Roane County has no shortage of locally owned restaurants, offering many interesting cuisine and ambiance options. Here are some local dining hotspots:

Whitestone Country Inn

Whitestone is just outside of Kingston and draws folks from miles around to its retreat on Watts Bar Lake. The AAA Four-Diamond bed-and-breakfast has been featured on HGTV and in Southern Living magazine, and the menu specializes in Southern regional cooking fused with a northern Italian flair.

The Crow's Nest

This restaurant is a casual spot perched on Watts Bar Lake’s Blue Springs Marina in Ten Mile. Crow's Nest Bar & Grill is known for its black angus and triple-thick hamburgers as well as high-end specials like seared ahi tuna, lobster claws, stuffed tilapia and Chilean sea bass. The eatery is open Friday through Sunday.

Mama Mia’s Restaurant-Pizzeria

You might want to try the sauerkraut pizza and other unusual offerings at Mama Mia's, which has been around since 1971 and is known for its fresh ingredients. Mama Mia's is open Tuesday through Saturday and besides more than a dozen hand-tossed pizza choices, there are subs, salads and other Italian dishes.

Captain Tom's Barbecue

This long-standing restaurant in Oliver Springs is known for its down home, hickory smoked barbecue. Captain Tom's has award-winning brisket and barbecue bean dishes as well as items such as brunswick stew and smoked fish. And for customers who like their food extra spicy, be sure to ask for the fiery sauce that is kept hidden behind the front counter.

Ginny Ann's Cafe

This quaint restaurant is actually situated inside The Gibson Girls Southern Goodies store. Ginny Ann's has choices of gourmet sandwiches, homemade quiche, soups, salads and side orders like German coleslaw, cranberry salad and Greek pasta salad. The restaraunt is open Monday through Friday and only serves lunch.