I was a solitary diner on my birthday and had a hankering for German food. There aren't many German restaurants in my home state so I was surprised that I could find one in Pigeon Forge. I ordered the traditional schnitzel (pork cutlet that was pounded thin). It was not breaded, but it was coated with egg and flour and prepared well. I had the German potato salad and red cabbage side orders. Both were served warm as is custom. I was a bit upset that the waiter gave me the bill when the meal was finished. I told him it was my birthday and that I had wanted coffee and cake. He took the bill and crumpled it in his hand. The portion of cake that he presented could have easily served three! I left the top frosting. The chocolate cake was moist and the frosting between the layers was German chocolate. Available seating offerings were a booth, table, or a table al fresco. It had the beer garden appeal. I opted to sit inside. The restaurant is also very family oriented (as are most things in Pigeon Forge). Prices were reasonable, food was served at the correct temperature, portions were prodigious. The venue was also immaculate. I would recommend this tavern to anyone who appreciates German fare. read more

Wild Bear Tavern - German chocolate cake with whipped cream. - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Pigeon Forge, Tennessee

Dont go after 7pm, as they are not interested in really serving you as they close at 9 and it comes across clearly in their attitude. Food on chalk board by door [pork shank] was not avail. Smoked drink also not available, and other things as well... spaetzle with cheese sauce was not good, mushy... wish was just with butter. At 8pm Waitress presented bill while we were finishing main course without asking if we wanted dessert and left quick. When I had to flag her down and mentioned we wanted dessert like apple studel waitress, she spun and walked to kitchen but didn't ask if wanted anything else, dropped off updated bill with 1 strudel on it before dessert landed then never saw that waitress again... eventually bar tender came over to take our credit card. Cant recommend. read more

Wild Bear Tavern - Sausage sampler and pretzel - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Pigeon Forge, Tennessee

See all

Flattened pork chops in gravy. Purple cabbage. Spaetzel tasted like Mac n cheese. Gross! Too much gravy.. read more

See all

Great German food that seemed surprisingly authentic. The service was also phenomenal. It felt like we found a real hidden gem. read more

What a nice surprise! Great German food and wonderful service. Our only disappointment was the patio was closed read more

See all

I loved the food - loved. This unassuming restaurant at the Wild Bear Inn, I didn't expect much, like at all.. but it's better than the German restaurants in Nashville at the mall, Knoxville, and Spokane,WA. The sausage sampler was great - big enough for two! It comes with kraut so don't order it as a side if you're getting an additional dinner plate. The schnitzel was pounded thin, breaded and fried well. It was a little oily but the right amount for me - not patted dry. The cheese spaetzle was great, kraut was good, rotkohl was good, mustard and cheese was good, pretzel was huge and tasty, I loved the pumpernickel bread, yum! I believe their German style beer comes from Schulz Brau out of Knoxville, I wish they had imports but Schulz Brau is pretty good. I will come back! Service was great, drinks kept coming, full bar. read more

Wild Bear Tavern - Pretzel time - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Pigeon Forge, Tennessee

Food was pretty average, sausages were good and beer selection was good, but nothing that blew us away. $60 for two apps and two beers I would expect to have my socks blown off and it was really nothing to write home about. Portions were reasonable and service was quick and friendly! I think outside of inflated resort prices it's a great spot and worth checking out. The manager was super friendly and the staff was quick - I just tonight the prices were a littler higher than the "wow" factor read more

I blame my lust for a schnitzel on this poor decision. Taking it from the top... 0 % Authentic German vibe. Wife ordered the schnitzel and I, the traditional schnitzel of the motherland with potato pancakes. Don't believe the good reviews on this one my friends. To the skinny now. The schnitzel was a thin piece of barely coated fried chicken with some kind of lemon film sauce on it. Potato pancakes were cold hash browns with a bunch indescribable toppings. Wife left mid meal because it was so bad. My son had the chicken wings, said they were aight. Best part of this dinner was the Patty Melt from the Waffle House after leaving the most unauthentic German Restaurant this side of the Mississippi . read more

