If you read my Calhoun's review from Christmas Day 2024 you'd think I'd never go to Calhoun's again. But a few days ago I thought we'd give it a shot. My wife and I rarely go out for dinner since Covid. Sad, but true. Anyway, last Friday I thought I'd break the mold, and I took my lovely wife up to Calhoun's for prime rib. Their smoked prime rib is top notch. Our visit was the exact opposite of our Xmas visit. We arrived at 5 to beat the crowd, and boy, did we ever. It was like we had the place to ourselves! Bottom line, our server was on the case, and our salads, assorted rolls, beers, and prime rib were textbook perfect. I've been eating at Chalhoun's since the 1980s, and with the exception of our Xmas dinner a few years ago, it's always been really good. That's why I decided to give it a shot last week. Top notch. Proving that just because you might have a bad experience somewhere once, it doesn't mean it's always going to suck. I'm glad I gave them another shot.. Calhoun's rocks. We'll be back! read more

Ordered take out from here, couple of burgers. Burgers were cooked fine but condiments were offered and requested but not provided. Plain burger without the mayo, mustard and ketchup was not very tasty. Additionally it took about 10 minutes over the estimated completion time. Not sure the reason for the delay as the restaurant was by no means busy. I would not get take out from here again. read more

Ate dinner here recently with a group of six friends. I ordered the BBQ Pork Plate that came with one side, so I opted for a baked potato. Everything tasted great: tender meat (although it could have been warmer), a piping hot spud with dabs of butter and sour cream, and a surprise tiny ramekin of tasty coleslaw. The only negative on my part was that our server never came by to offer a soda refill. He did return once at the end of our meal to check on us, yet never made it around to my side of the table until he came to pass out our checks. I can't speak for anyone else, yet one in our party ordered Baked Soft Pretzels for everyone to share; however, they were doughy and undercooked and needed to be sent back to the kitchen. We were seated in an area (I'm guessing) for large parties, so occasionally the noise level made it difficult for our seven to hear each other. Still we managed to enjoy our time together. read more

Calhoun's - BBQ pork with added sauce, baked potato and a wee bit of coleslaw - Barbeque Near Me - Knoxville, Tennessee

Ribs were terrible and not much meat. Burnt and tough. Over priced for the portion received.

Ate here with 2 friends yesterday, on our way to a concert. Service was very much lacking at 4:30. I asked for straws but they only brought 2. My hamburger had nothing on it. Meat and bun only. Had to ask for something to go on it. Never got a drink refill. What happens here during rush hour? I was so very disappointed at this place. read more

Food was not good...our table ordered Smokehouse Trio and blackened shrimp skewers both were dry with little flavor. Server was very personable, but we did not receive one of the sides we ordered and it took 10 minutes for them to bring it out. Also, the "convenience tip calculator" includes tax in the calculation. Disappointing experience, will not visit again. read more

We decided to head to Calhoun's for a Veterans Day lunch. We arrived around 11:30 and were greeted immediately. They were already busy and had a Veterans' organization setup inside the lobby. I had the ale steak with a loaded baked potato and my wife had the smokehouse salad. The steak was cooked perfectly. Her salad was huge (took over half home) and packed with different meats. I am so appreciative of the support Calhoun's offers veterans. The food was great but their commitment was amazing. read more

Calhoun's - Ale Steak with loaded baked potato - Barbeque Near Me - Knoxville, Tennessee

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Calhoun is an old friend and we enjoy visiting on the all too infrequent visits to Knoxville. I absolutely love their ribs and sauce. This time we came for an early dinner on Mothers Day. Yes, my wife is a great sport. We shared the pork barbecue nachos and she had a peach tea cocktail. I like their Cherokee red beer which is brewed next door. Like an idiot, I forget to buy a couple of bottles of sauce when it was time to go. Next time. read more

Every year my company hosts a client luncheon in the private room off the bar. Every year we request Maggie to be our server because she is awesome at her job. We hosted our lunch meeting there this week for over 15 people and Maggie was attentive as usual! The bbq buffet and additional appetizers we ordered were all a big hit. Thank you Maggie. You make the Calhouns experience better! read more

We absolutely love Calhoun's! We live in Cleveland but had a track meet at CAK. Calhoun's Turkey Creek location was on the way there. It is a beautiful restaurant; not your typical bbq joint. Don't let that fool you, however. The ribs and brisket are always on point; both very smoky flavored with deep smoke rings. Love the Smoky Mountain Beans as well! Service was on point. Do yourself a favor and enjoy some Calhoun's this weekend...the best ribs in America for sure! read more

