Wow the food was so good! I was worried because it is in a motel but wow amazingly good food! The service was also excellent! I wished we went here sooner. I wished my German mother could have tasted the food as well. read more

Wild Bear Tavern - Traditional pork schnitzel with potato salad and cheese spaetzle. - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Pigeon Forge, Tennessee

Best part of the dinner was walking in and being seated immediately at 7pm on a Saturday night. After that the service was almost painfully slow. Our waiter didn't seem to realize time was a constant and doesn't stop when he clocks in for his shift. He was super pleasant though, and never forgot to bring us anything that we asked for. The food was sub par for me. My girlfriend enjoyed her meal, she got the traditional schnitzel with chicken and the fries with a side salad. She said the ranch was very good and so were the fries. I got the schnitzel parmigiana with mashed potatoes and a Cesar salad. The salad dressing was definitely from a generic bottled brand, the chicken was chewy and flavorless, but the mashed potatoes were okay. The decor was what you'd expect from a German Pub style restaurant. Overall I was underwhelmed. read more

Food was excellent. Ellie our server was awesome. We had the pork schnitzel with brown gravy and the German potatoes. The green apple streusel was to die for. Streusel was made 100% from scratch and served with ice cream. We didn't have the fresh baked pretzel with beer cheese, but the table next to us were raving about how good it was. We will try the pretzel next time. read more

Great service. Very nice and quick. The atmosphere is very calm and pleasant. The food is wonderful I come every time we vacation in the mountains. 10/10 recommend. Parking is at an odd angle so make such good have a working parking break. read more

Very friendly and welcoming service, we made a patio reservation and were say very quickly. The server brought our dog a bowl of water and the food came out very quickly. The food was delicious as well. Highly recommend! Especially the pretzel. read more

See all

Amazing place! It looks at first blush like the restaurant is just part of the hotel but this place could easily stand alone based on the quality of the food and service. My husband and I ordered entrees, dessert, and a few different beers. All of the food is delivered in large portions so come HUNGRY and take half of your food home. We ate all ours so we were wonderfully miserable later! ;-) The woman (Mariah?) we had as a server was friendly, fast, and didn't rush us at all. My husband had the Jager Schnitzel with a side of the potato pancake and he said it was the best he'd ever had. I had the German Pot Roast with a side of spaetzle with cheese which was outstanding! We topped all that off with dessert -- Apple Strudel. It came with homemade vanilla ice cream and two of the pastries. It was AMAZING!! Who would have thought we'd find the best German food in Pigeon Forge? We're going back for breakfast in the morning. We hear it is also wonderful! ...our diets start when we get back home. read more

Stopped in here for dinner. The food was pretty good, as well as the service. The food did take a bit longer than expected to come out, but we were happy to munch on the soft pretzel while waiting. read more

Wild Bear Tavern - Americano lemonade - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Pigeon Forge, Tennessee

See all

If this restaurant is still around in a year give it a try. Now it is a combination of mediocre food and bad service. Too point we had to go to the bar to get a glass of water refilled. The potato pancake and red cabbage were good. But the chicken schnitzel was wafer thin and tough. Finally for a German restaurant only appears as a sandwich or on the appetizer menu. Hopefully they improve read more

Took a social-distancing vacation to the trails of the Smokies and was worried we wouldn't get to enjoy much local food. This place was GREAT! The phone lines were down at the time (could be up now, this was mid-July) so we ordered take out in-house. They're set up to social distancing while dining, too, and I appreciated that effort. Anyway, literally everything we ate was delicious. Brats, chicken and pork schnitzel, spatzle, Apple turnovers? and a caramel cake. Can't wait to come back and dine in! read more

Wild Bear Tavern - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Pigeon Forge, Tennessee

Almost passed this place up cause the building is old but I'm sure glad we didn't! The waiter BJ saw us peeking in the window and came out and said, "We don't bite, y'all come on in!" So we did. The German food was fantastic, legit! I had the sausage app which came with 3 different huge German links, each one very different and all delish..came with and red cabbage, sauerkraut, a mini loaf of warm brown bread and two different mustards. It was massive and incredibly delicious! My hubs got the salmon with a massive potato pancake and warm German potato salad..also fantastic! Our bartender was Joshua who was warm, attentive and darn good looking if I do say so myself Definitely a do-over. We have another meal for tomorrow and we ordered the apple strudel to go which they baked while we waited. Great meal, great service..can't ask for anything better read more

