Tony Gore’s BBQ

Tony Gore has been making delicious BBQ at his restaurant in Sevierville since 2006 and he’s still going strong.

Tony Gore is a dual threat. His voice got him started and he’s pretty well-know gospel singer, but it’s his barbeque that has made him famous…. At least around here. Gore opened his Sevierville BBQ joint in 2006 and he’s been cookin’ up some of the finest pork in the Smokies ever since.

The restaurant has drawn rave reviews from many including such national publications as Southern Living as a place to stop in the Smoky Mountains. Gore’s specialty are the recipes maintained through classic southern cooking, primarily BBQ.

Gore’s barbecue is notably supple, mild, and sweet with just a hint of good ole smoky smell that gets diners right in the nose the minute they pull into the parking lot. And don’t let anyone tell you not to put any sauce on that pork! Gore’s sauce is the tangy, spicy, sweet goodness that just sets off a pig and makes mouths water in delight. To put it simply, the meat is good, but the sauce makes it even better. Pour it on and don’t listen to anyone.

Stopping by for dinner? Don’t worry about leaving Tony’s place hungry, the portions are absolutely enormous, and oh so good. The sides don’t slouch either, though you might when you leave. Just remember to loosen up that belt a bit. Tony Gore’s Smoky Mountain BBG & Grill has a saying and it’s plastered everywhere: “Never Trust a Thin Cook.” When you look at your plate, thin never made it to the kitchen.

Still, if you’re looking to save a bit of money, or cut down on your portion size, you do have some options. Try brisket and pork on the restaurant’s three mini burgers, in which you can mix and match pork and brisket. This will cut down on trying heaping helpings of both and save you a bit of cash at the same time.

When it comes to southern cooking and the art of Barbeque, Tony Gore is a name to remember in Sevierville. It’s the perfect stop just before you enter the Great Smoky Mountains National Park to fill up on some tasty BBQ pork and brisket.

Top 10 Sevierville Restaurants

Top 10 Sevierville Restaurants from the Rib Shack off Pittman Center Road to Applewood Farmhouse off the Parkway, Sevierville’s great for eating.

With all the fantastic restaurants in the Smoky Mountain region, sometimes picking one can be as easy as shaking them all up in a jar and seeing which one falls out. Sevierville is no exception. While there are a number of great choices, our pick for No. 1 is also our pick for the best BBQ in the entire area as well. But this is not an end all list, there are numerous restaurants that open every year in the area so if you think we might have missed one, drop us a line.

Sevierville’s top restaurants stretch all the way into the county with great food being found no matter where you find yourself in town. Anyways, enough meandering about geography, let’s get on with the eats.

Our list of the Top 10 Restaurants in Sevierville:

  1. The Rib Shack – Located off of Pittman Center Road in Sevier County, this wooden shack serves up the BEST barbeque brisket in the area. You want to eat somewhere that you’ll tell stories about and have you seeking out the next time you’re in Sevierville, well the Rib Shack is the place. They also feature Barbeque chicken and pork, but the brisket is edibly inspiring.
  2. Bistro 109 – This fine dining establishment located in the heart of downtown Sevierville features a number of locally grown and organic dishes as well as a beautiful wine bar with numerous selections to choose from. Stop by for lunch and order a sandwich or lunch portion with sweet potato fries or experience one of their revolving specials.
  3. Applewood Farmhouse – Start off each meal with an apple fritter and pick from a menu consisting of country favorites. Fritters as well as an Apple Julep and apple butter are served with each meal. Her, you’ll feel like you’re sitting at your grandmother’s table again with all the old country smells and tastes you enjoyed as a child.
  4. Tony Gore’s BBQ – Another great barbeque place that has been featured in numerous publications as one of the best in the Smokies and Tennessee. Come for lunch and try their BBQ pork sandwich or chicken. You can’t go wrong with barbeque at Tony Gore’s, just bring your appetite.
  5. Gondolier – This Italian eatery features some of best southern European delights including gyros, numerous pasta dishes, calzones, and pizzas. Each is served with fresh baked bread sticks and marinara sauce. If it’s Italian you’re craving, stop by Gondolier for a bite. Continue reading “Top 10 Sevierville Restaurants”

Del’s Pizza in Kodak

Del’s Pizza in Kodak, Tn is some of the best authentic Italian pizza in the Smokies.

If you’re like most people around here, you love pizza. There is so much pizza love in the area, that besides the big chains, you can probably find around a dozen local establishments that serve their own brand of pizza as well. If you’re looking for some great local pizza let us suggest Del’s Pizza in Kodak, Tn.

