I've been meaning to stop & eat here for DECADES. Wish I would have stopped in before the fire. The new building is kind of small but you kind of feel at home. For the most part the food was good. Pork chops were a little tough but edible. The service was good. Our waitress keep making sure we had everything we needed. We will definitely be going back. read more

The food was awful. Our waitress got both meals wrong. Go somewhere else! This was a big let down. The original smoke house burnt down 5 years ago. What a dive. read more

We were in the mood for some live music and good southern food so we decided to checkout Smoke House on Monteagle. The restaurant is located behind the namesake lodge and has ample parking. They had a nice fireplace going on outside due to chilly weather. Inside was a super cozy southern vibe kind of a place. There were a lot of music memorabilia on the walls. The live music was really good. Randy Finchum kicked off the music and played original and sometimes hilarious songs. He made sure to crack a lot of jokes and stories between the songs. For food we tried fried pickles, fried okra, fried brussels sprouts, and sausage with onions and peppers. Yep...no sight of greens but man was everything delicious. Also, they have cheap beers available but only in bottles. If you're in the mood for some good southern food with a cozy funky vibe then checkout Smoke House. read more

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It was National Pickle Day, so naturally I had to stop somewhere and eat something pickle themed! We were passing through Monteagle on a road trip and stopped here for a little snack -- fried pickles and okra. The breading ratio was awesome, thin enough to not overwhelm and make it too thick and dense. Came out steaming hot so clearly made fresh. Decor inside was adorable. Had a stage for live music in the evenings. Really kind staff. I'd made it a point to stop again if I ever find myself in that neighborhood again. read more

Jim Oliver's Smoke House Restaurant - Music Venues Near Me - Monteagle, Tennessee

I really wanted to like this place. Was on our way to the caverns for a concert. Odd looking place, but with character. They had live music on Sunday which was the only endearing thing about the event. It's a food truck that has a building attached to it. Nice patio outside. They were busy and the lady that sat us said it was going to be a wait. Not a problem. I ordered the pork plate. the pork was dry and flavorless and the sauce was likely Kraft. Fries were ok and the baked beans were average. Wife ordered a burger and fried okra. The bun was cold to the touch like it was just taken out of the fridge. The okra was cold as well. The venue was fine but the food was not good. Very disappointed. read more

The place, music, people were the best. I got the same pulled pork sandwich I ordered 10 years ago, that's the last time I stopped by. They had a bad fire that destroyed the original building, and the bbq was a lot different than before. But the laid back easy vibe was still there- good music, friendly people and quirky atmosphere is the experience I would return for. read more

My food came out cold and burnt after almost a hour I do not recommend this place I'm telling you it's not good

Worth the drive for excellent Bar B Que along with great sides and desserts. As authentic and fresh as it gets

Our family stopped here for supper on our vacation and we were so happy we chose this place. It has down home, cozy, dive bar vibes which is right up our alley. It wasn't busy so we didn't feel like our kids moving around was annoying anyone which was nice! The food was SO GOOD. Get a fried pie with ice cream, yummm. Our waitress was so kind and went above and beyond for our kids. There was a female singer that night and her voice absolutely blew us away. 10/10 experience. Go here, your family will love it. read more

Stopped in last weekend for lunch while out riding. The place has a pretty cool atmosphere and cool to walk around. Now the food wasn't good at all. The brisket wasn't very good at all. The pinto beans flavorless . The service was slow but we were not in a hurry and they were super nice. But when it comes to food it wasn't any good. Maybe it was just an off day for them but it was off so much I wouldn't stop again. read more

Jim Oliver's Smoke House Restaurant - Music Venues Near Me - Monteagle, Tennessee

Do not eat here. Technically I would not consider this a restaurant. Everything is deep fried purchased probably from Cisco already pre made. Frozen burgers bad ambience dirty and disgusting I would hate to see the fridge or kitchen. read more

I was unsure about trying this place after the mixed reviews, but I'm always up for a culinary adventure when I am traveling so I gave it a shot. I'm so glad I did!!! The restaurant is set off from a country store, which you get a tour of right off the bat since you must head for the restrooms at the back to wash your hands before being seated. This is a great opportunity to peruse the sauces and jellies sold by the store as well as see the rattlesnake that Jim Oliver bit. I have no complaints about breakfast. The service was friendly, the plate arrived promptly, and the coffee was refreshed regularly. I had the Breakfast Sampler which was a great way to experience a lot of different breakfast items on the menu. It was the epitome of a great southern breakfast, and I highly recommend a stop here if you find yourself traveling through the area. read more

