We stopped here due to the reviews and it was very convenient…read more Lots of places to sit. Service was great and the portions are big. I could have split with my friend.

Save your money and do not eat here. We stopped in for lunch and got some sushi, it tasted like the…read morefish was rotten. Not a great experience, after 2 bites I was done.

First time here. A small group of us tried this place on a Saturday evening around 6. After waiting…read morefor 20 min, we got our table. It is an authentic Japanese restaurant where shoes have to be taken off before sitting. I ordered tempura sushi, it was freshly made and delicious. Then I tried Natto (fermented soy beans) roll. It was interesting, it is slimey and it has a kick of coffee taste! Service was fast. Our waiter was helpful and smiley!

Probably the best sushi I've experienced around Knoxville. Be prepared the restaurant is run in…read moreJapanese style in that there are basically 3 people working, a server/host, sushi chef, and kitchen chef. You may walk in and not be seated immediately because of this but in my experience it's just a few minutes of waiting.

We been wanting to try this brewery ever since it opened a few years ago. It is always packed. We…read morewere about to bring Freckles with us, because they have a dog friendly patio. The weather was very ominous, so we decided to leave her in the RV with the air on. You order at the counter and they bring it to you. There is a bar and you order your beer there. We're enjoying a leisurely afternoon looking at the beautiful Smokey's. There is even a playground for the kids!

We come here every time we're in TN! The playground is perfect for littles and tables near by for…read moreparents to enjoy their food and drinks and still be able to see them. Food is always amazing whether you get the pizza or the tacos! And the ice cream is so perfect to end our adventure

Let me start by saying this is longer than most of my reviews and we loved everything about the…read moreDancing Bear. We were celebrating my wife's birthday and it was our first time dining there. The restaurant is tucked into a nice wooded area near the foothills of the Smoky Mountains. There is outdoor seating available, a firepit area with make your own smores, and indoor seating which is where we dined. We were greeted as soon as we entered and waited at the bar where Ian served us (he was great) until our reservation time (doubt we could have got in without the reservation). The bar had a huge selection of bourbon including many allocated bottles. My wife had a spicy margarita which she loved. We were promptly seated at our reservation time. Our server, David, brought us some of their famous cornbread it reminded me of couple of pieces of cake except it was cornbread with a delicious sorghum syrup and whipped butter. It was unique and delicious. We started with trio of dips - sharp cheddar pimento cheese, butter bean hummus, and my favorite smoked salmon rillette. These were served with sea salt crackers and pickled vegetables. It was all tasty and the smoke salmon had so much flavor. I had delicious thick cut pork chop topped with peach and jalapeno jam. It was cooked perfectly, tender and juicy and the topping added a fantastic spicy tang. The sides were charred baby carrots, green beans, a spoonbread with red-eye gravy and red pepper emulsion. My wife had a filet with bearnaise sauce and Yukon potatoes with cauliflower, sweet peppers, mushrooms and braised onions. It was cooked exactly as ordered with such a great taste and so tender. David brought my with a complementary piece of pie made with Cruze Farm buttermilk topped with berries and a lemon drizzle. It was a fantastic experience and we were so happy with everything. Everything was pricey for the area, but well worth it for what we received.

From out of town and I got a lot of recommendations to try the bistro at Dancing Bear. The bistro…read morewas a bit further drive up the long driveway where the map takes you, and that's where all the bnbs are as well. You're tucked away in the forest with the most peaceful ambiance in the evening! The waiter introduced the menu to us and mentioned that the ingredients were all mostly locally sourced and or grown in their garden when you first turn onto the driveway. So great to know exactly where your food is coming from! For the starter, I shared the crab corn chowder - and the waiter was kind enough to split the soup into two bowls with my partner. This was a perfect starter! Creamy, a little smokey, and not too heavy like your typical chowder. Lacking in the crab department, but it's as you would suspect with anything advertising 'containing crab' at a restaurant. We were also given complimentary corn bread and it was delicious. Such a nice surprise and I definitely preferred having the cornbread over regular bread! The service was a little slow, especially to bring the appetizer and bread out, but I wasn't too bothered since it didn't seem like we were rushed to finish our meal. I ordered the filet mignon (med rare) as my main. The flavors were spot on! My filet was a bit tougher than other filets I've had in the past... it was difficult to cut into. I also wished there was more of the red wine sauce to balance the richness of all the accompanying flavors and textures. All in all, this spot was a special treat tucked away in Townsend and I'm glad I didn't have to drive too far for a well-crafted menu and food scene!

Would you believe me if I told you there was a an Italian deli in the Great Smoky Mountains?…read more Well, there is. For being 900 miles away from Arthur Avenue, Amico Delicatessen does an excellent job of bringing their take on classic Italian sandwiches to the mountains. The Amico Special as well as the Roast Beef are great. I pack 'em with me and take them into the park. But if al fresco dining in the park isn't your thing, the attached distillery next door means you can have a blast without having to leave the parking lot.

Decided to try this deli on our trip to Company Distilling in Townsend. They are tucked in a small…read moreare just outside the side door. I had the caprese sandwich which was loaded with meat, cheese, tomato and lettuce. It was delicious and everything is so fresh. My wife had the grilled cheese sandwich. It was packed with cheese on a thick roll. Nothing but a wonderful lunch.