The food was excellent and you got a lot of it. The service was great, everyone was very pleasant. We were a group of 9 and they were very accommodating. The inside is older and not much to look at, but we were there for the food, not "ambiance". read more

Authentic German food in the Smoky Mountains and the portions were huge!! The tavern atmosphere is wonderful and all of the wait staff were so kind and attentive! A hidden gem in Pigeon Forge!! read more

Visiting Pigeon Forge and came across this spot to eat. German restaurant. Not very busy, which was a little concerning considering there was an hour and a half wait at other spots. Seated right away. Goulash was on special, but they were out of it. Out if a couple of other menu items too. We got the Jagerschnitzel with cheesy spatzle. That was delicious. They have a bourbon list that included Pappy, so I asked. The service said they were out if all of them except Angel's Envy. I didn't get a bourbon. However, when we were leaving, I saw the bartender telling another guest about their bourbon selection and saw bottles of Eagle Rare, Makers Mark and others, so they clearly had options. Not sure why the waiter would have told me otherwise. It was a quiet place and the service was friendly enough. Much better than waiting an hour and a half, but not fantastic. read more

Wild Bear Tavern - Jagerschnitzel with cheesy spatzle - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Pigeon Forge, Tennessee

See all

Solid Breakfast Spot with Friendly Vibes We had breakfast at Wild Bear Tavern while visiting Pigeon Forge and really enjoyed the experience. The menu offers a good variety of options at reasonable prices. I went with the breakfast plate--2 eggs, crispy bacon, hash browns, a fluffy and moist biscuit, plus a bratwurst that added a nice savory touch. My wife had the chicken and waffles, which she liked overall, though the chicken could've used a bit more seasoning. Orange juice came in a large glass (always appreciated!), and the staff were all super friendly and welcoming. The restaurant was clean and well-kept, including the three restrooms--men's, women's, and a family one--which were spotless. It was busy but not overcrowded, possibly because it's located on the edge of town. That made for a relaxed atmosphere, and we'll definitely be back next time we're in Pigeon Forge. read more

Don't believe all the negative comments made in reviews. Arrived just before seven. Warmly greeted. Helped with my German beer choice. Food was quickly served, since most are prepared by slow cooking. Delicious! Took our leftovers to the condo. Nice small place and clearly family oriented. read more

The food was DELICIOUS! I tried the kraut, the German Pot Roast, with meat that melted in my mouth and Brussel sprouts. My husband had the pork shank and said it was just as good. Our waitress/bartender Jen was awesome too! Definitely coming back to try breakfast. read more

My fiance & I had a pizza, boneless wings and strawberry margaritas here. The pizza was great, handcrafted crust and around $12. The wings were really good, but more of a honey mustard undertone than hot sauce. The margaritas were really good! read more

We love German food. We both had the schnitzel (myself with lemon glaze, husband with upgraded jager - the jager was very tasty!). Red cabbage, warm potato salad, spaetzle, and Brussel sprouts rounded out our choices. All were delicious. Staff were friendly and treated us like cousins (the ones you like, lol) The apple strudel was a hit, too! read more

The food was absolutely awful, it is not authentic German food, nowhere near was it German food. I lived in Germany for six years and I know what German food taste like and looks like. Their home fries look like french fries or something you have for breakfast. And I paid almost $300 for something that was not authentic was not good at all. Most of the food was left on the table. The waiter was outstanding. read more

Amazing portions and great beer!!! Awsome food quality and the service was nice! I'd give it a 5

Was wonderful!!! I had salmon and my husband had schnitzel. Omas potato pancake was delicious! Service was good and friendly. read more

Wild Bear Tavern - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Pigeon Forge, Tennessee

See all

Came here while in town and WOW! It was SO good. Definitely comfort food. Everything tasted great! It was a bit empty when we first got there, but that didn't take away from any of the vibes or food. Could've had some better music tho lol. We were seated right away and our server gave us great food and drink recommendations. We aren't the biggest beer drinkers either, and the Dunkel beer was surprisingly good - which is very rare for us to say! Definitely something that is a bit tucked away and not what everyone picks when they think of food places here. But worth the stop! Come here if you want some flavorful comfort food! read more

