Got some amazing THICK pancakes at this place and loved it. My husband had a patty melt and it was fantastic. It also has a great atmosphere with the owner greeting you at the door. Will come back for a yummy breakfast. read more

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

Service was excellent but the food fell a little short. Potato pancake was cold when it got to the table. The rest of our order was good.

Ouch. In all honesty, I waited a few days before posting this review to see if my view changed over time. In doing this, I may have found a very good thing about eating here- it's dietary effects, as I have not felt like eating anything since eating here. If anything, waiting convinced me how unlikely I am to ever step foot inside this restaurant again. We arrived here for a late lunch, very excited as we love German food. First we were steered to the bar by the hostess, like they were trying to avoid seating another table (only one table was occupied when we arrived). But we generally enjoy sitting at the bar, so that was fine. The giant pretzel with beer cheese and mustard was delicious. The brat burger suspiciously resembles a Bubba burger with half a bratwurst, that was ok, but not good. Potato Pancakes were sitting in puddles of oil, came topped with barely cooked white onions rather than caramelized onions, bacon bits, and side equivalent to about a teaspoon of apple sauce. Tasted like pure grease and chewy bacon. Sauerkraut was horrendous- coming from someone who loves vinegar. This tasted like sauerkraut from a bag with a lot of white vinegar added to it. And while the cheese spaetzle was okay, it wasn't spaetzle. It was spaetzle made into Mac & Cheese. Whatever you do, don't order a martini. We were informed that ours would be made by someone with a mixology degree. However, they believed that the difference between a slightly dirty martini and a filthy dirty martini is the amount of SWEET VERMOUTH you add. This is definitely not the case, which a quick google search will tell you. The "dirty" refers to the amount of olive juice you add. Sweet vermouth shouldn't be anywhere near a vodka martini. While everyone was nice, they were almost too nice. We were checked on a ridiculous amount of times. It got aggravating. The cost of our meal was very high, even if everything had been delicious. So this was unfortunately disappointing. So much so, that we don't even want to give it a second chance, which is something we normally do. read more

This review is strictly because of the way they manage this restaurant, we made reservations via their website for 8:15 pm Friday evening, arrived a few minutes before 8 and the sign on the door says they close at 8pm for winter hours. Somebody needs to update the website to reflect this as it is unfair to customers who plan their vacation time out and then have to make a mad scramble to find another place to settle on for dinner. We have visited this establishment 2 times on our last trip and loved everything about it....this trip has left a sour taste in our mouth. read more

I have never had German food before ever. I'm still not a kraut fan but everything was so good! Pot roast was amazing. Schnitzel was so good with spatzle was so good! Shared food to try different things. Mashed potatoes sorta sweet and amazing. German potato salad was probably the best I have ever had in my life. Very knowledgeable on the food and beer and helping out. Very fast service. read more

Excellent German food! Highly recommend the pot roast! No wait to be seated. Staff was very friendly and knowledgeable of the menu.

If you want something different than the multitude of chain options in Pigeon Forge/Gatlinburg this place is a winner. They say everything is made fresh and It tastes that way as well. Portions are huge. German beer from a brewery in Knoxville at reasonable prices. They have a limited menu due to the pandemic. Make sure you save room for the apple strudel. I'm not a big dessert person but it's incredibly tasty. read more

delicious food - sausage platter and big pretzel. Took dessert home! Bill was very attentive and I loved the Schulz Brau beers!

