The food is amazing. The servers and the lady taking orders are wonderful and friendly and helpful. Highly recommend! The brisket sandwich was amazing. My husband loved his hamburger. The view of the river was gorgeous and relaxing. read more

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Met up with a few drinkin buddies for a couple pints. Being a colder time we stayed inside and enjoyed the soothing riverscape from the window seats. They have a great selection of craft beers, imports and both red and white wines, including champagne and prosecco for the celebration in your glass. The real draw to this place is the private patio that has the peaceful river running the length of the restaurant. They have some higher end entrees of filets, and also pizza salads, burgers, and wings and even food for the kiddos. If you make it through Cades Cove or finish up a nearby hike or river rafting in Townsend this is a nice relaxing finish to the day. Great space for catching up with friends for patio pints and looks to be pet friendly as well. So bring your dog and your fun out to enjoy the Abbey. read more

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1. If you're looking for a place to drink a beer near a mountain stream with a great view, this is the place for you. 2. For what they're trying to do, they do a really nice job. And they've improved over the years a lot. 3. They've added some good food choices to the menu, we were really impressed. 4. This is a local spot for me and I'm so glad it's here. read more

Super cute. (Possibly) a converted church, now a great restaurant. They have pews converted to tables and other areas overlooking the river. In the nicer months, there us patio seating and a gazebo. My grandson had loaded tots with pulled pork, BBQ sauce, beer cheese and it was huge. He ate so much and we are taking home a large amount. My daughter in law had chicken tenders with side of tots and numerous sauces. I had turkey and Swiss steamed sub with all the fixins on the side. The food was good, we all have leftovers and the ambiance is lovely. We came when it first opened so there were not alot of people. It is a great spot. I will certainly return when I visit my son in Tennessee. read more

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I mean come on. Yes it's a beautiful setting. If you want very mediocre food that is overpriced, then this is your place. Sorry but biggest waste of $47. The pretzels and tots are great. Taste just like the frozen ones in the freezer at home. read more

My friend invited me to join her for lunch with her old friend from South Florida. This was the perfect setting for a randeview. We ate outside at tables by the riverside. It was fun watching people kayaking and tubing while eating a delicious lunch. The setting was calm and serene. It was perfect for us to catch up on eachother's lives. I ordered a salad with candied pecans, apples, cranberries and chicken. It was delicious. My friend ordered a chicken salad that looked just as tasty. Service was excellent. The added treat was seeing how a cute little chapel was converted into a restaurant. The sanctuary was part of the dining area with pews serving as table chairs. They really used a lot of ingenuity to create an "abbey" effect. read more

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When you walk in there is a small entryway that would contain the line of people waiting to order if there had been a line when we rolled up. Since it was early 4:50pm, I assume there was not yet a crowd and we walked right up and were able to order quickly. I ordered off the Specials menu and got the Seared Salmon. My husband got a pulled pork sandwich and our girls split a pizza and pretzels and cheese. There was actually enough cheese to eat with the pretzels which was nice. Usually places give you a teeny tiny container of cheese and a big hunk of pretzel. I did not try the pizza, but it looked all right. The kids didn't love the blackened parts from the wood fire oven but they ate the rest. My salmon was pretty good and the potatoes were buttery. The vegetables were okay. Green beans, yellow beans, carrots, and the like. They tasted like they were cooked in butter but I guess that's how most stuff is made out here. The ambiance inside the big room with the fireplace was nice. You could see outside because the whole wall was a screen. The river rushing by was very pretty. There was a private event or we would have sat outside by the river. read more

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Great find in Townsend for a quick dinner. Want sure what to expect when you read it's a converted church. Super cool!! Walk in and stand in line to place your order before you find a spot to sit. While you wait there is plenty to look at between the cool church pews, stained glass windows and the history on the walls. I ordered the brisket sliders, the pretzels and better cheese and the Pineapple cider. Not sure how comfortable I was ordering alcohol in an old church, so I sat outside. Haha! Good a great spot right next to the river. What a beautiful view!! The pretzels were good and the cheese was delicious! The brisket sliders were a little dry but I added the BBQ sauce they gave me and it added that extra I needed. I might try something different next time. The pineapple cider was really good. My son and his finance ordered the wings and the they said they were delicious! The place was really cool. They had different rooms for dining, along with the outdoor seating. One of the rooms had the old long pews from the church with long tables and the original piano. One of the rooms was inside, but with screened in walls so you felt like you were outdoors. They had music playing that night in that room. Very cool place. Ambiance was great! read more