Our server Arielle was so nice and very welcoming. The food was so good, large portions. I loved sitting on the patio soaking up the sun. I wish I wasn't so full from all the other courses so I could've tried dessert! The cocktails were SO GOOD as well! read more

See all

The best pancakes ever! Strange I know...A tavern with pancakes??....But true, the best!! Light, fluffy, big as a plate pancakes. So good!!! They almost have a light crispness to them while still remaining super fluffy. Enjoy!!! read more

I should have mentioned that we we went here looking for traditional German food and we loved it. Highly recommend.

Food is insanely good. Great find! Got 2 appetizers. The giant Bavarian pretzel and the sausage sampler. What a combo for two! Will definitely come back. read more

Wild Bear Tavern - Delicious!!! - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Pigeon Forge, Tennessee

This is not German food. Horrible schnitzel and weird potato pancakes. Of course having been raised German and living in Germany is a factor but don't go expecting authentic German food. read more

First the service: great folks. Busy server with 2 large parties, but the servers and bartender worked together and took great care of us... that's the 5* part of the review. The food, while not BAD, was not what we expected from a business touting authentic German fare. 1) authentic schnitzel is not 1/4 inch thin, pre-breaded frozen pork cutlet.... And not with a lemon butter sauce. 2) a jaeger schnitzel is doused in large slices of mushrooms and a dark sauce; not a little blob of sauce and a minuscule amount of mushrooms. 3) the pork shank, was delicious, tender, and served with very good rot-kohl, an authentic shank would not be doused in a gravy. 4) the German potato salad delicious; nothing like I've ever had before, German-mustard based and really good! What I was expecting as an authentic German potato salad was a vinegar based slightly sour preparation. 5) a Apple streusel is NOT a thaw and bake apple turnover. 6) the pretzel and potato pancakes were the only thing we found to be remotely "Authentic".... And were wonderful. I would recommend the food, but manage your expectations if you want authentic German fare. read more

The place is cute and service was friendly. Floors were rather sticky though. I had the schnitzel with potato pancakes and German potato salad. The pancakes were very good but I missed the apple sauce. The salad was one of the better ones I've had. My schnitzel was missing the sauce so it was rather Bland. Everyone enjoyed the Bavarian pretzel and dips. More attention to properly finishing plates would help! read more

I brought my parents out for some authentic German fare and found the Wild Bear to be spot on with everything thing we ordered. I'll also mention they have a nice beer selection, Hofbrau Original was awesome! If it's brats, pretzels, or schnitzel they won't disappoint!!! Oh n their Appel Strudel (not too sugary like American desserts!) is the perfect desert to finish your meal out. A special thank you to Lindy, our server for the wonderful service you provided!!! A definite place to return to for future trips to Pigeon Forge! read more

Wild Bear Tavern - Mom n Dad - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Pigeon Forge, Tennessee

Service was excellent! Our waiter was so attentive and friendly. Food was good. We both ordered the schnitzel. I got mine with German potato salad and was probably the only negative. The potato salad was very heavy on the mustard so I didn't eat it (just personal preference). But I'd definitely return . We sat outside because the weather was great and it was pretty quiet out with the exception of random motorcycles driving by. read more

Wild Bear Tavern - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Pigeon Forge, Tennessee

Great, friendly service. German beer!!! And delicious Spatzle. Did I mention German Pilzner!

Food, service and Ambiance were all spot on and as expected. Very good food and thr selection was limited but with enough variety to allow everyone to get something they liked. read more

Hidden breakfast spot! We had the eggs, bacon, sausage and potatoes with biscuits and gravy! We split it and still could not finish it all. Service was very fast and friendly. Very good place for a Bloody Mary read more

Our family took vacation in Smoky mountain. Wild Bear is the Best food in Pigeon Forge. Great services and excellent chef.

