This place came highly recommend by several friends and luckily lived up to the hype. Cajun food and seafood are 2 of my favorite things and they knocked it out of the park. Don't forget dessert! The bread pudding is to die for. The service was wonderful. We will be back! read more

We were here a couple years ago (I think about the time they first opened). Was excellent then and was even better this time! We had the roast beef Po'boy and chicken sausage gumbo and it was great. We also go some jambalaya, chicks sausage gumbo and pulled pork to go to take back to Michigan with us. We tasted the jambalaya and bbq before putting in the freezer and they were both great! This visit they also had live entertainment and she was great!It's a nice little drive out to the restaurant, you will not be disappointed! read more

In from Texas, decided to try their fish. Their catfish was nothing but meat, not the thin fried fish used to. Don't forget the size the 4 piece is more like an 8 piece, fish is very large. Extremely good and service great! read more

Bad service, bad under cooked food. the cat fish was almost raw. the shrimp were the same. nothing we ate was worth stoping for. will not make that place a stop again...the wife and I both got sick on the way home. I had small curly black beard hair in my pasta.. told the waiters about it. she it could not have been. no one works here with a black beard. just then the cook walked through the door scratching his beard. she looked at me and said she would take off one meal from the bill. BIG of them,not read more

I came here while I was visiting Tennessee on vacation, I know what a good shrimp Po Boy tastes like and the one I had here was SO GOOD!! I had a sno ball after which wasn't the best but the service was excellent would definitely go back! read more

Catfish is fantastic. Shrimp fantastic. White Chocolate Bread Pudding nearly made me lose my mind. When can I come back???

Great cajun food of all kinds. Especially the catfish dishes. Price is right. Service is top notch as well.

Great little seafood spot! We stopped here on our way back from our trip to Cades Cove. We had the boudin balls (Get these! Sooo good! Tastes like a crab cake mixed with rice and comes with a pretty tasty dip), catfish & shrimp basket, catfish sandwich (it was huge!), a cup of jambalaya (my favorite!) and a cup of chicken and sausage gumbo. The catfish was perfectly cooked; tender with perfect amount of breading. Our waiter, Tom, was very personable and attentive. We finished our meal with their white chocolate bread pudding...it was pretty amazing. read more

A small family run place off the beaten path that is well worth a visit. Everything our large party ordered was good and the service was excellent. The catfish was outstanding, moist with a delicate flavor and a crisp crust that was not at all greasy. Our party tried it three different ways and all were delicious. Fried shrimp got good reviews as did all the sides. The crabcakes were good but not outstanding. Whatever you order make sure you save room for some of their bread pudding; it was heavenly. Prices were reasonable. If we had eaten here early in the week I would likely have gone back for a second meal. read more

Being from Louisiana I'm usually leary of restaurants that claim to have have Cajun food. PawPaw's Catfish Kitchen exceeded out expectations. The fried catfish was thick and fried perfectly. Staff was friendly and found out the owners are originally from New Orleans, so they know what they're doing. The Louisiana decor was a nice touch and mad us feel at home. The Tuesday night singer was a pleasant surprise. She even sang the LSU Tigers Fight Song when another customer asked. Will definitely be back next time we're visiting the area. read more

We went here with high expectations based on other Yelp reviews only to be very disappointed. The food was fairly decent, but the service was terrible. We waited at least an hour to get our food after ordering. I was very upset when I saw people who had sat down after us get their food before we did. I was also not happy with the waitress. During that hour that we waited for our food she never came back to our table to ask if we wanted more drinks or to apologize for the long wait. I had to flag her down to ask her what was taking so long. Nothing we ordered was that complex, considering most of the food we ordered was fried it shouldn't have taken that long. I don't mind waiting for good food, but since the food was just ok and the service was terrible I will not be returning. read more

Great food and really friendly service. The roast beef po'boy was awesome. The fries were nice and crispy.

