Service was awesome and food was great!!! Will be back ! The crab legs were really good. Prolly one of the best places we ate this trip!!

Don't let the reviews scare you away! If we had listened to some of the reviews on Yelp and Google, we never would have tried this place--and that would have been a shame because we had a DELICIOUS dinner! We drove by Captain Jim's on the Parkway and immediately knew we wanted to try it. Then we checked the reviews... and honestly, they almost talked us out of it. We decided to take one for the team and give it a try anyway, and we are SO glad we did! As soon as you walk in, you'll definitely get that seafood smell, but it wasn't overpowering at all. If anything, it just made us even hungrier--and that's a good thing when you're walking into an all-you-can-eat seafood buffet! The buffet stayed stocked with hot, fresh food the entire time we were there. There were plenty of choices, including: Crab legs Baked fish Fried fish Two kinds of potatoes Corn Green beans Pot roast Chicken Ribs Fresh salad bar with lots of toppings and dressings Rolls Dessert, which they bring out after your meal and is included with the buffet! The baked cod was SO good. It had a delicious crust, wasn't overcooked, and had that perfect flaky-but-not-dry texture you want from baked fish. The crab legs were overflowing on the buffet the entire time we were there. They were super easy to crack open and incredibly sweet. Definitely a favorite! The mahi-mahi was cooked perfectly, and the fried fish had what I thought was the perfect batter-to-fish ratio--not a giant ball of breading hiding the fish. Our waitress was also wonderful. I believe her name was Sheda. She was warm, welcoming, and took the time to explain everything since it was our first visit. She really helped make our dinner a great experience. The restaurant itself was clean and had plenty of seating inside. I could definitely see the parking lot filling up quickly during busy times, but once inside, there was plenty of room. Overall, we are SO glad we ignored the reviews and tried Captain Jim's for ourselves. Sometimes you just have to make your own experience, and ours was a very good one. The food was hot, the buffet stayed stocked, the seafood was delicious, and the service was friendly. Would we go back? Absolutely! If you're in Pigeon Forge and considering Captain Jim's, I'd say give it a try and decide for yourself. We're glad we did! read more

Captain Jim's buffet was disappointing overall. The selection looked decent at first, with the usual seafood-buffet options, sides, and desserts, but too much of the food seemed like it had been sitting under the heat lamps for a while. Several items were lukewarm rather than hot, and the fried seafood had lost its crispness. The seafood itself was average at best and did not taste especially fresh. The buffet area also needed more attention. A few pans ran low and were not replenished quickly, while some serving stations looked messy during the meal. For the price, I expected better food quality, more consistent temperatures, and a fresher rotation of dishes. The staff were polite, and the restaurant has a casual, family-friendly atmosphere, but the buffet did not deliver enough value to justify the cost. With fresher food, cleaner stations, and quicker refills, it could be a much better experience. read more

I went here for lunch. The location was easy to find. There was a decent amount of parking spots. Inside does have a seafood smell but nothing too crazy considering I go to a lot of Asian grocery stores. You get the option of buffet with crab or without crab. The selections were pretty impressive. They had things including steamed crab legs, fried oysters, many times of prepared shrimps, hushpuppies and much more. There was also a good selection if someone in your party does not eat/like seafood Our server was amazing and very friendly. We ended our meal with the included dessert. The price is a little high but considering you get unlimited crab, we did have a great time here and we would be back. I can see issues possibility if they were packed but on a Sunday early lunch everything was nicely served and kept hot. Plus they were good about replacing the food if they ran out read more

Food above average, great service and ambience as expected. Nice to see they have refreshed the place. read more

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This place is very outdated and is dank and grungy inside. We were seated in a booth with our friends. We had to move, because our friend was literally sitting in a hole in the seat! Why would the hostess even put anyone in that booth! Our friend said we have to move. I can't sit like this i will throw my back out! The food was mediocre. A lot of breaded shrimp and fish. Overcooked salmon. The side dishes were bland. I really only enjoyed the hush puppies and cold shrimp. I also had a bbq rib, which wasn't that great.I don't recommend this place. There are plenty of other seafood places to go to near by. Save your money and time. read more