Wish I lived nearby so I could come more often! The food was amazing. Our server Michael was so funny and helpful. And such a cute restaurant! I got the honey mustard salmon with a side of käsespätzel & ceasar salad, and my boyfriend got the schnitzel with sauerkraut & rotkohl. We had such a good time and the food was sooo delicious we couldn't stop talking about it! definitely recommend read more

Wild Bear Tavern - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Pigeon Forge, Tennessee

Great service Delicious food Great atmosphere We got the snitzel and potatoe cakes Even the tea was delish read more

Wild Bear Tavern - Snitzel and potato cakes German potato salad and rotkohl - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Pigeon Forge, Tennessee

See all

Wow!! Started with the Oma's bacon potato cakes. Brittany was our amazing server. We chose the schnitzel parmigiana and a ice cold beer. Holy cow is that a lot of food! Between the great food, amazing service, and the view I will make this my first stop when we are back in town. Review update: Here we are a year later and I removed two stars from my last review. Service was at a turtles pace. We sat outside to enjoy the beautiful weather and we were drinking our waters pretty quickly. Our server, Danielle, friendly and nice however, was slow. Our appetizer came out with our meal. We ordered the schnitzel parmigiana and it came out super dried out, though the flavor was still decent. The kids chicken tenders were also dried out. The giant pretzel we ordered as our appetizer was the highlight. It was huge, soft and salted perfectly. We will see you next year... read more

Wild Bear Tavern - Patio - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Pigeon Forge, Tennessee

Barely walked in the door before some rude hostess spat out the wait time. No greeting nothing. Also, if you are going to plaster a bunch of masks save lives crap on your door, feel free to wear them yourself. Left before trying any food. read more

Stopped in for dinner with friends. I lived in Germany for 4 years so I feel like I know good German food. We had the schnitzel and sausage appetizer, both were delicious. Portions are generous and our server was very friendly. I will definitely return next time I am in the area. read more

Wild Bear Tavern - Sausage appetizer - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Pigeon Forge, Tennessee

See all

Our family recently moved to the area and we wanted to check out Pigeon Forge. Having been to Germany 3 different times and really enjoying the food, we thought we'd check this place out. First off, the service was fine. We were early (4:30pm) and the host let us know that there was only one server, which was nice so we knew what to expect. However, we were pleasantly surprised with fast service and the food came out quick as well. The servers didn't necessarily look "professional", but whatever. They were kind and overall would not prevent me from going back. The food however, was simply ok. Two family members got the traditional schnitzel, one got the jager schnitzel and I got the Opa's Pork Shank. The schnitzels were a bit tough. Overall flavor was good. The jager sauce was so-so. Plenty of mushrooms but not a lot of gravy and the flavor didn't really taste fresh made. It wasn't horrible, not great. The pork shank was good. Fell off the bone, tender, tasty. The potatoes and gravy on the side were really good. The spatzle and cheese is really good...but really has no reminder of traditional spatzle. It's like a really gooey (in a good way) mac and cheese. The flavor is good, texture is good, and makes great leftovers. We had the apple streudel and black forest cake for dessert. The streudel was fresh and warm. You get two of them and icecream. It was really good and worth the $7. The Black Forest Cake was so-so. It was big, so that was nice (for the price), but the flavor was just normal. Nothing special about it. What gets me really is the prices for everything. It's a tourist town so you get tourist prices. It's german-esqe, but not great German. read more

Excellent food and excellent service. The place is clean and the food was hot and so good. We will return.

Stopped in here for my woman's birthday. It was 6:00pm on a Wednesday and we were immediately seated. Within in a minute we were met by our waitress Morgan. She took our drink order and our appetizer. We ordered sweet tea and for the appetizer we ordered the Oma's bacon and cheddar cheese potato pancakes. Shortly we received our drinks and within a few minutes our potato pancakes came out. The bacon cheddar cheese pancakes were awesome! It came out with a side of apple sauce and the combination was terrific. A must have if you stop in! I ordered the Bratwurst and my birthday girl ordered the Schnitzel Parmigiana. Within probably 15 minutes our food arrived. First bite was super hot lol but it was definitely worth it. My bratwurst arrived with spicy mustard and sauerkraut. My side dish was potato sliced and bacon. Both were very good and I was impressed with the flavor of both. My birthday girls schnitzel parmigiana was very good. She ordered the side dish was the Spatzle & cheese. I liked it but she thought it was heavy on the garlic. I have to say for our first visit to the Wild Bear Tavern I was impressed and we will definitely make another stop here. read more