Del’s is a sit-down restaurant where you can order take-out or just wait for your pie while it bakes in the oven. And it’s not just pizza pies either. You can choose from hot baked subs, cold cut subs, pitas, calzones, hot dogs, pastas, and salads off their menu. It’s a wonderful Italian eating experience. If you’re asking us, you really can’t go wrong with any of the specialty pizzas. Our favorite is the Chicken Ranch. Others include meat lovers, veggie lovers, Hawaiian, pepperoni lovers, Philly steak, and Del’s (All the way) – which includes pretty much all the meat you can cram on one pizza.

Their hot Italian subs are extremely tasty in their own right. If you like fresh baked bread and some of the finest in Italian meats, stick to this category. Del’s menu consists of such Italian favorites as Chicago Italian beef, Italian beef marinara, meatball parmesan, eggplant parmesan, chicken parmesan, and sausage parmesan. And as far as hot dogs go, it’s hard to beat Del’s selection – the Chicago Style with mustard, relish, freshly chopped onions, sliced red ripe tomatoes, a Kosher pickle and peppers piled into a poppy seed bun, the New Yorker, the Texan, the Tennessean with chili, cole slaw and a Kosher pickle all on a poppy seed bun, and the Wisconsin.

Del’s also has a great set of side items that can also double as a meal in some cases, starting with buffalo wings. Order 12 buffalo wings in either mild, hot, honey mustard or BBQ. You can also choose from garlic knots, cinnamon sticks, bread sticks, and cheese bread. Whatever you choose, you won’t come back hungry that’s for sure.

The next time you’re in Kodak, don’t just blow by on your way to get to I-40, or the Smokies, stop by Del’s and get an authentic Italian pizza pie and stay awhile.

Del’s Pizza
2946 Winfield Dunn Parkway Suite 110 (Bryan Crossing)
Kodak, TN 37764-4309
(865) 933-0900

Bistro 109

Bistro 109 in Sevierville, TN – a unique dining experience.

A Unique Dining Experience

Bistro 109 is something a little bit different in the heart of Sevierville, TN.  Located near the courthouse, Bistro 109 is part of the historic Bruce St area of town.  But once you step inside the restaurant you realize that you aren’t in small town USA anymore.  Bistro 109 has a very upscale interior offering a quite place to step in out of the hustle and bustle of the tourist town and enjoy some great food in a great atmosphere.  Tie the atmosphere to a great waitstaff and you have the recipe for a great time.

Bistro 109 is a little off the beaten path.  You will want to plug Bruce Street in Sevierville into your GPS and then find a place to park along the street.  If you head toward the courthouse, you will see Bistro 109, right there.  Take in your surroundings before you head inside.  You are in one of the older parts of Sevier County and certainly one of those areas that hasn’t changed very much.  If you are interested in more history about Sevierville, the Sevier County Historical Society has a museum on the other end of the block from Bistro 109.

Photos of Bistro 109, SeviervilleAs soon as you walk into Bistro 109 you are going to realize that you are somewhere different.  You have stepped into an upscale restaurant, a bistro right off what used to be the main drag in Sevierville in the 50s and 60s.  The interior is well decorated and helps to keep the noise and sound from other diners to a minimum.  This gives you a quite dining experience for those intimate occasions or those business lunches that need lots of discussion.  The waitstaff is almost as good as the atmosphere.  Knowledgeable, fast and professional, Bistro 109 has some of the best waiters and waitresses in Sevier County.  They will make sure that you get the food you want as quickly as possible.

The menu options at Bistro 109 range from the very elegant to just good ole comfort food.  Their food style is somewhere between southern gourmet, soul food and french bistro.  And while their steaks are always cooked to perfection, the less then ordinary fare is what you want to stick to.  Their shrimp and grist are very good and something to write home about.  This low country favorite is cooked perfectly and they put their own spin on it.  They also have a maple crusted pork chop that you will not find anywhere else.  The great maple taste cooked into the pork chop is something different – and spectacular.  You will also see sides that you don’t see a lot in the Smokies.  Risotto, orzo and fresh vegetables served in unique and uncommon ways are the perfect complement to your meal.

Bistro 109 is something a little different for your dining experience in Sevierville.  Step into the elegant dining area and get waited on by a professional staff.  Order something different and enjoy getting away from the rat race to enjoy

Bistro 109
109 Bruce St
Sevierville, TN
865-453-8899
Web

Thai Basil Restaurant

Thai Basil provides a healthy alternative when dining out in the Smokies.

