Update to my update... My husband and I went back to Calhoun's last week after church and when I mentioned the situation with the shareable, the manager in training knew exactly what to do because she had received an email about it. So they certainly kept true to their word! They gave us a free replacement last weekend that was truly the right size and very, very delicious! read more

Calhoun's - Brisket macaroni and cheese with cornbread crumble topping "shareable". - Barbeque Near Me - Knoxville, Tennessee

Poor food and rude staff will not go back there again. A disgrace to southern hospitality.

We enjoyed the various dinner rolls and butter. Our server was prompt and helpful. However I feel that the kitchen really let her down. We got in about 5 pm and they had very few patrons. Yet our meals took over 40 minutes to come out. We were all pretty full from them bringing out more rolls and biscuits instead of our dinner. On a quick side note, I don't like putting cold sauce on my warm BBQ. read more

You can find this location of Calhoun's at 10020 Kingston Pike, Knoxville, TN 37922. This right off the Pellissippi Pky near a bunch of automotive dealerships. There's plenty of parking all around the building - looks like they might also provide valet services for dinner (but there wasn't one when we arrived - it was a Thursday early evening). Calhoun's is part of the Copper Cellar group of restaurants, basically a fancy BBQ joint with hints of fine dining with the inclusion of steaks and baked potatoes. I haven't eaten at one since I lived in Knoxville back in the mid 80's so was looking forward to it. This location is large with stairs to a mezzanine floor with additional seating overlooking a large dining room. We sat in front of a roaring fireplace - quite cozy and like a hunting lodge with stuffed animal trophies on the walls. We we seated after about a 10 minute wait (there were 5 people in our party and about a half dozen tables already seated). Our server took a while to come to the table but once there the service was quite good. We tried a variety of steaks, prime rib and combinations, we were provided with a bread basket containing a variety of breads (garlic roll, biscuit, cornbread) - these were all very good. I ordered the fried pickles which were good - crunchy sour with a heavy coating of breading accompanied by ranch dressing. I also tried the Bacon Wrapped Beef Brisket Burnt Ends - honestly I'm not sure why these were called burnt ends - they weren't bad but nothing like the burnt ends I'm used to seeing at other BBQ restaurants. For dinner I ordered a half-slab of the Hickory Smoked Bar-B-Que Ribs with a side-salad/bleu cheese. The ribs tasted a bit off - really they had the consistency of yesterday's leftovers - almost like they had been frozen and thawed. That really surprised me and wasn't what I remembered from back in the 80's. We were all tired and hungry so I just ate what I had rather than complain, but it did cause me to downgrade the restaurant by a star. The sauce was sweet and also a bit tired but I let that go too. I think my dining companions all had a decent meal. Service was good overall if a bit spotty in the beginning. It's unlikely I'll visit again the next time I'm in Knoxville. I guess you really can't go back. read more

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We go often. Food is consistent & fun atmosphere. I usually have ribs, love the corn muffins!

What. Place. We have been coming here for 20 years, and it never disappoints. The food is cooked well, the service is attentive,an and the place reeks of "smokehouse. Ahhhhh. We had the Trio. If you can't decide the start there. Careful of the bread basket. It is oh so good and seductive. It will fill you up. Finally, the Smokey Mountain Brewery Red pairs with all of the BBQ. Enjoy! An 'A'. read more

Calhoun's - "The Pit" - Barbeque Near Me - Knoxville, Tennessee

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Well, for starters. I was acknowledged promptly. The reason I tried this place was because I wanted in the lobby of another BBQ joint, but that's an aside. The exterior and interior had a rustic western look about it. It smelled smoky and delicious when parking. About parking, it's what you want! Spacious and probably engineered with large buses and crowds in mind. To the food: I ordered a brisket plate. The meal was delivered relatively quickly, yet I almost turned it back because it immediately appeared to me to be two pork ribs. It was only upon closer examination that I realized these Tennesseans just do barbecue brisket differently. The texture kind of reminded me of corned beef brisket, I'm sad to report. But it was definitely smoky and had an apparent smoke ring although that could be achieved by non-smoking means. It had clear grate marks so I believe it was smoked for a long time. The hickory wood (I believe) was appreciable. I couldn't perform a pull-apart test on the meat due to its cut. But, overall, the meat was enjoyable. The baked beans reminded me of western ranch beans with a little more smoky punch to them. They amazed me at first but with each subsequent bite I grew weary of them. The meat scraps they added to them amped it up, though. The sauces...I'm not a fan of either of them. Maybe it's my regional preference thing but I just can't get into these sauces out here. But, it's for the best because sauces on meat are cheating, in a way. But still, they're fun to use. All in all, I'd recommend it. Seems like they can sustain huge parties. read more

