Is Chubby’s Worth the Trip? A Local’s Honest Review

The Recipe for Authentic Down-Home Cooking in the Smokies

It’s hard to believe this, but there are giant swaths of underdeveloped real estate along major roadways in Sevier County. For years, the focus has been on the strip in Pigeon Forge or Gatlinburg. Specifically, piling attraction after attraction on top of each other while other easily accessible parts of the county have been underserved. 

It makes some sense to cluster tourism businesses in relatively small parts of the county. The incoming money is pooled, and it leaves room for locals to do their thing without having to maneuver the long routes that take you around the worst of the tourist traffic. 

Last weekend, we got a late start on some outlet mall shopping. I wanted to grab some lunch before getting into the dark heart of the retail district. There was a new place I wanted to try. But I hadn’t done my scout work, and it wasn’t open for lunch business. We briefly considered a place we’d hoped to try in Pigeon Forge. However, all the red along the strip on Google Maps indicated that it was a long shot. 

Down home at Chubby’s Restaurant

So, we punted and went back to an old favorite, located somewhat off the beaten path on Dolly Parton Parkway in Sevierville. It’s not too far from the point where Dolly Parton Parkway becomes the Newport Highway.

We elected for some authentic down-home options at Chubby’s Restaurant – not to be confused with Chubby’s Deli just a little further down the road. 

It was a good choice. We were welcomed into a fun, festive atmosphere where the wait staff is attentive, and the décor is a collector’s playground. From the pedal cars to the model airplanes. We saw the manager (I think) carrying two more massive models to place on the upper-level shelves. 

It proved to be a relaxing place to start before wading into the madness, which included a bomb threat at the Sevierville Wal-Mart. That Wal-Mart, even on a good day, is often referred to as a vortex to an alternate universe of suck. 

Chubby’s Restaurant vs. Chubby’s Deli

For years, I’ve been meaning to ask the exact ownership status of the restaurant and the deli. It appears that both are owned by the same folks. They share newspaper ads and the name, for instance. There are similar logo designs and the famous Chubby Burger. But I always forget to ask, so I can’t say for sure. Let’s just consider them sister restaurants. 

The restaurant, which appears to be inside a former Mexican restaurant, is larger, closer to Sevierville, and has a more robust menu. The deli – located down the road inside a Citgo gas station – has fewer lunch and dinner options, but does a killer breakfast. It’s well located if you want to stop in and grab breakfast before heading out to Douglas Lake. 

But really, there’s never a bad time to hit the deli, especially if you come from a place where really good gas station food is hard to come by.

What does Chubby’s Restaurant serve?

A lot of places in the mountains hang their hats on being “down home.” Some down-home places really mean they’re shooting for an old-fashioned on-the-farm feel, food that they’d have fed to the farm hands at midday. 

Chubby’s has some of that. There’s the chicken fried chicken, liver and onions, and sides include beans or okra. The brown gravy is optional. 

But at Chubby’s, down home also means stuff that won’t grab the attention of the Michelin people but is enjoyed every day by regular folk. Burgers, sandwiches, fried green tomatoes, barbecue, and more. And at Chubby’s, down home isn’t limited to the Southern styles. They offer a nice Reuben, a Philly Cheese steak, and a Chicken Cordon Bleu. But the coup de grace of the non-Southern options? The giant fried pork tenderloin.

What is the giant fried pork tenderloin?

It is a regional staple that began in Northern Indiana, Huntington specifically, at the turn of the 1900s, created by the son of a German immigrant who took a pork wiener schnitzel and placed it on a regular-sized bun. And so, the edges of the schnitzel hung outside the bun. Over the years, there has been a competition to see who can create the most ridiculous sandwich with fried pork extending several inches off the bun. 

The giant fried tenderloin is one of three Hoosier culinary specialties – including persimmon pudding and fried biscuits – that one rarely sees outside of the region. In fact, the tenderloins become scarce south of Indianapolis. And the pudding is such a regional item that it’s scarcely known in the Northern part of the state. Sadly, the pudding and fried biscuits are not available at Chubby’s.

As a former Hoosier who spent part of his formative years in both the North and South of the state, I can attest that seeing any of these items in the wild outside of their typical regional boundaries is rare. Even more rare? Someone is going full bore and serving a true giant tenderloin. In this instance, Chubby’s goes all out. 

Is Chubby’s tenderloin authentic?

Mostly yes, but if we’re nitpicking, the sandwich in the North is usually a little more consistently flattened. At Chubby’s, it was a little bumpier, a less consistent piece of meat. Also, I think Chubby’s version is larger than you’d typically find in the North, where prudence and practicality seem to be the watchword of the sandwich world.

Since I’ve not lived in Northern Indiana for nearly 40 years, I sent a picture to my cousin David, a very successful corporate chef who used to run his own bistro in Marion, Indiana.

His take? “The bun’s too big.”

But despite the oversized bun and unevenly pounded meat, Chubby’s version is a welcome treat for an old Hoosier and somewhat of a delicious novelty for anyone else.

How do you eat one? Methods vary. Chubby’s tenderloin is so big that I just cut off chunks and dipped them as an appetizer for the actual sandwich. Some people will nibble the edges, but that’s not practical with this one. Others will cut off pieces and stack the sandwich, but that messes with the consistency. A final option is a to-go box for the excess pork, which you can take home and use to make your own sandwiches for a couple of days. 

What about the rest of the menu?

Chubby’s is especially adept at frying things, and the hamburgers are frequently rated as among the best in town. Chubby’s Famous Burger is topped with bacon and slow-roasted pork, plus BBQ sauce, grilled onions, and is smothered in cheddar cheese. Like the giant fried tenderloin, it is not a practical sandwich. A fork and a knife are helpful. The Chicken Cordon Bleu sandwich also pushes the bounds of possibility if we’re getting into all that. 

Is Chubby’s worth it?

Heck yeah. The place is fun, the food is good, and the wait staff is attentive. In today’s restaurant climate, those three things go a long way. On top of that, the value is good, too. 

You can find fancier meals in the mountains. And you can find better meals as well. But when you’re in the mood for something with a down-home feel, you could do a lot worse than either of the Chubby’s outlets.  Chubby’s Restaurant is located at 1386 Dolly Parton Parkway in Sevierville.

Do you enjoy eating at Chubby’s Restaurant? Let us know in the comments and on the socials!