Substituted the fries for sweet potato fries. Fish was excellent! Breading was light but crispyNot dry. Biscuit melts in your mouth. Excellent service. Loved the atmosphere. Fireplace in dining area. Decorative lighting with wildland theme was adorable. Will be back. Definitely recommend. read more

Calhoun's - Southern Fried Cod, sweet potato fries, rolls - American Near Me - Pigeon Forge, Tennessee

This was one of the few spots open later with reservations that we saw and overall the experience was good. The food was decent, but def not the best ribs in America lol. The ale steak was a hit for those who got it. The sides were meh, and the salad was over dressed in my opinion. We did enjoy the drinks and the bread though. The best though was the service - our waiter was terrific and this was probably the best service I've had in a while. He was very kind, knowledgeable, anticipatory, and personable. Overall it really made our experience. read more

Calhoun's - American Near Me - Pigeon Forge, Tennessee

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Good service with only mediocre food. I didn't know what to expect when we decided to try this place but I was hopeful. With the amount of cars outside I figured the food had to be pretty good, unfortunately that wasn't really the case. A lot of their food seemed to be things you could get from a grocery store. We tried two starters: the pretzel with beer cheese and burnt ends. Then decided to split the combo platter with ribs pulled pork and tenders. The pretzels were such a disappointment. Frozen pretzels that could be found in a freezer aisle heated up and served with congealed sauce on the side. The burnt ends were decent. Not much to write home about and the combo platter was just ok. The ribs were caramelized to the point that after a while hurt your mouth to eat. The tenders weee good but run of the mill ones you could find anywhere. Their bbq sauce had a very strong vinegar flavor to it that overwhelmed a lot of the actual flavor. We did try a dessert but they were out of ice cream so our server being a rockstar brought it out for us to go and recommended to pick up some ice cream and eat it back at our hotel. Our server was great checking in on us and making sure we had everything we needed. The food was just not that good and he can't be faulted for that. I would say with the amount of restaurant choices around go somewhere else for better food. read more

First off- Aaron was an Amazing server!! Great job! Above and beyond! My wife ordered fish & chips- I had the brisket sandwich with fries. Both were Top Shelf! I heartily recommend this place for a great meal, great atmosphere and very economical for the portions and the flavors! Hurry and get down here!! read more

The food was great the biscuits are fantastic! The service was wonderful! It's a little bit on the romantic side. There's word music playing along with some other peoples phones and kids computer. The Ace steak was very average. The brisket sandwich was overcooked making it take like roast. The wings were standard. It's one of the oldest restaurants in Gatlinburg. It was clean and nice. The service is great! read more

I visited this Calhoun's the other day and I was needing to eat quickly due to an appointment. I ordered the wet original wings which were delicious. I asked for a biscuit, some bread, and was told that I had ordered an appetizer which didn't allow me to have any bread with it. She even said it was a corporate rule. We regularly eat at the other Calhoun's locations and have for many years and have never been told that anywhere but this location. So, we knew it wasn't a corporate rule. I spent $25. Dollars on the wings I ate and if I had ordered a meal for $15 dollars I could have had bread with it. Where does this make sense to alienate a regular client over some bread? We won't return to this location. read more

It's very simple when you're in the area stop in and try their Spinach Maria "Amazing" creamy deliciousness in every single bite. The Ribs are very good as well as the salads all my friends were very happy with our choices. The friendly service made the food even better. This place is really good for big groups and lots to see outside around the restaurant. Full bar so you have lots to choose from. Oh wait the bread they sit on the table while you wait for your food. Oh yeah, oh Yeahhh it's good! But before I end this I must say once again Spinach Maria!! read more

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It was good! We initially had a reservation, but we had a puppy who just did not want to be left alone. So, we decided to order takeout. So glad we did! The salad, steak, potato and sides were fresh and delicious. My favorite is their spinach Diane- it is just cheesy goodness. read more