Captain Jim's Seafood Buffet - Seafood buffet. - Seafood Near Me - Pigeon Forge, Tennessee

If you like all you can eat seafood buffets great place to visit! Our waitress was super friendly and the young woman that took our picture was pleasant and very sweet. We had no wait and we're quickly seated. It's definitely got a tourist vibe to it but we are tourists so we fit right in. read more

Captain Jim's Seafood Buffet - Outside - Seafood Near Me - Pigeon Forge, Tennessee

I ate here a couple of hours ago. When I walked in I was looking for the checkin desk and there was a step up I did not see. I dropped hard on both knees. No one from the restaurant staff came to see how I was even tho I continued to lay in the floor. Happily 2 customers helped me to get up. We ate our meal. The crab legs were par. The waitress was very nice. They asked me to fill out an incident report. Then when I left no one even offered to comp anything. With the exception of the waitress, I truly felt that they could not possibly have cared less. Very disappointed ​ read more

My husband is usually great at picking restaurants, so I'm not sure why I didn't check the Yelp reviews before we chose this one--big mistake. The buffet was around $60 for all-you-can-eat crab legs, which sounded promising. Unfortunately, like many others have mentioned, the crab legs were cold when we first got them. They were overcooked and lacked flavor. We did manage to get a fresher batch later, which was better, but still not great. The promotional video online clearly had some Hollywood magic--what we experienced was far from what was advertised. Overall, the buffet was a letdown. Much of the food wasn't fresh, most dishes were bland, and a few were downright inedible. The crab cakes looked like sausage patties and were just as tough. The fried oysters were slimy and mushy--not the kind of texture you expect, even for oysters. I love fried oysters, but these were a hard pass. The crab-stuffed flounder was bland, though the stuffing tasted more like what a crab cake should taste like. The frog legs were surprisingly decent and did taste like chicken. Mussels and clams were a disappointment. Green beans tasted like they came straight from a can, and the mac and cheese reminded me of frozen Stouffer's. The peel-and-eat shrimp were good, but the raw oysters were a disaster--visually unappealing and smelled off. And yes, September is an "R" month, so they should've been fine. We asked for fresher ones, and what we got still didn't pass the sniff test. I love raw oysters, but I wasn't about to risk it. Vegetable options were limited: mushrooms (which were good), canned green beans, corn on the cob, and fried okra. Service from our waitress, was hit-or-miss and didn't leave a lasting impression. The atmosphere was awkward--no music, just the hum of kitchen staff talking. It felt more like a quiet cafeteria than a lively restaurant. While that made it easy to chat with our party, it also made the overall vibe feel stale. On the plus side, the restaurant was clean. But for the price, it wasn't worth it--and we won't be returning. read more

Place closes at 9pm. We got there at 8. Our waitress came to the table a total of 2 times. Once to ask us what we wanted to drink and once to take just one empty plate. Crab legs were small but we managed with them. However the employees started packing everything up at 8:30. They took everything out of the one bar so we had no salad, no desert, or anything. With what we were charged and basically being pushed out by 8:30 was totally unacceptable. Never again. Oh and both seats were broke in the booth. You sit down and nearly sink to the floor. Never again. Zero stars. read more

Service was excellent and food was yummy. I like that the dessert is brought out to order by the wait staff. Casual buffet. We did not get the crab legs so I can't speak to them but them, but we tried pretty much everything else. Even my spouse who doesn't like seafood was able to find plenty to eat so my teenagers who LOVE it could enjoy. read more

When walking into the establishment it was very grungy, musky, smelling, and very outdated. As far as the buffet, the food was not all all that good, the crab legs. All you can eat were very very small. I definitely do not feel that the price you pay was worth what your product gives so therefore I will not return to this establishment. I believe that. The ratings Yelp is giving Captain Jim's seafood is overrated, very disappointed and dissatisfied. read more

Great place food was delicious. Service was excellent . Will be going back before I leave here .