Stopped in on our way home from vacation. The environment was very welcoming as well as the staff. Went with my son's recommendation and got the Ale Steak. It was an excellent choice, now I know why he loves to eat there every time he's in TN. Will definitely go back. The steak had great flavor and was cooked to a perfect medium rare. read more

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I got an order to go, the sides were ok but the ribs were so hard and dry it was like rib jerky-bad rib jerky at that. I had to ask for my sauce and bread that were left out after checking the order, so I'm glad that I did. Very disappointed. read more

The food quality has gotten worse. not very good based on how much it costs. i ordered take out and the order was wrong. I also ordered a cheeseburger but they stopped giving condiments, or any toppings like lettuce, tomato, onion, etc. I know they want to save money but that is ridiculous. read more

Let me preface this by saying that we had eaten at the Calhoun's locations in Pigeon Forge/Gatlinburg are for years and post COVID we have had mixed experiences but over all good. As we were rolling toward Florida for a fall vacation I was excited to stop at Turkey Creek, I have passed this shopping mecca for years and had never had the chance to stop. The opportunity to go to a place was exciting. This was a Friday Night with a Home University of Tennessee home game on Saturday so it was busy but not crazy when we got there. We were greeted warmly and seated immediately. I ordered the single pork chop and the hubby got the Ale Steak medium well. My pork chop and spinach Maria was great. All was hot and chop was tender and yummy. However, the hubby's steak came out rare. While they did take it back it was like they lost us at this point service dropped off the steak was returned cooked a bit more but not to the mid well that was ordered, there are no point seem like these was the butter that is normally on top. The next time we are in this area, I will give the Smokey Mountain Brewery a try. Same restaurant group, but seems to have a little more constancy. read more

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Decent food-hit or miss. Out of 4 plates two were exceptional. Prime rib to go( look before getting home) half the steak was massive amounts of fat plus shrimp was missing. The ribs were actually good and fall off the bone. Bread was burnt not warm and hard. The Mac and cheese had no taste. Salad was fresh and filet was good. Prices decent service lacking. read more

Calhoun's - Prime rib to go-came home with steak 1/3 fat. Look before leaving - Barbeque Near Me - Knoxville, Tennessee

I am not a fan of chain restaurants, friends wanted to try, so I joined them - first time here and I don't think this place has good BBQ. I had mediocre beef brisket (only 2 thin slices) and steamed broccoli as side. Portions are small. They also bring 6-7 bread rolls to share, they were tasty though. I also like the Helles beer I ordered. Paid $25. Place is big. Service was fast. read more

I ordered 6 Smoked Wings and a side of broccoli... $20. A bit overpriced if you ask me. The broccoli was $5. I got like 2 florets. The chicken tasted good, $2/wing though. I got it to go. It took less than 10 minutes. read more

Calhoun's - Barbeque Near Me - Knoxville, Tennessee

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We were running errands in Turkey Creek and the kids asked for dinner. We had only been to the Oak Ridge Calhoun's location but decided to give this spot a try due to great kid meal prices and a craving for pulled pork. The decor (and obviously the view) differs from the OR spot but it is welcoming and woodsy inside. Our server Kim was outstanding. Very patient with our indecision and sweet to our kids. We got grilled cheese, chicken tender, and cheeseburger kid meals. They especially loved the baked apples and the chicken tenders. The honey mustard that comes with it is so tasty and unique that we asked if they bottle it. Kim said we can get any of the sauces specially bottled. We bought a bottle for $5 to bring home. The pulled pork plate was phenomenal and their slaw is always great. I added a Caesar salad side and it was big enough for our fam of 5 to share. Homemade dressing and croutons mixed with parm and a bed of spinach(would have preferred a crunchier lettuce choice) . My husband had the combo plate with pulled pork, ribs, and chicken tenders and fries and it was wonderful. Of the bread basket, we loved the biscuits and garlic rolls best. The tots were recommended to me and were probably the thing I liked the least. They were fine but overly salty and nothing special. I would get the loaded potato or spinach Maria next time. Overall, a wonderful experience. read more

This place was pretty good! I would definitely go back and eat here again. My boss had told me about their pork chops so I figured I'd give them a try. And I can honestly say it was one of the better pork chops I have had in Tennessee! They have a plenty of parking and plenty of seats to match. The restaurant is huge. I was greeted by friendly greeters and shown directly to my seat. The server was quick and helpful with my questions. I cannot recall his name but definitely worked hard and did a great job. All in all, you should definitely give this place a try! read more