We tried Calhoun for the first time after visiting Pigeon Forge regularly for the past 42 years. The restaurant is roomy and well set up. The interior was cool and clean and well were both comfortable. The waiter was very friendly and knowledgeable. Our drinks, complimentary bread and appetizer came out promptly. My wife had the catfish, fries and Cole slaw. I had the Calhoun trio which was brisket, ribs and chicken tenders. The food was good although the ribs were a little drier than I like. Service was attentive at first, lax in the middle but finished strong. The meal is pretty pricey but you did get a lot of food. I'm not unhappy with the choice but will probably choose somewhere else next time. read more

The food is NOT appetizing! Flavors are off. Could barely eat the meatloaf, onions were not cooked but the meat was. How? Not ever eating here again. Good looks frozen until microwaved. Ugg! read more

We had an amazing meal at Calhouns. I have not had ribs that good in a very long time! No wait on a Saturday night at the Pigeon Forge location and was probably the best meal we had the entire trip. Definitely coming back the next time we visit. read more

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Really nice restaurant with nice atmosphere and great food and service. Tiffany and Michael at the bar area were awesome and very attentive for sure! We ordered The Chicken Cordon Blue Plate and The County Fried Steak. Very good both. read more

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It's one of few places that we could find that allow you to make reservations, and everything we went to had a 2+ hour wait time the week after Christmas, so we chose it and were seated within minutes of our arrival the night we chose to dine here. This night was meant to be healthy, but I saw the Bacon Wrapped Beef Brisket Burnt Ends appetizer and didn't realize how large and delish it would be. So half that appetizer and a warm biscuit from the bread basket and I was full. I will forever dream about the Turkey Creek salad I ordered and took back to the hotel mini fridge where it went to die. It looked amazing, the tiny piece of Turkey and the one candied pecan I picked off and ate was so yummy. I also had the chocolate covered strawberry martini, which was incredibly sweet (think strawberry quick and alcohol). My friend had some sandwich, which she devoured within minutes so I'm guessing it was a hit. Service was excellent (new guy, very attentive!) and our food and drinks were delivered very quickly despite being busy. read more

Calhoun's - This salad looked amazing, but I never ate it (filled up on appetizers)! - American Near Me - Pigeon Forge, Tennessee

Served a plate of cold bbq pork, no sauce. All other items on menu have a choice of sauces. Mgr argued with us & pointed to 1 sweet bbq sauce bottle on the table? Told us if we ordered a dessert she could make sure "it came out cold". Dried out bisquits in basket. Server was no where to be found & then saw Mgr had him running outside & inside. We should have realized this was a bad sign of "bbq" food when our server recommended having a steak several times. AWFUL COMMERCIAL PLACE with lousy service & stale dried out food. read more

Stopped here for a quick lemon drop while shopping. Really nice place to enjoy a drink. One perk was the roasted wings. read more

Calhoun's - Fresh squeezed lemon Tito's lemon drop for the win! - American Near Me - Pigeon Forge, Tennessee

we decided very last minute to give Calhouns a try & man am i glad we did!!! we were seated very quickly considering it was about 7pm & a decently busy saturday evening. the server asked if we wanted to move from the booth we were in to a corner booth to give us more room because we had our five month old daughter with us & folded her stroller up & placed it at our feet under our table, which we thought was extremely nice & considerate! i got the kick back burger, cooked medium rare. it was cooked PERFECTLY & had so so much flavor! my husband got the bbq trio with bbq pulled pork, ribs, chicken tenders, & sweet potato fries. he loved everything in his meal! not to mention our final beer for our two meals, two alcoholic drinks (one mixed drink, one beer), & two soft drinks was VERY REASONABLE. we planned to go to The Yard Milkshake Bar after dinner but had to push that off as we were both so full we couldn't stand it! we will definitely be returning!! read more

Calhoun's - kick back burger, prepared medium rare - American Near Me - Pigeon Forge, Tennessee

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Food was good but the service was outstanding! We sat at the bar and both bartenders were super nice and made the experience great.