Captain Jim's is the absolute best seafood buffet AND it has an add on all you can eat crab legs. No other place does that. The restaurant is an old, comfortable, mom & pop's place. Nothing fancy but comfy & cozy. They have the same ol' waitresses that you can ask for each time and be friends with. The buffet has traditional seafood... everything you could possibly want plus raw oysters & cold peel and eat shrimp...all you can eat. Fried shrimp, oysters, baked salmon & white fish, fried white fish, frog legs, pot roast w/potatoes & carrots, mashed potatoes, a salad bar, and much more. The cost is about $25.00 for the buffet and add $25.00 for crab legs. Dollywood & Captain Jim's everytime in Pigeon Forge. It is located on Parkway near Dollywood Lane. read more

You can't go wrong here. The place is big and clean. They keep all seafood full never have to wait for anything. Crab legs were fresh and tasty. More here than anywhere I've been before. Stayed more than 2 hours. Just love this place,you will too!!!! read more

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I will tell you that this is not the absolute best place to eat seafood by no means, but the crab legs are actually incredible and fresh for this place being in TN. The mashed potatoes are also incredible, the green beans are good, and so is the hash brown casserole. Our server was so kind and we loved her. She did a great job. The theming is kind of underwhelming, but for a small place, it is decent. The Mac n cheese should probably be passed up if you can. Other than that, this is a decent seafood spot. read more

This buffet was the worst food I have ever had. Our family of three chose the buffet without the crab legs. The Mahi Mahi was dry without much flavor. The rest of the selection is fried and over cooked. Don't waste your money. Our total was $109. They should be ashamed of themselves for charging anything. read more

Everything was amazing. Food awesome and impeccable service. Prices were good for seafood but not cheap. Would definitely go back

Food was hot and fresh the waitress's were super nice and very attentive. This is my 3 year in a row coming here and it's always good crabs came out the shell perfectly the frog legs were delicious especially with a little hot sauce I would recommend this place to anyone visiting read more

No, just no. The place was dead when we arrived on a Friday night and should have been a red flag. The seafood was overcooked. Nothing really tasted that good - the mashed potatoes were probably the best thing there. I didn't know it was possible to mess up mac-n-cheese but Captain Jim did it. You would probably be better off at Captain D's. read more

If you are charging $50 to eat crab legs at least have ones with meat in them. Rest of the food wasn't very warm. Floor was very slippery. Bathrooms were tired. Time to replace your toilet seats. Waitress was nice. read more

Captain Jim's Seafood Buffet - Seafood Near Me - Pigeon Forge, Tennessee

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Lots of seafood variety as well as salad bar. Can get buffet without crab legs which is far more than adequate or add AYCE crab legs for $25 more per person. You sacrifice quality/taste for variety and quantity. Seafood Gumbo and NE ClamWin Chowder however were good as were the fried oysters and oysters on the half shell. Very good service. Though not great, good plentiful variety for $25.99 pp. read more

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Sushi options and options super limited. Not worth the price you pay for a buffet. Highly recommend elsewhere

Our server Lynn was very friendly. the food hot and fresh. The crab legs were steamed just rich so the meat all Slid out just fine. Shrimp and clams were good too. 4 years coming here and have never been disappointe. read more

Was highly disappointed in overall look of the establishment. Very dated and unappealing. Food was not presented in an appealing manner. Buffet line was off in a dark and gloomy area. Won't be returning. read more

We came here for the unlimited crab legs, we got there at like 4:30 and the legs were old, hard to break, and impossible to get out of the shell. As time went on though they did get better, and we were able to eat well. The buffet was clean, the place definitely could use updating, it's not "fancy" by any means. It's about 60 dollars for the crab legs, and I felt like we were eventually able to get our monies worth. Our waitress was very kind, and fast, our drinks never ran dry and she made us laugh! Overall the experience wasn't bad, but I probably wouldn't eat here again with some of the other options that are available. The other food on the buffet was good, the shrimp poppers, the salmon, the mashed potatoes, all of that was more than fine. There is a chance that I'm just too spoiled and picky. So please, do try it, maybe you'll have a similar or even better experience. I wouldn't knock it till you try it. Again, great service, clean place, bathrooms were clean and smelled nice, friendly welcome. read more