Calhoun's - Brisket, Cole slaw, baked beans. - Barbeque Near Me - Knoxville, Tennessee

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I stopped by here on the way home from a business trip in Knoxville. Calhoun left the Middle Tennessee Market years ago, so it has been well over a decade since I last visited a location. They have greatly improved since then, with far better and healthier options than the fried smorgasbord I remember them being when dining at their Nashville location. The food and service was superb and I left Knoxville happy and satiated. read more

Perfect snack and drink from a great bar staff at Calhouns! Highly recommend! If you like a bit of spice go ahead and ask for a side of kickback sauce with your food! Whether it's fries, tots, onion rings or garlic rolls it's the perfect tasty combination! read more

Calhoun's - Perfect Snack: Loaded Fries with a side of kickback and ranch! - Barbeque Near Me - Knoxville, Tennessee

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Cold, raw food after waiting 45 minutes for food at lunch. Not busy, no apologies, just blame for not alerting them to it sooner during the meal? read more

Food is good. It's the typical food that you find at every restaurant. Service could be better. Seems like they were short staffed and our waiter broke glasses because he was rushing all the time. read more

Calhoun's is a great part of the Copper Celler family of restaurants. They specialize in Bar-B-Que and they do it well. Here is a highlight of their drink menus and don't forget they are great for Tailgate parties. Follow me on Yelp for more of my favorite places to eat in Knoxville and the East Tennessee area. read more

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Love this Calhoun's! They're all great, really. Consistently good food, beer is awesome, can't beat the environment.. Service is usually wonderful! Every time we come to Knoxville, we make a point to stop at a Calhoun's read more

10/15/25 about 8:00 PM Placed an order to-go via phone consisting of bar-b-q plate w/spin. maria, mac&cheese and smoked chicken. This was to with bread. They were late bringing to the car. I asked specifically if the bread had been put in. Answer: Yes. We got home and no bread. Mac & cheese was congealed and everything was warm at best. Just a real pain when you even ASK if the bread was put in. I've had problems their Corner 16 store on Middlebrook not providing everything. How difficult can it be to do it right? Can I get my 20% tip back at the very least? read more

The service by Christina was great. Friday night means smoked prime rib is on the menu and OMG is it delicious. My husband's grilled chicken was so so. His Margarita was excellent while my "special/featured" Margarita was not excellent and certainly not worth the extra cost. BOTTOM LINE: Order the prime rib, the regular Margarita and sit in Christina's section and you'll be very happy. read more

Great place for a nice family meal! We've never been to this franchise and no disappointments for us. Service was great even though the place was packed for Christmas night. Our party had to wait a while for food, but I was understanding because we had a party of 9 amongst the packed house. The guys brought refills frequently and were very nice even though they were constantly moving. The potato skins were fabulous, and my teriyaki chicken was great. read more

Calhoun's - Fresh Chicken Teriyaki with baked potato - Barbeque Near Me - Knoxville, Tennessee

My family joined my daughter's boyfriend's family for Christmas dinner here. The place was packed but luckily we had a reservation. The two guys serving our table of nine did a great job. We all ordered drinks, food, and appetizers. The loaded potato skins were delicious! My wings were delicious...Perfect amount of spice, and fried perfectly. I feel this might be a little overpriced, but definitely worth for the amount of food you receive in my opinion. read more

