Battle of the Burgers in the Smokies: Graze vs Blue Moose 

Hankering for a hunk of beef? How to choose between Graze Burgers and Blue Moose Burgers and Wings

There’s a saying that all pizza being good pizza but some pizza is better than others. I don’t think that’s exactly true with burgers, but I think it’s close. Look, if you take a nice hunk of beef, season it, cook it and top it on a bun with lettuce, tomato and mustard, it’s hard to mess that up.

But you can elevate a burger beyond the norm. You can make a burger special with toppings – bacon jam is very popular now – or you can make it special with the quality of meat, an attention to seasoning and then use toppings on top of that.

Cheeseburgers all over the world are great but some are better than others. And that brings burger lovers in the Smokies with a plethora of options. Heck, there are five great places to get a burger in Downtown Sevierville alone. But many options can lead to indecision.

So let us help, we’re pitting two burger joints against each other and let the best burger win.

Blue Moose vs Graze: A burger showdown

What we have here is an East Tennessee chain of restaurants – Blue Moose has locations in Pigeon Forge, Alcoa, Johnson City, Chattanooga and Gatlinburg – versus a burgeoning family of restaurants – Graze’s sister restaurant DŌ Scratch Made Pizza and Pasta is just around the corner.

We have a showdown of environments as well. The Blue Moose model features massive location with dozens of TVs. Conversely, Graze is cool and dark with a smattering of tables, an extensive bar and three TVs that are there mostly to serve the bar patrons. There is a nice outdoor dining area for when the weather’s nice but it’s not the most scenic of locations.

The Blue Moose menu is more elaborate with 12 apps, a whole lot of chicken wing options, salads, sandwiches and more.

At Graze, the burger’s the thing. They do have a handful of apps, including wings and “Pig Wings” – Crispy “double thick” pork belly with Asian sauce.

What’s to like at Blue Moose Burgers and Wings?

A lot. Blue Moose is bright and fun with a menu to match. They offer the usual variety of classic apps – we were big on the double-dipped onion rings. As befitting the name, there is a significant attention to chicken wings with 23 separate flavor options. They offer a variety of sandwiches, wraps and a chili dog in addition to the variety of burgers.

The Big Mushroom Melt is a classic with Swiss cheese, onions and mushrooms. Other options include the somewhat decadent – and possibly dangerous to your health – Grilled Cheese Cheeseburger which substitutes grilled cheese sandwiches for buns – and the now obligatory Bacon Jam burger.

They’re good burgers, similar to what you’d expect from any good restaurant chain burgers. Blue Moose Pigeon Forge is located at 2430 Teaster Ln #108 and the Gatlinburg location is 515 Parkway. The website can be followed here.

What’s to like at Graze Burgers?

While Blue Moose serves good to great burgers among its other offerings, at Graze, the pursuit of excellence in the art of the burger is what matters. How serious is Graze about its burgers? They are proud of their meat, 100% all natural, no hormones, no antibiotics and no steroids. The patties are so well seasoned, they could be served without bun or topping and I would walk away thinking I had a good meal.

Beyond that Graze is looking to enhance the form beyond beef. There are turkey, bison, veggie and lamb options as well as fried chicken and smoked salmon options that feel more like sandwiches to me than actual burgers.

The apps are fewer than you’d find at Blue Moose but hit many of the same notes and are of higher quality. Crispy mushrooms or fried green tomatoes are especially nice. They have a nice variety of salads but I doubt I’ll ever order one here. You go to Graze for the meat.

In addition to the burgers, salads and apps, Graze offers a trio of classic all-beef hotdogs – The Q is my favorite – Bourbon BBQ, southern slaw, chopped bacon and aged cheddar. But the Trailer Park – Beef chili, aged cheddar, house pickles, bacon jam, bourbon caramelized onions, stone ground mustard – is good as well.

Graze is located at 125 Bruce St. in Sevierville. The website is located here.

Who wins?

If you’ve read this far you already know. The Blue Moose burgers are good. Any night on the town – especially if there’s a big game – Blue Moose would be a quality choice.

But if I want a truly great Burger? It’s Graze every day of the week and twice on Sunday.

If you want a traditional beef burger, The Tennessee – Bacon jam, bourbon BBQ, smoked gouda, beer battered onion rings, house slaw, tomatoes, house pickles – and the Southern Jam – Pimento cheese, bacon jam, bourbon caramelized onions, local greens, tomatoes, house pickles – work nicely. If you want something less traditional, I love the Mad Greek – Colorado lamb, feta, tzatziki sauce, olive tapenade, cucumbers, local greens, tomatoes, onions. But you can’t go wrong with any of them.

Do you have a favorite in this restaurant showdown? Let us know in the comments and on the socials!