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    The Rice Wagon

    4.8 (43 reviews)
    Closed 11:30 am - 8:00 pm

    The Rice Wagon Photos

    THE RICE WAGON ATMOSPHERE

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    Chicken Katsu
    Stacie B.

    Loved my visit to the Rice Wagon! The food was excellent, service was prompt and friendly making it an overall great experience. We were able to have our dog on the patio with us as we were driving through. This will probably be a repeat stop for us when in the area, so excited to have found it.

    Tuna
    Sarah J.

    Incredible food Amazing service right in the heart of Cherokee! This area looks like it's a beach town and there's all kinds of cute shops. I got the chicken Katsu and it was so flavorful! The whole table was quiet while eating the tuna was amazing as well! It was authentic Hawaiian and I'll be back!

    The Big Kanaka

    Great service, very clean establishment and awesome food! Highly recommended! The Big Kanaka was amazing!

    Ricardo S.

    The food was very salty. Pork was gamey and smelly. The service was very good. Cool music/vibe also.

    Erica S.

    I would've never expected to find such a wonderful Hawaiian restaurant in Cherokee, NC. The authenticity of the food was truly spectacular. I had the chicken Katsu sandwich with Mac salad and it brought me right back to being in Hawaii. We took friends who had never eaten Hawaiian food before and they were shocked at how good it was. We will definitely visit this restaurant the next time we're in Cherokee.

    Bankai Chicken

    The best Hawaiian food I have ever had!!!! Service and staff were incredible, helped me navigate the menu items! 20/10 would recommend

    Chicken katsu (foreground); kalua pork (background)
    Stephanie B.

    I LOVED my chicken katsu. Nicely breaded and cooked; the chicken was moist. The sauce was great. It got spicy after several bites. The Asian-inspired slaw was delicious -- lightly flavored purple cabbage. I want the recipe! And I want to go back. It's easily the best meal we've had in Cherokee. Spouse had the kalua pork, which he enjoyed (though he thought it was similar to NC pulled pork).

    Ahí Tuna
    Heather W.

    The food here was spot on! Delicious, fresh. I had Ahi Tuna and my husband loco moco. Don't miss out

    Hurricane chicken
    Kasey M.

    We had to wait 40 minutes for our food because they ran out of cooked rice but its ok because the food was fire . I had the full plate of hurricane chicken and it came with mac salad and 2 scoops of rice. Just as good as some of the places i had on big island.

    Yellowfin Ahi Tuna

    I can never get enough of this place!!! The seared Tuna in a mountain town being THIS AMAZING is mind blowing!! So fresh, so good, best quality tuna everrrrr!!

    Chicken Katsu plate
    Sai S.

    Outstanding Chicken Katsu! We tried both the Bankai Chicken Katsu and the Chicken Katsu plate. All of it was incredible. We are new fans of the Rice Wagon and can't wait to come back. With friendly service, quick food preparation - and very reasonable prices - nothing but 5 stars here!

    Kulua pork and musubi

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    4 months ago

    Ordered hawaii 5-0 sandwich, tasty, service was fast, nice location, bathroom was clean, would go again

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    4 months ago

    Good quality food. Clean kitchen and really quick service. Not badly priced either.

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    4 months ago

    Delectable food every time! The yellowfin Ahi Tuna is my favorite. All plates are great!

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    1 year ago

    Incredibly delicious food. Hidden gem in Cherokee. So glad we stumbled upon this spot!

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    11 months ago

    Great chicken katsu! Friendly service with good meal portions. Great value for the price.

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    Captain Jim's Seafood Buffet - Variety platter. Hush puppies were terrible, crab cakes not much better.

    Captain Jim's Seafood Buffet

    2.2(519 reviews)
    23.4 mi
    $$

    If you like all you can eat seafood buffets great place to visit! Our waitress was super friendly…read moreand 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.

    My husband is usually great at picking restaurants, so I'm not sure why I didn't check the Yelp…read morereviews 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.

    Photos
    Captain Jim's Seafood Buffet - Stuffed flounder, pretty good

    Stuffed flounder, pretty good

    Captain Jim's Seafood Buffet - Fried clam strips salmon Mac and cheese

    Fried clam strips salmon Mac and cheese

    Captain Jim's Seafood Buffet

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    Poke Bros - Knoxville - OMG this was so good.  We were not disappointed.  This was bringing Hawaiian food to the mainland.

