Service was impeccable! BBQ was good too but, my steak was just okay and my to go order was wrong. The restaurant did attempt to make it right but I was already home and refused to come back up. I want to reiterate that they ladies working their were great! Also, wish they had beer but I understand being in a state park. read more

Our waitress was Heather and she was so sweet and extremely attentive and efficient. Ask for her!! We started with the friend green tomatoes and they were tasty! The ranch dressing they make for dipping is the best!! I ordered the Mac and cheese with pulled pork. Very good very filling!! We also tried the ribs and they were fall off the bone good. Loved the flavor and loved their local sauce. We will be back!! read more

See all

The view was nice, the decor was charming, the food was great, and the service was friendly and attentive. Rickard Ridge BBQ is a one of a kind family owned restaurant. It was a pleasure to stop along our road trip. Maybe we will stop again on our way home and try something different from the menu! read more

An absolute jem on my road trip back to the south. Loved the pulled pork and beans. My husband got the teriyaki bbq and that was good too. Smoky and great portions. Also the views were nice cuz it was by a state park. If I go on that route again I'll be back. read more

Great food ... Great view of Cove Lake State Park . Come hungry and enjoy the music on Thursday and Friday nights

While in TN visiting family, we decided to eat here after a fun day at the lake. We had a party of 9 so we had called ahead and made reservations. We were immediately seated upon arrival. They have both indoor and outdoor seating as well as plenty of parking. There is a beautiful view of the TN mountains so that alone makes it worth eating here. The barbecue is pretty good as well. Several people at our table ordered the half rack of ribs. They were a hit with them all! The only disappointing thing was the bathroom. I can't speak for the men's restroom but the ladies room was not very clean. I usually judge a restaurant by the cleanliness of the restroom so it was disappointing. Overall it was a great barbecue joint, good service and beautiful views read more

Rickard Ridge BBQ - Half rack ribs with baked beans - Barbeque Near Me - Caryville, Tennessee

We stopped for dinner on our road trip home from Myrtle Beach with hundreds of miles to go. We were really impressed with the beautiful view and wonderful location. Dinner started out okay. We were seated immediately. It looked busy but not to the point of waiting to seat people. Our server was young and friendly. We ordered two pulled pork platters and a pulled pork salad. Then the loooong wait began. The server stopped once to refill my soda but otherwise she was M.I.A. After more than 35-40 minutes, our food was delivered to the table. The server left and we kept looking out for her to ask her for salt and pepper because the potato salad was a bit bland and napkins because, well...it's a bbq joint and half a paper towel isn't enough when you're dealing with bbq sauce - besides the paper towels that hubby's silverware was wrapped in already had bbq sauce on it. After looking for her for 15 minutes or so, we stopped another server and asked for the S & P. She stated they don't give out S & P because of COVID, which is understandable except if you don't want people handling S & P shakers, get PACKETS of salt and pepper! It just isn't that complicated. She said she would get them and the napkins but she never came back and we never saw our own server as she didn't stop by even once during our meal. We were long done with our meal when our server was walking past tables not particularly close by when my husband yelled out "excuse me!" to get her attention. When she made her way to our table, my husband asked her, "We're still one of your tables right?" She, of course, said yes and we told her that we had asked for salt and pepper and napkins and the other girl said she'd bring it but never came back. She seemed defensive and said she was never told. She said she'd bring it now and we looked at our empty plates and said it wasn't necessary now because there is no food to put it on. That pissed her off. After she dropped off the food and never stopped to check on us, our observation that bringing the salt and pepper seemed unnecessary since we no longer had anything to put it on seemed a reasonable thing to point out. Then she got really uppity and kinda shitty with us. She brought the check without speaking, collected the credit card without speaking to us and dropped off the receipt without speaking to us. My husband and I both laughed at her immaturity and inability to acknowledge that she dropped the ball. I debated leaving no tip but left a tip expecting that she shares with kitchen staff therefore we weren't going to stiff them. Food was good and plentiful so we wanted to acknowledge that. A place like this should have some standard for excellence with their waitstaff and her manager, should they read this review, should coach them on checking on their tables. Because the service was so slow, we lost nearly two hours on our travel time to home in Indiana. Based on this visit, I would not come back. There are too many other bbq places or restaurants in general who value their customers. read more

