I'd do 2.5 stars if I could... Overall, the food was decent. The ribs, chicken, salad, and baked potato were great. The pulled pork (Calhoun Trio) was cold. One of our group ordered a steak medium, and it came out marked, medium rare. So she only ate 2/3 of the steak. I think our waitress was new? She came and took our drink order, and we were ready to give our food order, and she walked away. She came back with the drinks, and we thought we were going to order, but she said she had to get the bread. We didn't get refills until our food arrived, and that was it for refills. At the very end when we asked for the check, she asked if we wanted refills then. And when a staff member was cleaning the table next to us, she slapped the rag down on the table which sent water flying from the rag into my wife's glasses. The lady wiping the table was totally oblivious to it. All in all, I don't think we'll come back. read more

Food was really good. I had the bbq quesadilla and it was tasty. My husband had the ribs and he enjoyed them. Side salad was massive. Bread baskets were kept full. read more

The food is good and prices are fairly reasonable. The bbq is nothing special, but typical bbq. I will say everyone was so friendly. It was an enjoyable experience dining there. The restaurant is roomy and was clean. read more

Darlene was amazing! Very informative and answered all our questions! So knowledgeable about all the menu items! Highly recommend! read more

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My mom & I loved our experience here! She got the wings and said they were some of the best wings she's ever had. Our waiter was just AWESOME, super patient and answered all our questions. Another waiter even came and chatted with us to rave about the banana pudding. It was a fun atmosphere. I got the pulled pork which I felt could have used more BBQ flavor. My side salad was pretty average. read more

I want to start by saying the ribs are definitely what they claim. Definitely the best ribs I've had. All of my food was pretty good. The kids liked their food as well. The pulled pork nachos left a lot to be desired though. There's a few reasons that I'm not giving it a higher rating and honestly, it doesn't have to do with the food. Our service was awful. We had to ask for a highchair three times and still nobody went and got it so my husband got up and got it himself. Our waitress was telling us about her bad back, which is unfortunate for her, but we still needed a highchair. Overall service with that particular server was pretty god-awful. We were there for quite a while and getting pretty nervous because we had reservations for a show that night. We had to let our waitress know that we had to leave because we had a show to make after waiting for the check for probably at least a half hour. Our food also took a while. Overall, I would say the food was pretty good, but not sure if we'll be back because of the service. read more

Whenever I visit a new city, I always try to locate the local restaurants. I don't want to eat something I can get in my hometown or have had somewhere else. Although it was a bit difficult to find a local restaurant in uber-commercialized Pigeon Forge, I found two, including Calhoun's. Technically a regional restaurant with locations across eastern Tennessee, Calhoun's qualified for me because I don't live in this region plus I've never eaten here. We saw the crowded parking lot the evening before and strategically arrived the next day at the very start of the dinner period, right before 5pm and were seated immediately. The grilled Salmon was properly cooked, and was moist and tasty. The bed of rice was mediocre and did not enhance the dish. The Prime Rib and Shrimp had a smaller than normal slice of prime rib cooked to order and was good. It tasted like they threw it in the smoker for a quick minute of smoke before they brought it out, which enhanced the taste of the meat. The six grilled shrimp were good-sized and were also grilled properly. The corn pudding was not yet ready when the main course arrive but were brought fresh out of the oven. The pudding as very corny (!) and good. A word of advice before ordering dessert, especially if considering the strawberry Shortcake: Make sure you have a friend who will commit to helping you eat dessert. The Strawberry Shortcake was very large and though I saved some room, it was not enough. The manager paid us a visit while we were eating and we had a nice chat, which I appreciated. We enjoyed our meal and experience and fully intend to dine at Calhoun's again the next time we are in the area. read more

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Was actually disappointed in my first visit. The layout was really nice and clean and we had a friendly hostess. Unfortunately she was waiting on a table behind us that had over 12 people at the table so we barley seen her and that's not her fault at all. The big problem was I ordered a medium burger and it was well done. Couldn't get anyone to check on us so I could let them know so I just ate it. The cornbread was really nasty. It was no different from biting into a ball of flour. Other than that, the pulled pork was good that my wife ordered. read more

Calhoun's - Asked for medium and got well done. - American Near Me - Pigeon Forge, Tennessee

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Great food, I would get the catfish over the bbq sandwich if I went again. One drink got me feeling just right. Service was good. Rolls are amazing! read more

The server was nice and the food made us very happy. Highly recommend the fried pickles !