Excellent authentic German food! Wait staff was great! We ate outside and enjoyed all the traffic coming to and from Gatlinburg. German chocolate cake was an epic finish. read more

I'm giving a 2 star review because of service alone. I got the pork shank and potato cakes and they were amazing!! The service was really lacking from our waiter. That turned an amazing meal into a subpar dining experience. They were not even that busy. Hopefully it improves. read more

If you are interested in overpriced American pub food with German names, set in the scenic location of a motel in dire need of a remodel, look no further. If you have even been to Germany or been to an authentic German restaurant, you will be disappointed. However, the bratwurst burger was excellent. The mashed potatoes were infused with bacon and sugar and I could not quite decide if I was eating a side or dessert. Considering the demographic that frequents Gatlinburg/Pigeonforge, it is not surprising that this restaurant has a deceptively high rating, but for the more discerning gastronomer I would warn to approach with caution. read more

Looking for something different, we came across the Wild Bear Tavern and was very surprised with how much we loved it! We ate on the patio, and although we can't remember our servers name he was very kind. Food was prompt, and delicious! Will definitely come back next time we are in town! read more

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

The Wild Bear Tavern was a disappointment. I was looking forward to a good German beer and food and got something I could have heated up in a microwave at home. The pretzel appetizer was cold and raw. My schnitzel Parmesan was the same- with some ketchup-like sauce thrown on top. What is saving them from one star is their fries- they were tasty and well seasoned (not to mention warm). The waitress made a few briefs pop-bys but never cleared a finished plate or offered to refresh a drink- we had to do the "Excuse me- miss!" whenever she passed close to our table. I will enclose a picture of our table with the appetizer, entrees, and dessert all crowded on our booth when we left. Meh-will not be going back. Maybe we got them in an off-night? We should have gotten take out from a fast food place. It would have tasted better and been about 1/4 the price. read more

Wild Bear Tavern - Table waiting basics- check on your customers and clear the table when they have finished a course. - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Pigeon Forge, Tennessee

Absolutely delicious breakfast! Service was super, loved they were followed CDC covid guidelines to perfection. Highly recommend the German Toast for breakfast. They even have an all you can eat pancakes if you're craving pancakes. Super Clean Super Tasty!!! read more

Wild Bear Tavern - Menu Page 1 - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Pigeon Forge, Tennessee

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They Get 10 out of 10. GO HERE. This is the biggest secret in Pigeon Forge. Authentic Homemade German food. Home made sausages. Must get strudel desert. It is warm with carmel and ice cream. Good prices. Comfortable mello dining. We went there per yelp recommendations 3 years ago. We come to Tennessee 4-5 times per year. Now the visit to see my mom must include all 3 of us going to the "Bear" read more

Phenomenal food, great service and staff and the Pot Roast and German potato salad is by far my favorite dish here! Definitely a great place

I never would've gone to this place without reading the yelp reviews. It's a Restaurant connected to a hotel on one of the main roads in pigeon Forge. This is a great place to go get a hearty meal on a cold day. This place is definitely gives you German/Lodge vibes. The food was incredible and because it's not a chain restaurant there was no wait for a table! We had the German pancakes as an appetizer, pot roast and a brat dog. We loved everything we ate, it was incredible. read more

Wild Bear Tavern - No filter, just delicious food! - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Pigeon Forge, Tennessee

Service was fine and friendly. The food was not good. The schintitzel I had was paper thin and really dry. I think it had been re-freid. The German potatoe salad was loaded with coarse brown mustard and that's all you could taste. I do not usually leave reviews, but both my husband and I were looking forward to a good dinner and were sorely disappointed. There were 4 dirty tables when we came in across from where we were seated and they were still there when we left. read more

Very low key, lots of dark wood and rustic some TVs around the Resturant so can talk or watch sports - the menu comes out like a newspaper with some games for kids and fun facts, games and some basic German food recipes. We've eaten here multiple times and been very happy each time. I recommend the sausage platter to share it's a good selection and it comes out hot and with a wonderful fresh loaf of warm bread, a sample of of white and purple sauerkraut and a couple of different mustards - their brown bread is my favorite it is slightly sweet. For entree my wife and I split the schnitzel it covered the plate and it was excellent, the schnitzel came out perfectly crisp on the outside and tender and still moist - when you order the spatzel be sure and get a side of the brown hunter sauce (mushroom) to dip both in They have a couple is house special cocktails that are very good and fun to try and The dunkel on draft is a great - a hearty fun meal that satisfies! read more

