This was our first stop after getting settled in Gatlinburg. The location was not far from the Hilton Garden Inn at all as a result, we walked. We were served a basket of bread. I don't eat burgers but my daughter loved her burger. I told her she should have taken a better picture for me. We were hungry. As for the ribs, they were quite tasty. I couldn't finish them all and this was a half-slab. I also didn't try the bread or slaw (not my favs). read more

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Food was delicious. My girl had the cod and it was delicious and flaky. She swapped her chips for the Mac and cheese. Great call because they were delicious. I had the half rack of ribs. They were smoked and wet. I prefer them super tender to the point in which they fall off the bone. These were tougher but still delicious. Ambiance, rustic setting. Billy Joe (our waiter) was very attentive and helpful with the recommendations plus couple of places to check out afterwards. read more

Calhoun's - Cod Fish And Mac and Cheese - Barbeque Near Me - Gatlinburg, Tennessee

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Inefficient staff. Waited 45 minutes. Tons of empty tables, some just sat uncleaned. Overcooked, dry hamburger. Prime rib was super fatty. read more

We usually enjoy this restaurant and make it a point to visit every time we're on vacation, which made this experience especially disappointing. We came specifically for the ribs, as they're what the restaurant is known for, only to find out they were out of ribs when we went to place our order. It would have been helpful to know that upfront. Additionally, the restaurant advertises free parking for customers, but it turns out it's only discounted parking, which was misleading. Because of these issues, we decided to leave. Hopefully this was just an off day, but it didn't live up to our past experiences. read more

The hostess was super friendly as was our waiter. The food took a long time to get it and came out cold We had a steak and the pork trio. The house wine is a steel for six dollars a glass. read more

By far our favorite restaurant during our trip this weekend. Our server was great and very knowledgeable. [[HIGHLIGHT]]The atmosphere and decor of Calhoun's kept us talking and busy the whole visit![[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] I got a delicious ale sirloin (best I've had) with Mac and cheese, he got the sweet and spicy wings, and we shared the rocky top potato skins (also to die for). My cranberry margarita was very festive and overall we had a very lovely time. Would happily return very soon. read more

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Food and service were exceptional. Dylan, our server, is great with suggestions and service. The burnt ends, fried green tomatoes, sausage & cheese plate were delicious. The trio of brisket, pork, and ribs with the spinach Maria side are also delicious. Strongly recommend! read more

I think the locals who like this place bumped their heads. Tourist trap for sure, but we dont know better. [[HIGHLIGHT]]Freezing cold in the bar area. Vents blowing out A/C like its the middle of summer, but its March. Makes your cold food too. I had to put my winter coat back on.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Ribs were tough. Literally not tender or fall off the bone. I have never had to use a steak knife to cut meat off ribs. But I did at Calhouns. If their ribs arent ready yet, they should 86 them instead of serving tough undercooked ribs. The guy they laud as being their Pit Master should ask for his name to be taken off the menu bcuz he's very inconsistent apparently and should be embarrassed. And their "award winning" ribs was an award won in 1984 according to a photo in their lobby. So I think they've been resting on their laurels way too long. Not even the same century anymore. 40 years ago these were considered good. Think about that. And the staff, Tanner, watching a guy struggle to cut meat off ribs with even a steak knife but not saying anything or offering to bring over a manager. Yikes. They know their food is crap. One of the bartenders, Luis, even told us what items not to order, because its not good he said. They have good salads tho. Something they dont have to cook. read more

There bbq was alright it was very avg chainy bbq. Got fried green tomatoes as an appetizer and wasn't impressed they came out super late and super thick in breading and the sauce was very sad- just mayo and mustard. Both I love but cmon for a restaurant they could've given a better sauce to go with the app. read more