See all

BYOBS (bring your own barbecue sauce) The barbecue is ok, and the sauce is nothing to be desired. Barbecue and barbecue sauce go hand in hand. I have never been to a bbq joint where they only had a mild and a hot sauce and neither were any good. There were only 3 other tables during the middle of lunch rush. The service was great but the food was really lacking. Order Pulled pork platter w Sweet potato fries & baked beans $8.99 Pulled pork platter w Onion Rings & potato salad $8.99 The pulled pork was ok, nothing special. The sweet potato fries and the onion rings were good. The baked beans were not that great, and the potato salad was bland. Overall it was ok, nothing special. I've had better. ** high chairs = yes ** kids menu = yes ** changing table in the bathroom Men = no Women's = yes read more

See all

I cannot say enough good things about Rickard Ridge and their employees! We catered them for our wedding, and they did such an amazing job. So many guests complimented the delicious food! My husband and I are still enjoying the leftovers. Thank you, Joni, for working with me and organizing everything! We will always remember how delicious our wedding dinner was. read more

This is a true gem! I wanted to try some local flavor and dinner was so good I had take out the next night as well instead of trying another local place. The quality of the food is top notch, and the pricing is almost shockingly low. I had dinner on the patio, and the views are amazing as you overlook the park and the lake. Service was friendly and fast. I will visit again. read more

See all

Spectacular view from the deck, nice to sit out and enjoy really good pulled pork served up in jiffy-pop type to go containers. Pulled pork is smoked in house. Sides were tasty, baked beans were good with an interesting take on flavor using added hamburger. Onion rings are big crispy rings, potato salad is creamy and a good side choice. Service is good. Food very good. View very very good. read more

Rickard Ridge BBQ - Outside - Barbeque Near Me - Caryville, Tennessee

Wonderful smoke flavor! Had the combo platter- ribs, chicken, pulled pork. With grilled asparagus - all was wonderful!! Will return for sure read more

Nice restaurant inside state park. Friendly staff. Really nice that they have small plates as a choice. We had the meatloaf with different sides- white macN cheese and baked potato. Everything was delicious- some of the best meatloaf I've had. read more

Beautiful location in a state park beside a lake and green lawn! There are outside tables where you can enjoy the view and fresh air in nice weather. We were very happy to find a family-style restaurant open on a holiday Sunday afternoon. It is less than a mile off I-75, convenient for travelers wanting a pleasant stop on a long journey. Location: 5/5 lovely site, plenty of parking Service: Servers were pleasant, efficient, helpful, more than willing to advise and help with choices Premises: 3/5 clean, family style, old-nice outdoor patio area Food: here is a weak point -Food was inconsistent. Brisket was good, Brunswick stew was very good; pulled pork was dry. Sides were inconsistent. Sweet potato fries were good; plain fries were not great. The fried pickle was good. Potato salad was good. We would return here to try other entrees. read more

Rickard Ridge BBQ - View from the patio - Barbeque Near Me - Caryville, Tennessee

The food is always delicious and enormous portions! The bluegrass band on Thursday night does not stay on stage long enough! Only there for an hour then left (6:30pm-7:30pm). Everyone was enjoying it and singing along! Let them go until closing at 8pm at least or until the last customers are leaving. Really a nice, hometown, comfortable place! read more

I suppose if you're not from the area, you may miss this place. If you're going to or coming from the Smokies, this place is a hidden gem. Just a few short minutes off the highway, it is a nice, peaceful stop...with really good food. Starting off with the fried green tomatoes (if you're in the south....). Crispy outside and delicious. Then, I had the brisket sandwich. A sizable sandwich with cheese and onions on a brioche bun, served with homemade horseradish sauce. A delicious lunch. I added the onion rings. A nice beer batter, not greasy and the onions are slightly crunchy inside. All in all, a wonderful lunch, a nice change of pace from the highway and convenient to the highway. So, if you're traveling north or south, stop in and see for yourself...and enjoy. read more

This restaurant is located in a stunning location with a gorgeous open view outside. The waitresses are attentive and offer some great suggestions. She always offered a smile and kept our drinks filled. The tator skins were so good! I am completely in love with the BBQ sauce they serve here. I smothered my ribs in it too. The fried okra was perfect crispy and definitely fresh oil was used. The potato salad was delightful! read more

Rickard Ridge BBQ - Potato BBQ Tater Skins - Barbeque Near Me - Caryville, Tennessee

See all

Cute little restaurant just inside the Cove Lake state park. We stopped based on the reviews while driving through on vacation. It is not far off the highway at all. The views from the restaurant are beautiful. A low hill, lake, then mountains in the distance. There is a small stage with mics, they must have nightly entertainment. Seating is spaced out nicely to meet covid precautions. I actually appreciate the extra space. Half of the staff was wearing masks. They do have a children's menu when we asked. My youngest was pleased (she is not a bbq fan). My eldest got the chicken salad, nice and plain for her tastes. My husband and I shared the combo platter. A steal at $25. 1/2 rack ribs, 4 chicken thighs, and a pile of pulled pork also included 4 sides. It was delicious. And the sauce wasn't too sweet. Bark was perfect on the ribs. Flavor on chicken and pork was spot on. Very pleased. read more