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My son and I decided to eat here because we love German food and the reviews were pretty good. It was a Friday night and we were shocked to be seated immediately. We started with the charcuterie board, which was delicious. There was quite a bit on it, so we took most of it home. My son orders Opa's Pork Shank which he said was cooked perfectly. I had the Jager Schnitzel which was also very delicious. We both had Rotkohl and Spatzle & Cheese as our sides. Every was absolutely delicious and portions were ample. Our server was so kind and took great care of us. I've seen a lot of the reviews mention lengthy wait times for receiving their food. This isn't a fast food restaurant. I honestly don't mind waiting when the food is properly prepared and so delicious! I will definitely return to the Wild Bear Tavern when I'm back in the area. read more

The food was pretty good for stateside German food, but the service was awful. My server asked if I wanted sauerkraut or rotkraut on my burger, and I asked for rotkraut. When the burger got to the table it had sauerkraut on it. I'm a fan of sauerkraut, but I asked for rotkraut. I asked for a small side of rotkraut to put on my sandwich. She returned from the kitchen with a giant bowl of rotkraut and began disparaging the back of house staff as a bunch of Mexicans who she said don't speak a word of English. I can't stand people who refuse to accept responsibility, and I have very little patience for racist comments. The back of house staff did an excellent job on our meal, but that was overshadowed by her nasty comments. We won't be coming back. read more

I wouldn't know if the food was good or not because I never got to try it. Went in on Saturday night. There were only a handful of tables seated inside and 1 outside so I figured we would get sat immediately. But no, instead the host very rudely told us was a 2 hour wait because they "only had one server working". We were annoyed but figured it was a fluke and left. Went back to try again on Sunday night and stood there at the host stand (with 4 other families of people who were also waiting) for 15 minutes while nobody even acknowledged any of us. There was only a single table of people inside eating. Yet, all the staff kept walking by and staring at us. Not a single one asked if any of us had been helped. I eventually left again. I get it that they're understaffed but the rudeness on the first night followed by the staff ignoring everyone on the second night was redic. Good luck to anyone else attempting to eat here. Hope you don't waste as much time as I did. read more

Great food. Service was fast. Bill, the waiter was fantastic and made the meal much better with his personality and suggestions.

Service was okay but the food was mediocre at best. Very overpriced for what it is. The server did not offer any suggestions nor seem to be interested in our experience. The best part of our meal was the pretzel. read more

Amazing food. Especially the potato pancakes and apple strudel. Food came hot and tasty. Service was nice, engaging, and prompt. They made us feel like one of the family. Very clean with a great atmosphere. This will be our go-to place now in Pigeon Forge. read more

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

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Neriah was an amazing server. The food was incredible. I worked as a chef in Munstertal, Germany. This food brought me back there. We were on vacation here in Tennessee for my birthday because I missed Germany and missed the mountains but the first 2 days were awful. But today the experience I had at Wild Bear Tavern saved the trip for me. So very good! Thank you to the staff! read more

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Ordered a burger and fries, it was very good. Everybody at the table enjoyed the food. Server disappeared and we had to keep asking the bartender for drinks and he brought them to our table. Would have given a five start rating if the service was better. read more

Amidst all of the restaurants, entertainment activities and stores in Pigeon Forge, Wild Bear Tavern is easy to miss, but was a good find. I actually went with my parents who had been there before and recommended it. They offer German cuisine and it is not a type of food I partake in often, but I do like German food. I went with the traditional schnitzel (pork) and mashed potatoes and asparagus. Everything was delicious and the serving size was very large. I had actually never had schnitzel before, but if you aren't familiar it is thin boneless pork that is breaded and fried. I also got the black forest cake for dessert and that is highly recommended also. It was so large it took me three nights to finish! Wild Bear is part of a hotel and on the evening I was there they were not busy. I would definitely return there when I am visiting that area! read more

Food was great. Highly recommend the potato pancakes appetizer. Staff seemed short handed so everything took a while. Our waiter was very nice and as attentive as possible considering the staffing. read more

Wonderful lunch with our family. Got the Sausage sampler and a pretzel to start and added on from there. Very good food.