I had a great dinner with 2 colleagues. The Smokehouse trio was great and our waitress, ALEXANDRIA was just awesome: Friendly, Attentive and Outgoing, which I truly appreciate! read more

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

In Pigeon Forge with family on vacation. Calhoun's have a extremely nice sign that advertise "Best Ribs in America". We decided to make reservations and try those Ribs. Myself along with one other family member ordered the ribs. My brother ordered the prime rib. My son ordered the hickory smoke brisket. Wife ordered the salmon. I ordered the Calhouns trio (included ribs). A few min later the waitress informs us that they are out of ribs!! Well that's the reason we came here. They advertised the "Best Ribs in America". So I switched the prime ribs and my sister switched to something else. Then The waitress came back to inform that we were out of Prime ribs!!! And that they had found one rack of ribs left. So she changed back to the ribs and we switched to the Ribeye. The waitress was very pleasant Ribeye-No flavor poorly cooked Salmon overcooked Ribs-Not Americas best Brisket- Dry This was very disappointing read more

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Our server brought a basket of bread items -- we sampled all three varieties and loved them! Hubby had the ribs dinner; I had soup and salad. All were excellent! Folks around our table tried the burgers, and done appetizers - and they told us all were great! Definitely worth a visit while in pigeon Forge! We will be repeat customers to try some of the other goodies! read more

Their Ale Steak and even the pork chop was so tender. I love the breads they bring. We always go to calhouns when we come to the Smokies

Ribs like leather. Sauce on pulled pork and chicken was rancid. House sauce is not good. Not southern, sweet BBQ. Pretzels were straight from the freezer. Good server, clean space, but $$$ for a very poor attempt at BBQ. read more

We thought this was going to be top notch after reading the reviews, hmmmm left disappointed. The ribs were dry even with a coating of bbq. The brisket was more Like roast beef, the pulled pork dry need help from bbq The rolls were good, the cinnamon apples top of their game, slaw was eatable. Was fooled by the reviews will look elsewhere for top of the line bbq read more

We went here after leaving Smoky Mountain brewery they told us it would be an hour wait went back an hour to see where we were in line they said it will be another hour wait! so we left very upset we walked over here to Calhoun. we had ribs which was very good waitress was phenomenal the bread and all of the food is really good the macaroni cheese was not impressive but everything else was really good the restaurant was clean and the restrooms are clean. I will definitely come back read more

The service was good. I ordered lemonade that tasted like a little lemon was squeezed into some water. My salad was wilted and the "smoked turkey" didn't taste smoked at all. I love calhouns on the River in Knoxville. But it seems the quality of food hasn't made it to Pigeon Forge. read more

Very different atmosphere, sort of like Longhorn, Applebees and a BBQ joint. Service was excellent "Darren" did a great job, was friendly, helpful and on point ! Food was fresh, hot and delicious. I had the naked wings and my wife had the teriyaki chicken. I also hade the Helle's lager that was cold and very tasty. Will definitely go back next time in town. read more

Great service. Food was not what we expected The pork plate did not look appetizing and very bland even with sauce added. Bread was very dry. Mac and cheese was great as were the potato skins. read more

We got into town late and were able to be one of the last customers for the night. Ordered burgers and stuffed potato skins. It was good. Service was fair. She was new and did not know the menu. Unfortunately because we were there towards the end of the night, the cleanup was under way. Did not feel rushed but they were cleaning around us. It was late. read more

To start, this place has beautiful interior. Service was alright in my experience. The best way to describe the food here is average. It's not great, but it's not at all bad. Overall pretty good place. read more

