Bad choice for Celiacs!!!!! No real knowledge of ingredients, and even less about preventing cross contamination. The bread that should have been on my partner's plate was lain atop my carefully-chosen food. The server didn't understand why this was a problem. My non-celiac dining partner was unimpressed with the quality of the food; so, there's no reason to ever return. read more

Service has not improved over the past 8 months. My most recent take-out order experience was even worse than before. I had 2 orders, one for a bbq combo with onion rings and a baked potato, and one for a bbq pork platter with bbq beans and coleslaw with hushpuppies. I went here because the food is always good, but I know I have to check the order because something is always missing. This time nearly half of the food was missing: baked potato, bbq beans, and coleslaw. Also, they were out of hushpuppies. How does a restaurant not have enough of a basic menu item? I should not have to check my order before driving home. read more

We made the mistake of getting carryout from here. When my girlfriend showed up at the time it said the food would be ready, everyone ignored her. After five minutes, she finally managed to get server's attention, who told her she was "sure it would be ready soon" and moved on without checking. Fifteen more minutes passed. At this point, she finally got a manager or assistant's attention, who actually went into the food prep area. The bag had apparently been sitting there for a while--the food was cold. We had to reheat the food at home. The food was mediocre at best. read more

Amy was our server, she was fantastic as well as everyone in this wonderful mom and pops hidden gem! The BBQ pork is amazing! The food was fast, fresh and service was spot on! Everyone had smiles and a happy environment! Coleslaw and Fried green tomatoes were an extra bonus! Big portions! Going back to try the Brisket! Amy you are a delightful person! Whoever owns this restaurant you are lucky to have such great chefs and great service! BTW getting that chocolate cake next week! read more

See all

Been a while since I've been there. They have improved greatly. The BBQ sandwiches were excellent. Not to dry, not to much sauce, absolutely perfect. Pilled very high, well worth the price. The service was great. What ever they are doing KEEP IT UP. read more

Stopped by today for late lunch. We had 2 awesome platters, beans, salad, baked potato (THE BEST) and sweet tea. Portions were huge and delicious. Will be eating leftovers for dinner tonight and tomorrow. Will freeze the rest. Service was great and prompt! Oh, blue cheese dressing is the BOMB! read more

See all

When I was younger, my family and I visited Pardner's quite frequently. After all, in those days the quality of the food was comparable to Ridgewood, though it was far less crowded, easier to find parking at, and a more convenient drive to reach. Then Pardner's took a dive, and that was one of the things leading to its closure. And so it sat unused aside the highway for at least a few years. But someone saw fit to reopen its doors, and since then I've visited twice. Does it still meet the standard set by its nearby neighbor and competitor? Eh, not quite, I say. First I'll mention the service, which based upon my observations and remarks from others is hit or miss. In my last visit, for instance, there was a considerable delay for some of our party (seven people) in receiving their food. I'm talking roughly ten minutes from when other diners at our table got their food. The pork barbecue (only entree I've gotten here) doesn't seem to have changed much. The meat seems to be about the same quality as I remember, and the sauce tastes like I recall as well. If you're a fan of Ridgewood's flavor, Pardner's sauce is pretty similar. It's the side items where the quality has slid, I think. If you recall the classic Pardner's offerings you'll remember the massive plates of delicious fries that were offered. Honestly, those fries might have been my favorite thing about Pardner's (worth noting: while I'm a native of the area, the sort of barbecue typical to east Tennessee actually isn't my favorite). The modern order of fries doesn't match up to my memories though -- the serving isn't as substantial, and the quality of the fries wasn't as excellent as those in the distant past. It's still easier to get a seat here than at Ridgewood, yes. But given a choice between there and the most recent evolution of Pardner's, I'd prefer to skip the reopened restaurant and instead wait in a long line over at the crowded place on the Old Bristol Highway. read more

TL:DR - large portions of decent BBQ, good/reasonable price. Massive sides. Friendly staff. Not the most organized/ efficient operation (likely shaking the rust off from covid). The food: decent bbq, the sauces are a mix of Memphis and Carolina styles ( some vinegar but mostly tomato based with some smoky/ sweet). The brisket was better than the ribs. The sides are massive, one side of fries is plenty for the whole table. The service: friendly waitstaff, it seemed like some new folk/ the place had been closed for a bit so they were still getting on top of everything read more

Pardner's Bar-B-Que - Brisket sandwich. Large portion. You can see the massive side of fries too - Barbeque Near Me - Piney Flats, Tennessee

See all

This was like a walk back in time thirty years ago when I lived here. Barbecue beef with slaw tasted just the same. Portions of fries are enormous and can be shared for 2-3. A little under cooked and greasy for my taste but they always were. Menu is a lot bigger with many more choices. In-laws went with country ham and loved it. I will try not to wait twenty years before my next visit read more