Not a good experience. We were visiting Pigeon Forge and wanted some seafood, so we stopped in at Captain Jim's Seafood to have the buffet. We were greeted by the hostess and she guided to a table w/padded bench seats. When we sat on the "padded" bench, we both felt like we had fallen through a hole in the padding. We finally found a padded spot that was okay to sit on and not feel like we were sitting in a hole, which was hard to do since there was hardly any padding. Then we waited for the server for over 5 minutes to come get our drink orders. We saw several servers going into and out of the kitchen but no one even looked our way. We even said "excuse me" and no one looked at us. We never left our table. It was like everyone had tunnel vision to the kitchen and didn't see or hear anything around them. After 7 minutes of trying to get someone's attention, we got up and left the restaurant and told the cashier why we were leaving. This is our experience that we had on 06/13/2026. read more

Drove 2 plus hours to find them closed after checking hours on internet google and yelp said they were open, we arrived to a sign on dirty door opens at 3:00 pm. They need to update their online information and clean the glass on their building. Doesn't look like a safe heal place to eat. read more

Was skeptical due to the number of low reviews but we took a chance ... Honestly, most of the items on the buffet were decent. The big hitter, AYCE Crab Legs: the seasoning was excellent and yes, they seemed to be overcooked BUT my party and I came to the conclusion that it may have been because the covered the legs after placing them in the bar so the steaming unit kept cooking them. But quite frankly, that did NOT stop us and we thoroughly enjoyed it. They kept the buffet stocked and we never had to wait for something to be filled. Our server, along with all the workers, spoke broken English but we were able to communicate with no problems. The restaurant was fairly clean an and nothing really was "off putting" as stated in several reviews. Our party of 10 waited about 20m to be seated but that still was no reason for a low score. I scored 4stars instead of 5stars only because there were a few items on the bar that wasn't appetizing (raw oysters, fried scallops, fried flounder and the cheesecake was frozen). read more

$49.95 3 bar crab buffet AYCE price. Buffet room overly steamy and muggy. Buffet includes dessert selection. Very old interior, however service good. Long community tables, booths In service section. Items as listed, but crab very old and almost impossible to get out. Need to provide tool. Fried shrimp nice size, round flat scallops. Frozen corn old. Salad fresh, limited toppings. Hushpuppies mall, but good. Rolls good. Coupon book discount 10%. read more

It's about what you would expect for seafood so far from the coast. The staff was friendly and the decor was alright but the food wasn't that great. It is to expensive for the quality of food they put out. If that was the first time I ever had seafood I would never eat it again. Most definitely not worth what you pay for it. read more

This was the worst seafood buffet I have ever had. The food was cold and dry. The price was phenomenally high. I predict they will be closed the next time we come to pigeon forge. Should you come down on vacation skip this one. read more

My good friend and I went here for the all you can eat crab. And it was delicious. Since our flight got in from Ohio that's all we wanted and it was incredible. read more

I give this two stars because of the decent service from the staff. They were attentive, checking up on us frequently and were quick to refill drinks, take away plates, etc. Unfortunately, that's where the positive experience ends. Ambiance was that of your typical low-tier buffet experience. Price was broken down into two "tiers": $25 for buffet with no crab legs...and $49 for a buffet with crab legs. If you go here (please don't), just get the buffer with no crab legs. The crab legs were your typical frozen-to-steamed affair. Left in the steam tray for way too long until the shells were too soft--almost mushy--and really challenging to break apart. The meat was almost dry. There was a huge tray of melted butter that was either foul or starting to go rancid; the rank odor was overpowering as you walked by it. The fried oysters tasted rank. And I usually love fried oysters. The "crab cakes" were neither crab (imitation)...well, okay, they were mostly breading, so I guess the "cake" part was spot on. I threw everything out but the small piece I ate. I usually never waste food. The rest of the food was bland and flavorless: fried scallops that were rubbery and overcooked. Clam chowder that was flavorless and plain (and I had just finished a trip to New England, so this was especially disappointing). Stuffed flounder that was almost milk-like in texture and taste. The macaroni and cheese was passable. My dad thought the chicken was decent. Need I remind you that this is a seafood buffet? Avoid. read more