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Was really looking forward to this place but sadly disappointed. While it has a great atmosphere with creekside outdoor seating & wonderful views it's very reminiscent of a cafeteria as you wait in a winding line...meh! The food is a bit lackluster, the beef tacos & ribs obviously precooked were cold and under seasoned. A great spot to hang out for a selection of beers, hot strong coffee & occasional live music. But don't expect much with the food. read more

The Abbey - Creekside outdoor seating - Pubs Near Me - Townsend, Tennessee

It's hard to beat the views. You can see the river from inside/outside. The vibe is very laid back. The food is brought to you but other than that it's kind of self serve. Which I don't mind because it's really chill so you can hangout but you do need to flag someone down or go back to the counter if you need anything extra. We have gone a few times. First time I had the chicken salad sandwich on a croissant. It was good but mostly apples and raisins, hardly any chicken. Next couple times I got the ham and cheese croissant sandwich. That's good. It comes hot and melted. Both come with chips. But today I decided to try the BBQ pork belly flatbread and oh my, that's so yum! BBQ sauce instead of pizza sauce, pork belly, and apples which I wasn't too sure about but it worked beautifully. I'm not a huge fan of apple pie but this is an apple "pie" I'd gladly have a slice of. read more

The Abbey - BBQ Pork Belly and Apple Flatbread - Pubs Near Me - Townsend, Tennessee

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The food is great. When you walk in, you order at the counter and pay. They give you the cup, and you find a table. They bring your food out to you at your table. There is a drink station that you visit for your refills. Now the food. These are the largest wings I've ever had. They are very flavorful. Everything was delicious! read more

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This is a cool place. I went kinda late in the day. It was a bit confusing because we went through the bar and had to order there. Then we were able to sit wherever. I got the pepperoni pizza and it was tasty! Staff was great. read more

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Food was excellent and the staff is super nice. Tried the pulled pork sliders and sampled my wife's brisket. Delicious

What a great place to have lunch and watch the people tubing down the river! It was a hot day when we visited but there are plenty of shaded tables so you can sit outside and enjoy the views. You order at the bar (drinks and food) and they give you a number. Pick your seat and they will deliver to you. Our food was good! We had the pork sliders: came with homemade chips, coleslaw and a pickle. We also had the tater tots. We got buffalo sauce, barbeque sauce and hot thai chili sauce to put on the sandwich and dip our tots. Prices are reasonable too! Definitely put this on your list to visit! read more

This was such a wonderful establishment! The atmosphere was really really cool. It's like walking into an old church, there were pews, a great hall to eat in, and other options as well for dining in. We went on the way to Smokey Mountains and was a great place to stop for a quick and very delicious lunch! The workers were all super nice and the food came out fairly quickly, it was all very fresh and I appreciated the fact that they had different types of sandwich options. The portions weren't too big either. I don't have pictures, but I got the turkey on pumpernickel and let me tell you, I can still taste it to this day! Really wonderful stop if you're wanting something easy, quick and yummy! read more

All of us ordered something different and we all agreed the food was delicious! Service was quick and friendly. The place itself is beautiful. When you first enter, it looks like a chapel and the wood smell is intoxicating. We truly enjoyed the ambiance, food and service. Staff was friendly and knowledgeable (except for statue out front - anyone know who it is or why it is there??). Definitely want to return!! read more

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We loved this place so much, we came back the next day! The food was really good, we got the baked spaghetti and a burger. The burger was so big! The service was excellent, the bartender JJ was so funny and friendly we were happy to have her serve us both visits! The vibes inside were so good and outside, even in the rain, so beautiful and cozy with pretty lights and riverside seating. Whenever our next trip to Tennessee may be, this will be on our itinerary for must-stops! Thank you for everything! read more

The Abbey - The chapel - Pubs Near Me - Townsend, Tennessee

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I'd heard good things about Townsend Abbey from friends and decided to visit with my friend after a hike in the Smokies. We ordered a steamed sandwich and Miss Lily's chicken salad sandwich. Both were fine, but nothing special. The restaurant is in a former church, but honestly, it really didn't have any sort of special vibe. Probably a cool place for tourists visiting the area. read more

