I was not prepared for how good this restaurant was going to be. Do NOT let the fact that it's a hotel restaurant, get in the way of you coming here. The food is slightly upscale, so, not picky-eater friendly necessarily. There's simply food like flatbreads and burgers/sandwiches, but I cannot recommend the Umami steak enough. The price is high, but SO VERY worth it! The steak was so tender, had the perfect balance of marbling, and was perfectly tender. Lastly, the service was classic southern hospitality that would make Dolly herself proud. Seriously, you gotta try this place out. read more

What a pleasant meal today. Dan did not stir me wrong as the rainbow trout was exceptional. Well done. read more

Ember and Elm - Rainbow trout - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Pigeon Forge, Tennessee

Decided to book dinner for the night we arrived at the hotel. The restaurant was fine but didn't live up to what I was expecting based on reviews. The decor and atmosphere wasn't up to the same level as the rest of the hotel. Service wasn't great. The gentleman serving us was slow and very much seemed like he didn't want to be there. It took a very long time for drinks and to get the yummy bread. I had the pork chop and it was good but not great. Overall everything was pretty average but no huge complaints. read more

Ember and Elm - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Pigeon Forge, Tennessee

After now 2 different visits, I can't express the amount of love and passion this culinary and service team put into your experiences at this restaurant, just as it's delivered to you at Dolly's parks. I've had the fortune of being a passholder for two years now, soon to be into my 3rd alongside my husband ‍‍ . We've always felt welcomed, seen, and loved by every (and many) Dollywood employee we've come across, with the only exception being the one of the 2 hostesses at the stand upon entry to Ember and Elm. Nothing abrupt, just tone and expressions whilst we waited for our table to be ready. Beyond the host stand, you're greeted by incredibly precise design--modern meets Smoky Mountain charm. Chatters of conversations all around you, but well insulated for sound absorption--great work on this! Our server was first visit was Alice and she was an absolute joy and extremely friendly and punctual--even with a full table section. We ordered to go our second time visiting due to the lack of availability (no complaints and not surprised!). We look forward to exploring more of your food selections and other dining options as we renew our passes this fall season! read more

Ember and Elm - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Pigeon Forge, Tennessee

We loved this restaurant! Our waiter was so friendly and kept our drinks filled at all times, and we had had a long day so we were exhausted and dehydrated for sure! The music was a little loud for our taste, but otherwise the atmosphere was great. The Brussel sprouts were a bit too hard, but otherwise than that our food was really great! read more

See all

This is how service can make a review. The food was good. Was it amazing??? It wasn't. As with most locations, breakfast is where they shine. Dinner is an additional checkmark. The grits and biscuits were standout and the jelly selections (blackberry and pepper) were great. The other breakfast fare was okay. The servers (Amanda, Teresa, Blakelyn (sp), Dan, the young lady Amanda was training)), the hostesses, the chefs were all so congenial and obliging. Nothing at dinner was memorable other than the pickled vegetables with the chicken wings. That was down right phenomenal and will be replicated at home. read more

First off if your server is Noel you will have a amazing experience. He goes above and beyond the normal waiter. His recommendations were perfect, Deviled eggs are a must .. the pickled & shrimp eggs were better then the chicken salad egg but that appetizer is very impressive. Also the chicken dumpling soup is so good. Ordered the trout and gnocchi & Banana pudding cheesecake & soft chocolate chip cookies for dessert! Perfect place to eat after a long day at Dollywood read more

Ember and Elm - Banana pudding cheesecake - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Pigeon Forge, Tennessee