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

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Calhoun's (to me) is a cross between national chains such as Ruby Tuesday, Applebee's, and Bennigan's. The menu has something for most tastes and the offerings are fine but nothing to jump for joy over. My 1/2 rack of ribs with slaw and a side of loaded baked potato fit that to a tee. The ribs were nice sized and filling although I don't know what exactly was "Award-winning" (as described in their menu) about them. Their taste was very sweet, and my order was a little dry, probably because it was not freshly made and was reheated a little too much. i would have preferred a little more smokiness and kick to them but it was what it was. The slaw was decent, and the baked potato was also okay (and not very large IMHO). We had chosen to come here because they were the first place we called in that area which could accommodate our party of 12 without much of a wait. In fact, they said they had no wait when we called so we hopped on over since we all were starving, had kids in tow, and couldn't stand a long wait elsewhere. I have no real complaints about the place, really. Service was good. The interior was spacious. The location is easy to get to. Parking lot out back. Prices were decent. All positives. It did the trick when we needed it to. Not one of the must-try spots in Pigeon Forge but an acceptable option when called for. I was full at the end of the meal and didn't pay through the nose for our family of three so that's another plus. read more

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We took our daughter to celebrate her birthday and had an amazing time! The service was excellent and the food was amazing!!!!! Do yourself a favor and make this a stop in Pigeon Forge! read more

Calhoun's - Awesome birthday!!!!! Great food!!!!! - American Near Me - Pigeon Forge, Tennessee

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Sat on patio over 10 mins no server came to our table to greet us or even take a drink order yet two different servers came on to patio and cleared half of two different tables off and didn't finish the job of clearing them as they left them half filled with dirty dishes read more

Definitely NOT the place to go if you want good barbecue. Husband had pulled pork that was a big pile of warmed over pork skin. I ordered brisket and after waiting 30 min server told me they had run out of brisket awhile ago but no-one ever told him. I then ordered the smoked /grilled chicken platter and it was also less than desirable. The thigh meat was definitely undercooked - not a smoke ring. Showed it to the server and asked to have it cooked a little more. He brought it back to me and said he showed the general manager and she said it was a smoke ring and that it was cooked just fine. Needless to say I didn't eat it - it looked gross and unappetizing. Customer service - very poor. They should have just cooked it a little longer and made me comfortable. Whatever - I didn't eat it - but I paid for it. Never again and I figured I'd leave this review to warn others. There are much better barbecue places in pigeon forge. Try Boss Hogs Barbecue Shack instead - we ate there 2 nites later and loved our meal. read more

Calhoun's - Undercooked smoked / grilled chicken - American Near Me - Pigeon Forge, Tennessee

Really terrific place to get a late night bite to eat. I've been coming to Calhoun's for over 20 years, and I know what I'm going to get and not get, especially at this very tourist driven location. There are some hidden gems on the menu. The bacon wrapped burnt ends appetizer is actually a great size for a meal, and it's terrific if you're doing a low carb or Keto diet. With a salad, you have a full meal. The sides are also delicious, though definitely not diet friendly. Be sure to ask for a spoon to scoop up all of the delicious corn pudding if you order it. There are two things that give me pause about this location. The tourists run amuck, and there are often times I wonder if anyone is willing to tell them to behave. For example (one of many), two children were allowed to pull on and play with the shade in one of the booths. No one was seated at the booth, and their family was across the restaurant. They were literally hanging on the shade, and no one stopped them. That's fine, but the couple seated in the booth next to them who were getting bopped in the head with the shade were not amused, but the kids kept right on going. Decent behavior, apparently, is optional at this location because tourists get whatever they want. Also, I wonder about the portions of things. Their salads are mammoth, but if you get a steak and veggies, it's very much on the small end of things. When I order broccoli, I assume I'll get more then three florets. Then, at other times, you'll get a full plate of broccoli and a much more impressive sized steak. The bread basket, however, is always, always worth coming for! read more

Food was not good last night. I ordered Prime rib and it came out with burn marks from the grill with charred marks all over with a terrible burnt taste. My son ordered a sirloin and it had a funny smell and tasted awful. read more