My friend and I visited for lunch for the first time. We really had no idea what to expect and were not crazy about trying to figure out what we wanted as soon as we walked in the door. You have to look at the iluminated menus on the wall, then you end up at the cashier to place your order. We knew a big group was coming right behind us so we felt rushed. If you want to skip that step, just go the cashier first and they will hand you a menu. We didn't know that until we got up there. The gentleman working the front was very pleasant by the way. You have to make your own drinks so they will point you where to go. I ordered the shrimp tacos. You get 3 but nothing on the side. They do not have french fries (whaat?) which is a huge dissapointment so I ordered the next best thing....tater tots. My friend had the chicken salad sandwich and it comes with potato chips and a pickle. We were handed a number to place on our table. There were no more creek side tables so we got the last shady spot amongst the fully bloomed Azaleas so that was nice. Our food came out so fast my head spun. My friend's chicken salad sandwich was huge and she really liked it. She had to take 1/2 home. The shrimp tacos were good but not good enough to order again. I have a few suggestions to make them taste better. Ditch the Feta cheese and use Cotija or Fresca Mexican cheese. Feta overpowers the whole taco. Use cilantro instead of what I'm guessing is Kale (tiny amounts). I know a lot of people don't like cilatnro but it would really brighten up the dish. You can even garnish the dish with a sprig of cilantro and let the patron decide if they want to use it. Last thing is the tacos needed a lemon or lime wedge on the side. I definitely would have used that. My tots were a joke. Overfried and stuck together in a huge clump. One other negative is that we didn't know that we'd barely ever see our server. She basically drops your food off and that's it. Unless you need her for something, you're going to have fun trying to track her down. She was busting her rump running food to a crowd so kudos to her for working so hard but you add the tip when you pay for your food beforehand. That's not fair. I do not like that. I basically paid a full tip for her to visit our table one time. Next time I go, I'll have cash on me to hand her a few bucks but it won't be a full 20%. I hope the Abbey is paying her a fair wage. Lastly, you bus your own table so don't leave your cash tip there either. Another patron (dishonest) could pick it up. I want to go back and try another dish but at least I will be more equipped to handle the odd ordering & serving arrangements. read more

The atmosphere is amazing! The river is beautiful and the tubers are entertaining as heck watching them bet beached and then having to finagle their way off. It's a quick casual where you order and then go sit down. But...the food is meh. Average at best. We had pizza, and the loaded tots. The onions were too large, and the pork, beer cheese, and tots lacked flavor, they really needed acid like tomatoes, but it just wasn't good. The only thing that was decent was the barbecue sauce. The pizza tasted like it had ketchup as the sauce and the dough lacked flavor. It was all just fine, I would recommend the atmosphere, but not the food at all. No real issues except the bussing wasn't super timely, not sure if we were supposed to help with that, it wasn't clear. read more

Beautiful location on the river. We just went with two craft beers as service was minimal. Enjoyed seating out by the river. Food unknown as was difficult to get service sadly. read more

The Abbey - View - Pubs Near Me - Townsend, Tennessee

Sweet place great food and people too....Neat building right on the river....good place for date night

This was a random find our group discovered at dinner time close to our lodging. It was a nice large indoor and outdoor seating right on the river. The food was amazing. From the burger, brisket, chicken salad sandwich and pizzas! Someone got a plain pizza and enjoyed it so much they said they may come back just to get another pizza later. read more

We loved our time at the Townsend Abbey. We grabbed some drinks and food and sat outside enjoying the nice weather. The staff was friendly! Highly recommend grabbing a drink and sitting outside on a nice day read more

The Abbey - Cider - Pubs Near Me - Townsend, Tennessee

Don't bother. Fried food that comes out cold, no one at the table was really impressed with the food. Vegetables were frozen and thawed. Kinda pricey too read more

Great food, large portions, good service and the ambiance was amazing. We sat outside with the lights.

Beautiful waterside landscape to sit and relax with some delicious food and drinks! Great staff! They do have tv's and live bands!

Good food, good service, excellent location. Really liked sitting outside for dinner. They even have cover in case it rains. Dogs are allowed outside too. Burgers are HUGE. read more

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Sitting outside next to the river was nice. The food and service were meh. Nothing to make us want to come back. I think maybe they are short staffed which made the service lacking... but my husband ended up only having 1 beer cause you had to go inside and order another one- but the line was so long at the bar because that's where everyone orders? It was just easier to leave. read more

The Abbey - Ham and Cheese croissant and loaded tots out on the patio by the river - Pubs Near Me - Townsend, Tennessee

Dave and I just can't seem to stay away from Townsend! After arriving in Hendersonville, here I go nagging him that we have to go to Cades Cove late in the day to see the animals. As we emerged after 1 1/2 hours, we were starving and decided to go to the Abbey. First of all it's dog friendly with a lovely patio on the Little River. It's a converted old church with beautiful rooms and good food. So Freckles and I found an outside table and Dave went inside to order for us. You order, you pay and you get a number for your table and the staff brings it to you. So as we were waiting for our food, there was a live band playing indoors with speakers outside. It was dusk and I could see the fireflies light up all around me! What a treat! The lights went on in the gardens and gazebo overlooking the river and it was magical. Dave ordered Belgium Ale , Ribs, coleslaw and beans. I had a juicy cheeseburger with tater tots. People always come over and ask about Freckles and last night was no exception! So we ate our delicious dinner overlooking the Little River and watching the fire flies! read more

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0ld convert church owned by a local family, that did a spectular job flipping into a brewery with a large patio oasis in the back to watch river and listen to live music. Their is a variety of beer, cider, bottle beverages to choose from and small appetizers and bites. Warm , friendly welcoming atmosphere and southern people. read more

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Had a blast on the river! Great staff and atmosphere. Inside and outside seating. Old church vibe with gift shop and entertainment.

