Good Restaurants
- Thread starter 504RP
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Dave
Well-known member
We just barely have fast food in town. A couple of ok restaurants. The Haines steak house is pretty good but that id 40 miles away.
kenny thomas
Well-known member
I will check it out next time im by there on I-40
If out that way I will check it out.
Not changing the subject but specking of Restaurants/gas stations I was at the Buc-ees yesterday at Kodak, TN going into Pigeon Forge/Gatlinburg. They have a 4-lane going just to Buc-ees only and it was bumper to bumper at a crawl to just get into the place. I had to wait in line to get gas, and they have probably over 100 pumping places. Inside it was a crazy as the bathroom line was 100+ feet long. That big barbeque brisque, Buc-ees chips and 32 oz. drink was good.
Headed on toward Pigeon Forge and it was 3 lanes on one side bumper to bumper as far as I could see. I got turned around at a red light which took me three light cycles to get out and headed out at the knife works place.
That place is over run and I noticed a lot of the tags were from out of state.
Not changing the subject but specking of Restaurants/gas stations I was at the Buc-ees yesterday at Kodak, TN going into Pigeon Forge/Gatlinburg. They have a 4-lane going just to Buc-ees only and it was bumper to bumper at a crawl to just get into the place. I had to wait in line to get gas, and they have probably over 100 pumping places. Inside it was a crazy as the bathroom line was 100+ feet long. That big barbeque brisque, Buc-ees chips and 32 oz. drink was good.
Headed on toward Pigeon Forge and it was 3 lanes on one side bumper to bumper as far as I could see. I got turned around at a red light which took me three light cycles to get out and headed out at the knife works place.
That place is over run and I noticed a lot of the tags were from out of state.
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Ky hills
Well-known member
@jltrent I haven’t been to Gatlinburg since I was a small child probably over 45 years ago. I have just vague snapshot like images in my mind of it. I can remember walking along a street lined with stores and people walking everywhere. I remember going in a candy store and seeing them make taffy, which is similar at least the pulling part to the pull candy or cream candy as some call it that my grandmother and mother used to make, the pull candy creams as they called it and has a different texture than taffy after it sits for a few hours.
I can remember getting a little stuffed toy black bear too.
Haven’t been back as an adult, but would like to see the area again as my wife has never been there.
A lot of people from here go there fairly regular. My cousin talks about all the traffic, he pulls a camping trailer down there. He goes to the knife place some, and apple barn.
I can remember getting a little stuffed toy black bear too.
Haven’t been back as an adult, but would like to see the area again as my wife has never been there.
A lot of people from here go there fairly regular. My cousin talks about all the traffic, he pulls a camping trailer down there. He goes to the knife place some, and apple barn.
Yesterday was a rainy day and it was miserable so much traffic and people. If you go and it is worth it, get there early.
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Travlr
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- NW Arkansas, W South Dakota, retired in Utah
We have a Mexican restaurant in town that is popular with the locals. Also a cafe that is "world famous" but has gone through several local owners and has always had some of the worst pie I've ever seen. And a Denny's and some fast food places up by the freeway.
I've seen several restaurants open and close. People here will try something once and if it isn't perfect they will tell all their neighbors and then no one will come in. We had a Chinese place open up and for the first few weeks they needed to get their **it together... and eventually the food became amazing. But by then it was too late. No one would give it a chance.
I've seen several restaurants open and close. People here will try something once and if it isn't perfect they will tell all their neighbors and then no one will come in. We had a Chinese place open up and for the first few weeks they needed to get their **it together... and eventually the food became amazing. But by then it was too late. No one would give it a chance.
I think you would like it and easy access right off I-40. Am not sure of its business hours. It’s one of the few places left around here that has the reputation it has. I have a friend that brings family and friends from close to 100 miles one way frequently to there. When I was still working we worked for the same company. He lived in Fayetteville Arkansas and we always had to let the other know when we had went there to eat kind of to pick and brag about having went there.
With all I have been having go on with my health I guess it’s been close to two years since we had went there. Kind of I guess forgot about the place. I just happened to think of it the other night and told the wife “ Let’s go to Browns Catfish house tonight ! “ So we did.
Man I only went through the buffet one time and only filled my plate up one time with three of those small desert bowls but boy I don’t know what I was thinking and that’s what I told my wife on the way home.
