If you've been to other Calhoun's you'll know their food is very high quality and has a higher price to match (14 dollar average I'd say) Sadly this location isn't attached to one of their breweries so no beer muffins at this location which are AMAZING. Why the 5 stars? The view! Oh my gosh does it have a beautiful view! Eat outside and be treated to the sight of geese on the water and even walking by in multiple groups of 7 a mere 10 feet from the tables! A really relaxing and soul warming experience. I could see it being great for dates but I found it so relaxing and pleasant it might be better for spending time with family and friends. read more

Calhouns is getting a 5 star review from me. Not necessarily for the food because that was really just ok pub food, with lots of frozen product not a lot of fresh, but for the wonderful service and accommodations made for our larger party. It was tough to find a place that would accommodate a large family party even with a month lead in time. I do know that the locals in our party love Calhouns and it is their frequent go to. While I was hoping for something more upscale this turned out to be perfect. Calhoun's managed our large party with all hands on deck helping out. It was clear they were busy and like many in this post covid era probably short staffed. We got to sit on the deck/patio with a nice view of the river. The Birthday girl was very happy and in the end that was what really mattered. read more

Love a beautiful view this wins , want good food it's hit or miss , want good service forget it !! I often take visiting family here . I have never been so embarrassed or mortified by the discrimination I experienced last time I was there . Thanks Christine !! read more

Horrible service!! Took forever just to get our silverware! Then even longer to get our drinks/food! Staff was rude and the server had nasty BO... read more

Didn't even have bread ask for half and half tea to go and got warm unsweetened with no ice. Will not be back.

Beautiful location and the best banana pudding I have ever had that said Our steak was over cooked and a manager was called. Once they remade our steak our sides were cold and we were in no mood so they gave us a free banana pudding..... The manager should have overseen the steak (rare) remake which would have taken 2 min tops. Instead we waited 15. Manager said she had new people cooking....and blah blah blah. And the reason we did not get bread is because they were busy!!!! When they get it right I would recommend going back but give them time to get it right first. read more

I come here every year for the Thanksgiving buffet. It's well served and taken care of. There's anything and everything on there. The food is delicious! However more people are catching on so we've started doing the online reservation. I definitely recommend just loading up and letting someone else handle the dirty work. You've got everything from traditional to seafood to bbq. read more

Saturday evening restaurant very full. Sat at the bar. Mistake, bartender with red hair had sceetching sound every few minutes. Should have brought ear plugs. Food. Had the bacon wrapped beef brisket. Only half was edible. The Boneless chicken wings, large portion but no real taste. Spinach artichoke Dip was more like a soup with melted, burnt cheese on it. 2 weeks earlier I had dinner there. Signature Prime Rib. Yea NOT MELT IN YOUR MOUTH. could have used a sharper steak knife. Best part was the price. I guess u get what u pay for. This is a chain restaurant. read more

Last night my wife, niece, and I went to Calhoun's for dinner to celebrate our 51st anniversary. We ordered the trio, fish and chips, and chicken with french fries. After waiting forever the waitress told me they were out of ribs, odd for a restaurant whose claim to fame is ribs' little later she informed us they were out of fries. Have to wonder why there open if they don't have any food.The waitress asked my wife if she wanted tater tots in place of french fries oboy. When we finally did get the food it was cold. I spent $80 eating here and could have got a better meal at McDonalds. read more

The food isn't good enough for such crap service. Me and my husband have visited this location several times and while the food is average for a place like this, it's not like theres a shortage of "higher end chains", however the service is always a miss for me. Most times we are there during slower times and the staff always seems to be confused as to what their job role is and how to do it. Everyone just always seems confused and disinterested. This last time upon entering we asked the hostess if we could continue to the bar seats and she snapped at us with an annoyed look on her face asking "well do you want menus??" Like sorry but no thanks. read more