Honestly, it was fine. They claim the best ribs in America but one of my companions said they were good but not exceptional. My wings were tasty but tiny. Salads were good but, again, just fine. Service was excellent and restaurant was nice. read more

Smoked chicken was so dry. The baked beans were not of quality and the baked potato was shrunken and dry. When the waiter asked how everything tasted, I informed him of the issues, but he didn't respond and never offered a replacement or even to have a manager come over. This used to be our go to for dinner while in town. I'd recommend Bennettt's BBQ highly over Calhouns! read more

We got take out rib dinners which were not good. Ribs were dry, tough and tasted like they had been warmed up several times. Dinner was supposed to include homemade bread which was missing from order. Disappointing experience! read more

Went here with a large group and no one left disappointed. Service was on point. Complimentary bread basket was phenomenal. Food was enjoyable. I had the ribs and I can't complain. My side of baked apples was mouth watering happiness. read more

Every time Im here it's a great experience!! Tori the bartender is always AWESOME, and so are Mike & Alley!! They are the reason I choose Calhouns over anywhere else in the area! read more

The food was okay, the shrimp appetizer is not worth the price and just okay. The half chicken is very small if you're looking for a 1/2 chicken. Must be a baby chick. The overall taste was good. read more

Calhoun's - American Near Me - Pigeon Forge, Tennessee

Never got a chance to sit down and try anything. Hostess walked by three times making eye contact without even acknowledging us (party of 4). Four to 5 other tables in the restaurant at 2:30 pm and did not look busy. We left after 5 minutes of standing there with the last pass of the hostess. Nobody else was waiting. Coming to the area for the last 6 years and never tried this place. read more

salmonella poisoning. I had the lemon chicken on 12/29 around 6:30 pm. Only person in my party to order chicken, guess thats what I get for trying to be healthy. Only poultry i have had in the past 72 hours was from Calhoun's ; now I have a stomach cramps, nausea, fever, chills, headache, and the other gross stuff. I recommend avoiding this restaurant. read more

You can see that historically my reviews are positive, so this review should be viewed as 100% truthful from my experience. Ate here 12/15/2024 at 1130 am. Felt that the ribs I got were leftover from the day before. They did not fall off the bone. They were not meaty. They were however, tough and dry. Maybe I had the wrong expectations eating in a tourist locale. In any event, never again will I eat or order the ribs from Calhouns. read more

Visiting the week after Easter 2022, I had stopped at Paula Dean's Lumberjack Show to get tickets for later that night, and asked the staff there where to go for a good rib dinner before the show. There is a brewery to the right of the Lumberjack venue and Calhoun's to the left. Calhoun's said Best Ribs so I was leaning that direction. The lumberjack staff looked at me hesitantly, a look I later learned meant "We're too polite in Tennessee to tell you you're wrong, but we wouldn't do that if it were us." Unfortunately, I didn't know that look, and when the staff wasn't direct with their opinion, I headed next door to Calhouns. The parking lot was mostly empty which should have been my other clue. The brewery to the right had been packed every night I had been in town. My idiocy thought it was only because of the beer. And as I was dining alone, I thought a family restaurant would be better. W.R.O.N.G. Walking in, I could tell they were severely understaffed. I saw 2 people in the kitchen, a hostess, 2 servers, and some other night crew arriving. I was seated at a booth to the right by the windows. I ordered a sweet tea and half rack of ribs. The server suggested the loaded potato, which was a $1 upsell. I also added a side salad for $5. Not really sure why a half rack wouldnt come with 2 sides, but whatever. At least the menu said a basket of complimentary rolls would arrive. There was one other couple in the dining room. Another couple arrived as the first couple left. So 3 tables was the extent of the tables the server had during my entire meal. When I was seated, the table was preset with side plates and silverware rolls. I thought this was really odd with Covid procedures still in place in most restaurants & retail shops in the area. Nothing like other guests coughing on your plates as they walk to your table. The server brought out my tea, but no bread basket ever arrived. The side salad was HUGE. I would highly recommend any couple order one and share it, using the extra bread plates on the table. The ribs and loaded potato arrived and were underwhelming. There was little to no sauce on the ribs, one end was black burnt, and their much touted "smoke ring" was non existent. The other thing was that the ribs were cold. Not like hmmm these didnt burn my mouth. Cold. Like straight out of the fridge, thrown back on the grill for a minute, and plated. As if their kitchen staff had not a clue or perhaps they had no cooks and the hostess or dishwasher threw it on the grill?? The loaded potato was average. My server was so bored with her 3 tables, she decided to sit at an empty table and visit with other kitchen or busser staff who werent yet on the clock. When she finally checked back and I told her the ribs were cold, she said "Glad you're enjoying everything" and kept moving. On her next flyby, I asked for a togo box, remarking to her that maybe I'd take them back to my hotel room and microwave them. *hint* Again, no recognition by her of what I was saying. I would have been happy if she microwaved them. I just wanted to enjoy my dinner. But alas, no effort from the young lady except when it came time to drop the bill off. I paid my bill and left, realizing I hadnt seen a manager the entire time. I dont go looking or asking for them but it was notable that there didnt seem to BE one! The staff were running the place themselves perhaps, is all I could figure. ??? Next time someone in Tennessee gives you THAT polite look, just go ahead and understand they are trying to help you. Bless your heart. And if you insist on eating here, just get the bread basket, if you're lucky, and order a $5 side salad. They don't have to cook it. read more