Told her I just wanted to get a little bit of everything because of my back problem it hurts me to walk even through the buffet line.
Lol !!! Wife keep watching me eat and had finished way before I did. And sit there smiling. I asked what was so funny and she said she was just wondering if I was going to be able to eat all of that. (Lol !!! ). Of course I have to save face and told her yup !!! Sure I am and am fixing to go back through the buffet after I finished what I had on my plate. She went and got he a bowl of peaches cobbler and ice cream and was eating it. Told her I was going to get some of that too !
And I did about 15 minutes and three big Pepsis latter. But have to admit and like I told my wife as I was reaching the finish line. I always did know how to stack small square hay bales on a trailer to load it to the max. And that I had used the same method to load my tray going through that buffet line and had done a very good job of it too !!! 
. Wife just keep staring and asked her again what she was starring at and she said to see if you are going to be able to eat all that and I assured her a second time I sure was and was going back for seconds although I wasn’t able to follow through with that Bragg but did talk my sweet little woman into going and getting me a bowl of ice cream and peach cobbler. As bad stuffed as I was I couldn’t leave without that !!!! 
Man I had bbq ribs, boiled shrimp, fried shrimp, pop corn, and am sure some other types of shrimp. The movie Forest Gump where Buba talks about all the different ways to cook shrimp doesn’t hold a candle to this place. Same with fish, I didn’t realize there were so many was to cook fish or how many different ways there are and same with French fries and onion rings etc….,Used to be a lot of good restaurants like that around here but like I was telling my wife. It won’t be long this one will be lost forever too. It’s not only the food that’s great the service is just as good too. I am not going to even get into describing the desert options or Cole slaws, salads they have
My only complaint was they don’t sever alcohol there because it’s a family oriented restaurant and cold draft beer would just be icing on the cake sort of speak. But I can’t drink alcohol due to medication anymore. But that never stopped me from going there anyway.And as many people that go there very seldom is there much of a wait. It’s a big restaurant plenty of seating and your not stuffed in there like sardines.
Ky hills
Well-known member
Real good restaurants are kind of hard to come by right around here, unless you’re in the mood for the typical Mexican restaurants, which are usually decent, but sometimes it would be nice to have a good southern/mountain cooking restaurant, and I really enjoy good buffets.
About 200 miles west of here in Owensboro KY is a pretty good buffet that centers around barbecue. They serve beef, pork, mutton, chicken, and also fried catfish.
They have a lot of side items too.
Been a long time since I’ve been there.
Going through Jackson TN. off of I-40,
The Casey Jones Railway Museum has a big buffet restaurant. We ate there once and would like to stop there again if it’s timed right on our trip.
The food was good especially considering how many different items was on the buffet.
There’s a pretty good bbq restaurant near Sallisaw OK, Wild Horse Mountain Bbq, it’s not buffet though.
@504RP several years ago we went to Catfish Cove in Fort Smith Arkansas. It as good, but I understand it’s closed down now.
About 200 miles west of here in Owensboro KY is a pretty good buffet that centers around barbecue. They serve beef, pork, mutton, chicken, and also fried catfish.
They have a lot of side items too.
Been a long time since I’ve been there.
Going through Jackson TN. off of I-40,
The Casey Jones Railway Museum has a big buffet restaurant. We ate there once and would like to stop there again if it’s timed right on our trip.
The food was good especially considering how many different items was on the buffet.
There’s a pretty good bbq restaurant near Sallisaw OK, Wild Horse Mountain Bbq, it’s not buffet though.
@504RP several years ago we went to Catfish Cove in Fort Smith Arkansas. It as good, but I understand it’s closed down now.
Can’t forget the frog legs and chicken wings, strips and drumsticks . They have more ways to fry chicken than cater has liver pills. Wife brought to my attention I ate 6 frog legs had to point out the reason for getting six I had to use them like you do when stacking small hay square bales to be able to level out my bowls in order to load them correctly. That also why I load the bottom of the bowl with boiled shrimp. Helps with loading the beef short ribs too !!! If I ever end up on death row that’s where I want to get my last meal from !!!!