Ember and Elm is a nice sit down restaurant inside Dollywood's HeartSong Resort. We arrived early and were seated right away. It was surprising as it was peak dinner time on a Sunday. Noel was our waiter for that evening and he was soft spoken, helpful with recommendations, and made our experience at the restaurant so much better. The table started with drinks. I ordered the pumpkin pie espresso martini. I knew it was going to be sweet and it was, but I really wanted something seasonal. We started with the biscuits, deviled eggs, and fried green tomatoes. Appetizers were great. The seasonal jams with the biscuits were delightful. Deviled eggs were kinda too fancy but they were pretty. And the fried green tomatoes were actually refreshing. The salmon was the best entree and the ribeye in close second. The baked potato served with the ribeye was dry. The pork chop entree was dry and was not smothered as described on the menu, but the mash that came with the dish was delicious. The shrimp and grits had the be the most disappointing. The shrimps were good, the sausage was just plain, and the grits was actually dried out polenta. A couple people in the group shared a cheesecake as well and it looked good! Overall, Ember and Elm is a nice sit down restaurant for family and friends after a long day at Dollywood. And ask for Noel because his recommendations were great. And he even gave us suggestions for in town dining since we were headed there the next morning. read more

See all

First of all, our server, Noel, was very nice and attentive. Made our dining experience great. We enjoyed the complementary biscuits with butter and marmalade. They were a hit. We also had a small side salad, and tried the chicken and dumplings soup (amazing) and a bit of the tomato bisque (also quite good). Shared a rib eye. A bit pricey but it was done perfectly. The twice baked potato was mid. Overall, a thoroughly pleasurable dining experience. We can't wait to try the breakfast buffet here tomorrow! read more

Ember and Elm - Biscuits - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Pigeon Forge, Tennessee

The food was met in my mouth wonderful! So so good. I also have celiac disease and eating out is always so difficult. Not here! The chef, Justin, personally came out and walked me through all he could do to keep me safe from gluten. Going above and beyond and I have never felt that safe eating out. Our waitress, Kristen, took extra caution as well to keep me safe and I just cannot thank them enough. read more

Way understaffed the food was good. I knew it would be trouble when we walked in to get a table numerous open tables, but it was 715. They said they couldn't seat us till eight. We went in and were seated at eight. Nobody came for 20 minutes, I went up and spoke to them about it. Somebody finally showed up. We ordered immediately in about 815 820. Food showed up at 9:15. Couldn't get our drinks to save our life. None of the tables were being busted around us. They need a lot more help. The food was good though, and our waiter did try to make things better, but it was beyond help. read more

Long wait for food. Salmon under cooked...twice. second piece more raw than first. Way over priced for quality

During our 2 night stay, we ate here both nights for dinner. We made reservations and we were promptly seated upon arrival. Dan did an amazing job serving our table. Very personable and funny! The trout was amazing and my wife enjoyed her Caesar salad. We enjoyed their strawberry shortcake for dessert as well. Oh, the biscuits were so good as well. Beautifully designed restaurant, families are welcome so it can be a little loud with screaming young ones. read more

See all

Went for dinner and it was great. A bit pricey but for the quality and service it was worth it. Our waiter was awesome and remembered our special occasion. As we walked around the resort every employee was very friendly, especially the valet person. read more

BEAUTIFUL new restaurant in a Dolly Lodge. :) The chef has created amazing flavors in dishes that are, at the same time, familiar but surprising! Like black-eyed pea hummous! Shrimp & Grits -- with scallops! They have a WIDE variety of apps & entrees, so it's easy to please just about ANYONE. They can/will do special requests, within reason. Some suggestions: baby back ribs (STICKY-DELICIOUSNESS & on the spicy side with sweet chili glaze), brick oven pizza (I especially liked the East Tennesseean with ham & PEACH!!) And try a dish with pimento cheese!! And try the Deviled Eggs 3 (delicious!!) ways! OK, stop reading & just GO... too many things to try in my first visit, but there were 4 of us & we did our BEST to try them all -- still need to go back AGAIN -- because we need a repeat of some of them AND wanna try new items! read more

Ember and Elm - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Pigeon Forge, Tennessee

See all

After arriving to Dolly's beautiful resort last thing we wanted to do was drive around looking for some place to eat. Needless to say we were delighted to secure a reservation at Ember and Elm. And we were not disappointed with our meals. Our server was attentive and helpful and the restaurant itself was very beautiful and comfortable. I definitely recommend Ember and Elm during your stay. read more