Make a reservation. It was an hour wait only because I went to front desk and asked. Evidently my name was not on the list even though I received a text telling me it would be 75-90 minutes. The server was slow in taking order. [[HIGHLIGHT]]A lot of empty tables so don't really understand the wait unless short staff.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Bread is delicious but food took about 35 minutes to come out. So expect a long wait for that too. Bake potato was cold and skin was tough. Catfish was tasty and nothing exceptional about trailblazer hamburger. Green chili was delicious. Waitress friendly but service not good. Did not remove plates from table that we had finished with. read more

Came on a busy Saturday night and waited an hour for a table. Service was good and the food came out relatively quick for how busy it was. We really liked the free breads that were served to us. The baby rack ribs were a tad salty and the side of coleslaw with the meal is extremely small. I enjoyed the pork salad special but felt the loaded potato was lacking and the burgers were good but nothing special. read more

Good service and sit-down meal in Gatlinburg. Great variety and daily specials. Bread basket served before the meal. Service was very fast. read more

Calhoun's - Thick cut bologna with baked beans. Very good and filling. - Barbeque Near Me - Gatlinburg, Tennessee

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We went into this restaurant and reserved a table for a large group. Told the wait was 30 minutes ISH. we waited for over 45 minutes for our table and received poor service. food was mediocre and came out minimally warm. do not recommend. read more

This is the best BBQ I have ever had in my life. I had it in college and finally got to share it with my wife. She loved it, who wouldn't? The service was on point. The place itself is perfectly attended and clean in every way. I cannot say enough nice things about Calhouns. I have been to every location and they are all amazing. I have never had better BBQ anywhere else and I doubt I ever will. read more

Our group of four had a great experience here, service was quick and friendly. We made reservations on Open Table and got seated right away. We shared the wet wings and ribs, and both were amazing but the wings were incredibly good. Cocktail (and mocktail) menu was great and more reasonably priced than the big celebrity restaurants. A great dinner option for a group in Gatlinburg. read more

Arrived on our first day 4/21 and called to see if reservations were needed. Jeff said no need, it's Monday, just come on in, so we did. First question; "Do you have reservations?" Of course we don't, Jeff said "No need" Guess what...hour to hour/half wait! Thanks Jeff! read more

Sat at bar, bartender very attentive, good cold wine Hubby had steak said it was very good [[HIGHLIGHT]]Nice decor[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] read more

We have been long time fans of Calhouns but today was very disappointing. Food was just okay for me and husbands was served cold. Service was poor. Husband asks 3 times for a refill (just one) and finally got it long after we were done eating. Then had to wait for 20 minutes to get our check. Note it was not busy, waiter was obviously not busy. [[HIGHLIGHT]]Ambiance was okay but personally the soft rock music is annoying to me.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] read more

Got take out... Food was as described and very good. Service was excellent when picked-up... very friendly organized packaged well. Price is fair for being in a high traffic tourist location. Portions are average.. not big not small. Would go back with-out hesitation. read more

So this is our second trip here, both times the food was fantastic. The only bad thing about this time is it took FOREVER to get our drinks from the bar and our wait to be seated was a little crazy, considering the restaurant barely had any people. Our waitress was phenomenal though. She was very attentive and sweet!! read more

If there was an option to give a zero rating I would! First of all the service was horrible. Food wasn't even warm when it came out. An we got charged $6.00 for a salad thst was supposed to come with a warm meal. The soda was flat and they tried to charge for that even after being told it was flat. The manager didn't me over and speak with us but only removed some of the charges off the bill. We had tried to order drinks but they never made it to the table so we said just forget it. I highly recommend not wasting your time or money to go here! read more

Not the same place it once was. Service is poor, food quality is down. Needs a new manager

Calhouns has been a gatlinburg staple for decades. My parents used to come here all the time when they lived up here. They still rave about the Spinach Maria. I got the chicken tender salad with ranch and honey mustard to dip in. It was great! I also had some of the brisket quesadillas and they were amazing!! Their fries okra is some of the best I've ever had in my life. Also, they give you a complementary Bread Basket that is so tasty. I really liked this place and thought it was a pretty good value for a tourist area. read more

