Calhoun's customer service was absolutely outstanding! We celebrated five milestone birthdays, to include my father's 80th, during our family reunion with a party of 19, and from the moment we arrived, the staff made us feel so special. Our waitress, Ronnie, was incredible! She gave each of us her full attention, happily went around the table taking family photos, surprised us with an amazing birthday sundae, and even sang along as we celebrated. The chef also came to our table to personally introduce himself and discuss food concerns with some of our guests, which meant so much to our family. Calhoun's didn't just serve a delicious meal--they helped create memories we'll cherish forever. Outstanding food, exceptional service, and a team that truly goes above and beyond. Highly recommend Calhoun's! Thank you for making our celebration unforgettable! read more

Calhoun's - Barbeque Near Me - Gatlinburg, Tennessee

Eat here on a regular basis. The beef brisket sandwich is awesome--and Calhoun's bbq is "essential!" (It's slappin!) The service is friendly--and the ambience fits perfectly w/ the lodge/southern decor. It's smackin! read more

Went here today, ordered the trio plate, and a hamburger. First the drink was good, just right from the bar, the server was nice, and friendly. The entire staff was nice. Food came out, pretty typical bbq, not greatest but not the worst either, little dry, but great smoke taste. I would recommend if on the walking part, and want to pop in for a decent lunch. read more

Really nice atmosphere and we had excellent service. The food was on point. Fast, hot and delicious. The bread basket was great. The biscuits and definitely homemade. I'm would put my money down again. read more

Calhoun's - 1/2 slab of ribs. - Barbeque Near Me - Gatlinburg, Tennessee

This is a bit of a mixed review to give a full perspective. My POV was great. The husband and I split the full rack of ribs with a baked potato and salad. We thoroughly enjoyed our meal. Another friend got a southern chicken salad which she loved. It was very big and had lots of toppings. The other couple; one got the fish and chips and the other the prime rib. She said fish and chips were okay and he said his prime rib was okay. However, he did finish the whole meal so I guess it was okay okay! Our server, Travis, did a great job even though he was really working a few tables at the time. The restaurant is spacious with plenty of seating for all sizes of groups. It was very pretty inside. We did make a reservation and walked ahead of quite the crowd who did not, so I advise you make a reservation. read more

Tried this yesterday and had the bbq trio. Ribs and wings were delicious. Brisket was a little dry but overall was a good value and well worth it! Server was great also (can't remember his name) .Will be back! read more

Our first choice restaurant had a 2 hour wait so the hostess suggested the restaurant next door. Stated they have similar menu items. We walked next door, walking into the foyer the smell hit hard of urine. Walking inside to the hostess we were sat immediately. The menu items weren't too bad. The waitress was super sweet. I ordered the char grilled shrimp with loaded backed potato. The shrimp were overdone. The potato was pretty good though. When hungry you just eat your food but wouldn't recommend if you're looking for something delicious. read more

Waited an hour for our food. My husband ordered the rib, brisket and wing trio which was totally inedible, we told them to take it back and take it off our bill. My hamburger was ok but nothing special. Our waitress was very accommodating and sweet, I felt bad that we had to deliver the bad news about the meal. Needless to say we will never be back and will not recommend this restaurant to anyone we know. One more thing, the bathrooms were in dire need of attention! read more

Came here for lunch while we were walking the strip. Nice family friendly resturant with good food. My catfish was really good. Flaky and great breading. The dipping tartar had a nice flavor too. Everyone says their food was really good except the burnt ends. I didn't try them but others said the bacon wrapped threw the taste off. Outside of that, the food and drinks were good. We had a really cool server too. I can't recall his name but he was patient with our party and attentive. This is a place I would return to when in the area. read more

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While Calhoun's is a local favorite if you're not into a vinegar based sauce, I would not advise it at all. They only have one barbecue sauce. It's on the table and I would suggest you try it before you order anything with the sauce on it because the sauce was pretty disgusting in my opinion. Ruined perfectly good ribs! The baked beans, yuck Mac n cheese not so much. Best part of the meal was the bread prior to the entrees. The service was adequate and the ambience was just okay. Prior to eating there we had heard nothing but rave reviews. It definitely was not the barbecue experience we were looking for so save your money and go elsewhere. It's going to be a love or hate experience. Definitely not worthy of the hype. We dined the first week in June. read more

Was here for a work trip & our team came here for the dinner. Service, food and drinks were amazing! It's not pictured but the loaded potatoes skins are reallyyyyy good. read more

Calhoun's - Barbeque Near Me - Gatlinburg, Tennessee

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The service was super friendly. We were late to our reservation due to unexpected traffic and they graciously still honored our reservation. The Bacon Wrapped Beef Brisket Burnt Ends and ribs were AMAZING! The Mac and cheese was pretty good. The pulled pork was dry and I didn't love the barbecue sauce (it was very vinegary). Honestly stick with the brisket burnt ends and ribs and you will be very happy! read more

First ordered ribs.... Nope out of... Second time ordered brisket...out of.. Finally last choice pulled pork...so far very disappointed..call before you visit... read more