Jim Oliver's Smoke House Restaurant - Breakfast Sampler with Coffee - Music Venues Near Me - Monteagle, Tennessee

A barbecue place attached to country store that is part of a Lodge, this restaurant offers the kitschy ambiance to lull patrons into thinking they stumbled into a rerun of that classic television show from the 1970's, "Hee Haw." This is not a bad thing, I enjoyed the atmosphere and after lunch I wondered through the general store and found a few items that I never knew that I needed. We all opted for the buffet and while it was not huge, it offered us enough to keep lunch varied. The kale salad was a huge winner. I also really liked their hot peach barbecue sauce. Not overly spicy, but good. The pork and beef stew were good, but the smoked chicken was way overdone. Service was friendly and the prices were decent. This is a good option in an area that didn't seem to offer many dining choices. read more

Jim Oliver's Smoke House Restaurant - Music Venues Near Me - Monteagle, Tennessee

As a former employee of the Smokehouse (food truck) restaurant, I must say that the food is a no-go. It comes from Save-A-Lot, and the chicken is stored in a Dollar Tree bin and is slimy. The pulled pork is kept in the refrigerator by the door and has been reused multiple times. The place itself is a building placed on top of the parking lot with the big potholes you have to walk over, rugs are covering them. The owner overcharges their restaurant for it to be a food truck with a building attached. Not to mention the hotel and cabins are just as bad. Do not go to either of these, please it is not worth your money or your time read more

This place is disgusting. I went there once, and never again. This is NOT A SMOKEHOUSE. I asked "How's the brisket?" And the dumbfounded waitress answered "We don't have brisket." To be clear, they don't have BRISKET, RIBS, SMOKED CHICKEN, or basically anything that makes up a Smokehouse. They do NOT serve barbecue. I ordered a burger and it was dry as a bone. It comes with American cheese. At the time of ordering, I asked what other cheeses were available. I was told "It's just the Sliced yellow cheese. The singles." Wow. If that wasn't ridiculous enough, the French fries are frozen bagged fries and weren't seasoned or even cooked enough. Avoid this place at all costs, unless the owner decides to get it together and fix a GREAT MANY things. read more

Music was enjoyable. However, so disappointed it was a food truck serving the smoke meats. Not a Smokehouse atmosphere but patio and rustic inside seating to include plastic ware. Staff were friendly but cleanliness was lacking with sticky vinyl table cloths. Lighting was low and hard to see what was being served. Food was just ok, and prices reasonable. Not recommending, we won't be back. We were really hoping this venue would be a great Friday night place to hang, especially with the music. read more

Use to eat here all the time before it burned it was great no to much now. I do not like food truck meals after driving an hr. They should rebuild or just close that truck down. read more

Ribs= tasty, well seasoned, and fall off the bone tender with the perfect bite Brisket=tough and dry, just don't do it. Fried catfish= light, flaky, delish Don't get the "soup and salad" and opt for the second side. Fried chicken tenders= crispy, hot, juicy read more

I have visited Jim Oliver's Smoke House Restaurant & Trading post many times over the years with it always being a great time stopping in this classic restaurant and store. There is also a hotel here along with offering very nice cabins and I have stayed here when visiting Sewanee: The University of the South or back and forth between Nashville and Chattanooga. Jim Oliver's Smoke House Restaurant & Trading Post has all sorts of nooks and crannys with an astounding assortment of interesting items and little mini stores selling things like fudge. The Smoke House has one of the best collections of weird things in Tennessee along with a great sample of Tennessee antiques and music memorabilia here as well. This place is NOTABLE for selling some of the craziest and largest selections of BBQ sauces I have ever seen anywhere in my rather extensive BBQ explorations (watch out for the "Blazin Rectums" sauce and their other XXX Hot BBQ sauces). The restaurant here serves a buffet or you can order off the menu (and many menu items still include part of the buffet) and their BBQ brisket is decent stuff which with the huge selection of sauces you need to return a LOT of times to ever sample all of the options on your meat (and they are always adding new flavors of BBQ sauce). The beef stew that was being served during my last visit was really good and I could have made a meal of just that and as it was also all you could eat I nearly did make a second meal out of it when I finished off my BBQ brisket. This is one of the original old school joints that places like Cracker Barrel and Applebee's try to rip off but you will have a LOT more enjoyment here at one of the real McCoy's as you might have heard! Overall this place is a classic and you should make an effort to visit here at some point. They also have LIVE MUSIC so make make sure to check out the music schedule here. To see my video review of The Smoke House Lodge & Cabins look under that Yelp listing and under my restaurant review videos of Jim Oliver's Smoke House Restaurant is here: https://youtu.be/vfWZaP2wTgs read more

