An Upstart Restaurant is Challenging an Icon on the Gatlinburg Strip

Blue Moose vs. Calhoun’s: Who ya got?

There are many factors in choosing how to spend your culinary budget in Gatlinburg, not the least of which is geography. Are you, your hotel or your car on one end of the strip? Then it doesn’t make much sense to go past dozens of restaurants to get to the other end. In that way, the iconic East Tennessee barbecue chain Calhoun’s is literally a polar opposite from the upstart regional chain Blue Moose. Calhoun’s is located at the top of the strip. It’s closer to the National Park and some other classic restaurants like the Park Grill and Cherokee Grill.

Blue Moose Burgers and Wings is at the bottom of the strip where its chief competition is Ole Reds, Margaritaville and No Way Jose’s. From a nearby competition standpoint, Blue Moose is in a lot more friendly neighborhood. So why, you might ask, did we choose to pit these two restaurants – on opposing ends of the strip – against each other?

Well, as we said above, these are two regional chains. Calhoun’s is an icon with locations in Pigeon Forge, Gatlinburg, Knoxville, Maryville and more. Blue Moose also has locations in Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg as well as Alcoa. It also has locations in Chattanooga and Johnson City. So, while Calhoun’s has a multiple decade head start – and more locations overall – Blue Moose has East Tennessee covered from top to bottom.

But geography isn’t the only reason. Blue Moose puts its mission statement right there in the name. They’ve got burgers. They’ve got wings. Sure, there are a few apps and some other handhelds, but the two biggies are right there on the sign. While Calhoun’s is a barbecue place first, it does a lot of business in the burger, wing and handheld department, too.

So, why not pit these two East Tennessee franchises against each other?

Note: As always, prices listed are at the time of this writing and subject to change.

The challenger: Blue Moose

Lots of space. Lots of screens. Blue Moose has a nice, friendly vibe as soon as you walk in. Because it replaced the Margaritaville connected Landshark Bar and Grill, the restaurant even extends over the river and connects to the Margaritaville hotel property on the other side.

We were seated in the section above the water. So, in addition to the Savannah Bananas game on TV above our seats – we watched ducks and geese and fisher people out on the water while we ate.

The menu is what you’d expect, several burger options, various wing flavors, classic apps, salads, and few sandwiches. This was our first visit to the Gatlinburg location – which opened in late spring 2025.

I went with The Big Mushroom Melt. This hamburger is served with Swiss cheese, caramelized onions and mushrooms for just under $16. We also got an order of the traditional Jamaican Jerk wings which were 8 for just under $15. My 13-year-old son John Paul has multiple food allergies and is trying to branch out a little. So, he went with the Chicken Philly Cheesesteak, hold the cheese and mayo. He didn’t love it, but I thought it was fine and probably would have been quite good if served as intended.

My Mushroom Swiss Burger was quite good and well prepared. The chicken wings? They were cooked well and had the right crisp to them. However, the Jamaica Jerk – which was marked as new on the menu – wasn’t quite right. It was a little cinnamon forward and despite having a single chili pepper, indicating just a little heat. But I didn’t get any heat at all. However, with 19 sauced options and four dry rubs, I feel pretty confident you can find more successful options. It wasn’t bad. It just wasn’t that Jerk spice I was looking for.

As an app, we tried the Big Breaded, Double-Dipped Onion Rings. The breading was well seasoned and flavorful. Some of the best I’ve had.

The icon: Calhoun’s

I’ve been going to Calhoun’s for more than 30 years. It was destination dining for our family if we had something to celebrate. In fact, we’ve made the location on the Tennessee River in Knoxville one of our favorite spots. I will say that neither burgers nor wings are my go-to order at Calhoun’s. But I have had each on multiple occasions.

So, for the purposes of this competition, we will NOT be factoring in the delicious pulled pork, ribs or hickory smoked chicken. We will also not be talking about the Fish and Chips – maybe the strangest menu item inclusion in the Smokies – nor the fantastic bacon-wrapped burnt ends.

Calhoun’s offers the basic hamburger, cheeseburger, the spicy Kick-Back Burger: Smoked cheddar and Jack cheese, smoked bacon, jalapeños, and spicy Kick-Back sauce for just under $15. As long as my heartburn hasn’t been acting up, it’s the Kick-Back Burger for me. Spicy, juicy, and perfectly done.

They also have a Hickory Burger which comes with smoked cheddar cheese, bacon, and BBQ sauce. It’s good – but it’s messy. It’s one of those meals you have to leave your dignity behind and tuck a couple of napkins into the neck of your shirt for BBQ sauce protection. 

Other favorites at Calhouns are the “Ale” steak which is marinated in olive oil, mustard, garlic and Cherokee Red Ale and a more traditional Filet Mignon.

Calhoun’s also offers its original wet wings that are breaded in seasoned flour, fried crisp and tossed in a sweet & spicy Thunder Road sauce. And also the naked wings – Simply seasoned, fried crisp and served with one sauce for dipping both are well prepared and delicious. 

The decision

Look, if somebody in your group wants barbecue, there’s no discussion on where you should go. But if everyone is hankering for burgers, wings or some other sandwiches, things get a little more interesting.

Blue Moose offers more of a selection of burgers including a Hawaiian Luau Burger: A 1/2 lb. beef burger topped with Provolone cheese and pineapple salsa, mango habanero wing sauce and Applewood bacon. I almost ordered it for two reasons. I like the heat – though maybe not THAT much heat. And I could be like Jules in “Pulp Fiction” when he took a massive bite from Brett’s Big Kahuna Burger. 

“This IS a tasty burger.”

I would link to that scene. But if you’ve watched “Pulp Fiction” – I assume you know why I cannot. Anyway, Blue Moose also offers more variety in wing flavors as well. I wish the jerk sauce had been better, but the wings were still good in spite of the sauce’s shortcomings. 

Ultimately, I have to go with Calhoun’s. We had a very good meal at the Blue Moose and will definitely be back, but Calhoun’s remains an icon for a reason.

Which one of these two popular restaurants would you choose? Let us know in the comments!