See all

Absolutely amazing experience from the moment walking into the restaurant. We were greeting by two, extremely friendly ladies, who immediately took note of our celebration note. We were seated immediately and our waitress, Lulu, was exceptional!!! She offered great recommendations and was attentive throughout our meal. Our food and drinks were absolutely delicious. Overall amazing experience!! Thank you!!! read more

See all

we called and made a reservation and they said, "ok i have you down for 8:00" so ok we got there and we sat there for an 1h 25m and all we get were bread and drinks. so they were claiming they were so back up. like what there were 7 tables and a BUNCH of waitress and people in the back so we got up and left. so he is the review! dont go unless you want to waste you night for nothing read more

Great service, table was wobbly and food was good not great. It's pricey but then again you're already at Dollywood...

We were searching for a place to eat my husband's birthday dinner after walking out of the Greenbrier due to being treated poorly. I probably should have realized that any place in the area with reservations immediately available was going to be huge and loud. And being in a Dollywood resort, it was packed with families. Oh well, we made the best of it. Our server, Ariel, was perfunctory and appeared to wish he was anywhere else. Upon carding us, my husband remarked it was his birthday. Ariel said "Really?" Then looked at the ID and handed it back. He could not even be bothered to say "Happy Birthday." The food was actually pretty good. My husband loves fried chicken and said it was the best he'd had in a while. The she crab soup was tasty but could have been warmer. The wedge was not giant but was awfully good. The sausage and mushroom pizza was just okay. At the conclusion of our meal, not only did Ariel not even ask if we were interested in dessert, he brought us the wrong check, one for almost double the total of ours. We did have an exemplary experience with the kind valet outside who greeted us, gave instructions on where to park in a premier space and gave us directions to the restaurant inside. That guy was a gem. read more

See all

the food wasn't good it took 2 hours to come out and the service was crappy wouldn't recommend and also brought us all the wrong drinks

The dumplings were incredible, and no better place to eat dinner than in HeartSong. The fire places and Christmas trees were absolutely perfect! This is a bar so perfect for a late night bite or drink and there is plenty of seats around. Shawn is the best manager there is. Made us feel at home as well as telling us about the history! read more

Ember and Elm - Chicken and dumplings - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Pigeon Forge, Tennessee

We are staying at Dreammore which is the sister property of heartsong and wanted to try it. Unfortunately for us it was underwhelming. The building is very minimalist compared to dreammore and very clean and open. This may be appealing to some but personally we like the homey feel of Dreammore. The portions were small and I had prime rib $48 that was mostly fat. I mentioned it to my server and he agreed. The drinks, I had a martini were also small in portion. And not made properly it was full of ice chunks. The wifey had shrimp and grits and she said they were just ok. The biscuits served with dinner were tasty! The s'more cheesecake was plain and was clearly made a while before. We wanted to love it. Service was also slow and the restaurant was pretty empty for 7:30pm Pool is very cool and the shops are nice. Great view from the front door out. read more

We stayed at the HeartSong Resort the week of Thanksgiving. We made reservations for the last time slot and were a little concerned we would get pushed out the door quickly, so staff could go home. We were pleasantly surprised (coming from Florida), that the hospitality was not affected by our late reservation. The restaurant is well appointed, the service was excellent, the food was delicious. I generally judge a place my first visit on their steak. I had the filet mignon, it was perfectly seared on the outside and a perfect medium rare on the inside. I posted photos of my experience, and am mentioning this b/c I saw a bad review for the filet, and no photos to back it up. I chatted up the chef on our way out, he gave us recommendations for sightseeing, and was pleased to receive our feedback. We LOVED the cheese biscuits and took some to go. Being from FL, we weren't expecting the alcohol taxes, be aware that cocktails can get pricey in this area due to LBD (15% liquor by drink tax). Pleasantly surprised is the phrase that would resurface for us many tonnes on this trip. I would be happy to eat dinner here evening. Highly recommended, and personally prefer this experience over the buffet at Dreammore. read more