We were unable to get a table next door, so we opted to try Calhoun's. We had been here a few times with mixed results. My wife's BBQ trio was just OK, with good ribs but lackluster pulled pork and chicken tenders. I had the grilled salmon, which had good flavor but could have been pulled from the grill a few minutes sooner. Our server (I do don't catch her name but she was from Jamaica) was very friendly and helpful. read more

Local Knoxville based restaurant with several locations. Food is fairly consistent and choices are abundant. They also have some of the best sweet tea around. read more

This is a hidden gem in plain sight! Calhoun's is a wonderful restaurant which hosts a variety of great menu items. I highly recommend the Southern Fried Catfish! Service is attentive but not in your face. I loved the fact that they split the bill for our group and were able to pay table side. What a great safety feature in the world of stolen credit card information. The atmosphere is truly unique to the Tennessee mountains! read more

Ambiance is good. Food is just not the best. Waiter is a great guy and very fast service.

They make everything, their bread, the dressing etc... the food is rally good, over all, I'd say it is 4.5 out of 5. However Alan K. was our server and easily made it a 5. His recommendations were spot on. I cannot wait to try their other properties, the building is nice clean and comfortable. read more

Solid food and excellent service. Decent price for Gatlinburg as well. The "tall" beer is a mansize offering so be prepared. The Cherokee Red tastes great. read more

I thought about this white chicken chili for 20 years. It's so good. I've never had such light fried catfish. The salmon was very good. The strawberry shortcake w ice cream was the perfect ending read more

Calhoun's - Strawberry shortcake w ice cream - Barbeque Near Me - Gatlinburg, Tennessee

We were lured into Calhoun by the 3 hour parking validation and the road sign promising great BBQ. Service was fast and friendly, they also provided bread basket for the table after taking our orders. We ordered the kick back burger and Calhoun's Trio Calhoun's Trio (1/5) - sadly this dish was very disappointing. The chicken tender had a wet texture and batter fell apart the second we took a bite. The BBQ pork ribs was on par with premade ribs you can get at Costco or grocer stores. The smoked pork was bland and close to room temp, which showed they didn't even microwave it long enough before serving. If this is the Tennessee BBQ standard, they got nothing on Texas. Kick Back burger (2/5) - This was the better of the two dishes. The burger patty was cooked medium, and the favor was solid, however the burger buns seem to be smashed and doesn't taste too fresh. Sadly, this place is below my expectation even for a small touristy town, and I would not recommend others to try the place. read more

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Food was ok, nothing spectacular that would make me come back. Atmosphere was quiet but it's February. LOL Service was wonderful - Waitress was attentive and stopped by often. read more

Calhoun's - Grilled Chicken and Baked Potato - Barbeque Near Me - Gatlinburg, Tennessee

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Stopped in on whim for dinner. I remember when Calhoun's was the place to eat in the 90s. Thinking how bad could it be, right? The food was mediocre at best. The ribs were terrible, what they're known for...my wife's Caesar salad was the worst I've ever tasted. The only saving grace and reason I give a 2 star was the waiter, he was good. Do not recommend. read more

Great spot, so convenient and loved the atmosphere, very welcoming and homey to a large group who decided to stop by. Service with our waitress was 5 out of 5 - she was amazing, thank you Janice. Food was hot and arrived in a timely matter, just wasn't my favorite, besides the coleslaw. If you eat the coleslaw with some ribs, tastes amazing together. Coleslaw was very fresh, with a hint of sweetness and creaminess and the saltiness of the ribs makes it delightful. The ribs all by itself were very tender but salty from the smokiness. The catfish was cooked to perfection but lacked seasoning, the batter took me by surprise because it reminded me of fried chicken batter. I would prefer cornmeal. All in All, I give service 5 out of 5 and food 4 out of 5! Nice spot for family and I would recommend for everyone! Great playlist too! Thank you Calhoun's! read more

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The service at this restaurant was terrible. We went at 730pm and walked in with many open tables. Asked for a table at the window in the bar, there were 4 available. We were told the bartender didn't want to pick up another table. There were 3 occupied and 4 people sitting at the bar. So we had to wait for the rude manager to bus a table so we could sit down. Then we were given the absolute worst waiter. We saw him when he took his order and when he brought the check. We went there for ribs because of the rating on TripAdvisor...but Bennetts are so much better. And the staff was welcoming and attentive at Bennetts. Always. It was our most expensive meal in Gatlinburg all week and also our worst. read more

Terrible service....waitress keeps saying she'll be with us after she helps someone else...just not friendly...really, really terrible service. read more

I had Erica as my waitress, just her in general is a 5 star for me. She is the best in the world EVERYONE needs to request Erica as their waitress. Erica gave me and my friends a really nice response when we asked for help. Over all a 5 star. :) read more

Calhoun's - #meandmybestieatcalhoun's - Barbeque Near Me - Gatlinburg, Tennessee

This is late review since we visited this place in late August, and now is late February, but - here we come! All the places in this town where we stopped for BBQ back ribs were really good, so this place is no exception. Quite good food, service too. My son got crayons so he had something to occupy himself with while we ate. All in all - all praises, nice experience. read more