After a 10 hour drive we needed some good food. It was Tough to get a table so we cleared our own in the bar area. Food was great. Service was rough in the beginning but finished great. The drinks were watery, even the soda. Like I said, the food was great. I'd recommend you try this one. A reservation might help you have a better meal. It was worth roughing it out in the bar area for me. read more

Catfish dinner-Ate here once before during a visit and it seems the catfish were bigger fillets, not strips. Excellent service with outside seating-food was disappointing. read more

I was really expecting to have a great meal but was seriously disappointed. The place is large and the setting is beautiful. We went on a Friday night and it was packed, we thought we were in for a treat. We waited and were seated at a nice large table with a water view. Our server seemed to not be very forthcoming with info. We were told that they serve "Coke products". That's great - except I have no idea, other than coke, what is in their lineup. I asked if they had ginger ale and was told yes. The bread basket was good. We scarfed it all up, but needed more butter and had to ask a different server as we did not see ours again for quite a bit. Someone other than the server brought my Caesar salad and I noticed it was wilted with brown edges, showing it was not fresh. Hubby grabbed a crouton and it was mushy. I didn't eat it, just the bread. Hubby ordered the pulled pork and it was glistening with an immense amount of fat. It also had the texture of mayo. It disintegrated in your mouth. He got a huge stalk of broccoli. The fries were dry. My ginger ale was totally watered down and when we asked for a refill we were told it would be another $3. And were told it is "one of those tiny bottles" - hence the watering down to get it to fit into a large glass. Gave it 2 start for the bread and the location. I am surprised that the BBQ places we go to in Phoenix blow this one away! read more

Calhoun's - Wilted Caesar - Southern Near Me - Oak Ridge, Tennessee

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Loved this place. My wife and I were just recently vacationing here and stumbled upon this gem. Super cool to eat while watching the various rowing teams go by. Highly recommend to anyone in the area or just passing through. read more

Calhoun's - Southern Near Me - Oak Ridge, Tennessee

This place is an actual joke. Every. Single. Time we order wings they forget the thunder road sauce. Also, we are so overwhelmed by the generous amount and size of the celery sticks. I can't thank you enough Calhouns for screwing up, yet again, another dinner. I'll be sure to give these celery sticks to the gnomes living under our house. read more

Calhoun's - No thunder road sauce and celery sticks meant for dolls. - Southern Near Me - Oak Ridge, Tennessee

Cousin Tom had us comin' here for dinner November 5. It being Saturday, the place was packed, but we got a table right away. There might have been a reservation in the mix (i.e., planned), as we were a party of 8, with Cousin Tom, his lovely wife Nikki and Aunt Shirley along with the five of us visiting. Big fish on the walls, big signs on the walls, lots of stuff on the walls. We were waterside, so there were plenty of sailboats and other watercraft to admire. Our server was delightful, efficient and got all the orders down pat on the first go. Aunt Shirley and I both got a cup of lobster bisque. It was rich, so flavorful and overall delightful. The basket of fresh-baked breads was enticing, but I just smelled. I wasn't paying oodles of attention to what everybody got. I got hickory-smoked prime rib, medium rare -- (12 oz., $23.75) with broccoli. Dang it . . . meat! Cooked to order. A perfect piece of meat. And the broccoli was tender-crisp . . . also perfect. It was a great meal with great relatives. Couldn't want for more, except a to-go vessel, of which I had one. read more

very long wait for a fried food dish, they were not busy , order was wrong, and the bugs were horrible at the outside dinning area.