If I ever end up on death row that’s where I want to get my last meal from !!!!I guess about 20 years about when different private type Mexican restaurants started popping up and were popular. There were some I was pretty fond off. But any more to me you could put the all in a bag shake them up, dump them out on the table and most are about like a tocao bell. I can’t tell much difference in any of them around here. Good restaurants are getting far and few between. Thank God my sakes my wife is such a good cook and enjoys cooking.
kenny thomas
Well-known member
On the Saturday after the 4th of July? Shew i thought you were smarter than that.
KY hills, you need to go to Pigeon Forge before you move west. Its nothing like it was 45 years ago. You need to go to Dollywood when you do. Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge, and Sevierville are one big tourist town now. All the way out to I-40.
But go through the week not on a weekend.
Ky hills
Well-known member
We have probably 10 Mexican restaurants here in town. 4 are owned by the same owner.
There is one, that we go to the most it’s the oldest one here and one of the those 4.
You’re right, most have a very similar menu even in other towns and states.
We have found one in Lexington Tennessee and one in I believe Hernando Mississippi that are both similar to the rest but have some variation and are very good. We’ve been to the one in Lexington Tennessee several times.
My wife is a good cook too, but she doesn’t really enjoy it. She usually fixes something that will last several meals which is fine with me.
We don’t eat out a whole lot, but let down our guard and have eaten out a few times the last month or two. Twice within the last 3 weeks I’ve gotten food poisoning of some sort and not from Mexican restaurants, it’s been from well known chains. I’m still dealing with the effects of the last bout but doing some better.today.
Ouachita
Well-known member
I couldn’t do it. I like my small town mom/pop convenience store fuel stop. It’s only two pump stations (four nozzles) and I’ve never had to wait. Ever.
If I need something to eat, I can get a breakfast burrito or BBQ sandwich from the rack, or have them short order cook a mean burger and fries, all while my truck is still parked at the pump not bothering anyone.
Sometimes I feel like I live on an island in paradise.
Can also buy beer and bait.
I was guessing with the rain it would keep people away. I guessed wrong. Maybe unless snow on, the place is crazy even during Christmas time. Went one year to see the Christmas lights and there was a crowd.
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kenny thomas
Well-known member
Its getting worse all the time. I have seen a line 12 miles long just to exit off I-40
Ky hills
Well-known member
We would like to go there and then into the mountains on the North Carolina side We have friends originally from there in NC, that want us to see where they are from. I can’t think of the little town but it’s one that was affected so bad by the flooding a couple years ago.
Several years ago, my cousin was down in Sevierville sitting still in several lanes of traffic at a light and somebody turned across traffic and right into his truck.
If there is a good time to go with less people, go when schools start back, during the weekdays, and the summer run of vacationers are over. Get there early to get in before everybody else.
Ky hills
Well-known member
There’s an area about 35 miles east of where we live, that is the Red River Gorge area of the Daniel Boone National Forest, and the Natural Bridge State Park area that some people have been talking about for several years being made into a touristic area similar to Gatlinburg area.
There’s already a lot of tourists coming there for the mountain scenery, hiking, rock climbing, kayaking, off-roading etc.
There is already some rv parks and tent campgrounds a lodge at the state park and a private owned motel, a lot of cabin rentals. The expansion vision is for a big resort and shops,
I can’t really see it becoming the scale of Gatlinburg, but can see it growing significantly if those investments are made.
There’s already a lot of tourists coming there for the mountain scenery, hiking, rock climbing, kayaking, off-roading etc.
There is already some rv parks and tent campgrounds a lodge at the state park and a private owned motel, a lot of cabin rentals. The expansion vision is for a big resort and shops,
I can’t really see it becoming the scale of Gatlinburg, but can see it growing significantly if those investments are made.
Ouachita
Well-known member
I went through Gatlinburg in 2005, the morning after hurricane Katrina spent Nawlins. Instead of taking empty fuel barrels to drain the aircraft gas tanks, we filled them with diesel fuel for the truck. Those folks in Gatlinburg got a really cool show. We did too.
We called ahead to asked if they could drain the avgas from the plane. They did well.
Spent the next twentyish hours heading west, back home. Realized that I was very unprepared. Like pants down around ankles unprepared. I was wishing for more fuel.
Doesn’t seem like 20ish years, but I did get the full on last week of summer experience at Gatlinburg. The people there that year also have a good memory of a couple mad men driving, honking, and waving through town. We made our own parade and those folks thought it was real. We were just taking a short cut on back roads hoping to find some fuel.
Fun times.
