQ meatballs to name just a few of the items on the impressive board. Then there were Doc’s Down Home Egg Rolls. They were my personal favorite with a surprising combination of pulled pork, pimento cheese and greens rolled up and fried golden brown. I tried the egg rolls with the hot honey mustard dipping sauce. Trust me, it works!

Next came a selection of Daddy Mac’s Salad Bars in a Jar. (They’re not kidding about
the jars!) The Greek and Build-Your-Own salads come to your table in large mason jars with the ingredients layered inside. Give that jar a really good shake and voila! Your salad is served! Salad lovers at our table agreed we would come back just for that Greek salad, so if you’re looking for a less meat-y, healthy option that’s it!

The parade of Daddy Mac’s menu continued with an assortment of sliders ranging from
shrimp po boys to fried green tomato BLTs. They were as adorable as they were delicious.
There was also the Burnt Ends Mac. The white queso, brisket burnt ends, pimento cheese and more is served in a hot cast iron skillet. It could easily be a side dish, shareable, or a meal on its own. Just when we thought we couldn’t eat another bite, out came the desserts! Because of our dedication to Knoxville Moms, we all took bites of the Nutter Butter Banana Pudding, Blackberry Crumble and Brownie Skillet. It was a good decision on our part!

The backdrop to our delicious scratch-made dinner was a fun, live musician. That’s the
norm at Daddy Mac’s. Expect live music and special events throughout the year, including some aimed at kids. The extensive menu also includes a special one for children. In addition, Daddy Mac’s pays special attention to those with food sensitivities and allergies, even offering a gluten-free fryer among other things.

There are a lot of reasons to visit Daddy Mac’s (although everything we tasted on the menu is reason enough!) It can easily be your new favorite date night/late night spot or a great place to gather around the table with your family. In other words, it’s modern Southern hospitality and Daddy Mac’s Down Home Dive is dishing it out daily.