Calhoun's - Pork chop with mashed potatoes! Mmmm - Barbeque Near Me - Knoxville, Tennessee

This was our go to restaurant for the last four years. Almost every weekend actually. Family or just date night. The last three times we have been here. Each one of our orders have been delivered terrible . . Not cooked - or over cooked. Bad service . When you order and ask for a couple plain sliced tomatoes- and your server brings balsamic feta tomato plate. And then act condescending and switch swerves. You know you're not training your staff properly. The quality of food and service is sad. New lady Manager bless her heart , needs to bring Jason back. And train everyone how to actually provide good customer service . And looks Ike you need new chefs too not Wendy's burger flippers. Gonna lose a lot of people with this service. read more

Great atmosphere. Good iced tea. Food was pretty lackluster. Restaurant fairly empty. Please tell Calhoun leadership to raise prices in order to maintain quality. Shoney's tried to keep everything at $5.99 or $7.99 until no one went there. read more

I came here on a Monday night around 6 and there was about a half an hour wait. It seems like this is the place to be after work in Turkey Creek! Of course, inside smells like barbecue and that's just nice, but they also have some really cute decor, too. It felt cozy. Based on my co-diner's recommendation I got the pulled pork sandwich, and I did like it. It was super loaded with meat and there's good bbq sauce on the table to add to your own liking. I added the cole slaw and actually barely touched the bread because I mostly ate the pork. It was okay. I got a side of mashed potatoes and only wanted butter, but they put on why looked like a stick of butter that melted a hole in my serving. I poured that off and ate around it, but with it without butter, they were just generic. We tried some bread, too, and even got in on some dessert (vanilla ice cream with fudge). The food was all just okay. But we had the BEST time!!! Why? Because our server, Jaden (I think?), was SO much fun!!! He was so nice and hooked us up with refills and answered all our questions and joked around with us (we were a bit of a handful). He was FABULOUS and absolutely made our night! Added a star to my review just because of him. read more

Fort Louden Marina is a favorite spot to take our friends visiting us!!! Calhoun's on the water ... fried green tomatoes and Bloody Mary's are always perfect ..... they have never disappointed and even our friends who thought they didn't like tomatoes .. enjoyed!!! The BEST! read more

Calhoun's - Fried green tomatoes and BLOODY MARY's - Barbeque Near Me - Knoxville, Tennessee

We had a full rack of ribs and it was awful. I will never order ribs here again. I'm used to fall off the bone tender juicy ribs. These were dry, overcooked and crusty and had to be pried off the bone with a chisel. Mac n cheese was above average and the sweet potato fries with the cinnamon honey dipping sauce was heavenly. I thought this place was known for their ribs, but not tonight. Service and ambiance was good, just not the main course. read more

After waiting more than an hour for the food, we found out why it took so long - the brisket and steak were bone dry - not as in without BBQ, but as in I've had juicier jerky. My wife ordered a veggie burger, and it was either a Morningstar Farms frozen party or something that tasted exactly like it. The waiter was either overworked or completely absent. I'm sure he's a nice guy, though. The only reason they have as high a score as they do is because of the bread, which is actually quite lovely. Oh, we had a reservation, but apparently it was for one specific table, because we waited more than 30 minutes afterward (we were on time) and there were plenty of people seated before us, with a similar sized party, who walked in afterwards without a reservation. The table they wanted to seat us at (we ended up making them seat us elsewhere) was still occupied when we left. I think they were having a nice time, at least. read more

Great place and ambience! Held our business employee Christmas party here and the service and food were excellent! The food was served buffet style in our own private dining room. The servers taking drink orders were courteous and kept coming back to make sure everyone had a full glass or needed another one. I'd highly recommend this location for any small to medium gatherings you may be planning in the future! read more

We went to calhouns for a birthday celebration, the service was so bad it was almost laughable. First of all their soda machine couldn't carbonate drinks and when the waitress was asked about this problem she didn't seem to care they were out of mac and cheese and we weren't given silverware so we had to get it ourselves. There was a surplus of staff and no customers yet we still had to hunt down waiters that were standing around talking to each other. First and last time going here read more

We stopped here for dinner on our way to Gatlinburg and it was worth it! Our server was very friendly and took great care of us. The food came very quickly and was exactly what we expected. read more