Absolutely no complaints. We were seated promptly on a Friday night right after rush hour. The staff is friendly despite being exhausted after a long day. The bratwurst was as authentic as those found in Hofbräuhaus in Germany. The pork shank was DELICIOUS and fell off the bone. Pairs well with the Pilsner or Riesling. Wish we had enough time to sample more of the menu! read more

This place was a win! We had it for dinner and for breakfast. The dinner was great. Loved the pretzel. It was the perfect salt and soft! Loved the schnitzel! It was seasoned to perfection. Breakfast was also super awesome! read more

I had high hopes for this, and I enjoyed my food ok, but my husband didn't enjoy his schnitzel. I had the pot roast and it tasted ok. The pretzel was amazing though! read more

I don't even know how to start off with this review. Me and my family went to this restaurant because we are a big fan of German and Irish food. We decided to go here keep in mind we had 4 adults including myself and 2 kids. We have been to so many restaurants where they would not count a 2 month old baby as a kid that is dining in with them, didn't think anything of it. We went and got seated and started looking at the menu. A group of people came in 5 minutes later and was already being served! We did not get served until about 10 minutes after. We got appetizers which was the pretzel and cheese with mustard, and the sausage platter. We loved it! So our food came out and 2 of us got the schnitzel and it just looked breaded pork with butter. I've never had it so I was so excited to try it and when we took a bite it was so bland I thought I lost my taste for a minute there. We salted and peppered it and it made it a bit better but not much. Worst first try with a schnitzel, I was told it taste a whole lot better than what we had. I also got a potato cake which was really good honestly! I also got spatzel and cheese and it was great! Well we got the bill and it was $260! We added it all up and $5 for each drink! $27 for salmon that was like a 1x3 strip! Applebees has a bigger piece of salmon for cheaper! I guess they thought throwing it on a piece of lettuce makes it look pretty for the crazy high price. Well we were getting to the end of the ticket and it said $40 for a tip!!!!!! They told us that since we have 7 people dining in that they charge that, how do you count a 2 month old infant as a person that is dining in? Needless to say it was the worst food experience I've ever been in and will not recommend nor go back whatsoever. The only thing I liked about the place was the customer service besides our waitress that took forever to even attend us for drinks. 1 star rating will never come back here! read more

Soooo.... I don't even like German food. But last night we were at Red Oak and asked the owners where we should eat on a Monday and they said "The Wild Bear". German food. I had not had a good schnitzel in years. We came in and the place is very informal. A couple of TVs and a very friendly bartender/waiter. The one and only Bill Patterson. Despite being an Auburn fan he was very pleasant. He made us a few Old Fashioned cocktails and then we ordered potato pancakes for an appetizer. Outstanding. Flaky. Good bacon and onion mix and drizzled with sour cream. For entrees we got the schnitzel with German potato's and spatzel. Tremendous. Flavorful. Hot. Portions too large. Also got a great club sandwich and finished with apple strudel. I highly recommend. read more

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Delicious food! Great takeout experience. Definitely try the jagerschnitzel! Order was ready when I got there and everything was correct. Highly recommend! read more

I went here twice in one week if that tells you anything. Pork shank, speatzle, potato pancakes were all really good. Went back for the brat. Also good. Nice and friendly. Food was fresh and done promptly. Enjoyed it. read more

Awesome lunch spot with traditional German appetizer, great beer and a wonderful, friendly staff and manager. by far the friendliest we've found all weekend. We were well taken care of and you can tell the employees like their job. We will be back. read more

They weren't busy and plenty of seats at bar and we were told everyone needs to wait 15 minutes. Even at the bar?? Whatever, if you can't handle the 15 patrons in your establishment then perhaps find another job. The barmaid was actually nasty about it. It's all good, I'll take my money elsewhere read more

Great food, atmosphere and service. Lisa was our waitress. We visited twice and she was friendly and very professional Thank you so much read more

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