The final salad bar on the Jack and Co Knoxville leg of 2018. This was incredible. It took us a while to deliberate on this ranking. 7 months to be exact. We really wanted to get this one right. We felt like a 3 was the most fair thing to do. The salad bar may not of had the amount of offerings we had seen other places, but the quality was there. The side dishes available at this salad bar really took it to a good level. All in all, would go back and throw down again soon read more

We started off at the bar with a very large beer 33oz happy hour prices, this restaurant sets on the banks of the Melton hill lake,Beautiful view. we started with a nice salad with everything on it including cheese and bacon bits ,rolls,biscuits,cornbread and we had a combination of ribs ,pulled pork ,chicken ,beans, mashed potato,and corn pudding. Followed by dessert with key lime pie, service was atentive. Only reason I gave them four stars because the food did come out cold. read more

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Service and food was very good. They had live music on a Thursday night. I had the Ale sirloin and it was cooked perfect. Would like to come again when I'm in the area read more

Calhoun's - Southern Near Me - Oak Ridge, Tennessee

Service and food here is really hit or miss. My husband loves their Cherokee Red beer so that's 3/4th of the reason we keep going back, I'd say. Even so, there was a time when we were going at least 2-3/month - at one point, we even had a waiter who knew before even asking that we'd want the beer cheese and pretzels for an appetizer, which made us feel really special (had I written a review at that time, it'd easily have been 5 stars). Then, we started to have a string of bad service and cold food, so we stopped going. Last night, my husband wanted to go there for dinner, and I agreed with one caveat - if service was bad, I was NEVER going back. There was a wait when we got there but we ended up finding an empty table in the bar. In the end, service was awesome, the ribs were on point, the spinach Maria came out warm and delicious, and the apples were perfect. I was glad we went. I had the berry mojito, and it was also yummy. Needless to say, we will likely be giving Calhouns in Oak Ridge more chances. My theory is that service and food is better on Fridays/weekends vs. during the week - my plan is to test that theory. read more

Horrible service and SLOW. After 45 minutes our cold potato skins came and I went to find the manager. The manager was more concerned about getting the alcohol bottle to the bar than to talk to me while I has holding my cold potato skins that should have been hot. I did not feel they have customer service and quality in mind. I will see what the next restaurant is in this cursed location is by next year. Don't even bother going. read more

Food was bad. We were here a couple years ago and it was great. Last night the food was terrible. Service was good but the entrees were almost inedible. read more

We wanted to go out for Mother's Day dinner, so called two times to make reservations. No response once we got into the answering machine system. So, we went about 5:30. They asked if we had reservations. Anyway, it was all buffet, $30 each. That would have been okay, except that the place was already trashed by 6:00 and the food was horrible! Everything was over cooked. The service was infrequent. So, if you wanted silverware, you had to get up and get it yourself. It was so nasty, I felt like we were in a school cafeteria. Food all over the floor, people's empty plates everywhere, and the buffet serving trays were mostly empty. That's what we experienced, and I felt badly for my son and husband for trying to take me out for dinner. read more

Great food, atmosphere, service, and prices. Fried pickles were exceptional, as well as the pulled pork BBQ! You get rolls, cornbread, and biscuits brought to the table, which were delicious! read more

This is a great place with terrific ambiance to eat and enjoy your meal all around. The food is terrific, the service is excellent. The scenery around the restaurant is the lake and its beautiful. You certainly can't go wrong with spending time having a meal at Calhouns. read more

Calhoun's is a solid restaurant with excellent food at reasonable prices. The various barbecue dishes are all very good, and the sides are great also. They have lots of great entrees, but I'm not a fan of their appetizer selection, with the exception of the smoked chicken wings, which are terrific. Especially the dry rub smoked wings with the Thunder Road sauce on the side. The staff here is efficient and friendly, and the Oak Ridge location on the water is very very nice. We especially like to go later in the evening when the crowd has died down, and sit outside along the water for a late dinner or snacks. read more

Overrated and bland for the most part. Mash is instant. Overpriced for quality you receive. I don't get the hype. Staff are friendly place seems clean. read more

The food is excellent the beer is great. These people will cook food the proper way if you have food allergies.