Calhoun's - Our Original WET Wings - Barbeque Near Me - Knoxville, Tennessee

I've never been more disappointed in Calhoun's than I was tonight, I've only been 2-3 times in my life and was really looking forward to it tonight. Our waiter got both mine and my wife's order wrong. Even though we specifically pointed at each item we ordered. I got bacon wrapped burnt ends and fried green tomato's. I've had burnt ends a lot, These were hard and dry with very little flavor. The fried green tomato's were not much better. Breading that wasn't adhered to the flesh and slices that were undercooked. My wife's catfish had the same breading problems as my tomato's. No apologies from the waiter. No reduction in the bill. Calhoun's service is not what I thought it was. They have lost my business in the future. read more

Our office came for lunch last week. The food was just OK, not great but not bad. The wait staff seemed overworked. Not sure if they were short staffed. We decided we would not be coming back. There are better restaurants in the area. read more

We love to go out to eat after church but by the time church lets out, most restaurants are nearing capacity. We drove by this location and saw that there were not a lot of cars in the parking lot, so we stopped in. The dining area was huge. Our hostess was spacing tables as she seated us so that no one was right next to another. We took our time to look at the menu. I ordered a small basket of Wet Wings (there were nine in the basket ) which was more than I could eat in one setting but it made me wonder how many were in the large order? I also ordered a Caesar salad on the side. The wings came to the table and I dived in. I judge my wings based upon how juicy or dry the meat is. These were super juicy and tender as can be with the meat falling off the bones. The Caesar salad was an average salad but it was chilled and the lettuce was crisp. After dinner, I ordered a slice of Jack Daniels Pecan Pie. It was definitely not what I had expected. It was a slice of pie with pecan pieces, drenched in chocolate and a scoop of ice cream on top. I guess it was a chocolate lovers dream, but with the bits of pecans instead of whole pecans and drenched in chocolate, I could only eat a few bites. It wasn't bad mind you, it was not what I thought it would be and it was too rich. Our server, Kassidy, was on point. She was pleasant and thorough. She checked on us during the meal and kept our drinks filled. She gets a 5-star review. read more

Calhoun's - Wet Wings - Barbeque Near Me - Knoxville, Tennessee

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Fried green tomatoes never disappoint !!! Service was great and its a first for taking friends who are visiting... especially at the Fort Louden Marina!!!! Again and again it's a fav of ours... from appetizers to meals to cocktail!!! CHEERS! read more

Calhoun's - Fried green tomatoes with M AND M SAUCE - Barbeque Near Me - Knoxville, Tennessee

Disappointed. Read reviews, thought it sounded good. The interior is really nice and roomy. We ordered potato skins and Caesar salads to start- they were both good. Then my husband ordered the fried cod and fries- awful, super greasy. I ordered what I thought was a pulled pork sandwich (based on what I saw from online photos and that it was listed under sandwiches on the menu) it was awful- the fries were old and it was just a plate of pulled pork without sauce. They didn't even clean the membrane, fat or veins out of it! I had to ask for a side of coleslaw and they brought me a sauce cup with a small spoonful of slaw in it. We will definitely not be back. read more

I have been all around the country and I am kind of a barbecue aficionado and I have been for the last 35 years. I have eaten barbecue in the greatest barbecue hotspots in the country and I am familiar with what good barbecue is. I decided to try Calhouns on the river because it had a good following locally. I ordered a barbecue sandwich and my wife ordered the chicken sandwich. My sandwich was so dry I could barely chew it. It had the flavor of cardboard and I had to drown it in barbecue sauce 3 times and 3 glasses of water to swallow it. My wife's chicken was extremely dry too and required much barbecue sauce and water just to swallow it. I have no idea why this is considered a good barbecue restaurant but I suppose I will just have to accept that it will remain a mystery. Maybe someone can explain why people keep eating this cardboard and returning for more. Please enlighten me why anyone can eat this crap. read more

Good happy hour and good burgers with delicious Mac and cheese! Service was slow but good, unfortunately the hostess all seemed way too important to help us. The Heller beer was fantastic, light German beer. read more

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Today was definitely not a good day for Calhoun's. They were out of several items. The food was extremely slow and my sweet potato fries were cold. The nachos had almost no toppings and the food was just blah! It was clean and our server was good. But I won't be going back again. Sad... read more