    Poke Bros - Knoxville

    3.1(20 reviews)
    47.3 mi

    Great food, friendly staff but the online ordering needs fixed. Wouldn't let my order go through…read morewith multiple tries.

    The first thing we noticed upon entering was the foul smell. We couldn't pinpoint it, but it was…read morean immediate red flag. We reluctantly ordered, against our better judgment, and I'll say up front that it was a mistake. Service was weird. The guy just stared at us with a blank expression. There was no greeting, small talk, or chitchat. I wasn't sure where to order, so I just walked back and forth around the counter, depending on where on the menu I was looking. He didn't make a peep until telling me the total. I've never had the silent treatment from someone on customer service before, lol. I ordered the Tonkatsu Ramen with Chashu Pork protein. The broth was lukewarm, flavorless, and didn't taste like any tonkatsu I've ever had. Was very disappointed. The egg was cold, and overly salty. It's as if they used preserved eggs, soaked them in soy sauce for years, then slated it again before adding it to the broth straight from the fridge. The other toppings didn't seem fresh at all. Half the bowl was spinach, but is wasn't fresh, and was extremely bitter. This is the first time I've ever seen spinach as a ramen ingredient, and it ruined this dish (note: I love spinach, but this was obviously bad). Overall, the did was bad. Nothing seemed to work together, and it seemed to be ill prepared. Lots of flying bugs, and with the majority the food open air... not gonna try the poke. We were the only customers during the entire lunch "rush". That was the final red flag that determines we will not return. I don't think this was an off-day, I think this place is just not good. Our experience was terrible.

    Photos
    Poke Bros - Knoxville
    Poke Bros - Knoxville - Mochi Ice Cream !

    Mochi Ice Cream !

    Poke Bros - Knoxville - Tonkotsu Ramen with Chashu Pork

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    Tonkotsu Ramen with Chashu Pork

    Joe's Crab Shack - Joe's Classic Sampler

    Joe's Crab Shack

    3.3(370 reviews)
    27.6 mi
    $$

    Placed a to go order over the phone. My little girl wanted snow crabs and we are not much of a…read moreseafood family. Was told it should be ready in 10-20 minutes. Pulled up 20 minutes later and the order wasn't even put in. (Loss of a star) He put in my order immediately and food came out fairly quickly just as he said it would. The lobby was kind of awkwardly organized but it was clean. The dining room was also inviting for any seafood lover! Took the meal home and my daughter ended up letting her brothers try the crab as it was a HUGE entree and they all loved it. Looks like we will be seeing more seafood soon.

    Crab-tivated in the Smokies!…read more Listen, I didn't come to Sevierville expecting to have a near-religious seafood experience--but Joe's Crab Shack baptized me in butter, and I saw the light. From the second we walked in, it felt like we stepped into a beach party thrown by pirates with Southern hospitality. The staff? Hilarious and friendly--like if your favorite cousin also knew how to carry six trays of seafood at once and still crack a joke. You don't just get a meal here--you get a whole vibe. Let's talk food: We ordered the Steampot for Two, but I swear it could've fed a small village or at least two people who don't eat like competitive crab-eating champions (which we clearly are). Crab legs, shrimp, sausage, potatoes, corn--it was like Poseidon himself packed us a picnic. And yes, I wore a bib. No shame. Things got messy in the best way. The best part? We sat outside with a mountain view that said, "Hey, you're in Tennessee," while the crab said, "Yeah, but your taste buds are on vacation." Bottom line: if you like great seafood, fun vibes, and the chance to feel like a crab-cracking champion with butter on your face and joy in your heart--Joe's Crab Shack is your place. Warning: You will leave full. You may leave wearing part of your meal. And you'll definitely be planning your next visit before you hit the parking lot.

    Photos
    Joe's Crab Shack - Gift shop

    Gift shop

    Joe's Crab Shack
    Joe's Crab Shack - Margaritas

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    Margaritas

    The Rice Wagon - hawaiian - Updated May 2026

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