Calhoun's - Chicken tender salad - Barbeque Near Me - Gatlinburg, Tennessee

Calhoun's for the win! The cream spinach earned the crown.... With only a 30 min wait we decided to take a seat at the bar which is where we decided to stay, interesting conversations with the bartender and other guest and the drinks were flowing..... very nice and friendly service and the food was an easy 10! I ordered the salmon with came with one side, I decided to ordered the cream spinach and they did not disappoint. If you are hungry, go for the BBQ Ribs.... They were really good and plentiful! We had a great time at Calhoun and almost came back for a second night. read more

We visited here during spring break. The restaurant has a lot of wood and mountain decor. Very under staffed so only half of the restaurant had tables filled. Unfortunately me and my boyfriend both felt our food was dry. I had grilled shrimp and he has the trio sampler. Would not come again. read more

Visited on 1/12/24. They had a power outage for the earlier part of the day and were flooded with people by the time we sat down but they handled it well! The bartender was our server and I am upset that I don't remember her name. However, she was attentive to our needs and the food was hot. Please get the spinach dip and the brisket chili! You will not regret. A sangria to top it off too is all you need. read more

Nice place inside, it took a little longer to get our seats but our server was really nice. I liked the cabin ambience and had a light above our table so I could actually see my food. We ordered some of the steak and shrimps, one medium well that was overcooked and a medium rare filet mignon that was overcooked as well, but the taste was good. The mashed potatoes and ribs had the best taste for sure! read more

I asked for rare 16oz prime rib and got this. Asked for another cut and was told "this was just cut from the loin and is not available any rarer". Um, ok. Never heard such of a story and likely won't be back. Tiffany was a sweet server and I don't blame her. The management apparently made the call. read more

Calhoun's - Over cooked "rare" prime rib - Barbeque Near Me - Gatlinburg, Tennessee

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Great food! Had the trio and was all delicious! Waiter was awesome and friendly too! Also guy at the front desk was super helpful with parking. 10/10 for this place. read more

Thanksgiving day in Gatlinburg. We made reservations at Calhoun's for our holiday dinner. We ordered the traditional turkey, dressing meal and it was wonderful. The entire staff made us feel comfortable. We were seated exactly when our reservation stated. They serve smoked turkey. It was excellent. The dressing had just the right amount of spices and they were not too heavy handed with the gravy. The peas were different than any that I have encountered. They were very good. Not over cooked and mushy. The peas paired beautifully with the mashed potatoes. Dessert was my first experience with pumpkin cheesecake. Delicious. From start to finish this was an excellent culinary experience. read more

My bf and I had an esculent experience for our first time visit. We had Nolan P has our server, who always kept good tabs on us and always made sure our drinks were filled up. He was a well rounded server who also had good conversation. On top of great service we had great tasty food! Highly recommended Calhoun restaurant! read more

Yesterday we went for a light lunch and sat at the bar area since there was no waiting. We ordered a spicy Bloody Mary which came with olives on the skewer and spice around the glass rim. There was a nice level of spice without the fake flavoring. We ordered the bacon wrapped burnt ends to share. The bacon seemed to be almost candied while the brisket meat was very tender and moist! Later that evening we went back for dinner and ordered more burnt ends and the fried green tomatoes! read more

Calhoun's - Bacon wrapped burnt ends - Barbeque Near Me - Gatlinburg, Tennessee

Was in town on family vacation and saw a few chains of this restaurant. The staff was very kind and the service was very quick. The ambiance is like a local family style bar and grill. Overall the food was lack luster. The meat (ribs, chicken) were dry. The fries were good and the burnt end ribs were tasty but that's all. read more

Walked here from hotel for to- go dinner. Nice staff and highly recommended from hotel.