We were greeted and seated immediately in this cozy lil mom and pops. They started getting a little busy, but Haley took good care of us. The menu is by far one of the best in the Tri-Cities! Although they were out of steak, my family and I still enjoyed everything! The ribs, brisket, loaded baked potatoes, fried green tomatoes and Mac & cheese were perfect! We will definitely be visiting here more often! read more

This place has fallen way down the list of places to eat. We ordered a Philly cheesesteak and it came out totally cold, the bun was hard, no cheese and the meat, although plentiful, was cold. This was NOT a Philly cheesesteak sandwich. We also ordered a BLT with Xtra mayo.. sandwich arrived uncut and when I asked to have it cut, it came back not fully cut.. Staff was short of waiters, busboy, etc... Not a very friendly atmosphere, very cold and distant.. All the young ladies working were inexperienced but trying their best. I would not recommend this restaurant.....prices were a little exaggerated for the quality of food. read more

I will never try to eat at this restaurant again. Sat for 5 minutes after being told to sit down. Never got a menu or anything. It wouldn't have been so bad if the server didn't walk by us 3 times! read more

Absolutely terrible and ridiculous management. Our food came out cold and the brisket tasted like rubber. We still ended up paying $30 for our meal and ate nothing but the cheese sticks. The manager never came out and spoke to us and the comment from the waiter was that the manager said "the food is fine shouldn't have been cold or anything". The worst place I have ever ate I wouldn't even feed it to my dogs. Save your money and go to McDonald's. read more

The BBQ was very good. I missed an item when I phoned it in so they fixed it while I waited, fried catfish dinner. Unfortunately, it wasn't good. They microwaved the fish to reheat it resulting in rubbery crust. It probably would be good had it not been nuked. Fried green tomatoes and corn fritters were very good. BBQ pork sandwiches had some nice chunks of meat. Not an over powering sauce. Fries were a bit greasy, but flavorful. read more

I used to come here often as a kid, and teen with my family. Me and my family came in today after going to the flea market and we sat and waited forever to get drinks, we also didn't get silverware til 10 mins or so after we got our food, and they brought it out not rolled said it was to busy for them to do it. Then a waitress come over and got napkins off our table to give to another table, no one got refills, as we walked out me and my daughter who has a lung disease walked through to the glass area and there was a man sitting there smoking a cigarette inside the building! Disgusting I don't know if I will be back.... read more

i am normally not one to complain but dining experience on August 11th 2023, was such a disappointment. The pork I ordered was very dry and lacked flavor, the sides were okay. The dining room was hot and stuffy, tables needing to be cleared. I believe there were 8 other people dining so it's was obvious reason for disarray was not the result of a large crowd. parners use to be my go to place for barbque but that has changed. no plans of returning. read more

Service is good, bbq beef is good. The sampler platter is good but definitely full of grease. It's clean and the blue cheese dip is definitely their staple. If I were to go there by myself.. I'd order a sweet tea and a blue cheese dip with fries and get it to go. read more

Good value for the money, seems a bit disorganized upon arrival but overall would recommend

Arrived 30 minutes after placing takeout as advised to find out our order was given to someone else. An hour later we received the order and took it home. We should have checked the bag because our order was not complete. When we called them to address the issue we continuously got a 'mailbox full' voicemail message. The BBQ pork and BBQ beef were sliced DELI meats (looked like cheap prepackaged 'meat' from a grocery store) doused with BBQ sauce and tossed into the microwave. It was the most pathetic attempt at BBQ we've ever seen or tasted. Yes..we were hungry enough to try it. After one bite it went to the trash. The hush puppies and onion rings were edible at least. We are obviously NEVER returning. The owners should be embarrassed. read more

Three times we tried take out, clearly the worst food we've ever gotten from a barbecue restaurant. The service is staff are friendly and fast but the food is terrible. Meat, over cooked, beans out of a can, and Coleslaw very dry. Eaten inside several time with much better results. Never do take out! read more

It was ok but don't order the steak. Also the service was ok not the best. Just wanted more for the price we paid.

Great place to eat, great workers, decent bbq! Plenty of options, loved the apps! Definitely recommend!

Delicious food, fair prices, very good & friendly service, clean & nice atmosphere. If the pulled pork bbq had been more tasty, they'd gotten 5 stars, but decent enough to enjoy! read more

LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this BBQ! I grew up here but moved away. Whenever we're in town to visit the folks, we try to get by to treat ourselves. There is not a thing on the menu that I can complain. read more

Lacks in flavor. The portion is too large. You're more paying for quantity than quality.