Calhoun's - "Famous BBQ Ribs" - served ice cold. Avoid this place. - American Near Me - Pigeon Forge, Tennessee

Very clean place! Love that this is my first impressions m- the bathroom, bar, floor & patio were all spotless. Never get t say that in a review. We found an established & trained team! Sat outside with our dog & four in our party. After a couple of the group had run a marathon in the Smokies. Our server was attentive, personable & funny. A little bit of everything on the menu, so everyone can find something they would like. We ordered a couple of Brisket Plates with different sides, a burger with avocado & a baked potato for the vegetarian in our party. Keep in mind ordering a beer - when they ask if you want a pint or mug - this mug is massive! Good selection of their own craft beers. The two we had were very good! The Light Lager & I had the Brown Ale. The Brisket was a good price on a solid portion & was very tasty. Three thick cut slices. A little on the dry side but very good. The side of sauce was meh to me personally. I ate it plain. Love the option of a baked sweet potato and this one was huge! Couldn't eat it all. Also very good veggies - squash & onions. Piping hot food! Only challenge was the burger was ordered medium & it came very rare. They immediately swooped in t remedy & prepare a new one perfectly cooked. Would go here anytime! Good food. Good service. Great response to a correction on the food! Good beers. Very good people on our visit. Clean & nicely done inside which is always a plus! Two person bill for brisket plate, burger w/sweet potato fries & 2 beer mugs - $54. read more

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I had a great dinner at Calhoun's with proper attention to my Gluten Free meal! I got the barbecue burger and it was delicious with fries. The bread brought out pre-meal is in variety and tasty (according to my friends). There is a large variety of meals on their menu that fits a big group. We were seated promptly and food was brought out quickly! Our waiter took great care of us and we enjoyed our visit. Unfortunately we were all a bit too hungry to take photos but a visit to Calhouns is a safe bet for any group! read more

I've been a fan of Calhouns since we lived in Knoxville back in the 80's! The ribs are delicious and nearly "fall off the bone". The fries could use an upgrade but their signature side dish "Spinach Maria", generous salads & fresh rolls never disappoint! I stop here for lunch or dinner every time I come to this area on business. If you love ribs, I highly recommend Calhouns! read more

Calhoun's - Full rack of ribs dinner with fries, cole slaw & spinach Maria. - American Near Me - Pigeon Forge, Tennessee

