Frussie’s Deli & Bakery

Amazing fresh breads that make the ingredients of the sandwich with house cured meats just pop full flavor in your mouth! Everything is great but of course, the Hot Italian is everyone’s «go to» sandwich. Sometimes I just like the simple turkey bacon in a pita… that way I have room to eat the delicious pasta salad as a side and top it off with a decadent Brownie!

Hands down, best deli in Knoxville.
Fresh baked bread, house cured meats, great atmosphere, friendly employees… what more could you ask for?
My favorite is the Hot Italian in a pita, but I also like a simple BLT, the Big Fruss, and the Cuban. Really, you can’t go wrong with anything in the menu!
Trust me: the price is worth it! I wait all week for my Saturday’s Frussie’s fix!

Awesome deli for a sandwich. They bake all of their own bread and cure meats in house.
You can actually taste the care and attention thats put into the sandwiches.
Turkey club on wheat with pepperjack is where its at.

I’ll start with a warning — I am no sandwich fan. I’m a tried and true hot lunch guy. Guess what, I am impressed. Today on my first visit I had the Italian and wow, I could change my mind about sandwiches based on this example!
The only negative, and the reason for 4 stars instead of 5 is my issue over drinks. I don’t like drinking out of a can and if they had a fountain or a pot of iced tea they’d have gotten 5 stars.
Next time I’ll bring my own iced tea and just savor the best sandwich in Knoxville. Highly recommended!

Thanks Jay for the call! I appreciate the follow up. Hope to speak with you again soon!

Ate the James Dick’s Favorite (sub turkey) — Probably one of the best sandwiches I’ve eaten outside of a classic NY deli EVER. I was pretty worried that the turkey was going to be dry because it’s REAL ROASTED TURKEY, but it wasn’t! It was so juicy! The boyfriend had the Italian sandwich which was equally as amazing.
Also, the bread is baked in house! A must try!

Got the Reuben and potato salad. Friendly, fast service. Delicious meats, cured in-​house. I would have preferred the dive in South Knox to the Hipster joint downtown. Just a personal preference.

I loved Frussie’s when they were in South Knox, due in no small part to the fact it was the absolute best place to go in South Knox for any food, period. They really played up the old time-​y atmosphere with a 50’s soundtrack and lots of pale mint colors around to make you felt like you’d stepped back in time. Some days, it just seemed to hit the spot and the sandwiches somehow paired really well with that vibe. You could really relax and enjoy that sandwich.
At first I was excited for them to move to Gay St, but after going a couple of times, I don’t know, the food really hasn’t changed, it’s still a fantastic sandwich, but that atmosphere is gone and replaced with a really busy downtown crowd of a bunch of suits just there for the sustenance of something to get them back to the grind. Maybe that’s not fair, suits can enjoy good sandwiches too, but I definitely don’t breathe that same sigh of relief to just hang out there and eat like I used to. I’m sure it’s a way better business decision to be where they are, and more total people probably get to enjoy it now. Can’t fault you for making the jump across the river!
Another curious thing happened to me: at the old location, somehow it felt like there were all these options to choose from for a sandwich, and I never wanted for more than what was offered. Now that they’re downtown, each time I’ve been in my first thought is «hmm, so that’s it.» Relative to other downtown dining options, the selection now seems a bit small. I know, this is nothing more than my own faulty perceptions, but if I could offer one suggestion to counter this, maybe pick one day a week at first to do an extra special «special» and see if that doesn’t punch up the interest factor in the menu? Publish it to social media and get people curious what the «special» is going to be, I’m a sucker for anticipation like that and I bet others would be, too.

A good sandwich is a total game changer. Seriously, sandwiches are like a culinary soundtrack that can completely change your bad day. They are kin to the world’s most perfect food (tacos, obviously) in that there is no shortage of variety. Breads, meats, cheeses, toppings, condiments… oh, my!
Frussie’s has no shortage of variety on their menu. Though they may moonlight under different names, you can find all of the sandwich usual hitters like an italian, a cuban, and a club. If you’re feeling particularly saucy, you can try one of their more creative concoctions. The James Dick is a heavenly blend of pork, caramelized onions, and horseradish. Go ahead and re-​read that and just take a minute as your mouth waters. Me, personally? With maiden names in my family of Schultz and Schoenwald, it’s no mystery that I’m drawn to anything with sauerkraut. Serious, it’s not even a choice. It tastes like my childhood. Thankfully, Frussie’s serves up a mean rueben. It’s served on rye, marbled rye, or pumpernickel bread (baked in house, of course) and topped with either corned beef or turkey, swiss, and Russian island.
The sandwiches are served with potato chips. I have yet to try their offered sides. I’ve heard the potato salad whispering my name, but have been playing hard to get. We both know It’s only a matter of time. I wish I could say the same thing about the brownies. They just sit up on that counter, starring at you. No matter how hard I try to play hard to get, I can’t help myself. They call my name and I have to make them mine. When you make eye contact with them, don’t even try to say no. It’s a fruitless labor.
As soon as you walk in the door, you will be greeted by Frussie’s super friendly staff. You maybe able to find a cheaper sandwich, but it won’t be better and you won’t have a better experience. Mark my words.