Tonight was the worst dining experience I've had at any restaurant in my life. FIRST, I'D LIKE TO POINT OUT THAT IS IS NONE OF THE STAFFS FAULT, THEY ALL WORKED AS HARD AS THEY COULD TO MAKE EVERYONES EXPERIENCE BETTER. After being seated, we waited nearly 35 minutes before anyone addressed our table. I had to flag down a server to get our drink orders in. We went ahead and ordered our food, since we had half an hour or so to take a look at the menu, which took another 45 minutes to receive the main part of the entree. The sides finally came to the table an hour and a half in. After receiving our food, I walked the floors to empty tables (which there were very few of since the place was hopping) looking for bottles of salt and pepper shakers that didn't look like the one shown in the photos below, with no luck. I received undercook and inedible hushpuppies with my meal (which are pictured below). It's fairly clear that the owner of this establishment is concerned more with lining their pockets with the money of customers who expect decent service and a good meal, by overworking their already understaffed servers, and capitalizing on their hard work to sit in a comfy chair somewhere other than their establishment that pays their bills. This was absolutely pathetic. I can't believe that they charge money to locals and visitors alike for such poor service and disgusting conditions. My following review will be Facebook, and then the Sullivan County Health Department on Monday morning. Save yourself the time and don't eat here. For any of the employees that need better conditions, find me on Facebook, and ask me about a job with better pay, and better working conditions. Update: I also spoke with the wonderful manager, who discounted our meal, and ensured that the owner was not there. On the busiest night of the week. In an understaffed restaurant. This truly shows where the owners priorities lie. Pathetic leadership. read more

The waitresses at this establishment are running every minute of every day to serve you. Portions are enormous! Do yourself a favor and visit today! Cashier Carol is always happy to see you, come by and say HI! read more

How do you run a business and have someone answering your phones that doesn't even know when you are out of something (and been out since the morning). I have called and placed a to go order on 3 different occasions only to drive half way there (this time I was in the parking lot) and get a phone call to tell me they are sorry but they have run out of ham that morning.. Mind you this is around 6:00 in the evening and the person taking orders is not aware of the fact that you were out when you opened?? I mean come on!! It is bad business, we used to eat there a lot but they have lost this family as a customer! read more

The food and service are exceptional! Very reasonably priced. I had the brisket, tender and flavorful. My husband got the cheese burger, it was huge. read more

So I heard the Pardner's was back--well that's only sorta true ;( We ordered takeout today (around 2pm) and when we got there they didn't have the order right. No bid deal, stuff happens right? Finally got home with it, the food was nominal at best... not quite the Old Pardner's that we just couldn't wait to get to after church on Sundays... We all ordered sandwiches (2 beef, 1 pork) & they were significantly smaller than they used to be (think normal sized buns from McDonlad's) -- and the portion of fries was also much smaller than they used to serve. Too bad, I had driven by there many times while they were shut down and could not wait for them to open back up! One can only hope that the new owner's and staff get the hang of it and live up to the stuff that made Pardners a staple of Tri-City eats... read more

A few evenings ago, we called in to order takeout. We were told that they Pardner's was not taking orders over the phone because they were busy. Makes absolutely no sense to me to put an upper bound on profit and to force to-go customers to stand at the front desk, making the building even more crowded, but whatever. I drove in from Bristol, placed the order, and waited 25 minutes. Once we got home, we noticed there were a *lot* of items missing from our order. (Also, one of us ordered a salad, and the salad left the restaurant *with the dressing on it.*) So, I called, was told I should come back by the next day, and they would refund part of my order and fix the mistake. We ate the food we had. Now, there are a lot of great BBQ joints in the Tri-cities. Ridgewood is less than five minutes away from Pardner's. Southern Craft, Baconland, Jae's, Bristol BBQ are all 20 minutes away. Given the plethora of delicious BBQ in the area, Pardner's BBQ ranks at the absolute bottom of the list. It isn't terrible, but there is absolutely nothing unique or special about the food to make it stand out. I've read others comment on huge portions--those huge portions must be reserved for order-in customers. Even if those items would not have been missing from our orders, the portion sizes were a bit insulting for the high price of a platter. Again, Ridgewood is less than 5 minutes away, their platter is around the same price, and the portions are honestly enough for two meals. I went back by to straighten out the missing items, expecting a refund for a portion of our ticket. Instead, the manager and owner only offered replacing the items--which is absolutely useless two days after the meal had been ordered. So, the restaurant messed up our order, told us to come back later to get a refund on the meal, and then only offered us replacement of the items after the meal had already been eaten. This, people, is how restaurants lose customers. Fundamentally, I think Pardner's could be a BBQ contender in the area, but serious errors in execution and service, along with a sheer lack of originality, make it one of the most meh places for BBQ in the area. read more

Horrible customer service. Nothing like the old Pardner's. Save your time and money and go somewhere else.