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The main restaurant burned down in a tragic fire. I loved that place, They opened a grill restaurant on the property. Service is limited as is seating in the temporary store. i had a combo plate of pork shop and smoked sausage. The pork chop was a bit dry but flavorful. I really liked the sausage and the fact that the peppers an onions were decided. I don't head this way often but will make it a destination if they rebuild the original restaurant. i'm rooting for their revival. read more

This place has been around for quite some time. I had the pork half rack ribs with fries along with a hoecake (cornbread in shape of a pancake). Flavor of the ribs was a good smoky flavor. Good portion of meat on the ribs, just a little fatty for my taste but still good eating. So many good items on the menu, this will be a repeat place for me. Got to try those fried frog legs!!!! read more

We met a friend here as a halfway point between our cities and there wasn't that much to choose from in the area. The trading post store is cute with lots of homemade wares and food. It reminded me a lot of a Cracker Barrel style country store. The restaurant is small, but we didn't feel overcrowded. All three of us decided on the $13 buffet which on our visit had fried chicken and catfish, pulled pork, macaroni, greens, mashed potatoes, veggies, cornbread, chili, and a fairly well stocked salad bar. The salad bar was my first stop and was good, but I would've loved croutons to go with my salad. When I went up for the main dishes they had just put out a fresh bin of catfish, so I gave it a try a long with fried chicken, macaroni and cheese and cornbread. The catfish was good, chicken was okay, but the macaroni had an odd flavor to it, definitely needed more cheese and the cornbread was extremely dry. The waitress was a kind older woman that took care of refills and clearing plates. If we stop here again I'll pass on the buffet and order something off the menu as I don't feel the $13/person was worth it. read more

Jim Oliver's Smoke House Restaurant - Music Venues Near Me - Monteagle, Tennessee

This place is a food truck with a restaurant attached. We ate burgers, which you would think would be cooked on a grill being as this is a "smokehouse"? These were Bubba Burgers, that were heated up, not cooked to what we asked, and most likely cooked in a microwave. The fries were luke warm and out of a bag, also were the onion rings. Cleanliness was horrible. The floors haven't been cleaned in years, along with rugs that were BLACK from dirt. Waitress was nice, however turned in the check to us immediately after our food arrived, never asking us if we liked the food, never offering us a tea refill, and never actually returning to the table at all. This place needs one thing and one thing only. A bulldozer. Would never return. The spot where the old restaurant used to stand is a concrete slab, which they tried to make into something where people want to hang, but they totally failed at that attempt. It also needs a bulldozer. Clean it up guys or just close it up. Any health inspections lately Probably not. I would never recommend this place to anyone. read more

Despite to the fact that room service was pretty much poor to say the least. My 10 y/0 grandson at 12 am says granddaddy there no toilet paper. Also I had to get my mifi out of the car because their internet was extremely slow. The staff are very friendly. The music is great. I like the restaurant. My wife and grandsons love the play area. We come pick our grandsons up every 8 week and will stay here each time. So far the good out weighs the bad. read more

Jim Oliver's Smoke House Restaurant - Music Venues Near Me - Monteagle, Tennessee

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This place burned down & they've opened a grill out back. The burgers were paper thin & tasteless. The fried pickles were okay, but served with some sort of sweet dipping sauce. It was odd. Everything was served on paper, plastic, & styrofoam. The atmosphere was neat & the fried brussels were good. Service was friendly, but super slow. I won't be back. read more