Great service. Excellent food. This restaurant never fails. The staff are beyond accommodating and friendly. We have never had a bad bite here. Tonight was salad and a burger. You get a basket of bread that is so good. The bartenders, Dalton, Deb, and Christy, are great. Perfect ultimate LIT's and Bloody Mary's. Best restaurant in downtown Gatlinburg by far. read more

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My wife, 3 yr old and I had come up to spend the day and decided to eat here for lunch. We had a short walk to the restaurant and as soon as we walked we were able to scan a QR code for free parking. We were seated immediately without waiting. The service was pretty good and the food was pretty good as well. We got a burger with fries, and a bbq sandwich with fries. Our waiter was nice and took care of us. read more

Calhoun's has a nice building in a great location which makes it quite a popular and crowded spot. Fortunately I was able to skip the VERY long wait for a table by scoring a seat at the bar. Calhoun's seems to be focused on their steaks, bbq and big liter beers... or as they call it in Bavaria Ein Maß or Ein Maßkrug ist ein Bierkrug. For my first meal at this establishment I got the BBQ brisket chili, the BBQ brisket plate and Ein Maß of some of their local beer they had on offer. They also brought out a basket of their bread which included corn bread, garlic bread and biscuits. The brisket chili was the best thing I ate here while the brisket entree left a lot to be desired as they gave me a tiny amount of BBQ sauce and somehow due to COVID-19 they couldn't find me anymore sauce. The brisket was quite dry and REALLY needed some sauce so while it had a nice smoky flavor it just really was not that pleasurable to eat as it was so dry it took a lot of beer to wash it down. The bread basket was nice and far more edible than the brisket. They also had some very tempting looking steaks on their menu. I would probably return here just for the Ein Maß beers alone while I would be hesitant to order the brisket plate again unless I had a bottle of sauce already on the table at the ready but even then I think I would go for a steak instead. The brisket chili was great and that certainly was the best way to get your bbq brisket here. The ambiance here was nice although once the sun went down it got quite dark here which usually wouldn't bother me but for filming and taking photos it really doesn't work so well. Overall it seems like a nice place but they really need to get their BBQ sauce distribution worked out and maybe take some lessons from the Austin, TX brisket masters on getting their brisket more moist. My video review is here: https://youtu.be/2QFKSjhmH5k read more

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Very good service. Great location. Great prices... very good food. Had the pulled pork nachos. So good! Huge though. Ate about 1/4 of it. Casual but cozy atmosphere. Definitely worthy of checking out. read more

So we went to Calhoun's tonight. We called ahead and were able to get seated right away, although there was a wait. Unfortunately, things went strangely downhill. We were seated at 7:06PM and placed our order fairly quickly, yet at 8PM we were wondering why our food was still not out. Not our salads, not our chili, nor our daughter's food, let alone our entrees. Others who came in after us were getting their food. Finally we get our salads and brisket chili starter. I requested extra Caesar dressing and when the waitress brought over the dressing I thought she seemed to push my hand aside as she placed the dressing on the table. I thought I may have felt something that didn't happen, except when my 10 year old daughter said "I saw what she did, she seemed to push your hand away"! So it turns out I wasn't overreacting after all! We had the steak and shrimp, the lemon pepper chicken and a kids pulled pork dish. The food was very good, steak super tender and chicken flavorful. I decided to cut a piece of my chicken for my husband to try and when I transferred it to the smaller plate I realized there was a long black hair on it. It looked like the waitress's hair. We did not make a complaint but were not happy about it. Another thing was the dish the chili came in had chips along the edges. I didn't notice it until my eagle eyed daughter mentioned it. It's unfortunate because the food was otherwise very good and the place had a nice ambiance. Had it not been for service/quality control issues this review would have been a 5, rather than a 3. read more

Calhoun's - Hair on plate - Barbeque Near Me - Gatlinburg, Tennessee

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Calhoun's is always a must stop when we are in Gatlinburg, we've been going for about 20 years now. We always have a pleasant experience. Tonight our group ordered house salads (so good and a good size), boneless and bone-in wings, and 2 orders of the Calhoun's trio. I enjoyed the boneless wings with sweet and spicy sauce, so good and tender! The only picture I got was of the banana pudding dessert. We will be back next year! read more

Calhoun's - Banana pudding - Barbeque Near Me - Gatlinburg, Tennessee