The catfish and turnip greens are SO good here! The service was great too - attentive and hospitable.

If you're planning on having an early day in the Smokies and Riverstone is on the way, look no further. Food was fine, service relatively meh (sat for 10 minutes before even getting a glass of water), crowd pretty intriguing. One thing I found strange was that there didn't seem to be *much* urgency amongst either patrons or waitstaff. Presumably everyone eating here before 8 AM is gearing up for a big active day but you really couldn't tell that anyone had any interest in trying to get out as soon as possible. Website link is dead. Men's restroom could use some repairs. read more

I don't recommend eating here!! It's very dated and the food was not very good. I got a hair in my food, I didn't even eat my food all I ate was the side. I still got charged for my 13 dollar meal. Easy to say I won't visit this place again. The service from the waiters wasn't awful the only good thing about eating there. read more

We had a good breakfast here in early February. However, it was expensive by most standards: $39.00 and that's not including a tip for two meals. My son loved his breakfast, a king-size eggs/hash browns/biscuit affair, and he's a bit of a foodie as well. I do think the food is overall, decent, and I will try a dinner there next time, but there are a few caveats. A major issue I have at any "good" restaurant is serving an imitation butter in the single serve tubs, and that's how Riverstone rolls also. I get controlling your food costs, but I'm not sure butter vs. imitation spread is more than a nickel in difference, and even at 10,000 meals, maybe saves 10 bucks a week. Bad choice of savings, because butter is butter, after all! This is a 3.0 - 3.5 star restaurant, as follows: FRENCH TOAST--Definitely take a hard pass on this item. They use regular white bread (should be a thick Italian bread or sourdough in order to hold up to the batter), and it ended up as expected, completely flavorless and about an 1/8" thick in the collapsed middle portions of the bread, unacceptable. BISCUITS AND WHITE GRAVY W/ A SIDE OF SAUSAGE-- I recommend this dish highly. The gravy and biscuits were perfect, and the sausage patties were also tasty; not Bob Evans or Jimmy Dean tasty, but still good. COFFEE--Unfortunately, I'm definitely deducting a star for some of the worst coffee I've had in 3 decades. Please promise everyone that you'll start brewing good and strong quality coffee, starting now. Maybe you can reach an agreement with the Artistic Bean (a good roaster and coffee shop right in Townsend also, see my review for them)? If so, I'll be back and looking forward to that day! If it weren't for the coffee, I'd give you guys 4 stars, but real bad coffee at a restaurant is a cardinal sin: when I go out for a good breakfast I need a quality cup of java, not a weak tea-colored watered down coffee. It truly was awful, borderline undrinkable. SERVICE--Absolutely great service and highly competent. No issues, food came out fast, real sweet servers, and they checked on us a couple times. ATMOSPHERE-- Really pleasant surroundings with huge, newer solid wood tables, all were seating for 4 that I could see, and I would go here again just to have a clean, newer, comfortable environment. And even ignoring the price ($47.00 with a 20% tip for two), when you start serving real coffee from a good roaster, I'd give y'all 4 stars, but it just wasn't a 4-star $47.00 breakfast for two, let alone 5 stars! read more

We ate breakfast here before our trip through Cades Cove. There was no wait when we got there, around 9:45. The server was fast & friendly. I noticed they all had false eyelashes- get it girls!!:) My Husbands ham plate was huge and delicious, my kids shared a breakfast plate (which was more than enough), and I had an omelette. My omelette was funky, I'll just say that. I was not pleased with it. The prices were a bit higher than most breakfast places we have been to while being in TN, but they do give you a lot of food. read more

The Riverstone Restaurant - Country Ham plate - Seafood Near Me - Townsend, Tennessee

There were two of us. We had nothing to drink there, but water. After tip, the bill was $54. The fried green tomatoes were good. The entries were disappointing: had the fried catfish sandwich. The bun was stale. The fish was advertised as "chunks," so I expected thicker cuts from the middle of the catfish, instead it was tougher, thin, curled tail pieces. My friend's spaghetti and meatballs was way too salty. The server did a good job, but we expected better food, especially for the price. read more