Let me start off with saying I love sandwiches and downtown Knoxville has no shortage of great sandwich shops so I was surprised when my friend mentioned going here and I had never heard of them before. Apparently Frussie’s used to be in a little hole in the wall location in South Knoxville and just recently moved and I couldn’t be happier about it.
When my friend and I walked in, we were immediately greeted by a smiling staff of gentlemen. The sign outside said ‘home of the best sandwich in town.’ I don’t know if I can say the sandwich I had today was hands down the best, but it was pretty darn good. The cashier was very friendly (and cute) and offered a few suggestions on what is popular. I ordered the Downtown Havana and my sandwich sister got the Reuben. Everything was very fresh, even down to the baked bread they make themselves.
Before we left, they highly suggested we get a brownie for dessert. I don’t usually indulge in decadent treats during lunch but I’m so glad we did. The brownies are AMAZING. They are super natural as well as supernatural because they are
.
A tip: the best spot in the whole restaurant is definitely the corner window seats that overlook Gay Street. I loved soaking up the sun and watching the busy people of downtown while enjoying a lovely lunch. I will definitely be going back.

Good sandwich and side item choices, great bread and condiments, wonderful vibe and service! With no higher than usual downtown prices, what more could you ask for? We need more of this at this end of Gay Street!

The best Reuben I’ve ever had!
I’m not much of a sandwich fan. Most of the time there is way too much bread and not enough of the important stuff. At this deli the bread is sliced thin and freshly baked. The perfect sandwich.
I tried the hot Italian since other reviews raved about it and the Reuben. The hot Italian was very good but the Reuben on pumpernickel was perfect. It was the right amount of sauerkraut, corned beef and mustard and heated to barely warm so the bread didn’t get soggy. Seems like the sauerkraut was homemade too. It was really fresh and not too acidic.
I’d recommend this place to anyone. They are not real large sandwiches. It’s definitely quality over quantity here.
All of the staff were friendly and happy. They all seemed to love their job. I am here from California and they showed me what Southern Hospitality was.

They do not have enough options for vegetarians (other than a tasty three cheese sandwich, a PB&J and a grilled cheese.) Also, the prices are very high for a sandwich shop in Knoxville. I’m hoping to see this restaurant succeed, but I think they need to get more creative with their options/​sides/​drinks/​etc.

Frussie’s is hands down the best deli /​sandwich shop I’ve been to in Knoxville! Fresh baked bread, house prepared meats, tasty sides… it’s great! I HIGHLY recommend a hot Italian sub. Easily my favorite sandwich, though everything I’ve tried is excellent (the reubens are pretty incredible as well).
This is a new location for them (they moved from South Knoxville, which makes me a little sad, but I understand). The new location brought about a couple of changes for us Frussie faithful: They now have canned drinks instead of a fountain, which brings more options, but no refills (though they are cheaper than they used to charge for drinks). The prices for sandwiches have *slightly* increased, making them a bit more pricey (though for the quality of food, still worth it, in my opinion), and they’ve started including a small portion of kettle chips with the sandwiches instead of the banana bread that they used to include (ideally, I’d like to see them do both, or slightly increase the portion of chips). They have also added a couple of new house sandwiches that weren’t on their old menu.
All in all, I crave sandwiches from Frussie’s more than almost anything else in Knoxville… and I’m excited they will now be opening on Saturdays, even if they are a bit further from my house, because now I can get my «Frussie’s Fix» a bit more often!

Frussie’s just does not disappoint. Their new (and lovely) location on Gay St. is finally open, a welcome sight to anyone working downtown. Today is only the 2^nd business day open in the new spot and the crowd is already consistent. If you’ve never been to Frussie’s, things you should know are: the bread is delicious and homemade, the potato salad is fantastic, and all of their sandwiches are delicious. You can create your own sandwich but most any regular will tell you the Hot Italian is the way to go. It is truly a memorable sandwich that you will crave. My other favorite is a turkey club with Swiss cheese on their pumpernickel bread. It has the slightest buttery grilled taste and is the perfect size. I highly recommend Frussie’s deli and I’m sure you will not be disappointed, either.

If you haven’t had the opportunity to stop in this place, now is the time. Homemade everything!!!
I can’t get past the Italian Sandwich which I will assure you, you will not find a better one anywhere in this area. The owner Jay prides himself on making food the way it should always be made. Fresh.
I also really love the following things:
Reuben
Turkey Club
Roast Beef
BLT
James Dicks Favorite
*Don’t forget the Banana Bread!
My mouth is watering as I type this…
Whatever you decide to order here I’m sure it will be fabulous. They are closed on Sundays. They accept credit cards and cash. (Used to be cash only, not anymore)
I’m sure you will love this place as much as I do. Get ready to taste all the love that the owner Jay puts into his sandwiches. He never disappoints.
Cheers & Enjoy!