After going to the Gatlinburg location, this one was disappointing and needs new management or something. We arrived to a basically empty restaurant... wait for 5 minutes while standing at the host station before we were even acknowledged. (This was at 3pm) Then FINALLY a manager comes out and let's us know they are on a shift change and that it's going to be 15 minutes until we can get a table. We were hungry, so we were going to wait it out. The same manager comes back and apologizes for the wait, then says "to make you feel better, I'm not even supposed to be here today". Well... That didn't make me feel better, because while I know it sucks to have to come in, you don't let your restaurant and service suffer. We get sat, wait another 5 minutes or so for our waiter to come and take our drink order and food order. Our waiter was a extremely nice, I wish I remembered his name. I wish that the first part was the only complaint, but it wasn't. I order the sweet and spicy boneless wings every time I go there, because they are so delicious! It's a disappointment when they come out cold and tasting off. At this point the wait to get a table and for the food was so long, I didn't want to send anything back or make any complaints, because the manager already did that enough for us... Sucked it up and finished our meal, so we could get back on the road and head back home. I would highly recommend making the 10-15 minute drive into Gatlinburg and going to that location, because they are 100x better than this location!! read more

The ambiance is nice. The service was ok. It was busy because it was Christmas but our waitress, kind of forgot us once she took our order. The food was good except that they overcooked my shrimp. The reason I gave it a 4 star is because we have ate here before and it was good. read more

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We are there for lunch on a weekday, not too crowded. Had the pulled pork and ribs which were very good. Overall would definitely go back should we be in the area again. read more

Food and Service was fantastic! I did a lot of hiking on the day I ate here, and I was starving. The Entree I ordered had PLENTY of food, and it tasted so good! read more

Good food and great service! Nice atmosphere- not too loud so that you can hear the people with you! Fair prices in a tourist town!

Very good bread you can just eat all of them and order an appetizer but gotta have the ribs so tender and flavorful well marinated no need for extra bbq sauce read more

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My wife and I ate here on our second night in town. We come to Pigeon Forge every year for our anniversary. We have ate Calhouns before and the food was good. Well we both ordered the Calhoun Trio with brisket, pulled pork, ribs and Mac & Cheese. We also got an "add on" bbq chicken. Let's just starts with the trio. Ribs was burnt and tough as rubber. They also had very little meat left from being burnt. Pulled pork wasn't horrible but didn't have much of a "bbq" flavor. The brisket...... I'm not even sure it was brisket, it was basically just fat. The bbq chick was so dry it was hard to chew. You can clearly see this is just a chain bbq place nothing special. I'm not going back to spend $60 for two meals that tastes this bad! The server that took my order over the phone was extremely nice and helpful when I went inside to pay. The restaurant was busy this night and parking was hard to find. But seemed like a nice restaurant inside. read more

I ate here a long time ago and loved it! My friend and I went yesterday and we couldn't even finish our food. Hers came out cold so the waiter brought it back just to bring another cold one. She didn't eat any of it and the waiter still charged her. I got the calhouns trio which has chicken tenders, pulled pork and ribs. I ate 1/2 of a chicken tender and some of the ribs. It makes me sad cause I told her how good they were when I went I'm gatlinburg a couple years ago and I loved it. Needless to say, we had to pay for dinner twice because we paid for calhouns and then went somewhere else. read more

This was my first time here during a vacation and I loved it! Very warm and cozy atmosphere, and the wood smoke smell guarantees everything will be divine. The bread is sinfully delicious and we asked for a cup of the cheddar cheese salad dressing to try and dipping the bread in it was the best idea ever. I had the 7 ounce ale-soaked sirloin with the spinach Maria (creamed spinach with parmesan). The steak was cooked perfectly at medium and the Worcestershire butter was a nice addition. My friends had the prime rib (we went on a Saturday) and the strip steak and they were absolutely satisfied with their choices. Our server Austin did a great job taking care of us. I look forward to coming back someday! read more

Bread was really good, BBQ was good. I've had better but it was still good. Clean and decent prices. Friendly staff.

This is a is part of a locally owned chain and I love all of their restaurants. I think the key is they hire great people and have a pretty small menu at each place. They have service in a tourist area down to a science. The last trip I had the ale steak. It is very flavorful and they usually get the cooked to order correct this time was no exception it was a yummy medium well. The spinach side here is one of my favorites, spicy and cheesy goodness!!! This is one of those places that still offers FREE bread service. The bread basket has a variety of carb goodness in the serving. They make a mini muffin with the same grain as they use for their "in-house" beer and that will always make for a yummy little bite of sweet at the end of your meal. read more

I was pleasantly surprised that the food here competes with some of the best bbq I have had. Could not have been happier with the service and Zakira did an outstanding job!!!! I cannot wait to be back and I will stop here anytime I am in the area! read more