Calhoun's serves yummy food but they love to nickel and dime their customers. I have stopped giving them my business because they give only 1 to 4 rolls and charge for extra ones. They are inconsistent depending on the staff and locations in Knoxville. Every other restaurant gives unlimited bread. If you really have to have Calhoun's and like to get out of town, the Pigeon Forge location is awesome in terms of rolls and also service. They understand customer service. read more

We were not impressed at all... food was dry and not hot, flavor was bland, and service not to impressed

Good comfort southern food. Reasonably priced menu. We had prime rib and Cajun style catfish. Both were good. No complaint. They have all kinds of ales, but no lager. For me, a bummer. If we live there, I'll go back for sure. read more

We stopped at Calhoun's on the way to Asheville, NC. It was good. I ordered a burger which with fries. My friend ordered a burger and isthmus a baked potato. The service was great and there was no wait time. Great food. read more

Calhoun's - Drink menu.. - Barbeque Near Me - Knoxville, Tennessee

My mother and I had an amazing time at Sunday Lunch our server Christie was incredible and provided and excellent experience for us! If you come you should request her she is amazing ! read more

went to have lunch and my salad had two hairs in it manager came over and could have cared less read more

Meh. The servers were attentive although when my granddaughter said two side dishes came with the lunch on the kids menu, the server could have mentioned that it was not the case and that we would be charged seven dollars extra. My husband loved the chicken wings and the kids enjoyed their grilled cheese sandwiches. I had a brisket sandwich and the meat was so dry it completely fell apart when your fork touched it. And not in a good way. Overall, OK, but not worth the price. read more

I've been here numerous times of 25 years and unfortunately, yesterday was the last. I ordered the pork chop and side of zucchini,squash and onion. The pork chop was overcooked and really salty. There were 12 small pieces of squash/zucchini, no onions, no flavor! Cost for side - $4.50. 12 nickel size pieces of bland squash!! That's 37 cents per piece!! I know we have inflation but that was downright ridiculous!! Oh and the waiter called me "babe" - just no!! read more

Calhoun's - 12 small pieces of squash $4.50!! OMG - Barbeque Near Me - Knoxville, Tennessee

So I've not eaten at a Calhouns in about 27 years. Today I ordered a steakhouse salad. I'm not going to pretend this is a healthy salad. It was topped with a large piece of grilled chicken, two really good pieces of bacon, and a handful of salty country ham. That, mixed with their blue cheese, was just good. It was a delicious huge salad. read more

Calhoun's - Smokehouse Salad - Barbeque Near Me - Knoxville, Tennessee

The world's famous Banana Pudding Sundae. And six dollar burger monday special is just out of this world. My two son's just love eating at this location next door to the Regal Pinnacle movie theater. read more

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Had a late lunch here and they had one server having to wait on one whole side opposite of the bar side. Maybe someone called in sick. I don't know, but she was running herself ragged with 5 total tables. It took quite awhile to get our order from the kitchen. I had catfish, which was big bulky pieces. It was okay, just not what I expected. I could not eat it all. I was asked by the person that brought the food out if I needed anything else. I asked for another tarter sauce, but never got it. My husband ordered the cobb salad from the special daily menu without tomatoes. It was full of small diced tomatoes. He tried to removed them all so we wouldn't have to wait longer from sending it back. My side salad and my husbands white chili were very good. I was also surprised that they are using very thin, lightweight Member's Mark brand forks. We will most likely not return to this location. There are many other choices in the Turkey Creek area. read more

This was my first time trying this Restaurant. There was no wait so our party of four was seated quickly. We placed beverage orders and our drinks came quickly with the bread basket. We order four appetizers Smoky Wings good flavor but small Fried Green Tomatoes good flavor and fresh Bacon wrapped Brisket brunt ends these were great. Smoked Sausage Cheese Platter had great flavor paired well with the pickled onion. Our appetizers we all good. The Entrees The restaurant was out of Salmon, baked Sweet Potatoes. So we ordered Pork Chop with Corrn Pudding the Chop was good to much pepper and the corn pudding ..whew Chile.. it was not good! Catfish with Sweet Potatoes fries ..the fries was over cooked and the fish was not flavorful Catfish with Mac n Cheese and Mashed Potatoes Not sure if it was Catfish but this meal was not good Catfish and Mac n Cheese Not good very bland and not flavorful. Our server was attentive. Until the Entrees were given. It took a while to get out check to pay and leave. Appetizers were all good but our Entrees were not. read more

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