See all

Really great german food, service was super, ambiance was super, really great place to enjoy the afternoon

The atmosphere was welcoming and staff was attentive and polite. The food for me was kind of hit and miss. The sausage platter with sauerkraut was great, as was the potato pancakes. However the potato salad and rotkohl needed seasoning. The black forest cake was light and fluffy but not what i would consider traditional. If you are not familiar with German food it would be great but if you have spent time in Germany you may be a little disappointed. read more

Wild Bear Tavern - Sausage sampler, potato pancakes, and giant pretzel. - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Pigeon Forge, Tennessee

Stopped at the bar on the way in to Gatlinburg. This place was awesome! You must get the Bavarian Pretzel Best thing we had. My husband had the bratwurst with sauerkraut and a potato pancake. I had the traditional schnitzel, spatzel with cheese and fried potatoes with caramelized onions and bacon. Both were great and everything had a home cooked taste to it like Oma was in the back cooking it up. Would highly recommend you stop and give it a try. read more

See all

We lost our favorite German restaurant in our area years ago and we were eager to try Wild Bear Tavern. We were seated promptly and our server was great at welcoming us, getting our drinks and never letting the glasses get lower than half full. The food was delicious and reminded us of old favorite restaurant. The Black Forest cake was a real treat. Meal portions were large and if you want something sweet after your meal, leave room or share because they are large! Great service and food, we will be back again! read more

We stopped in for lunch and to watch the Ravens game. The bartender was very nice and friendly. He was very welcoming. We ordered schnitzel, potato pancakes, sparkle, red cabbage. Everything was delicious and definitely authentic German food. We also enjoyed all the German decorations and the t-shirts. Hoping to get back soon. read more

See all

Back in the area for the first time since Feb, we went here again. It is still just as good and highly recommended. Food is excellent. Service is good, but a little slow after food is delivered. Seating is ample and adequate. Give this place a try and you won't be disappointed. read more

See all

The schnitzel was delicious (can substitute chicken which is what I did), but my favorite was the side potato cake with caramelized onions. The apple strudel for dessert was lovely. Good service, dog friendly outdoor patio. Located next to the wild bear inn. read more

Food was just OK, had the pork schnitzel with red cabbage and fried potatoes, Fried potatoes definitely were disappointing. Was expecting actual fresh potatoes cut up and fried with onion but what they served was frozen store bought potatoes that looked like they were cooked in an airfryer and then they plopped a few cooked onions on top of them. read more

Wild Bear Tavern - Pork schnitzel, red cabbage and potatoes. - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Pigeon Forge, Tennessee

First time dining here, we just wanted something different. Wild Bear is decent German cuisine, I say decent because it's not great but it's not terrible. I get the feeling much of the items come off the food truck and aren't actually prepared in "Oma's" kitchen.... Our waiter was good, he was straightforward and told us there were a few menu items unavailable and they wouldn't have them until the food truck comes, two days out. One of those items was a staple...Sauerkraut! How can a "German" restaurant be out of kraut?!?! We enjoyed a big pretzel for starters and went with a schnitzel for the main course. Both were good but again, not something that made us say we're definitely coming back here next time we're in town. After payment I noticed the final receipt said "Westgate Resorts" at the top...at that point I could definitively conclude, this is not "real" German cuisine, so if that's what you're ISO, look elsewhere. But if you're tapped out on bad bbq, pancake houses and pizza joints, Wild Bear is a good change of pace. read more

Wild Bear Tavern - Pretzel - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Pigeon Forge, Tennessee

See all

Really wanted to give this place 5 stars, it's cute, the service was great and it wasn't packed like I was worried with how busy everything is here right now! All of our food was very good, the pancake the hungry bear breakfast. The omelet was good, but I would have loved the broccoli to have been chopped up, not huge chunks of stalks in there. Right bathroom was the ultimate reason why I couldn't give 5 stars. I went in and walked right back out. The floor was terribly sticky and it smelled like something absolutely terrible happened in there. Probably need to implement some type of hourly checking system, but at the same time I wouldn't want anyone who was working with/near food to have to clean up whatever happened in there. read more