Bland food. Ribs dryer than my ex wife. All the sauces come in bottles if you don't ask for it your stuck with no sauce in anything just bland read more

Food was excellent, server was sweet as tea, and we didn't have to wait long. I highly recommend read more

If you like smoked meat you will love this restaurant. Ribs, pulled pork, brisket, chicken even their burgers are great. The best onion rings and deep fried mushrooms I've ever had. Try em out you won't be sorry. read more

My wife had the pulled pork sandwich and it was real good, but the bun was too small by far. She had them add coleslaw also. With sweet potato fries. I had the hoagie sausage sandwich and it was pretty good. Nothing to write home about but satisfying Has green peppers and red peppers on it and onions. French fries we're OK. Service was good. Lotta young kids working in there. read more

DO NOT EAT AT RICKARD RIDGE. What we witnessed last night with an employee was unacceptable. The girl that was seating people walked out last night due to being treated poorly by staff and the female owner. A young man that works there was being a complete ass to the girl working up front. The owner was more concerned with the fact that the boy was upset and not the fact that he treated that girl like shit. The female owner was acting like a complete child and completely humiliated that girl In front of everyone and even chased her out of the building yelling that she was being silly for leaving. They have a bunch of kids running their business who always smell like marijuana and are always so high they can barely function. There are a few there that are amazing but after last night rickard ridge lost my business and the business of many others. The food is great but the staff is unbelievably rude to the other employees with absolutely nothing being done about it. I've never seen such unprofessional behavior come from a boss in my entire existence. Absolutely ridiculous. I'll never eat somewhere that can't treat their employees properly especially when that employee was doing her job and the young man working should have been fired. This is also not the first time we've heard of this issue but last night we witnessed it for ourselves. read more

Had catfish bites with hush puppies, popcorn shrimp, and BBQ Tater Skins. Everything was so good! Even the cocktail sauce was great! Staff was super nice and attentive! May go back tomorrow! read more

Very nice and good for all ages even my 92 year old grandma loved it.Very good food mostly recommend their ribs,they are delicious. 10/10 recommend! Hope this helps! read more

Megan was our server and was amazing. Food was delicious and came out quick. The interior was beautiful and so was the view.

Are you kidding me with this patio?! Absolutely spectacular views of the lake & mountains from the large patio with accommodating tables for 6+. Additionally, the location just inside a wonderful park with trails & tennis courts makes a great stop off during a road trip. We stopped in on our way East & we are so glad we did! In true "I don't know what to order" fashion my partner and I decided to split the sampler. This dish comes with healthy portions of pulled pork and ribs as well as two chicken thighs. We chose baked beans, green beans, onion rings & fries for our 4 sides. My advice is to skip the fries and stick with traditional sides -- like the green beans, which were delicious and boasted pulled pork mixed in. The meat was all great & served with a side of slightly spicy bbq sauce (tip: Use the bbq sauce with the ribs, ours were slightly dry alone). We were overwhelmed with food, but so happy to try everything they have to offer. The pulled pork was the star of the show. We did not have room for dessert, but the dessert menu included numerous delicious sounding pies. We can't wait to make this place a regular stop on our road trips through TN. read more

Rickard Ridge BBQ - Platter & a view! - Barbeque Near Me - Caryville, Tennessee

Love this place. The servers are always great. The Loaded Baked potatos are amazing. Also must try the cove burger.

I enjoy the food and the atmosphere. The servers are always courteous and kind. The food is delicious.

Trying to find dog friendly restaurants while on road trips can be frustrating, to say the least. Somehow I stumbled upon this place, and lo and behold, their patio is pet friendly! There was also a 10% off with a Yelp check in. Woot! Our waitress was sweet and brought my pup a cold bowl of water. It was 82 degrees, after all, and we were in the sun. My pulled pork was on freakin' point! So juicy and delicous. The hushpuppies were some of the best we've had. My boyfriend got the ribs and they were fall off the bone, tender, and sooo good. We loved the sweet tea, too! This place does NOT disappoint. Look, guys... any place that welcomes my four legged best bud and brings him ice cold water will get a great rating from me. We come to Tenessee often, and I'll make sure we visit again! read more

See all

Food was not that good. The service was great; however, as always. I don't do ambiance. The environment is first class, but I go to eat and my pork chop was pink and chewy. I just didn't eat it. That is breeding salmonella. read more

