As we announced a few weeks ago, the congenial owner of Knox Brew Hub, Zack Roskop, has found a new way to meet the needs of Knoxvillians through his new dining concept, Fred Beans and Rice. Aptly named after his father, Fred, who used to cook many of these meals for the family, this Cajun-inspired eatery is operated out of the Knox Brew Hub location at 421 Union Ave. Lucky for us, it is now open for business!
My husband and I stopped in last week during the soft opening to check out the full menu and how the service will run. It was Matt’s birthday, and he was not disappointed with the dishes offered and the quality of the food. We’ve decided this must be our new birthday tradition for him, as last year, we did a Knox Brew Tour to celebrate him with friends. The big difference this year is that Zack’s delightful wife, Amy, is now managing the front-of-house operations while shooing Zack back into the kitchen to manage the cooking and back-of-house details.
While there is a full and delish sounding menu, Matt and I had to have the classic red beans and rice and added blackened chicken and the Soppin’ Shrimp I have been dreaming about for weeks. It was just as good as that first taste memory I kept going back to. You will find options like blackened chicken nachos, po’boys, salads and wraps, and a kids/late-night menu. Zack is cooking up a variety of proteins that can be added to salads, red beans and rice, wraps and nachos, etc. There is an extensive collection of hot sauces, but according to Urban Guy, who checked it out with Urban Woman and Urban Girl, Louisiana Hot Sauce is the only one needed.
To place your order, head up to the bar, and they will combine your Knox Brew Hub drink order with your Fred Beans and Rice orders. Zack tells me that soon, however, you will be able to order online and then hopefully by QR code right from your table in the future. Knox Brew Hub is also opening up a catering aspect of its business. You can check out the website for more on this.
Expect to see a modified menu on game days when there are large crowds to accommodate food orders for all customers quickly. They will not be serving food on Sunday evenings or Mondays. Their hours of service otherwise will be 11am-10pm.
Go get your Cajun-inspired grub, and let us know what you liked the best and what you are looking forward to trying! Follow them on Instagram for the most up-to-date information.
