Trailhead Steak House

This place is like a hidden Jem! After a long day on the Harley, I was looking for a good meal and that’s just what I got. I had the rib eye and she had the salmon. Both were absolutely delicious! Nice clean atmosphere and Aubrey what a great waitress. I highly recommend this restaurant

We walked in and were promptly seated. That was unusual. But wIthin 30 minutes there was a wait so we just lucked out on the timing. We both had the steak and salad. I also had the broccoli cheese soup which was yummy. The steak was phenomenal! Cooked perfectly and so juicy! My husband was very thankful they brought back the beer battered fries. Our waitress Chelsea was very attentive and made sure we had everything we needed. We have decided that is a must stop every time we are in Townsend!

Very good. I had the trout and it was perfectly prepared and very tasty. My wife had the sirloin and it was great. Salad bar limited but good and fresh.

Visiting from out of town and stopped by for dinner. We both had 6oz sirloin which was delicious. Love this place!

Awesome filet mignon, gourmet burgers and garlic fries! The salad bar is fresh and well stocked, with something for everyone. We were in town for the 50^th Anniversary Ford Bronco Super Celebration, put on by Bronco Driver magazine, so the area was literally packed with people. We called ahead, but still had to wait about 45 minutes. The hostess was charming and very proactive at getting us seated, literally doing 5 jobs at once (bussing tables, serving, hostessing, refreshing drinks, etc.). We were impressed at the service and quality of the food, despite being slammed with customers. We will definitely make this our place to come to next year — but WILL get a reservation versus calling ahead!

Went here after getting married in Cades Cove. Seen this place before we headed out that evening. Everyone was really sweet, the food was great, and they didn’t even rush us, even though we were there for 40 minutes after close. I really appreciated the service and the food! The trout was fresh and delicious!

This was one of the best restaurants I’ve been to. Food was amazing and service was great. The salad bar was really good as well. We really enjoyed our free picture too. Nice bonus. We will be back

Waitress was very sweet and atmosphere cozy. But there were four hungry people who all ordered hamburgers. People came after us, including a group of four men who all ordered Full meals. They were all served and some finished (all almost finished) before we ever got served. There was never an explanation. It was a little pricey ($ 8.95 for a small cup of queso and a handful of chips) given that and the extremely long wait time, I wouldn’t recommend it if you’re wanting to eat right away. Which we were.

This was a pleasant surprise. We stopped for an early dinner on New Years Day. I had a really well cooked sirloin steak and my husband had the hamburger steak. Both were good.

This was a great place, really good food, big portions and tasty. Great service with pleasant servers. Would recommend.

Went here after discovering Black Bear Café closed for the season! My wife had Country Fried Steak, while I had the Large Sirloin. Both were delicious — and perfectly cooked. Get there early, as many restaurants are closed for the season, and hungry people start queuing up at 17:30. Service was also attentive, and unobtrusive as well. I will return here, hungry for more!

Very middle of the road joint. Waited 10 minutes for a seat in a near empty restaurant. Filet Mignon was not flavorful at all and desert just tasted gross. Salad and fried green tomatoes were the highlight of the meal. When there is a huge sign out front saying steak and best ya got is salad not good folks.

Cute cabiny style restaurant with great post-​hike food. I had fried steak and gravy and the hubs had blackened trout, both yummy and the fries are great. Awesome service, nice prices and big portions.

Service was great. Attentive but not overbearing. Nice atmosphere. Food was excellent.

Overall, good meal and wonderful service. Our waitress asked if everything was ok with the iced tea when she noticed I had not drank much of it. Tea was fine, had just finished a beer so I wasn’t too thirsty. Shows attentive service that she asked.
Note for out of towners (like us). They do not serve wine, only beer. If you would like wine with dinner, go up the road a few miles to Cades Cove Cellars to taste a few and buy a bottle for dinner. Trailhead will serve to you with dinner for a cork fee. Wish we had known this beforehand!

Great food, great service … And they didn’t even complain that we’d just gotten off the river from tubing! Best country fried steak I’ve ever had, and the trout was delicious (I had lightly breaded in cornmeal). Service was prompt and friendly, and prices were fair. This isn’t a life changing kind of restaurant, but this place is simple, clean, affords, sincere and delicious.

Went there for lunch after a day in the Smoky Mountains with another couple. They’re locals but had never been here. Picked it on a whim (I felt like having trout) and read some reviews before going in. The place deserves its high marks.
We started with sweet potato fries. I love sweet potato fries and wasn’t disappointed in these. Then on to the entrée. I wanted both the pan seared and the fried trout, but ended up with the fried, along with corn and green beans. The trout was perfectly seasoned and almost perfectly cooked. It’s a half pound of fish, too, so there’s a lot to enjoy. The vegetables were surprisingly good — and the portions were huge for sides.
Large portions seemed to be the rule. The kids meal our friend ordered was enough for any adult. My wife and our other friend ordered burgers. Neither finished theirs, but both said those were great burgers. They looked good.
When we were there only two other tables were occupied, a 2 top and a 10 top. Service was fast and very friendly (thanks Ashley). Everything is clean (almost too clean, it spoils the rustic look they’re going for), and the wait staff wear fairly traditional uniforms, which is all too rare now.
I really liked this place and would happily go back the next time I’m visiting our friends in Knoxville.

Foodie snob here. Phenomenal steak (be sure to go all out and get the onions and blue cheese crumbles). Also, fantastic service. I’ve eaten here two nights in a row. The fried catfish is good, but I wouldn’t get it again over their steak. Salad was fresh both nights too!

Was planning to go to another restaurant recommended on Unilocal while in the area, but we were running late, and it was going to close in fifteen minutes. So we asked the shopkeeper at the outfitter store next door where she recommended for great local burgers, and without pausing, she recommended the Trailhead in Townsend.
Since it opened at 3:00 pm, we had time to kill, and walked to the Chocolate Bar next door. We got back at three, got a table and ordered a blue cheese burger and a regular cheese burger. We received home made bread followed by one of the best burgers we’ve had, along with some awesome fries. Prices for the burgers were reasonable, no complaints. Their other entrées were more, but if the quality matched the burgers, it would be worth it.
Food was great, beer was cold, and the atmosphere was pleasant and classy. Oh, and great service too!

The dining options in this area are extremely limited, particularly after dark when you’ve spent the entire day hiking and biking Cades Cove and really want a good meal. I had a nice trout dinner with baked potato. It was better than I could have hoped. I recommend the blacked trout dinner. Also, even though I think this is a dry county, they do somehow serve a couple different beers here, including fat tire.