Stopped in after seeing the cool building. Got a beer, which I appreciated because they had at least 2 lagers on tap including a delicious helles. We chose to sit at a table outside by the river, which was nice. They have a large connect 4 game outside, which kept my kids entertained. Overall, a very spacious place with nice ambiance and quick service. I'd return if I visit the area again. read more

The Abbey - Pubs Near Me - Townsend, Tennessee

Everything needs improvement! Brisket sandwich $18- Burger $16- Way overpriced-Neither were good and actually not even warm! Tables are filthy and your server never returns. Upon receiving our food - I asked for some salt&pepper and was told to follow her and she would show me where it was! You're even supposed to pick up your dishes! You pay ahead when you order up front and add your tip- I tip 20-25%- so I basically tipped just for her to drop off our food and get my own s&p- and clean up my dishes!? I'm surprised they didn't leave a dishcloth/rag for us to clean the table!! As they DO NOT CLEAN OR WIPE THEIR TABLES What a joke- I will never return read more

I'm always amazed at how people rave about food venues, only to find out they're just ok. I think it's the culture we live in now, that to say anything negative is to be rude. As a small business owner, I want to hear the negative in order to do better. So do better people. That being said: Pros: -To start with, I'll give a 5 star for the venue and all its various seating options and aesthetics. Indoor seating with large windows to view the beautiful surrounding nature and ample outdoor seating overlooking the mountain river with ample shade and sunlit options. Cons: Food- 2 stars: -My personal opinion of having to order and pay ahead of time (including tip) at the bar and be seated is that it is stupid. Maybe I'm old school, but a server should earn their tip based on service provided. We opted to leave tab open in order to add beverages to the tab. My friend was treating me so I didn't complain. - Though the menu read very foodie-esk, the execution was poor. "Seared" filet mignon was dry and tough and the "vegetable medley" was over oily and flavorless. The "pork belly" flat bread, even though the crust appeared to be from a brick fired oven, it was soft, not crispy, and cool in temperature. The bbq sauce added color but no flavor and was soaked into the already soft crust. The chunks of pork belly were soft and gelatinous, not my idea of good pork. Finally the strawberry shortcake was nothing but a slab of yellow cake with sugary juice drizzled over it and a small dollop of whip cream topped off with a few cut strawberries. - We asked our server how we closed out our tab and he said we go inside to do that and if we didn't, they would add automatic 20% tip. My friend was ready to leave so we did. We usually tip at least 20% anyways, but 20% of an overpriced disappointment was a tough pill to swallow. Overall, I may go back for a beer and a seat by the river, but not to eat. read more

Don't miss this place on your way through Townsend! The first thing you see is the awesome renovation they did of an old church. Still using the pews and beautiful wood tabletops. You can also sit outside on their large patio along the river. Next you come up to the bar where you'll find a great beer selection, and just a few wines. You also order food here. I inquired about the "steamed" sub as it sounds weird... I went for it and it was basically a nice hot sandwich that was still soft - not soggy. The best part is, ALL of our sandwiches had a ton of meat! Mmmm We had a large group and everyone was pleased with their order. read more

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Such a cool place to spend the afternoon with friends. We had beer and wine and enjoyed sitting by the river to catch up. We also loved their choices for sweatshirts and toys for the kiddos. All were reasonably priced. read more

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Gave this place a try and we were not disappointed. Very courteous service and surprisingly good food. Do not be fooled, it may be an old church but those people can cook the heck out of some food. read more

Great atmosphere for inside seating in old church or outside by the river. We sat outside and enjoyed the mountain air. Food was good and beer was cold. read more

A beautiful place with lots of seating both inside and outside by the river. Enjoyed a pepperoni and mushroom pizza. It was a bit under cooked, though had good flavor. Between being a bit under, and not fully sliced, and served on a paper plate with plastic fork, eating it was a little more challenging than it should have been, but I persevered. Wife had a house salad with chicken salad and really liked it. Great draft beer selection, pleasant place to hang, I can see it as a regular lunch stop. read more