I'm pretty sure whoever started the Cracker Barrel chain took a page out of Jim Oliver's playbook. This appears to be the original country market/smoke house/restaurant, that Cracker Barrel has mimicked across the country. I was a little leery, given the earlier reviews, but not many options on a Sunday morning along this stretch of I-24, so decided to give it a try. Once we made our way through the "country store", we went up a few steps to the restaurant area, passing by the breakfast buffet which to be honest didn't look a whole lot better than what we'd skipped before leaving the Hampton Inn an hour before. Sugar-cured ham appears to be their specialty, so I decided on an omelette with the the famous ham, onions, mushrooms and cheese, along with biscuits and gravy. Nothing special, but not bad. My date had the short stack of pancakes with a half slice of the sugar-cured ham, of course. Here again, good, but nothing to get too excited about. The service and coffee were both good. One thing Jim Oliver could learn from Cracker Barrel, is that real butter and real maple syrup should be the standard. Right or wrong, I automatically deduct one star when those two staples are missing from my breakfast table. read more

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I'm torn on this review. The place could be better. The buffet doesn't look great. But the staff is nice. I had the fried catfish dinner. It came with one side, slaw, and the salad bar. The fish was cooked perfectly. and was really good. Definitely enough to share. The live music in the next room was good. Not too loud from the dining room. They have fried pies which I had to go. I updated my review because the service is so bad that I had no choice. When you walk in to get a table employees will walk back and forth and ignore you. If you want to buy anything they ignore you. They have one person to check you out behind people buying fudge and other items. Pretty much takes forever to get out of this place. read more

Jim Oliver's Smoke House Restaurant - Fried catfish dinner. Enough for two. - Music Venues Near Me - Monteagle, Tennessee

Barely a bbq. No ribs, brisket. Pulled pork was dry and hard. Beans seemed straight out of the can

We stumbled upon this place while Out driving in the area. First impression when you walk in is it's a bit cluttered. It reminded me of Cracker Barrel but more dirty. We were seated promptly and our server came in a reasonable time. They have a Buffett that most were eating at. I don't eat Buffett's if I can avoid it and ordered a club sandwich. You can pick two sides I picked onion rings and fried green tomatoes. I should have opted for something healthier but wasn't prepared when I ordered for two Side choices and they had several Options to choose from...I guess I didn't read the menu all the way. My sandwich bread was greasy and over all it was a greasy meal. I know it's the south but I didn't expect my club sandwich bread to be greasy. My husband had the ribs and they were a better choice All in all the service was good and the food so so.. read more

Apparently the original smoke house burnt down some years ago which has resulted in the restaurant no longer having Barbecue or smoked meats. They now only offer burgers, chicken tenders, fries and such. I did not eat there so I cannot comment on the food they do serve. Customer service was prompt. Interesting building. I would recommend rebuilding the smoke house and returning to the original themed menu or changing the name by omitting " smoke house " . read more

So good! Very great prices! Would recommend to anyone who is in the area! Go check them out!

This is such a fun place to eat, and listen to music. Good food, atmosphere and service.

Decent food at a good price. Came here after spending all day hiking and all of the food was solid, but not outstanding. I got the open face roast beef sandwich and the flavor was very good, but it wasn't as hot as I would have liked. Definitely served its purpose for me, though, so I would still visit again if I was in the area. The service was fantastic as our waitress anticipated all of our needs before we even asked. She definitely went above and beyond and made it a positive experience. And the shop is pretty unique and fun to look through if you find you have a wait. read more

It's all about service or lack of it here. I am guessing it might be hit or miss from looking at past reviews but thought to give it a shot as we drive through. I lived on the mountain as a kid and know my parents have eaten at the old place. For me I see what others have stated. Servers is slow to visit and no where to be seen once the food arrives. My drink sat empty for 15 minutes with no one in sight. I looked at the buffet but nothing looked that great so settled on a burger. Nothing special here, fries were ok. I did add some of the raspberry BBQ to the burger, which added some flavor. I might of bought some but after waiting for drink and check to come, just left. The place itself has some interesting items and worth the walk around. Otherwise, it would be one star. This place needs a service training overhaul. read more