Came here with family. Definitely need to make a reservation for dinner, otherwise it's gonna be a long wait. Like the deco in the restaurant, the chandeliers are quite cute! I had grilled shrimp with rice and steamed broccoli and sweet potato for sides. Grilled shrimps were seasoned well, good flavors. Don't like the rice at all, it's too dry and hard. Steamed broccoli and sweet potato were okay. Hubby had beef brisket with spinach maria, he loved it. He said the spinach maria is the best he ever had! read more

Calhoun's - American Near Me - Pigeon Forge, Tennessee

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First my reservation was lost however they were able to seat us. I ordered the brisket sandwich which was fine. Nothing great or anything but edible. My husband got the chicken sandwich which was still raw in the center. The grilled shrimp skewer was so rubbery and cold straight out of the kitchen. Our waiter was excellent and very helpful but the restaurant chefs need to cook the food properly. I won't be returning read more

Calhoun's - Hickory Smoked Beef Brisket Sandwich - American Near Me - Pigeon Forge, Tennessee

I am a fan...the service was great and they had accommodations for my celiac daughter. Food was really delicious and service was excellent. The robs are as good as advertised and reasonably priced too. Definitely check it out if you are in the area. read more

Love, love, love the food at this restaurant chain and the service at this location in particular. Generous with their rolls despite Calhoun's apparent nickel-and-dime bread policy. Also they make things more than right when they make mistakes. We try to go to this location and avoid and Knoxville locations. Many thanks! read more

While reviewing pet friendly restaurants at Piegon Forge we surprisingly had limited options. Most of the advertised pet friendly restaurants were not pet friendly. Allowing service animals only does not count as PET friendly. Calhouns allowed us to to sit with our dog in the restaurant. What surprised us was the less than flattering reviews. We ordered wild caught salmon, wings, ribs platter and fish & chips. Every dish was very well prepared with just the right amt of seasoning and sauces. We highly recommend the complimentary breads and sweet potato fries. The corn pudding was out of the word. Amazing and quick service. I wish there was an option for 4.5 stars. read more

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I was told that this place was pretty good. It was getting late into the evening, and we decided to give this a try. I would give it a 2.5 if that was an option but I don't think it's deserving of 3. If you're visiting from out of town - my opinion? Skip it! My plate just looked so sad and the food didn't change my mind. The ribs were okay, they were cooked well. The sauce was lackluster. The baked potato was fine - nothing that stood out though. It was easily my least favorite dining experience on the trip. They were out of macaroni and cheese and the waitress took forever to bring silverware and things we asked for. The section we were in only had one other table with people. Other tables nearby were not bussed the entire time we were there. Maybe some locations are better, but I'll never be back. read more

Calhoun's - This plate just looks so sad and plain. Ribs & baked potato - American Near Me - Pigeon Forge, Tennessee

Had a great time our server was super friendly, the bread was to die for especially the garlic rolls read more

Calhoun's - Pulled Hickory Smoked BBQ Pork Plate* with tots - American Near Me - Pigeon Forge, Tennessee

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Food was decent but giving 5 stars for the service. Garrett was great and attentive. Summer was so sweet and attentive even though she was very busy. read more

I wasn't sure what to expect coming here. It appeared busy from the outside but we were sat as soon as we walked in. I decided to get an appetizer of the bacon wrapped burnt ends. They were actually huge chunks of really delicious brisket wrapped in plenty of bacon with a great bbq sauce. It wasn't fatty, and was flavored well. I ordered a half slab of ribs with a loaded potato for dinner, and my son ordered a kids chicken tenders and Mac n cheese side. His macaroni... soooo good! It was nice and cheesy; if you like cheesy this is for you. My ribs, also absolutely delicious. Flavorful and tender. The baked potato they didn't skimp on the toppings. Let me not forget, the basket of bread was even sooo good! Too good really, but a very pleasant experience. Our food even came out in good time. Highly recommend this BBQ place, one of the better ones I've been to. read more

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Dry chicken served over dry rye rice with a dry "loaded" baked potato that was anything but loaded. BBQ sauce was awful.