8 Food City Finds Tennesseans Secretly Hoard
You can pick up Mayfield Eggnog at Food City in quarts, pints or half-gallons.
Tennesseans who shop there know which finds to grab, and some trace back to hometown dairies and bakeries.
Here are the Food City finds Tennesseans secretly hoard.
1. Q Smoke Pit
Food City’s Q Smoke Pit barbecue program has in-store smokers at 12 locations across Tennessee, Virginia, and Kentucky.
Nine are in Tennessee.
You’ll find them in Johnson City, Morristown, Sevierville, Seymour, Gray, Maryville, and Knoxville.
The other three are in Wise and Abingdon, Virginia, and Prestonsburg, Kentucky.
The menus vary by location, but the in-store lineup covers pulled pork, ribs, smoked chicken wings, and a side called Hawg Back Taters.
You can order the Pulled Pork Plate, which puts pulled pork and barbecue sauce on Texas toast with two small sides.
The Q Family Special feeds four with either 2 pounds of pulled pork or a full rack of ribs, plus sides.
Food City tells shoppers to watch for special deals available only at the in-store smoker locations.
2. Lay Meats
Food City’s Lay Meats brand traces to a packing plant on East Jackson Avenue, near downtown Knoxville, that opened in 1921.
Its meats were sold in groceries and markets in at least six southeastern states.
When the brand came back, Food City said the line would be sold exclusively at its grocery stores.
Wampler’s Family Brands International would make it in Lenoir City from the same recipes Lay’s used.
The planned lineup included Three Pig Wieners, Touchdown Beef Franks, and Ole Timer Sausage.
Today, Lay Meats Chili and Hickory Smoked Wieners both come in 12-ounce packs at Food City.
Lay’s Classic Meats Bologna comes in a 48-ounce package or by the pound.
If you’re feeding a cookout crowd, Quikstarts hickory smoked franks come in 24-ounce, 3-pound, and 5-pound packs.
3. Mayfield Eggnog
You can pick up Mayfield Eggnog in quart, pint, or half-gallon sizes at Food City.
The Mayfield family began selling milk in Athens in 1910, after buying 45 Jersey cows.
In 1923, the family bought a ten-gallon ice cream freezer and named the business Mayfield Creamery.
A new milk and ice cream plant followed in Athens between 1948 and 1950.
Mayfield’s Peppermint Stick and Pumpkin Pie ice creams both come in 1.5-quart tubs.
4. MoonPie
Food City sells MoonPies from Chattanooga Bakery, which baked the first ones in 1917.
Food City’s MoonPie shelf runs from the Double Decker Chocolate Pie to a 12-count pack of Banana Minis.
The Double Deckers include Salted Caramel and Blueberry, along with Banana in an 8-count pack and Vanilla in a 3-count.
Minis come in 12-count packs of Banana, Chocolate, Vanilla, and Blueberry.
If you’d rather skip the Double Deckers, Food City sells a 12-count box of Single Decker chocolate marshmallow sandwiches.
Psst! How much do you know about Southern grocery history? Take our quiz and see if you can ace it.
Quiz
Southern Grocery Trivia
Answer these questions on Tennessee and Southern grocery history. We bet you can’t get them all right. Prove us wrong?
K-VA-T Food Stores, the company behind Food City, opened its first store in Grundy, Virginia. Under which grocery banner?
5. Kern's Bread
If you're after a sandwich loaf, Kern's comes as a 20-ounce Sandwich loaf or a 24-ounce Giant loaf at Food City.
Texas Toast, Old Fashioned White bread, and English muffins carry the Kern's name too.
Food City dates the original Kern's bakery to 1864 in Knoxville.
Kern's 27-ounce pies come in Apple, Cherry, Peach, and Blueberry.
Past the bread aisle, you'll see the Kern's name on Mini Fried Apple Pies, a dozen Glazed Donuts, and an 8-ounce Creme Horn.
6. Pimento Cheese Wedge
Food City's deli calls its Pimento Cheese Wedge a signature sandwich.
A single-sandwich Grab 'n Go version is labeled In-Store Made.
Want pimento cheese for your crackers?
Food City Pimento Cheese comes in a 16-ounce tub, as does the Jalapeno Pimento Salad.
Food City Premium Pimento Spread and Food City Signature Gourmet Pimento Cheese are sold by the pound.
For a party, Food City lists a Deli Fresh Pimento Cheese Croissant Tray.
7. $12 Hot Bar Deal
Food City's cafe page promotes a $12 deal on two hot bar meals, Monday through Friday from 4 to 7 p.m.
The hot bar menu changes daily, with fried chicken, chicken tenders, meatloaf, mashed potatoes, green beans, and potato wedges among the named items.
Hot bar breakfast runs from 6:30 to 10:30 a.m.
Food City lists hot bar lunch and dinner from 10:30 a.m. to 7 p.m., so if you're picking up after work, the deal covers the last three hours.
What Food City's Hot Bar Deal Requires
Food City's $12 hot bar deal requires a ValuCard.
A ValuCard is Food City's savings card for everyday products.
Food City's page says both meals must be bought in one transaction.
At $12 for two, each meal works out to $6.
8. Holiday Dinners
Food City's holiday dinner page lists 11 dinner options for up to 14 people and asks you to select your store to see pricing.
They range from turkey and turkey breast to spiral ham and prime rib.
Five of the 11 dinners are Hot and Ready.
Those are the Big Turkey, Classic Butterball Turkey, Turkey Breast, Spiral Ham, and Q Smoke Pit Whole Smoked Turkey dinners.
The other six are Heat and Serve, including the prime rib.
Thanksgiving Day falls on Thursday, November 26, in 2026.
Terry's Snacks
Food City brought back Terry's Snacks, a brand originally based in Bristol, Virginia.
It was known for cheese puffs and barbecue potato chips.
According to the Kingsport Times News, Terry's was the second regional brand Food City revived.
Kay's Ice Cream came first.
A Progressive Grocer report said the relaunched snacks had sold over 1 million bags and were exclusive to Food City.
If you like cheese puffs, Terry's Cheese Corn Puffs come in an 8-ounce bag.
The Terry's lineup runs to Fried Pork Cracklins, Happy Trails Trail Mix, and Peanuts With Hot Honey.
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