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We stopped at Jim Oliver's Smoke House Restaurant for lunch today, as we were passing through during a Sunday drive around the TN countryside. I liked the large gift shop, we've never seen such a wide variety and selection of jams, sauces, and other novelty food items. A lot like a Cracker Barrel, but much more extensive. On to the restaurant -- we were seated right away, the tables & chairs were very "rustic", nice decor, but my legs did bump into the smallish table a few times, and it shook quite a bit. We both ordered the lunch buffet -- as Southern Buffets go, I'd say this is one of the better ones. Both the fried chicken and the smoke chicken were very tasty. Mac & Cheese was EXCELLENT ! Pulled Pork was good, a large selection of sauces were available and I did appreciate that. Mashed potatoes were also very good, overall, we were very happy with the buffet (my fiancee did bite into some grit in her kale). I only wished they had offered some fried catfish though, maybe they do on other days, not sure, but it was not a choice for us today. OK, normally I would consider Jim Oliver's Smoke House Restaurant to be a solid 4 star rating. So why 3 stars ? One word: SERVICE. Our waitress, Ash E, left a lot to be desired. Beyond being inattentive (forgetting our silverware until we came back from the buffet, making us ask for re-fills on our drinks, only giving us one straw for 2 drinks, passing by the table several times and not clearing our plates, and not asking how we were doing even once), she was strolling through the dining room snapping and popping her chewing gum. Extremely unprofessional. The cashier at the exit wasn't too friendly either. Seemed like she had the attitude that she was doing us a favor by taking our money. Hey, customer service does matter to me, a smile and "have a nice day" goes a long way with me. For all the delicious Southern food we did consume today at Jim Oliver's Smoke House, we felt the warm, friendly Southern attitude was seriously lacking. We did order two fried pies to go, mine was coconut creme, hers was peach. Honestly, we thought they were just "ok", they looked a lot better then they tasted. The filling in my coconut creme tasted kinda of "funky". read more

Jim Oliver's Smoke House Restaurant - Wow, a great selection of sauces & jellies can be found at Jim Oliver's Smoke House. - Music Venues Near Me - Monteagle, Tennessee

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Service was good. Waitress was sweet. Food was not good. Not a great menu option for a smoke house.

It's a smoke house and they do not have a single smoked item on the menu. All the food comes from a food truck and passed through the window. The bacon on the cheeseburger was so hard it was inedible. The sausage sandwich was in a small hotdog bun and looked liked only a quarter of the sausage. The southern style grilled cheese was soggy and the most basic grilled cheese I've ever seen, pretty sure it was old and then microwaved. The Brussel sprouts were very plain and burnt. Definitely disappointed and will not be returning. read more

Tony and I went hiking in Tracy City, Tn and afterwards we found lunch at this wonderful restaurant. I was attracted by the ROADSIDE attraction style of the restaurant..reminding me of restaurants my parents used to stop us at as children. It has a huge gift shop to look through. They sell their BBQ sauces, rubs/spices, Jelly's and Jams..sort of expensive but homemade..They also have gift ideas, baskets made up and homemade fudge. The restaurant is sort large. Had plenty of room, mismatched tables and chairs part of the decor that way. Our waitress was very fast and friendly. They also offer a hot/cold buffet style bar with salad, soup and entree and side items but is FLU season..so not worth the risk..we ordered off the menu. We both took the Open face Roast Beef sandwich served with mashed potatoes and gravy on bread with a side..we chose green beans.. I ordered the tea and he ordered a cold budweiser in a bottle with a cold mug... Pricing was average..we paid $31 with taxes and 15% tip we would go back again.. read more

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We booked a room with a queen bed and were very disappointed to only get a full size bed.... also wanted to take advantage of the 10% off meal at the Smokehouse restaurant so we ordered over the phone for delivery to our room. I guess the lady I spoke with was just ready to get off, because she rushed me through my order. Food was fair. Room was small and dated, but clean. Front desk people were nice. Not the best, but cheap. read more

Overall, I really enjoyed my visit to this restaurant. The atmosphere is very much momma's kitchen from the past that I don't think you get often. It seemed like a more authentic Cracker Barrel. Our waitress was attentive and kind. The pulled pork was great and the homemade coconut apple pie was delicious! Also, although the salad bar is nothing too special, I was surprised and glad to see one at a restaurant like this. I would not recommend eating here before a hike (as my boyfriend and I did) because of the amount of food you get. Haha! On the other hand, I would have liked to have been able to put our name in while waiting for a table instead of standing in a line, as I wanted to look around the store and we didn't have time after we ate. I think this would help their business as well. Lastly, it took a long time to pay because there's only one cashier, and the couple of people in front of us took a long time. read more