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    Calhoun's

    3.5 (201 reviews)
    ModerateBarbeque, American
    Closed 11:00 am - 10:00 pm

    Calhoun's Photos

    CALHOUN'S ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Casual
    Good for kids
    Dogs allowed

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    Recommended Reviews - Calhoun's

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    Reviews With Photos

    Ribs not very good
    Terri M.

    I came here with a group of people and the service was outstanding! The service was a five star. The food... Definitely left a lot to desire. I got the ribs and they were not very flavorful, not very good at all. I asked for barbecue sauce but it's like vinegar Based barbecue sauce, was not sweet so I took them home and I ended up just giving them to my dog.

    Yucky lettuce

    The salads at Calhoun's have always been good. Then they changed to spring mix. So I order salads with "Romain lettuce only". Lots of bad lettuce in there. And lots of spring mix hiding in there,!too. So disappointing.

    the dining area of the restaurant
    Joel C.

    Enjoyed the Brisket sandwich, tender and flavorful, and the Turkey Creek salad. They could have done a better job on the turkey but still everything else was delicious. Our server, Lexie, went above and beyond to provide excellent service, an extra plate, personable and ensured extra bbq sauce was at the table. The restaurant was very clean and nice...see pic.

    Brisket sandwich with tater tots and (a sample of) coleslaw
    Joe T.

    Just one question: Why - WHY are restaurants so stingy with coleslaw?? I had a brisket sandwich that was piled up with brisket, a mound of tater tots - and the slaw was about two tablespoons in a condiment cup. What's up with that?? Isn't that the cheapest thing on the plate? Okay - enough ranting. All that food was really good. Golden, crispy tots and cool, creamy slaw (did I mention we need a bigger serving?). The brisket is great - just enough smoke (not overpowering), tender and juicy (lots of fat in there). A very good representation of what smoked brisket ought to be. Oh - and it's a good thing the sauce comes in a cup on the side. (A) you don't need it - the meat is good on its own, and (B) it's pretty oily - there's a bit of an oil slick in the cup when you open it. I would certainly go back, and maybe ask for two or three servings of slaw :)

    Oriental Chicken Salad
    Allie M.

    Food 4/5 - We stopped here for lunch on Thanksgiving and had a good experience. The Oriental Chicken Salad is my absolute favorite thing so when I'm back visiting we have to stop here for this salad. The burger was made to order and good. Service / Ambiance 4/5 - It was busy that day in the restaurant but we got a table right away. Our server was very helpful and kind. Our food came within timely manner and we were pleased with both our meals.

    Pork plate with mashed potatoes  Hickory Smoked BBQ Pork Plate*
    Katherine G.

    Delicious!!! The pork absolutely melted in my mouth, the bread basket was phenomenal, great service!

    Ribs
    Steve A.

    The ribs were good but not great, fries were cold. The broccoli was a good choice. The bartender Barry was great and friendly to talk with.

    Southern Fried Catfish and steamed broccoli
    Amelia B.

    If you like beer, you will probably enjoy Calhoun's more than those of us who couldn't care less about a pilsner or a pale ale. The beer is apparently good. Moving on. The decor is an odd mix of quasi-Tuscan with flashes of retro diner and metallic accents here and there, and you'll always find pallets of brewery supplies on the floor between the vestibule and the seating. It's a confusing melange of styles that fails to create an identity or "experience" for diners. The food is reliably good but nothing exceptional. The summer lemonade (a featured cocktail of whiskey, lemonade, and Sprite) was refreshing--tart and sweet but overpriced at $9 for such a lightweight cocktail. Overall, paying $15 and up for entrees you can get anywhere will keep me from being a regular. The only menu item worth repeating regularly would be the Turkey Creek salad, although it is typically over-loaded with cranberries and candied pecans. Pick some of them out, and you've got a delicious salad that can stand on its own even if you skip the vinaigrette. Ultimately, Calhoun's is about the comfort of consistency; it's the guy you can call for a date and know he's never too busy for you but also never going to sweep you off your feet. It's your old reliable, and let's admit it...that counts for something.

    Complimentary biscuits garlic roll

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    1 year ago

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    1 year ago

    We ordered to go, and the food was beyond on point! Still tasty in the hotel room! Must be even more amazing if dining in!

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    8 months ago

    Pay attention to the help you hire bc the Kingston pike location is the worst for inconsistent service or food quality!