Unexpected find. It was delicious. Worth the drive. Catfish was perfectly fried. Would differently eat here again. Check it out

Terrific food! I had not eat catfish in 20 years because I had never like it. I have it a shot here and loved it! I guess I've never had good catfish before. And the service is amazing! My waitress was so friendly and on top of my needs and order. I will definitely be back the next time I'm in town. read more

Visiting Townsend from Texas . We actually went looking for another restaurant and found it closed so kept driving . Lucky for us. Paw paws is a great little place with awesome food good service friendly atmosphere and reasonable prices. . read more

Friendly people. Hotsauce bottles were greasy immediate turn off. Service was excellent. I had the seafood platter. Quality catfish and shrimp. Catfish could have been a little crispier. Oysters not fried enough batter gooey. Crabcake was terrible. Hush puppies were fried good but lacked flavor . Ice cold beer. read more

Fantastic fried catfish, right up there with the best I've ever had. Friendly, helpful staff who were quite accommodating to our family of 10. Jambalaya was tasty, but the etouffee was a bit on the watery, bland side (Louisiana Hot sauce fixed the problem). A few minutes off the main drag, but definitely worth the drive. I shall return. read more

Very good fried food. Catfish was fresh. Fries were crispy. Servers were very polite and attentive. Boudin balls were very good and a bit spicy. Very casual atmosphere. I would go there again. read more

Our family wanted something quick, close by, and NOT on the main drag in Pigeon Forge one night for dinner. We decided on Pawpaw's after seeing the great Yelp reviews. And I must agree, the food is very authentic and certainly worth the price. These are Louisiana folks who get their fish from the New Orleans area. Most of what they serve is fried - so don't expect any blackened flounder with asparagus. Not that kind of place. However it's still very good quality and certainly tasty. They are not big on presentation. The restaurant itself is more of converted convenience store looking kind of building. The inside is no frills. But aren't those some of the best places? Pawpaw's is just that. read more

Let me start by saying that I myself am from South Louisiana where PoBoys, Red beans & rice and Gumbo are served as common as your all American Hamburger. I have been to many "Cajun" resturants and have sadly been dissapointed by many but I must say there are not enough stars to give this place. I ordered the Roast Beef Poboy and it by far was one of the best not only that I have had in awhile, but EVER, slow roasted homemade roast and gravy. NO DELI ROAST HERE... My Son had the Shrimp Poboy and it was just as delicious with juicy flavored shrimp. Out of curiosity I ordered two crab cakes as an appetizer before our meal to see what kind of flavor this resturant was working with and I must say I was impressed from the start. They were full of flavor and absolutely delicious. I spoke to the owner about being from Louisiana as well and as a thank you for stopping in he shared two Beignets with my kids and they were just as perfect as I remembered. I HIGHLY recommend this resturant if you are looking for flavor, authentic Cajun food and an overall great experience. The resturant is family owned, the cook himself (the owner) shared a few laughs with us as well. The entire waitstaff was friendly and on top of everything. The resturant was clean and inviting. We will be back every chance we can come up to the mountains. read more

Pawpaw's Catfish Kitchen - A true "Cajun" resturant has these condiments. If you're Cajun you will get this. - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Sevierville, Tennessee

Catfish basket was outstanding. Never had breaking so light and fluffy! Service was warm friendly and excellent. If you are in pigeon forge or Gatlinburg you need to look this place up. read more

What a diamond in the rough! The food was incredible! The hush puppies are crisp on the outside, tender and moist inside; the catfish fillets are huge and fluffy and their fried shrimp was the best we've ever eaten. The service was immediate and attentive, we were amazed at how quickly our food was ready. You will not be disappointed if you like fried, Cajun-style seafood. Going back for the gumbo next time! read more

Fun stop after an afternoon at Cades Cove. There was a singer playing keyboard on Tuesdays. Fun atmosphere and great food! I ate too much but could have eaten more. The catfish was hot and the side salad was great. We will be back! read more

Definitely a place we will go back to again .catfish is great so were the the alligator bites

Totally unexpected and completely amazing! We had several things on the menu including the catfish sandwich and boudin balls (I'm probably spelling this wrong). Everything was excellent! read more

We stayed in pigeon forge luckily passed by this little gem on hwy 321 ....only a few minutes from pigeon forge. As someone who grew up in the biz and very much familiar with what it takes to make good home cooked meals for the masses I can say I would give this place 10 out of 10 stars. Great service, great prices, boudan balls that will make u slap ur mama, the best fried catfish u will find within 400 miles ...don't expect flashy lights and glitter ...expect great food at great prices. My wife and I were blown away and will be back every time we are anywhere near Gatlinburg or pigeon forge. Only problem I had is the owner told me she can't open another one in my hometown of asheville ;( PS the white chocolate bread pudding is a must have!! read more

