A Battle of East Tennessee Restaurants: Aubrey’s vs Calhoun’s

A battle of two East Tennessee institutions

When it comes to East Tennessee culinary dominance – local chain division – you’ve got a few contenders in the race. Among them is Calhoun’s, a barbecue institution that started in West Knoxville in 1983. The restaurant won the National Rib Cook-off in Ohio shortly thereafter. Another option is Aubrey’s, a less specialized American-style restaurant with a broader menu, which debuted nine years later, in 1992.

Both are among my favorite chain restaurants in the region. Aubrey’s has 14 locations across East Tennessee – including the one in Sevierville and two in Middle Tennessee. Calhoun’s has nine locations, with one in Pigeon Forge and another in Gatlinburg.

What I like about both is that they exude a high quality of experience and an overall comfort and competence that you might not find in less established places. That doesn’t mean everything will always go smoothly at either. This is especially true in Sevier County, where the competition for wait staff is fierce. Nearly every restaurant in the county appears to be in a continuous hiring cycle. 

But I can say I’ve never had a bad meal at either place. When I walk in, I know I’m in good hands.

About Calhoun’s

If you frequent the Smoky Mountains and you want to get a taste of how locals experience the region, one of the things on your list should be eating at Calhoun’s. It’s good East Tennessee-style barbecue, steaks, and more. Is it the best barbecue in the mountains? No. There are some mom-and-pop shops that do it better. But it’s the best combination of barbecue, overall experience, and what I call – destination dining. When you want the family to feel like you’re doing something special – but not overly fancy – Calhoun’s is the right spot. It’s event dining without any pretension. 

About Aubrey’s

I sometimes have trouble calibrating Aubrey’s. That’s because it feels – at least to me – a bit fancier than what it really is. Part of that, I think, is that Aubrey’s debuted just as I was reaching an age where my friends and I could go out to dinner and have the freedom to choose what we wanted. It seemed like adult dining just as we were becoming adults. 

Now that I’m older, I see Aubrey’s both as the father of three who wants a nice but affordable night out with the family and also the kid entering college for whom a trip to Aubrey’s was a rare treat.

This is going to seem like an insult, but I don’t mean it that way. I see Aubrey’s now as what Applebee’s marketing campaign pretends to be, a really good neighborhood bar and grill. Aubrey’s has an excellent bar space and often nice outdoor dining. It hosts trivia nights or serves as a place for friends to get together after work for food and drinks. The menu is good but not overbearing and not overly expensive, but we’ll get to that more in a minute. 

Aubrey’s doesn’t have the name recognition that Calhoun’s has among the tourist crowds. So, it is an interesting choice for the Dolly Parton Parkway, where the restaurant competition is growing, but is still kind of off the beaten path. 

Calhoun’s menu

To start with, Calhoun’s has a great assortment of apps. A child of the Midwest, I’m drawn to the Smoked Sausage and Cheese Plate – kielbasa, sharp cheddar and pepper jack cheese, pimento cheese, spicy pickles, pickled onions, and spicy mustard. I’ve spent enough time in the South that I’ve grown a great appreciation for pimento cheese. Have I ordered this as a lunch? Yes, yes I have.

You also have the Southern restaurant appetizer staples of fried pickles or fried green tomatoes, both of which are fine here. I prefer the Rocky Top Potato Skins – hickory-smoked barbeque pork with green onions, cheese, and bacon – and the bacon-wrapped beef brisket.

For years, I couldn’t really recommend much on the menu. I only ever ordered some version of the barbecue – the pulled pork or the ribs – and Spinach Maria. That’s still my go-to. However, I can say the cheeseburgers are good, as is the California Chicken Burger – fresh ground chicken with avocado, Monterey Jack cheese, bacon, and garlic peppercorn dressing. My son swears by the Ale Pork Chop, and I can confirm the Ale Steak is delicious as well. My wife – who has enjoyed fish and chips since our first trip to London in the year 2000 – attests that Calhoun’s does that well.

How are the salads? No idea. My core identity doesn’t allow me to walk into an excellent barbecue place and order anything other than a side salad. I should also say Calhoun’s is kind of famous for its chicken tenders.

I’m not much of a dessert guy, but I enjoy a classic banana pudding after good barbecue. However, I’m not crazy about Calhoun’s version with macadamia nuts. But the Hershey’s Triple Chocolate Fudge cake is good – if that much chocolate doesn’t overwhelm. 

Aubrey’s Menu

In my opinion, Aubrey’s falls behind right out of the gate because the appetizers – called small plates – are mostly just OK. In fact, I’m a little insulted that the lead-off hitter is thick-cut potato chips with a double serving of buttermilk garlic dipping sauce. The Sausage & Pimento Cheese is the best option, featuring Tillamook Cheddar Pimento Cheese and Grilled Sausage, served with homemade crackers and fresh jalapeños. Is it strange to say I especially like the crackers? I do. They’re nice. But I do pick off some of the Jalapenos. The stomach can’t take as much of that heat as it used to.

The Pizza Rockefeller – Grilled chicken, jack cheese, diced tomatoes, jalapeño peppers, and Aubrey’s Spinach Con Queso on a flour tortilla crust – is the second best option, although I haven’t tried the relatively new Filet Bites – cuts of beef tenderloin, potato dumplings, asparagus tips, baby arugula, mushrooms, and Madeira wine sauce. The Filet Bites are on my to-do list. But my most frequent entrée order here is the Hawaiian Ribeye. So, it is hard to order steak as an appetizer to a steak. 

I will try the salads at Aubrey’s because it doesn’t offend my sensibilities at all to order a salad at a place that doesn’t specialize in smoked meat. Also, they have a Granny Smith Steak Salad that puts the best of both worlds on the same plate.

Aubrey’s has a better array of sandwich and burger options – or as they say in the business now – handhelds. Leslie is fond of the Fish Tacos – with farm-raised salmon – and I think the Patty Melt is a strong option. As much as I love Reubens, it’s odd that I’ve never tried the one at Aubrey’s. That said, this is a situation that I will soon rectify. 

Fish and chips, chicken fingers, and grilled chicken round out the entrées. Again, I’m big on the Hawaiian Ribeye – marinated in soy, pineapple, and ginger. When I don’t get that, I look to the Rattlesnake Pasta – grilled chicken, sautéed baby spinach, green peppers, linguine, southwestern spiced Alfredo, and cilantro.

The winner?

Doing these things is often difficult and may be influenced by recency bias. Not too long ago, I rated Aubrey’s and Holston’s as fairly close after a good experience at Holston’s. Then I went back to Holston’s, ordered something that should have had more kick, and was reminded of my many experiences with Holston’s sister restaurant, No Way Jose’s. I’ve been debating ever since whether to go back and adjust that review. 

In this instance, there are no losers, but there is a clear winner. Calhoun’s comes out on top. It’s simply a more distinctive dining experience, especially if you get out of Sevierville and go to Calhoun’s on the River in the shadow of Neyland Stadium. You do have to be aware that the Sevier County locations are struggling to find available help. But otherwise, it’s a more authentic East Tennessee experience. 

Do you prefer Aubrey’s or Calhoun’s? Let us know what you think in the comments and on the socials!