Healthy Food for Healthy Living

There are some healthy alternatives when choosing a dining location in the Smokies.  One of those options is Thai Basil Restaurant.  Thai Basil is a locally owned Thai restaurant that is introducing healthy, authentic Thai food to the area.  They are located beside Staples and Pizza Hut in Sevierville before you get to the bridge near downtown Sevierville, TN.  The menu is full of interesting dishes that are par-for-course in Thai restaurants but are very new to the locals in Sevier County and some  of the visitors as well. Thai Basil is located on Winfield Dunn Parkway.  Once you exit the interstate at exit 407, you will be on Winfield Dunn Parkway, follow the road until you see a large shopping complex with Krogers, Lowes and Staples.  If you pull into the shopping center with Staples you will see Thai Basil on the left hand side.  There is plenty of parking and though you will have to fight your way through the locals, that have become regulars.  They have plenty of seating and the staff is incredible.  If this is your first foray into Thai food, don’t be afraid to ask questions.  The waiters and waitresses have had plenty of experience with the food and they will certainly lead you in the right direction. When you order your food there are a few things you will want to keep in mind:

  • If you are looking at the Stir Fry, Thai Curry or Noodle options on the menu, you are going to have your choice of meat for your dish – beef, chicken or pork.  Of course you can also choose your entree without meat by substituting tofu or vegetables and having a vegetarian treat.
  • You are also going to choose the level of the heat that you want.  The levels are mild, medium, hot or Thai hot.  If you ask for Thai hot, get prepared for your taste buds to light up.  It is recommended that if you have not had Thai food before that you aim for the lower end of the spectrum.

Here are a few of my personal favorites off their menu: Pad Thai – This is the national dish of Thailand.  Rice noodles, bean sprouts, eggs, scallions and special peanut sauce. Amazing dish and they make some of the best Pad Thai that you will ever have. Drunken Noodle – Stir-fried flat rice noodles with eggs, bell peppers, carrots, onions and green beans covered with a sweet and spicy basil sauce.  The Drunken Noodle has an entirely different flavor palette then the Pad Thai with a lot of the same textures and ingredients. Masaman Curry – A perfect blend of sweet and savory flavors. Avocado, broccoli, pineapple, potato and cashew nuts covered in a Masaman sauce.  This is served along with white rice.  The sweet flavors in the curry give way to an afterbite of heat that makes this a fun dish to try.  The avocado is a great textural counterpoint to the broccoli and pineapple. Thai Basil is something new in the culinary scene of Sevierville.  Great food, great service and of course, being located on your way into or out of town, this might be a good stop for those people starting or ending their vacation.  Thai Basil needs to be your first introduction to Thai food, give it a try while you are on vacation.

Thai Basil Restaurant
530 Winfield Dunn Parkway
Sevierville, TN
865-453-9339
Web

Willies Restaurant

Willies Restaurant in Seymour, Tn offers some of the best comfort food and Italian cuisine in East Tennessee. Be sure to try their chicken wings.

Let’s travel off the beaten path this time and take a short trip north to Seymour, Tn from Sevierville. Why Seymour? Well, it’s the home of Willies Restaurant – an almost hole-in-the-wall establishment specializing in East Tennessee comfort food with a splash of its own delicious Italian cuisine. Not only will you find the aforementioned comfort food, but great service and an eclectic atmosphere are staples at Willies.  If it’s something different you crave on this visit to the Smokies, seek out the edges of Sevier County and Willies.

WBIR television in Knoxville recently lauded Willies Restaurant as having the Best Comfort Food in East Tennessee for 2010. Their amazing menu is chock-full of comfort food staples:  chicken wings, hamburgers, sub sandwiches and much more. And each bite is stuffed with Willies’ signature flavor.  You’ll be coming back for seconds in no time. Some even consider it ‘bar food’, but without everyone huddled and hanging over the bar. It’s the stick-to-your-ribs style food that you crave for its intense flavor.

Willies freshly prepared pizza.

Take a look at the Italian side of the menu as well. You’ll come across all kinds of mouth-watering pastas from Baked Manicotti to Chicken Scampi and Broccoli. The Italian sauces are family recipes that have been passed down through generations. It’s like you’re almost  sitting down to eat with someone from the old country – that’s what makes Willies so great, its original Italian perfected over many years. Traditional Italian food, cooked to perfection, and just right down the road. Delicious garlic knots accompany all the pasta dishes – another reason people come back again and again.  These knots of dough are big enough to eat alone and you never stop at just one.

The town of Seymour itself is one of the fastest growing areas in Sevier County. You’d think that would accompany a Pigeon Forge advertisement, but over the  years Seymour has become a place where people get away from the more touristy trappings. Located between Sevierville and Knoxville, Seymour is spread out along Chapman Hwy (one of the first routes from Knoxville into the Smoky Mountains before I-40 was built).  Willies is right off Chapman Hwy and is a great break in driving between Sevierville and Knoxville. Don’t worry, you’ll feel like family once you walk in the door at Willies. The staff is experienced and gives some of the best service in Seymour.