The epitome of a 3 star restaurant. The wait time wasn't bad at all but the restaurant was not busy by any means. We tried the fried green tomatoes as an appetizer which were good. I ordered the steak burger which was nothing special but satisfied my hunger. I will give 'em props for buttering and toasting my burger bun. 5.7 / 10. Our server treated us nicely. read more

Food was amazing. We had the Philly Cheesesteak with amazing fries and the chicken fried steak sandwich with beans and cornbread. Sandwiches were delicious but the star was the beans and cornbread! read more

What a great dining experience. I had the fried rainbow trout with turnip greens and a loaded baked potato. The trout was crispy and flavorful, the greens and potato were great and the portions were huge. My wife had the pan grilled rainbow trout baked potato and coleslaw. Also great and super large portions. The wait staff were charming and energetic and the food came out in a timely fashion. The restaurant itself has a great old school diner feel. My only criticism is that their prices are too low. They could easily raise the prices 10% and still be competitive. Thank you for adding a great dining experience to our vacation. read more

Service was excellent, food was okay. Do not order grits. They were so watery. And very VERY over priced.

Riverstone advertises itself as the place to go for southern food, and for what I ordered, I felt it delivered. We got here, and I wanted to sit on the patio (because, y'know, COVID is still a thing) but either they didn't want to set up another table, or all the seats were occupied. So we just picked out a corner of the back room; it wasn't super crowded and the ventilation is reasonable. I didn't hesitate and ordered the fried catfish, fried okra, and turnip greens, which will have to do in lieu of collard greens. The catfish was perfect; crispy, corny, deep fried batter to go with the fresh flavor of the catfish. The okra was the size of tater tots, battered, deep fried, and more creamy than slimy like okra can be. No tartar sauce, so a bottle of hot sauce had to do for a side. And the turnip greens did their job by making the meal at least a little bit healthy. This was immediately offset by the hush puppies, which come small but packed with deep-fried corn flavor. For dessert my wife and I shared peach cobbler a la mode. The cobbler's breading was perfectly soaked, and very tasty. Throw in some vanilla ice cream every other bite and you have the perfect dessert. Riverstone delivered a solid version of a classic dish; couldn't ask for better. read more

The Riverstone Restaurant - Catfish, turnip greens, and fried okra - Seafood Near Me - Townsend, Tennessee

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Food is good. The service is not. Adult management would help. The supplies, such as salt , pepper, napkins, cream, and flatware were not stocked on all tables. There were plenty of servers, but only half of them were rushing and stomping about. Modest dress wear would be a nice touch, too. Charming setting, needing a little polish. read more

Not a fancy restaurant but we thoroughly enjoyed our dinner. My wife enjoyed the grilled trout and my country fried steak was excellent. We wouldn't hesitate to return. read more

The Riverstone Restaurant - Country fried steak - Seafood Near Me - Townsend, Tennessee

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If you can help it, don't go here. We had gotten back to our cabin from going in to Pigeon Forge for the day. We had 3 options that were within about a 3-mile distance because we were tired. This was one of them. The staff were all friendly enough and that is the reason I would have given them a one-star (had I been able to give zero). We waited for 20 minutes, even though there was a side room that had empty booths and a back room that had an empty table or two. When we were seated, we were by the front door, which was freezing with people going in and out (we did ask to move and were told there was no where else to go...?) They were out of pot roast which eliminated one of the 5-6 sandwich choices and one of the 5-6 entree choices. I wanted a grilled chicken sandwich (which was on a previously posted menu on Yelp, but no longer offered). So, I decided I'd get a cup of soup and steak fries. My husband got spaghetti and meatballs. When I ordered, the waitress said they could do a grilled chicken tender sandwich...great...NO. I took the first bite of chicken sandwich, to almost vomit in my mouth. It was spoiled. The chicken tenders were clearly by taste and smell...spoiled. I didn't eat another bite. My husband ate a few bites of his spaghetti and then tried to cut a meatball...nope, not with a fork anyway. After sawing through one with a knife, the meat was gray and obviously, tough. My husband did try a bite of the meatball, but said it was gross and old. So then, he was freaked out to eat any more, so he didn't. The potato salad and the steak fries were fine. Oh, the broccoli cheddar soup was gelatinous goop with two huge pieces of broccoli in it and shredded cheese thrown on top. Whew...my husband was sick with a stomach ache all night. Not worth it. read more