See all

Turning to the trusty Yelp app, I discovered this fairly authentic German restaurant in Pigeon Forge. My first impression was bolstered by the sound of two guys speaking German out front as I went in to pick up our order. The host promptly greeted me with a very friendly and warm hello. She promptly retrieved my ordered and collected my card for payment (my only gripe is she left my sight with my card, come on folks modernize and locate a payment station within view of to-go guests). Back at the hotel, my wife and I were truly surprised. The food was amazing. We shared the German pot roast. Wow, the meat was so tender and the flavor divine. As if it could not get any better, the Apple strudel tasted like we picked it up in Germany. The strudel was served with vanilla ice cream and also a creamy, sweet sauce with a hint of bourbon or whiskey. We both overate and was miserable the rest of the night. I would drive the two and a half hours from home just to have that pot roast again. read more

Our server was very kind and helpful. My husband and I are gluten free, and we were able to have gluten free schnitzel, which was incredible, and gluten free breaded French fries. Our server was very knowledgeable about the ingredients and warned us about cross-contamination. If you are like us and avoid gluten but don't worry about cross contamination, this is a great spot. They also offer omission beer, which is gluten-reduced. The atmosphere is a lot nicer and less tacky than most things around here. They also have a really nice patio and some of the best mashed potatoes we've ever had. read more

Don't know! We never got served. The place was basically empty and someone from the bar had to come and seat us. Right after we sat down, a server came and cleaned a table next to us. He told us he would be right back to take our order. Right after he left, a large club of about 12 people were seated next to us. The server came back and immediately started taking their order instead of coming and taking ours. So we got up and left! Very poor customer service! read more

Great find on Yelp! I've been to this area so many times and never knew this place existed as it is on the dead end of the Parkway near the National Park. It is also part of a motel called the Wild Bear Inn. Ariel was a good attentive waitress. They serve German food and have a good Pilsner beer on tap. I had the schnitzel parmigiana (I know that isn't German), with German potato salad and spatzle & cheese. Portions on everything were huge and I uncharacteristically didn't get through all of the potato salad. The spatzle & cheese was the star. The schnitzel was good but the "marinara" on it was super bland. Better marinara and it might have been 5 star. As an added bonus the restaurant also had a giant TV where I got to see the Dallas Cowboys get a nice beat down courtesy of the Chiefs. The Dallas Cowboys like the NCAA Notre Dame Irish are always overrated by the Media. Paper tigers. read more

Came here after a long day at Dollywood. It took awhile to get seated despite being half empty and seemingly disorganized. But the staff was friendly and animated, with attentive service. The food took a long time to come but once it arrived, oh was it worth it!! Amazing authentic German cuisine - I was with 6 people and we all loved it. Highly recommend. read more

Why settle for German one night when you can have it two nights in a row? My wife and I both had the German pot roast and it was wonderful...so hearty and delicious the meat and vegetables were so tender. The gravy was perfect for the base and we loved it!! Bloody Mary Meter: 8.5/10 read more

Ok we were late getting to the restaurant as supper slipped up on us. Family of four on a weekend night. Daughter loves German so we found this on Yelp and gave it a try. They were short handed as it seems everyone is but they were open. They also were short on food as they ran out of Schnitzel and Red Cabbage. This turned out to be a posy as it forced me to try another entree. I went with the pork shank and it was very good. The owner was waiting tables and apologizing for the shortages but hey it is 2021 and fall break and the whole Covid mess so he was doing the best he could. It was great food and he was literally running himself ragged. I would love to go back if in the area. read more

This is about as bad as it gets. Fries were cold. Chicken on the Caesar salad was raw. Restaurant had three tables at the time and the kitchen and dining staff still couldn't coordinate. The server was told this and still charged us for the salad and only took it off when I asked him to. read more

Very disappointed. Decor is definitely long overdue for a refresh. Cook (definitely not a chef) just prepared the meal but without any care. Service was fine. read more