See all

Potato pancakes are amazing. Pork schnitzel was dry. Spatzke was ok. German potato salad was ok. Service was good. Very dark place. read more

Wild Bear Tavern - Burger and fries - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Pigeon Forge, Tennessee

Rude staff that talk down on you and don't give a shit about customers, half the tables closed due to bs rules, food overpriced, no atmosphere, and disgusting interior with nasty bathroom and sticky floors. Do not eat here read more

We went here on a Sunday morning for breakfast and had a great experience! There were only maybe 4 other tables seated and the pancake place across the street was packed. You should definitely give this a shot instead of waiting in line. It's in a hotel/motel so it might just get overlooked. The carafe of mimosa was surprisingly good, and they have a full bar for breakfast! Service was outstanding, and the prices were very reasonable. We had the Breakfast Hash which was good, onion heavy but it's a German place. The Three Bears sampler plates are the way to go though! Food service type potatoes but fired perfectly, bacon was on point, scrambled eggs, but... you get bratwurst. Bratwurst with breakfast. Yeah, soak that in. It was, dare I say, perfect. You can get them in omelets too which I would imagine would be fantastic. Biscuits and gravy could use some improvement. Biscuits aren't very tender, think Chick-Fil-A style, and the gravy is a little runny, it isn't thick like you would expect in the South. Not bad, but could be better. read more

Wild Bear Tavern - Breakfast Hash - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Pigeon Forge, Tennessee

See all

It was amazing. Great place to eat. Staff were very friendly . Lots of seating. Bathrooms were clean

What a find. Proves that there a reason that sometimes there's a line to get in. Reason; great German food and with friendly service.

It was quite a surprise to find German food in the thick of a tourist area. It's kind of a dark restaurant and a little sleepy, so not my favorite type of ambiance, BUT if you're on the hunt for tasty food, this is it. The potato pancakes appetizer were to die for and plentiful. The flavors of this dish are just done to perfection. For the main, we shared the traditional Schnitzel with Rotkhol and Spazle, and it was superb. I recommend the brown gravy sauce, not so much the lemon one, but this is just personal preference. We also did a whiskey tasting, and I really didn't enjoy that, we didn't get any backstory on the alcohol and none of them were smooth...maybe it was the selection of whiskeys brought to us. I think they missed the mark on this. However though, the beer was great! The chef here really knocked it out of the park for our dishes. Bravo! read more

See all

Yummy German food next to a motel, who would've known. The fresh over sized pretzel was delicious, buttery and soft. The schnitzel was thin, tender and tender. The cheese spatzel is a must, don't skip it. read more

Wild Bear Tavern - Schnitzel - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Pigeon Forge, Tennessee

See all

Goulash succulent tasty beef with cheesy Spatzle & Roasted Brussel sprouts went amazing with Dunkel or Hefeweizen Succulent slow cooked Pork with German Potato Salad & Cheesy Spatzle and vegetables THE CAKE‼ Black Forest or German Chocolate....my husband is returning for take home cake read more

Wild Bear Tavern - Black Forrest Cake‼ - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Pigeon Forge, Tennessee

See all

The food here was really great and the outside seating was perfect because we had our dog with us. My husband and I ordered a couple of beers on tap. An Oktoberfest and a Hefeweizen both were served really cold and were delicious. Next we had a giant pretzel which was equally delicious and we both enjoyed the schnitzel for dinner. Mine was traditional and his was parmigiana. Both ordered with potato pancakes which were amazing! Friendly staff and great food!! read more

Not sure what the hype is... came here excited that they had gluten free schnitzel. Really awesome that they have this as an option but the waiter seemed aggravated when I asked for gluten free... said he had to go see if it was even available. Luckily it was, but it came out sooo dry and burnt. The party I was with wasn't impressed with their meals either. read more