Barbeque for Lunch

…continuing with the recent visit by our friends Margaret and Bruce from the St. Louis Missouri area.

Following our drive through Cade’s Cove and across the Foothills Parkway, (both part of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park), our next goal was to give Bruce and Margaret a quick glimpse of Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg Tennessee.

But first…it was time for lunch.

We drove toward Gatlinburg on the Parkway, looking for a likely place for us to grab a bite or two… When we saw Bennett’s Pit Bar-B-Que in Pigeon Forge, we decided to give it a try.

A little research revealed that Bennett’s Pit Bar-B-Que has been in operation since 1991.  Twenty-eight years is a good run for any restaurant! 

The inside counter and dining areas at Bennett’s Pigeon Forge, (they have 2 locations), has that woodsy feel to it, modified a bit by the hanging greenery.  Of course, they had to have BBQ friendly checkerboard table coverings…

None of use took advantage of the salad bar but it was extensive… I noted that the Soup and Salad Bar Combo was $10.99.  The salad bar could be added to any sandwich or platter for $4.99.

Laurie is a deep fried pickle addict!  Consequently, we ordered Bennett’s Fried Pickles. ($8.99) We were also asked if we would like bread.  We said yes and when I paid the bill, I discovered that the Basket of Bread cost $2.49.  The pickles were good if not great and my better half was happy.

FYI, I noted a couple of more unusual appetizers on the menu.  One was Deep Fried Deviled Eggs and the other was Brisket Stuffed Mushrooms.  Both were priced at $8.99.

Bruce ordered the Bar-B-Que Pork Shoulder Sandwich with baked beans and coleslaw as his sides. ($9.99) He didn’t like his sandwich at all and didn’t finish it.  We tasted it and agreed with him…not good! In fairness, management offered to replace the sandwich but Bruce declined. (They didn’t take it off his bill though…) He did like the baked beans.

Margaret ordered the Pulled Chicken Sandwich with French fries and coleslaw as her sides. ($9.99) She didn’t say anything negative about her meal but it sure didn’t look appetizing to me.

Bruce gave me his copy of his bill…hence the reason I know he was charged for his sandwich.  I also noted that Bennett’s charged $2.99 each for iced tea!  Yikes!  Pricing almost always tends to be higher in tourist areas…

For her entrée, Laurie ordered the Jumbo Baby Back Ribs with Potato Salad and coleslaw. ($12.99) Her ribs were overcooked and too dry…and there wasn’t much ‘jumbo’ about them.  I tasted one and thought that it was just OK. 

My luncheon selection was the Smoked Sausage Platter with coleslaw and French fries as my sides. ($10.99) There was plenty of sausage but it was just average based on my long-time BBQ experiences across the USA.  My Miller Lite Draft Beer cost $4.50.

We probably won’t return to Bennett’s Pit Bar-B-Cue anytime soon… But, given the restaurant’s longevity, they must please a lot of visitors.  FYI, the Johnson Family of Restaurants owns Bennett’s as well as 6 other food related operations in the area.

The Pigeon Forge Bennett’s Pit Bar-B-Cue is located at 2910 Parkway.  Phone: 865-429-2200.  They are open 7 days a week.  Check out their website at https://www.bennetts-bbq.com/.

Following lunch in Pigeon Forge we drove through the center of busy Gatlinburg Tennessee and then we took the bypass back around town rather than deal with the traffic again.  Along the way we stopped to take a couple additional photos…

This photo shows part of the burn area just above Gatlinburg.  It’s beginning to recover… As you may or may not recall, the Great Smoky Mountains suffered a number of wildfires November 28th 2016.  The fires claimed at least 14 lives, injured 134 and its one of the largest natural disasters in Tennessee history.  16,000 acres were burned, at least 14,000 residents and tourists were forced to evacuate and over 2,000 buildings were damaged or destroyed.

Looking away from the burn area behind us, I took this photo of Gatlinburg from the lookout along the bypass.  The town is located on the border of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and on US Hwy. 441, a key route across the mountains to North Carolina.  Gatlinburg is a huge tourist destination with a multitude of attractions that draws millions of visitors every year.

To learn more about Gatlinburg and its possibilities, you can go to either https://www.gatlinburg.com/to-do/attractions/ or https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gatlinburg,_Tennessee.

Just click on any of the photos to enlarge them…

Thanks for stopping by for a visit!

Take Care, Big Daddy Dave