Every now and then you have a meal that you know you will remember the rest of your life. When a restaurant becomes an indelible experience. Heavy's was one of those meals and one of those restaurants. The experience began before we even parked our car with the drive off of US-25E along the Powell River. To say that Heavy's is off the beaten path doesn't do it justice. To get there, you're in for a 4-mile venture on twisty, one-lane roads into the backwater of Eastern Tennessee arriving at a modest, riverside shack. When they invented barbeque, they must have had this place in mind. Cause it was arguably the best BBQ that I have ever experienced. Everything was amazing. Ribs were succulent and smoky. The pork was tender and mouth-watering. All the food to the very atmosphere had that essential hardwood fire aroma. The actual location can best be described as rustic, and I hope that they NEVER change. The character of this place lends to its authenticity. Thank you, Heavy's, for a true BBQ experience! read more

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Great pork ribs, catfish, baked potato salad, fried okra. Rustic joint next to a lazy river. Old style pre-mix soda fountain. Furry spiders with green krazy eyes. See them before end of season Oct 20. read more

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I have eaten barbeque all over the country, but I am not sure I've ever had any better barbeque than at Heavy's. Heavy's is located at the end of a long, winding, narrow road, in a ramshackle shack. If it hadn't been highly recommended to us, we would have noped it right out of there. My wife and I ordered the fried pork skins and shared a rib and pulled pork combo plate. The pork skins arrived at our table still crackling. They were light, airy, and extremely crispy, but in no way oily. Our combo plate arrived soon after. Heavy's is a place where you don't have to wonder if your meat was really smoked - you can taste it, which is what I like. The pulled pork was lightly dressed with a sweet sauce and was tender without being soggy. And what a flavor! The ribs were just right, not "fall off the bone" (yuck), but came away from the bone cleanly with a bite. The ribs also had a great flavor. The baked beans as a side were good, but not spectacular. The corn on the cob was grilled and had a very good flavor. If you like BBQ, you must try Heavy's. read more

We absolutely love this place! We enjoyed the staff as much as we enjoyed the food. We had the ribs, beans, potato salad, and somehow made room for dessert. Everything was spot on! I'm looking forward to Catfish Friday. It's a way off the main highway, but don't give up... it's worth it! read more

It doesn't look like much of a restaurant but the food is absolutely astonishing I love going there to eat and play corn hole by the river.I love the ribs they are the best in my opinion but I definitely recommend eating here read more

Awesome BBQ!! My son and I gave them a try while vacationing in TN. We found them in their food truck in Tazewell. Was delicious!

One of my all time favorite BBQ restaurants!!! I have ate here more times than I can count on my fingers and toes and it's always great!!! It's just such a laid back cool place to be! Everyone is so friendly and great to be around. I can't say enough good things about the food to do it justice. I love the BBQ chicken sandwich probably the best, but you can't go wrong with anything you order there!!! It's must for this area! read more

I began hearing about Heavy's on the first day I moved to Harrogate, TN. When I finally took the winding 20 minute backroad drive down into the hollow to find Heavy's, it definitely fit the description I was expecting: a dilapidated wooden shack on the riverbank. Inside the walls are covered in dollar bills and license plates from states across the US. There is no shortage of food at Heavy's - most meals come with two sides and pieces of Texas toast (just toast with butter and garlic powder). Help yourself to a pitcher of sweet tea or bottles of soda inside. I tried the fried okra, hushpuppies, and onion rings, all of which were okay, but the baked tater salad with its sour cream base with bacon and chives is mouth-watering. Thursday nights are all-you-can-eat ribs and fried catfish. This includes the sides too, so bring a big appetite. Heavy's is only open seasonally, so make sure you check the calendar and online. I know I will be there as soon as they open this spring. read more

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This place is a treasure!! Food was OUTSTANDING and the service perfect. Ribs were the best I've had. Thanks for taking care of our family tonight! read more

This place specializes in BBQ and they excel at it. I chose the combo plate with pulled pork and a half pound of ribs. The ribs were the best I have had in quite a while and the pulled pork was very good. The sauce was excellent. My sides were baked beans and baked potato salad. Both were excellent. The only downside is that it is open air with no air-conditioning and we got there before the day had cooled down and it was a bit uncomfortable. Other than that it was great. This is for the Heavy's on Benfield lane. Take note: They only take cash, no credit. read more

Middle of nowhere. Very rustic. Pretty drive. Great BBQ except for the sauce which was a little sweet for me.

Another delicious meal! Best ribs and French fries ever! They're closing for the season next weekend but we can still visit their food truck in Middlesbrough. We also had the catfish which was very good also. Don't miss them next summer. read more

After hearing about this place for EVER - we finally decided to give it a try. It was very good! Nice to know there is such a good local BBQ place nearby! read more

We went to Heavy's because we like unique restaurants. It was well worth the drive, especially if you love great BBQ. Ribs were great, just fell off the bone. Great smokey flavor, as well as the pulled pork. Be sure to save room for dessert because they have Heavy's World Famous Funnel Cake, best I ever had! The only negative was I wanted a t-shirt so bad but they were out of several sizes. I will definitely be back. read more

Take it from a Texan! Excellent bbq served here. Pretty drive to get here, friendly staff. Ribs are tender and fall off the bone. Onion rings are fabulous. Can even rent a canoe or kayak and go down the Powell river. Well Worth the trip read more

Good bar-b-cue, good sides, and a great atmosphere. The service could be a bit faster, but the ambiance has "BBQ Joint" written all over it, so sit down and enjoy it for a while. If you are driving out to this place, and if you think you missed it, just keep going, because you have not. It is a long and twisty drive, but well worth it. read more

An authentic hill country BBQ joint. The food was tasty and it was fun to experience the unique BBQ shack atmosphere. If you are picky about cleanliness, this would not be the place for you. The menus were moldy around the edges, the plastic tablecloths sticky and also had mold specks. We overlooked these things because we felt that was part of the authentic atmosphere, and most of the restaurant is open and only screened. Drinks are serve yourself from liter bottles placed on a table. Styrofoam cups, paper plates, and plastic tableware. We had to wait quite a while for our food, but it eventually came out hot and tasty. We ordered ribs for 2, which came with 4 sides. Plenty of food! We felt it was a bit expensive, though, with our bill totaling over $50 for just the 2 of us. We did not have appetizers or desserts. They do not accept credit cards, so bring plenty of cash if you plan to eat here. read more

Wow, just wow. Heavy's is truly a hidden gem; they offer excellent barbeque and great comfort food as sides. It is an open air restaurant and hours are not typical so check ahead of time. We dinned only a few feet from a river bank and it was a peaceful and lovely covered porch setting. The drive to reach this restaurant was a small winding road and our garmin took us to the wrong location so mind the blue sign on the right side of the road (at a fork in the road). I would and will drive out of my way to reach this diamond in the rough. read more

Best BBQ I have ever had! The atmosphere is so fun. Heavy's also does a great job catering.

This place is a hidden gem! The most authentic barbecue you could ask for, in s place that is out of the way and doesn't look like much in the outside... Make sure you check their hours, you may have to wait until it opens - but it will be worth the wait! Beef, chicken, pork - they have it all; the portions are generous and the prices will not take a bite out of your wallet. Make sure you bring cash - they do not accept credit cards; and maybe you can tack a signed dollar bill among the many that decorate the patio (with a nice view of the tranquil river... what better way to spend an afternoon!) read more