Calhoun's - Beer Cheese Dip - Barbeque Near Me - Knoxville, Tennessee

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Got brisket for lunch with steamed broccoli and macaroni and cheese. The brisket and broccoli were good. The brisket was perfectly cooked and nicely seasoned. The macaroni and cheese was bland af. I took half of my food to go and didn't bother packing the macaroni and cheese. read more

Calhoun's - Brisket with Mac n cheese and steamed broccoli - Barbeque Near Me - Knoxville, Tennessee

Calhoun's definitely lives up to its reputation for good southern bbq. There's locations all over East Tennessee but we decided to go to the original one and it did not disappoint. We ordered one of the trios. The calhoun's and the smokehouse trio. I wouldn't say one was better than another, just a matter of chicken tenders vs brisket. Before our meal came we were given an assortment of breads and our personal favorite was the corn bread. One of their specials was a fresh frozen peach daquiri and I would 12/10 return just for the drink alone. I can't wait to visit here again. read more

Calhoun's - Peach Daquiri - Barbeque Near Me - Knoxville, Tennessee

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Burgers are great. Came on a Monday and they have discount on their burgers. Kickback burger with the sauce is so good. Burger was tender and filling. BBQ here is a average. The pulled pork and brisket is kind of dry. Ribs were fall off the bone but low quality. I guess this place would be sufficient if you wanted BBQ, but you can find better out there for a better price and better quality. Would not revisit this place for bbq but good for burgers read more

Calhoun's - Kickback burger - Barbeque Near Me - Knoxville, Tennessee

WARNING: REALLY LONG REVIEW. As anyone who's read my past reviews on anything, you'll remember I tend to leave positive reviews. Well, hold on to your seats kiddies, things have changed!! Every year for the past 15 or so years, I take our family to Calhoun's for Christmas dinner. And speaking for myself, my wife, and my stepson, it's for their excellent prime rib. So several weeks ago I made reservations. Then tonight my wife and I went solo for the first time in years. Ah, romance.. Anyway, on Christmas Day we arrived for our reservation arrival time of 4:30. We were quickly seated and when our server walked up he asked if we'd like drinks. My wife and I said "IPAs please." Only to be told they were out of IPA. Ok, not a huge deal, but my wife and I are beer snobs, but when the server suggested APA (Appalachian pale ale) we said sure. Better than nothing. He was gone a while, but finally returned with two very flat beers. When he returned to take our food order, we told him the beers were flat, and we didn't want them. He said he'd take them off the bill. We then decided to just order Bloody Mary's. He then asked if we were ready to order. My wife said she'd like the prime rib, only to be told they were out of prime rib! Christmas Day, 4:30 in the afternoon, and they're out of beer and prime rib? WTF? So as he left to get our drinks, we were trying to re-think what we wanted for dinner. She settled on the seasonal smoked Turkey dinner, and I settled for fish and chips. Not at all how we planned a nice Christmas dinner at one of our favorite holiday dinner restaurants. But we were there, and there's not many restaurants open on Christmas Day. That's when we waited. And waited. And waited. We'd see the server walk past to seat others, but still no drinks. That's when I said "Let's get the **** out of here!" As we left, we walked past our server. He didn't even notice we were leaving. Then I had a brain storm. Not 5 minutes away from Calhoun's is Chesapeake's, an excellent seafood restaurant that we also frequent. I told my wife we'd probably not get a table, but let's give it a shot. After finally finding a parking spot we went in and walked up to the server station. I heard the receptionist telling someone on the phone "Sorry, we're full, no reservations are being taken." When she hung up I said "We're out of luck aren't we?" She said No, there may be seats in the bar. We looked and sure enough, there were two seats open! And they offered a huge buffet that included PRIME RIB!! And they had our favorite IPAs! Bonus! Yes Virginia, there is a Santa Claus. The End. Best Christmas dinner in years. Only thing left to do? Scratch Calhoun's off as of one of our favorite local restaurants. read more

This place was AMAZING! The ribs were some of the best I've ever had, the free bread was so good, and the views were wonderful. We sat on the covered patio and had a complete view of the river. The service was great as well. Will definitely be back! read more

Calhoun's - Full slab of ribs and mashed potatoes - Barbeque Near Me - Knoxville, Tennessee