This is a must eat!! Our favorite place in all of Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg! The crawfish is so good and they even instructed us on how to eat it. We have been here multiple times on our visits. Be sure to plan it in because the hours are a little hit or miss. Totally worth planning for!! read more

OMG it's everything you're looking for authentic and tasty! The owners are from Louisiana and they know their food! I love their catfish! Everything is made fresh! The owner makes special trips several times a year to Louisiana and bring all the good seasoning and secrets back to share with the Mountains right off Wears Valley Rd!! read more

Awesome little find,, visiting from Illinois, drove by and took a chance,, from the waitstaff to owners, glad we stopped. The catfish basket was great, along with homemade coleslaw. Will go back next time down here,, and make sure you try the homemade white choc bread pudding,, read more

Pawpaw and his wife are amazing! We came in with 13 people. They were quick to accommodate us. Very nice people. I got the the catfish basket and loved it. Huge pieces of catfish. My boyfriend got the shrimp po boy and he said he loved it. Whenever we are in town we will definitely be back. read more

We stopped by this little gem which had the most incredible catfish we've ever had! The staff was super friendly and prices were very reasonable. If you get a chance to try it out, you won't be disappointed. read more

My family and I stopped in and had boudin balls, catfish poboys, combination shrimp and catfish platter and bread pudding which was all excellent. Our waitress was very nice and the owner was too. Everyone there is from Louisiana and it shows because everything tastes authentic and the southern hospitality makes you feel like you're family. I'm from Louisiana and I felt right at home. My family can't wait to come back here to eat. read more

Ordered the catfish and crab cakes. Crab cakes made with little filling and mostly crab. Not the best I've ever had but also nowhere close to the worst. Catfish was delicious. Crispy, flaky and still juicy on the inside. Paired with cocktail sauce...yummy!!! Definitely would recommend if you are in the area. Pattie was a doll!!! read more

This was the best bang for our buck on our whole trip we loved every bite and the service was top notch the ribs fell off the bone and the pork was delectable I strongly suggest you try this place in your BBQ endeavors :) another good one locally was Hungry bear but the service is was better here enjoy ! read more

My dad told me there is one authentic Louisiana Cajun restaurant I'd like to visit in Wears Valley. I'm so glad we came early enough to get the beignets and sampler on the appetizer menu. This place is authentic and will visit again. read more

The food at Pawpaw's is "write home" good. My husband is from Louisiana so we had to try a Cajun restaurant and I'm so glad we did. He had the corn and shrimp soup and jambalaya and I had the catfish and shrimp basket. Everything was perfectly cooked and perfectly seasoned. So amazingly delicious. If we lived closer we'd eat here all the time. It was so good we even bought a t-shirt. read more

I only have excellent things to say about this place! We were greeted by the staff and a sweet lady singing music and engaging the whole restaurant. She was a hoot! The food was amazing! I got the lunch special-half a shrimp po boy and a cup of the shrimp and okra gumbo. I then asked for a side of remolaude sauce and oh my goodness it was the best I've ever had! I ordered a side of fries just so I could eat more of the sauce! And to top it all off the white chocolate bread pudding was to die for!! A MUST try! I'm already looking forward to coming back to Sevierville just to eat at Pawpaw's Catfish Kitchen! read more

So glad we went off the beaten path and chose this place. Would eat here again in a heartbeat. Bring some tums, mostly all fried but so so so good. read more

Had a shrimp poboy that was delicious! Shrimp were large and plentiful. Only negative with this place is that they are only open Wednesday through Saturday! Wish I had more time in the area to come back and try everything else. Someone had ordered crawfish while I was waiting and they looked awesome! This is a hidden gem that I wish I had near my house. Anyone that appreciates N'Awlins cooking needs to give this place a try. read more

I'm in Knoxville on business. PawPaws was recommended to me. It was a nice drive through the smokies to get there. I was greeted upon walking in. The waitress and owners were very friendly. The restaurant was very clean. Best part, THE FOOD! The food was so delicious! By far the best restaurant that I've eaten at in the Knoxville area. I had the catfish. So tasty! If you are in the area, PawPaws is a MUST! I give it 5 stars! read more