Waited 15 minutes at the front to get seated. Never even got acknowledged by any of the wait staff that was 2 feet away. Eventually gave up and left. read more

Well, if you want cheap food go here. The food here isn't bad but the place needs a makeover. It looks really dated. It has potential for more but not quite there yet. Our server was nice and the food was ok. The pulled pork was more like chunks of pork. I didn't enjoy the butter cups or sour cream ( I got a baked potato side) on the food when it was brought to the table- it should have been in a separate dish. Also, they used styrofoam bowls for the sides instead of bowl dishes that looked really tacky and cheap. read more

We stopped for breakfast and the food was so delicious, we went again two days later. The Philly cheesesteak omelette was incredible. Hash brown serving was huge and delicious. Waitstaff was on point. Wish I could take this place home with me! read more

Delicious home cooking served with a smile ! Good prices too -- We will definitely be back .

The staff is very friendly and helpful. They were all busy and doing everything they could to insure everyone was happy. The food was actual home style country food. I had the country fried steak, fries, and fried green tomatoes. It was seasoned well and very large portions. The sweet tea was perfect also not to sweet and fresh. The atmosphere was grandma's farm house feeling. I was very comfortable and felt like going to a family's house. I definitely will be going back again. read more

The service here was very friendly and the tables are spacious. The menu is a but small, but they habe all the basics. I had the hungry person omelet with a biscuit and grits. Everything was perfect. The omelet was stuffed with everything they promised. read more

Comfort food in a comfortable setting. My wife and I were visiting Townsend and The Riverstone was among the restaurants that was open on a Monday. What a friendly and inviting place! It was busy but not loud or crowded and there appeared to be many regulars who came for the atmosphere and the food. My wife had spaghetti and meatballs which was a more than generous portion of homemade goodness. I ordered pork barbecue which could compete for the best barbecue I ever tasted. Sides of green beans, turnip greens, mashed potatoes and a side salad were excellent complements to the entrees. I hope to return soon. We all need a place to come home to and the Riverstone is that place for visitors and locals alike. read more

The place is cozy. Coffee tasted like cardboard. Staff was nice and took it off our bill. Food was okay.

Very quick service. Down home cooking. I had the pancake combo and hubby had the river stone breakfast with grits. He said the grits are gray. Generous portions and I had to share the hash browns and pancake. A little pricey for breakfast but worth it. The biscuits are homemade and flaky. We might be back for lunch. That open faced roast beef sandwich looks great. Your coffee cup is always full. Oh heck yeah. Get the pancakes. So yummy read more

The Riverstone Restaurant - Pancake combo - Seafood Near Me - Townsend, Tennessee

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2 stars solely for how hard the servers were working. We waited 20 mins and they got us (2) seated. Got our order in right away- hamburger steak and pot roast but our sides were incorrect. We don't like to send back food, so we tried the sides we got instead of what we ordered. The entrees were good, but sides were awful- green beans (from a can and sitting in salty green liquid), baked potato, and corn (barely even yellow). Just surprised they would even serve this food. Would recommend other places throughout the town. Maybe breakfast is better. The staff works really hard though, so they get the stars for this restaurant. read more

We stopped for lunch with a party of 13 and was nervous at first because it doesn't look like much from the outside but they were able to seat us in the back room which was perfect because we had lots of kids with us. The service was great! Very sweet and attentive. ... the best part though was the pot roast!! So so so good. The kids got chicken tenders and they were so yummy and nice white chicken. Very pleasantly surprised read more

Came here on a busy Sunday evening with my friend who just bought a cabin in Wares Valley. We had initially went to misty morning cafe but were told they were closing early due to a full house. This was our second choice & the hostess at misty morning recommended it also. We were seated immediately & the waitress was really quick with our drinks. We ordered loaded potato skins for an app & they came out super hot & were really good, you could tell they were fresh not frozen. I ordered the chicken tender dinner with loaded potato & macaroni. My friend ordered the fried steak. I didn't ask him how it was because I was too preoccupied with how good the tenders were. They are fresh cut & all different shapes and sizes with a very fine breading so you get mostly chicken & not breading. Would come back. Was only $35 with a good tip for us read more