Instant seating for a party of seven. Perfect table with view of the river. Fast attentive service. Everyone really liked their meal. Not loud music. Really a nice evening. read more

The service is slow. The ambiance is nonexistent. Drinks were great. I had a cosmo which was too strong. But the server brought me more cranberry juice. The Food, not so much. I had cole slaw-great. Corn pudding-great. Chicken tenders, pulled pork and rubs-not so much.ribs were dry and I did not like the BBQ sauce. Pulled pork was okay. Chicken tenders were moist. Honey mustard dipping sauce was too tart. Bread basket consisted of biscuits. Corn bread was never available. read more

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Why do people pay for their food when it was awful,at Calhouns???Then they keep going back to get lousy food and service.And they keep complaining!!! read more

Went here for business dinner tonight and had a pleasant experience. We arrived at 5:30 PM without a reservation with a party of 6, only had to wait about 5 minutes and we were able to get a table. The table looked out over the lake and was a very pleasant view. The water was calm, and the fog was hanging low making the scene mysterious and intriguing. Our waiter Dan was there to greet us within minutes and took our drink order right away. We received our drinks and a great basket of bread that had dinner rolls, corn bread, and biscuits in it. I wish that I could have tried one of each. I ordered the BBQ trio because I had not had lunch and was starving. Based on the recommendation of a local friend I ordered the Spinach Maria as my side. It took just a little bit to get our food, and unfortunately, it did not call come out at once, and this is why I had to take away a star. The BBQ trio was a nice portion of pulled pork, a partial slab of ribs and two chicken fingers. The ribs were tender and had a nice BBQ glaze on them. The pork was tender and had a mild flavor; I added a little sauce to the pork. The chicken was tender and served with a delicious honey mustard sauce that I could have eaten with a spoon. The BBQ trio also comes with a serving of slaw. The recommendation of the Spinach Maria was right on the mark. It was a delicious creamed spinach dish with its unique flavor and a light layer of melted cheese on top. I could have had two of these and been triumphal. We were on a timeline because we had a meeting to be at, and our wait staff helped us stay on track. We had a nice dining experience, and if you are looking for some southern comfort food, Calhoun's is a great place to check out. read more

Visited Oak Ridge for work and was reccomend Ed to visit Calhouns. Awesome atmosphere, good food, we also Had an awesome waitress named Ariana . Great laid back place! read more

Calhoun's is back to normal. Service is fast and courteous and the food is good. They have outdoor areas for the bar and dining areas and their prime rib is as good as anywhere. read more

Bar area and staff were excellent on a rainy day for front row views of Regatta. Wings and other food was great

If you're a regular sitting in the bar, you're in great shape. Waitresses talk to regulars 90% of the time. Good luck if you're a new face.

This is a very nice place to eat. It's on the water, and has a great atmosphere. We've only been twice because it is a bit on the expensive side, but the food was good and the service wasn't terrible, even though it was super busy both times we went. Once it had live musicians outside, and with it being quite loud inside, when the doors opened, the outdoor music added to the volume. If loudness is bothersome, maybe skip this place. I wouldn't bring my autistic child, but I was ok. read more

Service was slow. Filet mignon was chewy and tasteless. California burger wasn't very tasty either. Definitely not impressed and not interested in coming again. read more

Entering this restaurant you will be in awe of the beautiful scenery, and the relaxing atmosphere. Unfortunately the food is subpar with a price tag of 5 star restaurant. My friend and I ordered sangrias, one red and one white. It tasted like cough syrup and we requested to swap it out. A female manager came to ask us what was the issue, we explained. She proceeded to tell us the sangrias are house recipe. (According to the manager they mix all unused wines from the previous night into one container and add fruits to call it sangria) I tried to explain I have had thousands of Sangrias in my life living in Wine country (Virginia). The manager then proceeds to tell us she is from Washington and California that those are actual Wine Country. As to insult us. This was petty and unprofessional. The food then arrives, the salmon was undercooked, shrimp was over cooked. We picked at our food paid and immediately left. Also don't sit outside because mosquitos will kill your legs. read more