I went to the Butcher Shop in Sept '09 with my wife and an out-of-town guest. This was the first visit for all of us and we were looking forward to the meal. They have a private parking lot, which is a huge plus since the restaurant is in downtown Knoxville. Upon arrival, we were seated immediately and the server took our drink order quickly. The service was great for the rest of the visit.
I ordered the New York Strip cooked medium rare. When the food arrived, the steak appeared over-cooked and dry. I cut into it and found the looks were accurate. Even with their special seasoning they tout in the menu, this was one of the least flavorful pieces of meat I have ever had. I virtually never add any salt or pepper to meat when I eat out, but I sure did on this one. I also considered asking for steak sauce, something I NEVER do. Just to add some juice to the meat, I took some butter and put on it. In addition to being dry and bland, it also had a lot of gristle on it. Overall, chewing on any portion of that steak was like chewing on shoe leather. I ALWAYS finish my steak, but I took about 1/3 of this 12 ounce monstrosity home for the dogs. The bread they bring with the meal was nothing more than a piece of Texas toast with butter tossed on the grill until it is burnt and dry. The baked potato and salad were good, the salad being the highlight of the meal. For those who are saying, "why didn't you send it back?" I reply with the reason that I didn't want to delay the others in their meal and I was hungry so I figured I could tolerate it.
The atmosphere is OK, but more like the Golden Corral with all the tables out in a large open area with little or no intimate seating. They also had the lighting dimmed to the point where it was actually difficult to see the food. It got fairly noisy as well, which didn't bother me, but it is something that some may want to know about.
Overall, I was not happy with the meal, especially considering the prices they charge. I have had much better steak at chain restaurants or even the Waffle House. My wife was also not impressed at all, and our guest didn't seem to thrilled either. We do not plan to return unless something dramatically changes with their food quality. I don't mind paying a little more for a meal, but the food better be worth it, and this certainly wasn't.
Pros: Service was good and prompt
Cons: Food was not impressive and over-priced