This location accepts reservations. We came about 45 mins early in case there was a wait; to sit and drink at the bar. Fortunately there was no wait and they went ahead and seated us. The atmosphere is pretty loud. Many large groups there. It was so loud; hard to hear the waiter as well as each other. We ordered a couple drinks before we ordered our food. We were given a bread basket which had different types of bread. Which was different. Food was ok. I was not crazy about the bbq. I am not sure what was in it but it tasted sour. I still ate it; because some southern places like tangy bbq and I just did not want to embarrass myself if that was the case. Drinks were good especially the sip $6. They had a huge variety to choose from; beer, wine and mixed drinks. Our server was really nice. He constantly checked on us to see if we needed anything read more

Calhoun's - Menu - Barbeque Near Me - Knoxville, Tennessee

Dante was the best server! Food was good. Atmosphere was pleasant, not to busy. Definitely will be going back!

love the "burger monday" especially when faline and elle are working and our favorite server mckenzie. come here now every monday and 1 other day because of the sweet hostess, faline...and elle at the front greeting us and making us feel like family great portion of hamburger, excellent beans, and broccoli thankyou for taking care of: jimmy durante cousin, and don se you monday! read more

Just got a simple burger medium well and I was satisfied. It was a quick stop but I would come back to try what they are known for which is the ribs. Great prices and you can tell they care about their customers during these times. My burger was juice and the fries as the side were big. read more

Calhoun's - Hamburger - Barbeque Near Me - Knoxville, Tennessee

Their hickory-smoked prime rib is delicious! Also love their bread basket w/ a variety of rolls & breads. read more

I called Calhoun's and asked do you take reservations or call ahead. I was told "No. We don't take reservations." We get to Calhoun's and wait on the one host working. We say party of seven. He says, "do you have a reservation? ..... Sorry you have to wait." Another group came in after us without a reservation while we were waiting and he sat them in the bar immediately. The service was good. Forgot my salad. I had the prime rib sandwich. Which was not on the menu, but was available. Copper Cellar restaurants are usually great! If someone asks where to eat in Knoxville I always say Calhoun's. I guess this location has some communication issues. read more

One of my favorite restaurants. However not so great on the takeout side. Always seems like I have a problem every time when I order take out. Check out this portion I got today. I paid $3.75 plus tax for three bites of mac & cheese. First it was a very long wait. I have a heart for that right now though during these times. I know that they are short staffed and everyone is overworked so I would never be upset about a long wait. But then they forgot my side of mac & cheese and I had to go back in and get it. When I got home this is what I got. Quite disappointing. When I eat inside it is always delicious and perfect but when I order takeout I always have a problem. The most delicious mac & cheese though. Man, I was so disappointed in the portion. read more

Calhoun's - Mac & Cheese portion $3.75 - Barbeque Near Me - Knoxville, Tennessee

My family and I visited 7-16-22 and waited for a table by the water. 15-20 min wait and we were escorted back to our table to find it full of food particles all over the floor from the previous guests and used glasses on the table. I was pretty shocked that they brought us to a table so filthy. I should have taken a photo but I was in disbelief and the manager didn't do much to help us out or apologize. I also emailed the company explaining what happened, Brenda didn't even bother to get back to me. Eat at your own risk! read more

Was there last weekend and food was spot on for me and the wife. Ethan was our waiter, they were slammed, and he kep apologizing for the wait. We had no where to be with no schedule so we didn't care. E was super great. He actually covered a fellow buds table because he was slammed and disdn't want them waiting until his bud could recover. Bonus prop for E. Great drinks. Great suggestions from E. We had questions as virgins there. I got this amazing sampler. Wife got the chops he suggested. He said it was his fave but not sure how they were made. I suspect sous vide. Tender and juicy! Amazing. Prices were on point. We just need Calhoun's to push into SC now. Still kind of full. read more

Back in my hometown visiting family and had to get over to Calhoun's for my fix of fried green tomatoes. Hubby also needed some BBQ before heading back to Cali. We enjoyed our experience here today. Food was everything we expected. Delicious and well prepared. I do want to give a shout out to our server Alexis. She was super informative on the daily specials and menu questions we had. She offered candid feedback and provided us with excellent service during our visit. Thanks Alexis! read more