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    3 years ago

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    9 months ago

    One of my fav Knoxville stops is Calhouns on the river. Bread is great, white chili yummy and food is good. Wait staff is always friendly.

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    11 months ago

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    Page 1 of 6

    Ask the Community - Calhoun's

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    First, this is a gastropub, not a diner. I had been performing handiman duties for most of the day…read moreand wanted a casual sitdown meal between projects, so I recommend Cazzy's listing be updated. Now, the experience. We did not have any drinks but the offerings cover the local, standard and top shelf tastes. The staff is even invited to events to learn about food and drink parings. Lunch was grab and eat. It was very quiet becasue we were well past the lunch rush and before the early dinners. I needed something more than a salad or bowl even though several were tempting. Not always a burger guy, but a bison burger will draw my attention. You don't see bison much in TN. Delicious. Juicy enough I needed an extra napkin. The second reason I chose the burger was for the carrot fries. I don't ever remember having them before or even seeing them. Their good, no reason they can't be a replacemnt to traditional fries and they don't "sag" as much as sweet potato fries. In my case, the kitchen put potato fries on the plate rather than carrot fries. Our server, Daniel noticed it and brought out a separate plate with proper side. Great service there. Another upgrade is that seasoning on the fries. There are several different ones and they differ byt the dish and fry. It was fun to compare the difference on the plate. So, cazzy's is not at diner but a fine gastropub.

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    A quick Yelp search while in the area led us here. It was a good find for sure…read more Loved that even on cold days, there is a closed-in patio that allows pups! Our pup travels everywhere with us, so finding these spots is important to us. It was very spacious too - so we weren't on top of other guests. They have an extensive menu and the same with the beer list. There is something for everyone, from hoppy IPAs to fruity sours. Not sure which beer you may like - get a sample. Or try a flight! For lunch, we got the deviled eggs to start - something that is a go-to for us. They were solid and enjoyable. For the main, we opted for the Abridged burger and the Chicken club. Both were solid as well. Fries were crispy, but a bit over-salted, and I enjoy some salt. So made a note for next time to "go light". Service was good too. Overall - really only a tiny detail to 'complain' about, but easily taken care of next time. We will be back for sure - I want to try their pizza!

    Came here to grab a brew so the review is not on the food. I am familiar with Abridged burgers, as…read morethey have a food truck outside of Xul Brewing Company on the others side of the city. Burgers have always been top notch and awaiting their takeover of the Xul kitchens here. Bar staff on top of service, even refilling water when it got low. Service is a plus. Ambiance is more restaurant feel than brewery, although there is a wide selection of brews available. She order a lemondrop. Nice job, but you get a lemondrop pretty much the same no matter where you go. Beer is very good here. I did not have one I did not enjoy. I need to return some time and try some of their food menu items.

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    The good news 1st. Sitting at the bar for drinks is a 5-star experience. Good cocktails and the bar…read morestaff have great service and are friendly to talk with. But just about every thing to do with our dinner was low quality The Maitre d (or host mgr) has poor customer service skills. He is the wrong person to be in that position. Sometimes I would suggest to have him train at one of better dinner houses in Knoxville, but his attitude is such I'm not sure he would understand his deficiencies. Overall, he does not treat guests as if they are the lifeline for a restaurant. He made no effort to make us feel he was glad we came to The Kennedy and when we left he made no attempt to thank us or ask how our experience was. If he is not replaced the restaurant will steadily lose customers. The food quality was poor. The salmon on top of Brussel sprouts tasted as if someone in the kitchen poured molasses on top of the Brussel Spouts. Then after it was sent back with the request to re-do the dinner without the sweetener it came back (after a very long delay) with a huge plate of Brussel Sprouts that were completely dried out. It seemed like the people in the kitchen attempted to make up for the poor taste by giving a helping size 3 X as normal. The crab on noodles was a "C" at best. The crab was stringy and the noodles were very bland. If people at coming for drinks and appetizers it probably is a good choice but if someone wants a quality dinner experience I was told by 2 locals who come downtown a lot to eat at Lonesome Dove Brass Pearl JC Holdway (the best chef) Oliver Royale ( we ate here and the food quality and service were exceptional) Osteria Stella Emelia

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    Interior
    Interior
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    Bacon wrapped dates
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    Calhoun's - bbq - Updated July 2026

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