I have lived all over and eaten a lot of BBQ. This was not bad. I was impressed with the size of the sandwich for the money. They have good beef and pork, however they don't do brisket. I live in Va Beach, (used to live here years ago,) and lived in Memphis, this is by far no Beale St. but for this area, it is a good fulfilling meal. I do think it needs more coleslaw on the sandwich though. Not a fan of the dill slaw, but the sweet & creamy slaw was good. The french fries were great, nice and fresh, hot, and very plentiful!! read more

Pardner's Bar-B-Que - Tennessee BBQ... - Barbeque Near Me - Piney Flats, Tennessee

We had held off going to Pardner's because of friends recommendations against this restaurant. We threw caution to the wind and decided we need to see for ourselves. We should have listened to our friends. The service was good, the place was clean (but bland), and food came out in a reasonable time. (Please don't use fake Baco-Bits in the salad.) My wife had steak and ribs. When asking about the steak, she said it was over-cooked, and in retrospect, she wasn't asked how she would have liked it prepared. She ordered a side of mixed veggies and they were cold. Not warm, not luke-warm, not kind of hot - - cold. How does this happen? How can anything that is supposed to be hot come to the table cold? She said it tasted good but looked overcooked and cold. Inedible cold. I ordered the 1/2 rack of ribs. What I got was half-prepared jerky in the shape of ribs. They were tough to even cut. At one point, I thought they hadn't "broken the backbone" but it was the meat! It was dry, overcook, and apparent that they had been cooked many hours (or even days) earlier. I am not one to leave food on the table - I did this time around. It was a struggle to just separate the meat from the bone. It is apparent to me that they are more concerned about the convenience of preparing the food than the actual food itself. This is what you get when you cut corners to rush food to the table - food that, in the long run, is forgotten. We won't be back. I advise anyone else to look somewhere else. I like supporting local businesses, but those local businesses need to give the customer a reason why we should. This place can't do that. read more

This legendary restaurant has reopened with new owners and management. The BBQ is amazing and remodel looks amazing! read more

Pardner's Bar-B-Que - ows the menu - Barbeque Near Me - Piney Flats, Tennessee

Pardner's used to be a favorite for me. Haven't been there in a long time and wanted to try it again. Read a lot of mixed reviews about Pardner's, so maybe a bit scepical about going back. It was early evening so not many people there. First impression it was clean and a country looking. Our waitress was great. Drinks were on table quickly. Food was there a few minutes later. Pork sandwich was very good and beans and home fries were just as I remembered. I glad we gave Pardner's a try. read more

So first bbq meal in Tennessee as a resident were to start the Texas bbq what a disaster I've had better beef jerky out of 7-11 just plain bad the cole slaw was ok the potato tots were ok portion for almost 19 bucks was a joke toast the best thing but should a bbq be know for there toast the service was ok girl was nice there no second chance here anyplace that make this kind of brisket will not get my business I do no recommend read more

First off...this barbecue place is NOT CLOSED. It looks as if it has had a recent building renovation, but it is still going strong. We had the pulled pork plate, and have a mixed review of it. I thought the pork was quite good, but a bit on the bland side. The sauces were spectacular though. My wife thought the pork was a tad dry. My feeling there is that while it was not sopping, I expect that they do more of a dry rub thing, and expect customers to put the appropriate amount and type of sauce on it. We had sides of fries, onion rings, potato salad and slaw. All of these were quite good. We also ordered a serving of the fried green tomatoes. The onion rings and tomato slices use the same breading, and over all, a big thumbs up for it. There was plenty of breading on the items, it was very tasty and had a nice crunch, and stuck to the food very solidly. I am no fan of breading that falls off when one cuts a chunk of the food off. I also have to give two thumbs up for the blue cheese dressing that came with the tomatoes. It was made in house, and was full of big chunks of cheese...a real taste treat. There was enough food that I was able to get two more meals out of the "Go" box....Not the cheapest place to eat, but, B+ to A- food quality, and plenty of it. Finally, although the place was not packed, there were several tables with people at them. However, the service was excellent, and very friendly. We get up to that area of Tennessee off and on, and so have put Pardner's on the list of "good places to eat". If one is in the area, I would recommend it, as it is a pretty positive experience, and is right on 11E, so, easy to find. Plenty of parking too. read more

We have always received good service and good food. Large portions and delicious blue cheese dip.

Meh. Sliced pork was a bit dry, and not flavorful, then covered in a sweet sauce to hide its flaws. Beans were soupy and in the same sweet sauce. Wouldn't return. Better BBQ to be found in this area. read more