ZachBites

06/08/2026

Blended Pedaler is back with a whole lineup of June specials. 🍑🫐

This month’s menu leans heavily into peach season with the Peach Beach smoothie, Just Peachy boba refresher, Peach Loaded Toast, and Peach Cobbler smoothie bowl. They also brought out a Lemon Blueberry yogurt cup that was right up my alley.

If you’ve followed me for a while, you already know I’m a big fan of their smoothie bowls and yogurt cups. They’re always rotating in new seasonal flavors, which makes every visit a little different.

They’ve got locations all across the Tri-Cities and into Southwest Virginia, so chances are there’s one not too far away.

Have y’all tried any of the June specials yet?

📍 Blended Pedaler

06/07/2026

This is where we show up for local businesses.

Funny how timing works sometimes. I’ve been trying to get to Blountville Bears Subs for months. I finally got this video filmed, and the very next day they announced their griddle had gone down.

That’s a big hit for a place that’s known for burgers, phillies, loaded fries, and more. But they’re still open serving the subs, hot dogs, pasta salad, and plenty of the items that have made them a local favorite over the years.

If you’ve followed them for any amount of time, you know they’re always finding ways to give back to the community. So this feels like one of those times the community can show up for them.

I asked the owners’ son to make me the sub he personally orders, and what showed up was an absolute beast. Loaded from end to end with generous portions and packed with flavor.

I also grabbed a huge side of their Italian-style pasta salad. Cold, tangy, refreshing, and the perfect side to go with a sub.

Y’all know what to do.

📍 Blountville Bears Subs
3172 Highway 126
Blountville, TN 37617

06/06/2026

Those viral dot cakes finally made their way to the Tri-Cities

I picked some up from Gigi’s Bakery in Blountville and had to see what they were all about. Along with the dot cake, I also grabbed some Dolly bread and the birthday cake dunkaroo cookies.

The birthday cake dunkaroo cookies may have ended up being my favorite thing of the entire bunch. The dot cake was a lot of fun, but those cookies were excellent.

If you’ve been seeing dot cakes around and have been curious about them, here’s a local spot making them right here in Northeast Tennessee.

📍 Gigi’s Bakery
Blountville, TN

06/05/2026

06/05/2026

Zachary’s Restaurant in Kingsport is honestly a little closer to what I’d call a true hidden gem. It’s tucked away in Colonial Heights, and there’s really not much out there about it online. I couldn’t find a website or even a page, so this is one of those places you mostly hear about from word of mouth.

The recommendations I got for this place all pointed toward the burgers, so that’s what we ordered.

We went with the mushroom swiss cheeseburger, onion rings, and a slice of coconut cream pie. The burger was juicy, seasoned well, and had that hand-pattied feel you’d hope for. The onion rings were outstanding too. Big, hand-battered, golden brown, and crunchy.

They’ve also got some excellent homemade ranch. Thick, creamy, and perfect for dipping those onion rings.

The coconut cream pie was the biggest surprise of the meal. Cold, creamy, plenty of coconut, and not overly sweet.

📍4223 Fort Henry Dr, Kingsport, TN

Have y’all been here before? What do you order?

06/05/2026

T SHIRTS ARE READY FOR PICKUP👕

Shout out to James at Boomtown for making this entire process SUPER easy. They’re a great local clothing/printing business!

If you ordered one, you can pick it up starting today at Boomtown & Co. in downtown Kingsport. They open at 11:00 AM, and your shirt will be waiting on you.

Thank y’all again for the support. I honestly wasn’t sure how many people would be interested when I first threw this idea out there.

I’ve also had several people ask about another shirt run. I’d be open to doing one, but I’m trying to figure out the best way to make sure everyone sees it. I don’t think the last post reached nearly everyone who might have wanted one.

If you’d be interested in another run, or have ideas on how to handle it better next time, let me know in the comments!

06/04/2026

T-shirt update coming today! 👕

If you ordered one, keep an eye out. And if y’all could share this post so everyone who ordered sees the update, I’d really appreciate it! 😬

Sorry it’s a little later than planned. Things have been a little hectic with the newborn, but he’s home and healthy! ❤️

06/03/2026

Finally caught up with The Cluck Truck.

This is one that has been recommended to me for a long time, and I finally managed to track them down in Kingsport.

The Cluck Truck specializes in fried chicken, so I went with the hot honey chicken sandwich and the chicken bacon ranch fries.

The chicken was crispy, seasoned, and juicy, the sandwich was served on a really good bun, and the fries came piled high with chicken, bacon, ranch, and plenty of cheese. Y’all know I’m a ranch guy, and their homemade ranch was thick, creamy, and perfect for dipping chicken.

Beyond the food, the service was friendly and quick, which is exactly what you want from a food truck.

I can definitely see why so many people have recommended this one over the years.

📍 The Cluck Truck
Serving Kingsport, Johnson City, Bristol, and surrounding areas

Have y’all tried it? What’s your go-to order?

06/02/2026

I finally got around to trying the Sweet & Sour Dynamite Chicken from Panda Express, the collaboration with Buldak. 🔥

It’s supposed to be one of the spiciest things Panda Express has released, and while it definitely has some heat, it wasn’t nearly as spicy as I expected.

That said, I really liked the flavor. The sweet and sour sauce worked well with the spice, and it’s something I’d order again.

I’ve always been a Panda Express fan too. It’s hard to beat their chow mein when you’re craving some quick Chinese food.

What’s your go-to Panda Express order? 👇.