Calhoun's - Barbeque Near Me - Gatlinburg, Tennessee

Very good food. I recommend the pork chops they taste amazing so did the chicken. Service was really good too. There is also a lot of good vibes it's chill and gives a relaxed feel. If you're hungry you should come here! read more

We have wanted to try Calhoun's for a while and we finally did! It will definitely not be our last time. My son devoured his prime rib with loaded baked potato. My husband loved his pork plate with fries and we had to buy some of their bbq sauce because it was delicious! The nachos were yummy too! We all loved their complimentary bread as well. Our server, who has worked there for over 10 years, was very thorough in answering all of our questions and was able to make some great recommendations. The building is also very pretty inside. read more

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I appreciate the consistency of Calhouns - great food and service across all locations. Such a good diverse menu as well - so many delicious options to choose from. read more

Calhoun's - Barbeque Near Me - Gatlinburg, Tennessee

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Calhoun's was our favorite restaurant from our entire Gatlinburg trip! We chose this for our last dinner on vacation based off of Yelp reviews and we were not let down! First, our server was incredible. Alicia was so busy and running around like crazy yet made sure our every need was taken care of. She has such a light about her and was so bubbly the entire time. We really enjoyed having her as our waitress. Highly recommend asking for her or sitting at the bar when she's there if you decide to visit for dinner. We ordered the sausage plate and spinach artichoke dip for appetizers. They were both good, just nothing special or memorable in my opinion. For our entree, my husband and I both ordered the ale steak with loaded mashed potatoes. AMAZING!! Probably one of, if not the best, steak I've ever had. It far exceeded our expectations and it already sounded great based on the menu description. My favorite part though honestly, were the drinks. Neither of us are big drinkers so I wouldn't call us alcohol connoisseurs by any means. I just feel like Calhoun's holiday drinks are something everyone should experience. My husband ordered the Winter Sea Breeze and I had the Hard Harvest Punch. Both of them were incredible. I could've had multiple! They really tasted like the holiday season! I highly recommend making this a stop on your next trip to Gatlinburg! You shouldn't be disappointed! read more

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All of the food was decent, including the ribs, burger, biscuits, etc. The cole slaw the best thing I think I had. The service was nice and quick. It was pretty casual in there. The only thing I didn't love was that they didn't really have a bbq sauce. There was a catsup and a more bbq-like sauce on the ribs but otherwise, there wasn't a bbq sauce to my knowledge read more

Came to bar just for appetizer and a drink. Apparently happy hour is from 4-7. Enjoy! read more

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Stopped in here because it was raining and other restaurants didn't open till 4pm. Flies inside and food was below average and served rather luke warm. read more

Great experience! They bring you a basket of different breads and rolls that are quite tasty, I was a little hesitant ordering fish and chips because I can be a little picky about fish, but this was huge thick pieces of fresh cod that was awesome! Thanks for a great evening!! read more

Fried dill pickles hit the spot! The ribs seasonings were different than I've ever had and they were delish. My party also ate chicken tenders, steak filet, sirloin, white chicken chili and hamburger. It was 1 1/2 hour wait time but we enjoyed our meals. The dining area is very large, but we were a little confused when we were seated and there were numerous tables needing to be cleaned and also some open tables no one was sitting at. Maybe a little under staffed?! However our waitress was courteous to us. read more

Good food if you're a fan of Chili's or Applebees. Decent but not great service. Beer selection was good. Highly recommend the Smoky Mountain Pale Ale from the local brewery. It's Gatlinburg, Jake. Forget about it. read more

Firstly, we chose to eat in town after a long day of hiking in the park. We wanted to avoid a $20 parking fee which is ridiculous on the main strip and saw that the lot adjacent to a few businesses had free 3 hour parking with restaurant validation. We chose to try Calhoun based on the BBQ ribs their road sign was bragging about and the fact that we're in Tennessee. We were seated quickly and the inside is pretty spacious. We ordered a kick-back burger and Calhoun's (BBQ) trio. The burger was cooked well but the bun was premade and had a bit of a funny smell. The fries also tasted a bit stale and a bit Cisco like. The Calhoun trio was very disappointing. The chicken tenders had batter peeling off and looked and tasted like grocery store frozen tenders. They were bland and soft and tasted like lazy college food. The pulled pork they served was actually not hot; they were between cold and lukewarm; which is a great sign that they didn't even microwave it for long enough to heat it up before service. Their supposedly famous ribs were probably one of the most generic tasting ribs I've had in a sit down restaurant and nothing like ribs at a proper BBQ spot. Honestly, expectations in a tourist strip like this is pretty low, but at least cook fresh food if you're going to charge tourist prices and not serve lazy premade tasting stuff to get gobbled down. I would not come back and would definitely recommend something else on the main strip or even in eastern Gatlinburg as you may want to avoid the overly commercial restaurants that probably all have the same corporate owner running them all. read more

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This place starts you off with bread, cornbread, and garlic bread each are very yummy. We started with fried pickles. My daughter went with the hickory bbq burger with fries. My wife decided on Hershey hot fudge cake. I chose the strawberry shortcake. Burger was good and desserts was huge. Not a Military friendly restaurant. read more

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