Food quality was excellent and the prices were reasonable. Service was excellent and the staff was very friendly

Diner in an RV park (don't expect a clean and/or cleared table). Diner part: the service gal had a fun and off-the-cuff spunk (like they've known you forever and goofs are an excusable quirky charm). RV park part: normally would put this around 2 stars, but this was the first night of vacation so our group was aiming for a place that didn't have over an hour wait for snacks. Turns out we should have waited anywhere else (food poisoning killed the vacation). Avoid. read more

If you're in Townsend you need to stop and eat at this restaurant! Wonderful and friendly staff! The food is amazing and servings are huge!! We will definitely be back when we are in the area again! read more

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Friendly server. We got our food quickly. Food was hot and tasty. Restaurant filled up by the time we were finishing our meal. Would like to try their breakfast. Would have liked more options to eat a bit healthier, but enjoyed the comfort food. The dishes we tried were the BBQ and the hamburger steak. Country atmosphere. read more

Rude rude rude!!! Stood there waiting to be seated for 10 minutes. At least 6 people walked up to the counter. Or one person made eye contact or even acknowledged that we were standing there. They were not busy. Plenty of open tables and now I know why! We walked out. They don't even deserve the one star!!! read more

Good food! We got ours to go since we were camping nearby and they didn't offer beer or wine. Enjoyed the fried catfish dinner. Beans, slaw and fried okra were great. Seamed to be quite busy the night we stopped by. read more

Small Dining area , plenty of room to move around . Food was good as far as I can tell I only had chicken strips. But our Friend had the fried bologna sandwich and he said it was really good. Not to terribly priced service was good read more

Good simple down home food and atmosphere. Everything else was closed so we stopped here and had a good family meal after a busy day in the mountains. read more

Delicious dinner! Our family of five stopped for dinner on a Saturday night during our vacation. Three of us had the pot roast, one had the BBQ pork sandwich and one had grilled cheese. Pot roast was so tender, it fell apart. The portion was huge! BBQ was delicious, grilled cheese was good. Our waitress was very friendly, food was prepared quickly. We would definitely recommend The Riverstone. read more

So good! We just finished checking out Cades Cove and picked the first restaurant we saw on our way home. So glad we did :) I love the cozy comfortable feel of the dining room. They have so many menu items, I wish I could have tried it all. We got some different sides for the kids to try and they loved it! Will definitely come back. read more

The Riverstone Restaurant - Mashed potatoes, pinto beans, Mac and cheese, green beans, and fries. - Seafood Near Me - Townsend, Tennessee

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Highly recommend for breakfast. We stopped after our loop around Cades Cove. I had the western omelette with hash browns. It was excellent. Service was great. Ambiance was country and very clean read more

This restaurant is right off the main highway in Townsend. May not catch your eye at first but GO IN! Very quaint and cozy. Friendly staff- good food- good prices. read more

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Great French Toast and great biscuits and gravy. Coffee refilled without asking. Nice ambiance. What else could you ask for?

Let me start out by saying that my husband nor I are picky eaters at all and will normally eat everything on our plates but we could not eat this food. The slaw was the prepackaged deli kind that my husband nor I could eat. When the waitress brought my order of fried trout I asked for lemon and tartar sauce. She brought some prepackaged tartar sauce that tasted awful and said they were out of lemons and had been for 3 days!!!! They serve fried trout, grilled trout and fried catfish and were out of lemon!! You would think someone would have gone to the grocery store and gotten enough to hold them over until their order came in! When we eat fast food we expect condiments that come in small packages, but don't appreciate them at a sit-down dinner that we're paying good money for. The waitress offered to let us go to the salad bar since we couldn't eat the slaw. The small salad bar with iceberg lettuce and large chunks of onions and green peppers and packaged salad dressing did not look appealing -no thanks! A good restaurant should have quality sauces and dressings. We will not be back and definitely do not recommend it. (Should have listened to the lady we rented the bnb from. She didn't recommend it either but we had seen such good reviews and decided to give it a try. Can't trust Yelp!) read more