Stop by Willies if you’re taking a day trip out of Sevier County while on vacation in the Smoky Mountains.  Grab some comfort food or sample some of the best Italian that Sevier County has to offer.  Wrap your hands around an enormous burger or dig into a pile of chicken wings, get a plate of Primavera or a dish of Baked Ziti and enjoy being waited on by people who are actually glad that you are there.  Step through the doors at Willies and become part of their family; get comforted by the food and create a memory that you will remember every time you come back to the Smokies.

Willies Restaurant
11612 Chapman Hwy
Seymour, TN
865-773-0170
www.willies-restaurant.com

The Diner in Sevierville

Take a trip back to the 1950s at The Diner in Sevierville.

Take a step back into the 1950’s… literally. The Diner in Sevierville has captured the feeling of the 50’s and bottled it for everyone to enjoy. The popular attraction is a monthly destination for old car buffs with their weekly cruise-in’s and those of us who like to take a step back to the good ‘ole days.

The Diner’s popularity also stems from their all-day breakfast menu. Patrons can stop by any time for a fresh stack of pancakes and a side of eggs, or have an omelet fried up, order some biscuits & gravy, waffles, or enjoy one of the Diner’s  finest breakfast steaks.

Known by some to serve Sevier County’s best burgers, guests can choose from Angus, bison, elk, veggie, or char-grilled burgers made to order.  Sides include onion rings, skin-on fries, or low carb vegetables.  If you’re in the mood for a sandwich, there are BBQ, chicken, BLT, prime rib, Reuben, tuna salad, bologna, club, Philly cheese, as well as hot dogs.  Hand-dipped shakes and scrumptious banana splits, homemade banana  pudding, sundaes, cheesecake and cakes all round out the desert menu.

If you’re in the mood for Italian, The Diner also offers a taste of Italy including spaghetti & meatballs, eggplant and chicken parmesano, as well as lasagna.

Traditional and southern fare include steaks, grilled or fried chicken, mama’s meat loaf, chicken & dumplin’s, baked chicken pie, open-face roast beef or turkey, country-fried steaks, grilled or fried fish, shrimp, and chicken liver.

Check out their weekly calendar of events and be sure to stop by when you’re in town and choose your favorite song on the jukebox!

The Diner
550 Winfield Dunn Parkway
Sevierville, TN
37876
865-908-1904

Sevierville Restaurant Listing

Listing of Sevierville Restaurants

Sevierville, TN is the county seat of Sevier County and also a hotbed for great local restaurants. Sevierville restaurants that range from the good down-home cooking you remember from Grandma’s house to the eclectic new world fusion of Mediterranean and Mexican.  From Clint’s Family Restaurant on the road to Newport to the Rib Shack on Pitman Center Rd, visitors coming to eat in Sevierville will find that there is no end to the opportunities provided for the foodie in all of us.

English Mountain Trout Farm
291 Blowing Cave Rd
Sevierville, TN 37862

Little Italian Kitchen
2467 Boyds Creek Highway
Sevierville, TN

The Tin Roof Café
304 Apple Valley Rd
Sevierville, TN 37862

Thai Palace
1811 Parkway
Sevierville, TN

Bistro 109
109 Bruce St
Sevierville, TN 37862

Applewood Farmhouse Grill
220 Apple Valley Rd
Sevierville, TN 37862

Gondolier Italian Restaurant
964 Dolly Parton Parkway
Sevierville, TN 37862

The Rib Shack
2933 Pittman Center Rd
Sevierville, TN 37934

Applewood Farmhouse Restaurant
240 Apple Valley Rd
Sevierville, TN 37862

El Paso Mexican Restaurant
560 Winfield Dunn Parkway
Sevierville, TN 37876

McClarens
737-4 Dolly Parton Parkway
Sevierville, TN

Smoky Mountain Pizza Co
566 Winfield Dunn Parkway
Sevierville, TN 37876

The Diner
550 Winfield Dunn Parkway
Sevierville, TN 37876

Clint’s family Restaurant
2334 Newport Hwy
Sevierville, TN 37876

Moonshine Ridge Café
2005 Wears Valley Rd
Sevierville, TN 37862

Stonehouse Pizza
1725 Waldens Creek Rd
Sevierville, TN 37876

Flapjacks Pancake Cabin
1018 Parkway
Sevierville, TN 37862

Hungry Bear Bistro
1887 Bluff Mountain Rd
Sevierville, TN 37876

Sakura Buffet
624 Parkway
Sevierville, TN 37862