Stopped here on our way through town and I thanked my wife 1,000 times for finding this place. The ribs were some of the best I've ever had, and the chicken thighs were the best I've ever had. I ordered the sweet potato fries and grilled asparagus--both were also outstanding. We were on a roll so we went with dessert and I am so glad we did. The cobbler and the buttermilk pie were our favorites, but the chocolate pie was also really good. The best part is we got out or there for under $100 as a family of 4. Not easy to do these days. My only complaint is how far away this place is from my house!!! I might make the drive for the bbq. read more

Barbeque gets a little better... but not very much. Views, service, and reasonable prices in combination with quality food at Rickard Ridge can't be beat. I looked at this location on Yelp about a year ago but wound up passing it up thinking that there must be a mapping mistake (and I didn't have time for mistakes that day). Surely a restaurant wouldn't be in the middle of a state park - but it is! ...and thank goodness. The view on the patio is nothing short of superbly relaxing. When a friend and I visited the staff was very helpful and friendly and took care of our needs quickly. We started with the fried mushrooms which were nothing short of fantastic. These aren't puny little Mario mushroom caps but big two-biters with a great batter. They come with a horseradish dipping sauce that was unexpectedly great and a ranch-like sauce as well. I was livin' large that day and ordered the ridiculous Rickard Ridge Top Combo. They let you sub sides - so I was able to change to sweet potato fries and onion rings that were both great. The meat was just about everything I could hope for - the pulled pork tasted great, the smoked chicken thighs were very tasty for a guy who is tough to please with smoked chicken, and the ribs were fantastic. The thighs are not gigantic, but considering the size of the dish that was A-OK. The ribs were very slightly dry, but had a great flavor and fell off the bone while still having a good texture. I was also able to try my friend's brisket and it was great as well. The additional sides where some BBQ joints slack were very tasty as well - cole slaw that wasn't too watery or mayo-y and a potato salad with great texture and flavor. The corn bread wasn't mind blowing but was a great, simple example of what a regular corn bread can be. I can't wait to drop by Rickard Ridge next time I'm passing through... so see you in a couple of weeks! read more

Rickard Ridge BBQ - Fried Mushroom Appetizer - Barbeque Near Me - Caryville, Tennessee

See all

Always a fun place!! The club sandwich is my go too item!!! Great service as well!!!!!

The view and pulled pork alone get this place the three stars, service was terrible. We chose to sit outside to take in that beautiful view. We were not the only ones on the patio we were just the only ones with a waitress that forgot we were there. We each ordered the 6 oz pulled pork sandwich so we could save room for cobbler! The 6oz was plenty and we skipped our buns. The meat was juicy and had good flavor. I added the regular BBQ sauce and really liked the flavor. It came with a fried pickle spear that was really good. He got baked beans as a side and they were REALLY good but I got potato salad and I would not get it a second time. Some of the potatoes were hard and crunchy and it really needed salt and pepper but I couldn't find any, nor could I find our waitress. We saw the waitress once to order, she brought us our drinks and that was IT! Never came to check on us after we got our food, I had to go inside and request a refill at the counter and as I passed her I got "oh I was just getting ready to check on you" but she still didn't. After we finished our second glass of tea and we STILL didn't see her, we decided to pass on the cobbler and I had to go in and request our check from her. She claimed she was getting ready to check the kitchen for our food and I let her know we had been finished with our food for quite awhile and needed to go. Lots of excuses given. We all make mistakes, just own up to it we are adults. Really disappointed we didn't get to try that cobbler. read more

Rickard Ridge BBQ - The view from the patio - Barbeque Near Me - Caryville, Tennessee

Stopped on a road trip and a great quick dinner. Had the pork bbq over potatoes which was perfect portion for me. Had a hard time finishing but I did! Husband got the pork bbq and was surprised at the generous amount for the price. Good smoke and flavor. Great value too. Blackberry cobbler and creamy vanilla ice cream was the perfect ending. read more

Great food and service! Reasonably priced just off I75 makes it worth the stop!! Beautiful area by the State Park read more

Alexa was fabulous! Food was good. Atmosphere was out of this world. We are staying at the campground and lovin life. Thank you.

Great food, and has a fantastic view! I had the Piggy Mac (I recommend adding BBQ sauce to the pulled pork because I didn't taste much flavor with it by itself, but it was delicious) Great place for families read more

We are only here for a night and Yelp reviews once again delivered a gem. With a group size of 18, service was amazing! All food came out hot and delicious! Big fan favorites were Hog Heaven and BBQ Baked. We all raved over their BBQ sauce. Spot on flavor! Check them out and I promise you won't regret it. read more