Stir Fry Cafe

This upbeat bistro with a full bar and patio is a longtime staple of the Knoxville restaurant scene, one of the first Thai restaurants in town. Try the Pad Thai spicy noodle and lemon grass soup, and for lunch the Thai wraps are an unexpected surprise. They have their own unique Chinese dishes, and a good vegetarian selection. Great place to sip on a sake cocktail, enjoy live music, and view the local art on display.

From the YUMMM! Knoxville restaurant guide:

A Chef Speaks: Q & A with Stir Fry Cafe chef Kelly Wehby

Is there an interesting story about your start?

As many Knoxvillians know, our founder Kenny Saio was the visionary for the Stir Fry concept. He is known for helping to change the Knoxville restaurant landscape for his forward thinking restaurant concepts such as this one as well as Mango, Cha Cha, and the Blue Hound Grille. I worked for Kenny Saio at Mango until his death in May of 2004. My heart is here carrying on the tradition of my friend Kenny.

What is your service philosophy?

My goal is to serve super fresh and consistent food. All of our entrees are made from scratch each day and include the best ingredients that we can find.

Do you have any particularly good deals?

We have lots of great deals. The Bottomless Noodle Bowls are awesome if you have a huge appetite. Everyone also loves our half-price Sushi Wednesdays and our $2 Tuesdays, where we have several items, including our somewhat famous Asian Fish Tacos, for only two bucks. While we are happy that the sushi and noodle bowls have taken off, we want to remind Knoxville of the food items that first made us popular, what better way than to make them 1/2 price? Starting soon we are expanding our specials by making all appetizers half price on Thursdays, or two for one depending on how you look at it! Don’t forget that our entrées are large enough to split and then you can afford to get an appetizer, too.

Are there any signature foods you’re particularly proud of?

Our Signature Entrées include Pud Thai and the Curry dishes which are very traditional Thai recipes. We added sushi to the mix a few years ago and it has become a very important part of the menu. Before starting the sushi, I went to the California Sushi Academy. There I studied with Toshi Sugiura and had an amazing experience learning to cut and roll sushi from one of the best teachers in the country.

Is their anything noteworthy in the location of Stir Fry?

Recently we sold off our Turkey Creek and Johnson City locations. This was done because we feel that the best direction for the Stir Fry concept is to focus on smaller restaurant spaces. We don’t need to be in the largest and most expensive retail space in town. Our niche from the beginning was as a neighborhood favorite. Stir Fry has been in the Gallery Shopping Center for over 20 years and we are going strong.