See all

What is there nit to like. The staff is super friendly, prices were not gouging. Clean and well organized. Our cashier was filling in at the resort from Dollywood. They must just all be super friendly read more

I had the pleasure of visiting for breakfast and had delicious food at Ember and Elm! The service was great and the breakfast buffet was wonderful! They had made to order omelettes, grits, biscuits and gravy, eggs, chicken sausage, sausage links, bacon and pastries. There was a wonderful breakfast flat bread with a choice of sausage or vegetables.If you did not want to do have the buffet there is a full menu as well!The restaurant was clean and spacious and we had a great time! I highly recommend Ember and Elm for breakfast! read more

After spending the day in Knoxville, we were in the mood for a light dinner, so we decided to check out the Dollywood HeartSong resort restaurant. Service was friendly and efficient and the restaurant was appropriate for families and adults. We ordered drinks, deviled eggs - 3 ways, chicken & dumplings, a harvest salad and 2 Caesar salads. All of the food was well made and delicious. Wine list was not extensive, but we were able to find something to order and the server was eager to please. We would return when we are in the area. read more

Delicious food. I got their fried chicken and it was heavenly. Came with carrots and mashed potatoes!!! read more

Ember and Elm - Their prime rib my husband got!! He loved it! - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Pigeon Forge, Tennessee

See all

My wife and I celebrated our anniversary at the Dollywood Heartsong Lodge and Resort. Our dinner at the Ember And Elm was absolutely over the top! Delicious flavors flooded our mouths with each bite. The décor gives an upscale country feeling with warm tones and spacious seating. Very accommodating for large groups or families, as well as, anyone who needs handicap seating. Our server, Nathan, was a complete joy to have. He was very accommodating and had some great recommendations, such as, the fried green tomato starter platter. My wife and I will definitely be back and we are bringing friends and family too! read more

See all

Amazing service! Me and my family went here a couple nights ago, the food was absolutely incredible. This was honestly the best burger I have ever tasted, it would make Dolly proud! 10/10 go and try it for yourself! read more

PIGEON FORGE, TN. - We wanted a cool, close-to-Dollywood dining experience that wasn't park food. Fit that bill. Grabbed dinner here at 5 pm on a Wednesday after hours at Dollywood. Decor/ambience: 3.66. Perfectly fine and clean, kinda generic. Nothing really indicative we were in a Dollywood resort, unlike the other common areas of HeartSong resort. Staff: friendly, polite. Waitress Lulu checked on us a lot. Food/drink: 4. A couple Tenn. beers on tap, which is nice. Wife got a strawberry Prosecco cocktail thing. Refreshing, not very strong - which was OK after a long hot July day in the park. The complimentary biscuits w/ butter and tomato jam were tasty; maybe a bit moist. Appetizer of fried green tomatoes ($14) was good sized for two people. A nice crispness to the grits coating. Also came with a wedge of fried cornmeal. Could've benefited from a bit larger dollop of the roasted red pepper puree. The missus had the potato gnocchi ($26). Came in an iron skillet. Good vegetarian option, came with squash and Brussels sprout medley. Good gnocchi. Very generous serving size; she took a lot home. I got the spicy strawberry salmon ($34). The grilled asparagus was great; really enjoyed. The salmon had a sort of sweet strawberry sauce, which worked well with the fish. I wouldn't say anything was spicy. Again, good-sized serving; took leftovers and we were stuffed at meal's end. Total bill before tip - $110. A splurge for us. Bonus - gave us an opportunity to see one of the Dollywood resorts, us being simple, salt of the earth folk not staying there. Very nice. read more

See all

We had a wonderful experience at Ember and Elm at Dollywood from start to finish. Shaun in valet was most helpful and Butch in the Dolly costume experience was super knowledgeable and engaging. Dinner at the Ember and Elm was superb. Lulu our server and Doug the supervisor made us feel like family. We will be back read more