I would not recommend this place unless you like flavorless food. We came here because we saw the all you can eat crab legs sign and had a coupon. First of all there are two prices. They tell you up front thank goodness that is either $26 for everything except crab legs or $50 for everything including crab legs. That was quite the difference. I almost walked out but decided to try them out. They had a list of their items and they said you could walk through and check it out. Well they had plenty of crab legs and they kept em coming fresh n hot and plenty of butter. They kept everything stocked. The only good thing was their fried shrimp. Everything lacked any kind of flavor. So I ate crab legs and shrimp. The dessert is included but they bring it to you when you are ready for it. I got the strawberry cheesecake. No photos sorry. There are plenty better buffets in pigeon forge I hope. read more

We were really in the mood for a seafood buffet since we had a good one in Virginia so we figured we'd check this one out. We saw it was suggested on TikTok. It was not good. The choices were very mediocre quality and lacked flavor. I did not get the crab legs but my husband did. He said they were ok but cold. He basically ate them because he paid $54.00. The cold shrimp was mushy. The fried cod tasted undercooked. I thought I would try the ribs since I've had ribs on other buffets and I can't even describe the taste or texture of these. Even the sides were not good. I mean, who messes up mashed potatoes. The gumbo soup tasted like it was from a can. I guarantee nothing was homemade. Everything fried probably was processed frozen food. Definitely not worth the price or even a visit. I normally don't do reviews, but I felt so strongly about this one to discourage anyone from going oh and the included desserts were not good either. Definitely low quality frozen desserts. read more

A little over priced for the options that was offered. Most of the servers didn't speak much English so hard to ask for what you wanted! Most of the food was unseasoned and cold. The floors were very slick and uneven so be careful!! read more

Let me start off by saying....YUKE! Complete waste of money! Don't waste your time. We didn't believe the reviews and we found out the hard way. Terrible food is an understatement. The variety of food was terrible. The selection was slim pickings. No wonder they put the buffet in a whole separate room that you can't see when you come in. Their crab cakes were more like crab dog biscuits. They were legit hard hockey pucks. The salmon was so dry you could legit tap on it and it sounded like you were knocking on a hard surface. It was so dry it legit looked like tender you could start a fire with. The flounder was super dry as well. I had to drown it in hot sauce to make it edible. And don't get me started on those fishy smelling crab legs and oysters. They also served shrimp that wasn't deveined . And their desserts that you have to request when you're done eating like they are something worth protecting were terrible. The cheesecake tasted like the pudding cheese cake box mix with that artificial medicine tasting strawberry sauce that I didn't request on top. My daughter had the shortcake with the same gross sauce on top. It was petrified. So dense and dry that she couldn't even eat it. The best thing about it was the whipped cream. Don't get me wrong...everything wasn't terrible. They did have some delicious ice cold water. All in all we spent $150+ for 3 adults and 2 kids. We left feeling robbed. The price for that BS was diabolical and they should be ashamed. I should have just set my money on fire. We would have been better off going to McDonald's or something. My husband was the one who ate the crab legs. Now he has the bubble guts with possible food poisoning. Terrible experience. I do NOT recommend. read more

Everything was fresh, hot, and the variety was phenomenal. I highly recommend for a great seafood. I thought the price was a little high, but considering the amount of seafood, they have not bad at all. read more

The food options were not it. Food was no fresh other than the crab legs. Sodas are flat even though they were bubbly. Staff was okay. Waiters were pretty good. Way over priced. Crab legs were so salty that I only ate one plate and they still had dirt on them. Corn was so dry and not sweet. Crawfish was so bland. I would not come back here, it was by far the worst seafood buffet I've been to. Take your money elsewhere. Small waiting area, make sure to have all members of the parties there or they will skip to the next person even if they are sitting in the car due to space inside. read more

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