Cozy, rustic eatery with a varied home-style Southern food menu. Kinda like Cracker Barrel but more…read moreauthentic. We started with the fried green tomatoes and ranch dip, which were good. I then had the liver (previously frozen) and onions with gravy, mashed potato (scratch-made) and turnip greens (canned). Was pretty good. ' Wife had burger and fries and enjoyed it. Quite a few tables, including front and back dining rooms and an outdoor patio at the rear. Large portions and reasonable prices and service. Clean toilets. We would come here again.

Easy, quick breakfast spot. Side of bacon was $5, not listed on the menu. Sausage was grainy and…read morefell apart. French toast and pancakes were straight-forward and did the job for breakfast. The waitress was very friendly and was prompt in getting our orders in.

We came here on the way to Cades Cove. It was already a good crowd and we just made it to the…read morechange over time of Breakfast to Lunch. The parking here was neat grass, gravel, and paved section. Huge area for car clubs. There is a decent variety of foods on the menu. I had the Chicken Sandwich with coleslaw . The sauce on the sandwich was super tasty. I also tried my better half's chicken salad sandwich with sweet potato fried. It was super super good as well. Service was great here and friendly. Bathrooms were clean as well. I highly recommend this home cooking spot if you're in the area. I can't wait to come back here!

Stopped in on a Saturday. Party of three, seated right away. Took a bit to get drinks and order…read more But not bad considering they were busy. Tennessee Haystack was good, although it came out incorrect the first time.... chicken and waffles mediocre at best. Small chicken tenders similar to something that you'd get at a convenience store. Isn't this considered to be part of the South? Trying to get our check became a struggle. Waitress disappeared. Young man at the cash register was able to figure it out finally and we were able to pay. Biggest issue, noise. If you are even slightly bothered by loud noise, DO NOT sit inside. What amplifies the issue, is multiple families would line up to pay. Not only increasing the noise by us, it caused for congestion in the area by the kitchen for the servers.

Great place to browse and get some keepsakes from your trip to Townsend. The employees are nice…read moreand very helpful since they know so much about the area.

The Townsend Visitor Center is a smaller center but really nice. They offer free coffee and public…read morerestrooms. The staff is welcoming, engaging and eager to answer questions. Comfy seating in front of a cozy fireplace is inviting. They sell Parking Permits for the Park and a variety of Townsend logo shirts. I picked up several pamphlets advertising local attractions and a few postcards. Townsend is a relatively quiet little town compared to other towns surrounding the Park. We easily found parking.

The G and I had a decent breakfast here. It was fresh and quick. Nothing fancy, pretty basic…read more You'll be overdressed in shorts, t-shirt and flip flops. Grab an udder and give it a squeeze. Its perfectly natural You'll see what I mean when it comes time to top your entrée. Plenty of shopping awaits after your meal. Quick Tip: There are a number of tables available. Try sharing one with other tourists. It's fun to hear their stories.

Pancakes are excellent. Having maple syrup available would have made the pancakes even better…read more Sausage patties were good. Having a local source of meats would have made the dining experience even better. The dining room had the right touch of country. The ordering process is efficient with orders taken at the counter and food is delivered to your table. Customers are expected to bus their tables to disposals near the entry way, not unlike a fast food establishment. Like almost all establishment today, A tipping screen is built into the payment process. My tipping rule is - If I have to stand at a counter to order, I do not tip.

We traveled to the Smokies for vacation and made a point of riding bikes at Cades Cove, so needed a…read morenearby place to stay. After exploring all the options, I decided on Townsend Gateway Inn because of their cottages. We stayed a couple nights and had a nice time. Staff were super friendly and check in was quick. We were given a couple goodie bags of candy and then made our way to our cabin. It's basically a small house, with a bedroom, bathroom, living room (with a futon), and small kitchen and dining area. It was perfect for our 4-person family. Air conditioning in both rooms, comfy beds, and black-out shades. Our only complaints were that the floors could have been cleaner and the kitchen should have been stocked with more/better utensils, dishware, and cookware. We enjoyed the amenities, like the pool and cornhole. The location was great, which only took 20 minutes to get to Cades Cove. It's also right on the main road in Townsend, which has some good restaurants. The price was a bit on the high end (more than $150/night), but I'm glad we stayed here as the cottage in particular fit our needs and was unique.

Clean, comfortable, updated, very nice folks working in the little hut of the main office. And as a…read morebonus, they give guests a little brown party bag of snacks to enjoy when you're out hiking or fishing. Firepit onsite and a nice one at that, with about a half dozen Adirondack chairs. No restaurant on the premises but many are within a 1 mile. Rocking chairs in front of each room at the motel. There are also about 6 or 7 cabins and don't think they have porches large enough to accommodate rockers. We stayed in one of the cabins our first trip, and I believe those have cooking stoves? Anyway, both the motel rooms and the cabins are quite nice, and this coming from a hotel snob (I can't help it, too much business travel and it upped my game for nice linens, new rooms, amenities, etc.). Having said that, Definitely Would Stay Here Again!