Food was delicious as were the cocktails. HIGHLY recommend the short rib entree. Our server Dan was super kind and entertaining, and Miranda at the host stand was very helpful and nice as well. Definitely check them out! read more

The best dinner we had at all dollywood and participating resorts!! This new restaurant addition completely elevated dollys portfolio. We finished all 3 dinners. Additionally, this was dollys only restaurant that had a menu of mocktail options. The wine selection is better at the Song & Hearth but the ambiance is much more elegant and an overall better dining experience. I would choose to stay at this hotel and eat at this dining lounge over the DreamMore Resort and restaurant. The dessert menu has much more options as well. read more

See all

I loved the food here. I felt like out of all the places we ate at in the area(including restaurants in main dollywood hotel)this was the best. Let me also mention that I'm vegetarian so I found most of the food in area lacking. However at this restaurant the service and food were amazing. We even got these cute little complimentary biscuits with delicious butter and sauce. I would highly suggest the hummus, the veggie gnocchi and the kids cocktail. I would absolutely come back here. read more

Ember and Elm - Hummus with pita so delicious - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Pigeon Forge, Tennessee

See all

My expectations were very high but they got deflated quickly. We made reservations for 5 adults on a Friday night at 7, should be prime time. We were greeted by the greeter and the supervisor, both were very polite and friendly, the whole staff was very friendly. While we were being seated the place reminded me of a cafeteria, not a restaurant that would match the price of the resort or the reputation that the restaurant has put out as fine dining. The waitress was very helpful. She talked through every dish and answered any questions. We order 2 appetizers and all 5 entrées, and at the same time. The appetizers came out and the were plated very well but that was about all. The deviled eggs were rubbery and really had no flavor and the brussels sprouts that were supposed to be crispy or drenched in a sauce left them less than crispy. And soggy. We told the waitress this and she apologized for the mistake and tried every way in the world to make it right. However when our entrées come out, they were even more disappointing. I had ordered the short rib and my brother-in-law ordered the fried chicken. Those dishes were ice cold. Our wives ordered flatbreads which the dough was uncooked. The only one meal that was really good was our mom's salad. The plates really good the two main courses, being cold and the flatbread, not even being cooked all the way through none of this food was edible. The staff was the only thing that made this experience very good. They were very helpful, very respectful and very understanding to our needs however, I doubt will ever be back due to the food. No matter how good the service is how pretty the blades are on the place. If you can't get past the food, it's not gonna be good. I'm only giving 2 stars due to the service. Other than that it would be a one or less. read more

We stayed at the resort for a friend's birthday. We decided to stay in and eat here. My friends both got the fried chicken. I opted for appetizers - I got the fried green tomatoes and chicken wings. We all got cheesecake for dessert. The food came out quickly and was great. The chicken portions were good size with carrots and potatoes. My tomatoes were okay, I've had better - but still good. The wings were really good. Here's where our server came in -- Lulu was a fountain of information about the food and area in general. I was expecting one sauce for the wings and got 2 different one's thanks to Lulu. She checked in on us often and was more than helpful. The manager Doug came by to check on us several times as well. True it was off season and slower than normal I feel both of them would have gone out of their way for us in season as well. We came back for the Sunday breakfast brunch specifically asking for Lulu again. Brunch was very good - selection was varied and well stocked. I feel that with Lulu and Doug we left as friends and not just customers. It was a bit pricy I'll admit, but it was worth it read more

Our service by Ariel was wonderful. The food was delicious. And, the attention and help by Doug Gaither was incredible. Normally, a manager comes by and says the obligatory, "how was everything" and moves on. We mentioned that we love Dollywood's cinnamon bread and he, personally, went to their store and wrapped up and bagged loaves of them for our journey home! He made purchasing it soooo easy! Thank you all for a great evening. read more

We went on Thanksgiving and it was great! The atmosphere,service and food was so good. We will be back.

Food was good but service was lacking. We didn't get our appetizer before our entrees and one entree never came. They acted like not charging us for food we never received was amends for the mistake. Just expected better as folks who enjoy and come to the resort often. read more