A local weighs the pros and cons of two popular star-studded restaurants in Gatlinburg, TN
There’s a battle of country icons going on every day on the strip in Gatlinburg. In one corner you have Oklahoma’s Blake Shelton whose fame rocketed over some 110 seasons of “The Voice”, which allowed him to display his particular brand of charm and humor. In the other corner? Macon, Georgia’s scowling hitmaker Jason Aldean whose chief personality trait is not being a “warm and fuzzy kind of guy.” Aldean is successful, however, in music. For instance, he’s amassed 27 No. 1 singles under his belt. Shelton, who is only a year older but seems like he has a decade on Aldean, has 29 No. 1’s.
Why are either of these guys in the restaurant business? Well, having a name on the top of the bill seems to be helpful in the restaurant business. Shelton has said his goal is to build infrastructure for country musicians to play. He has seven locations. For Shelton, the focus is the music.
“This is about music, not hamburgers and beer,” he said in an interview. There are four Aldean restaurants, owned by the TC Restaurant Group which also owns Miranda Lambert, Morgan Wallen, Lainey Wilson and Luke Bryan. It’s unclear how hands-on he is. The most relevant quote I could find was from Fox Business: “It’s nice that we have our own place down there, and it’s doing well,” Aldean told them.
IN THIS ARTICLE
Ole Red pros and cons
The pros
One of the most obvious pros is that it’s conveniently located. In the former location of Hard Rock Café Gatlinburg, Ole Red’s is pretty much straight across from the public parking garage at the bottom of the strip, meaning most days you can park and not have to walk a couple of miles to get to the venue.
While I think the music is cookie-cutter – it’s still a step above most of the live music you’ll find in Gatlinburg. I wish they pushed the edges of what country music is supposed to be, and what it can be. But there aren’t a lot of places where you can go listen to live music in the area and know that it will be good. Now, if you’re a big fan of what’s on country music radio, you’ll like it better than I do. I prefer a little more mountains in my country music, a little more bluegrass and a little more edge.
The cons
I find that the food is kind of bland. Some of the food will have spice. There is a Nashville Hot Chicken, after all. But Blake Shelton is a big personality. He’s fun. He seems to be a cool hang. Ole Reds? It’s a collection of fine. From the food to the entertainment, it’s all professionally done. The artists have talent. The menu is nachos and burgers and country-fried chicken. You can go to Ole Reds and have a perfectly equitable time. It’s cookie-cutter music, cookie-cutter food. The biggest knock against Ole Red? It does NOT seem like the kind of place Blake Shelton would hang out in.
They call the food “Eats”, ” on the menu. That’s a faux thing. If you’re going to have “Eats” you better be a mom and pop that didn’t want to fork out the money for a fifth letter on the sign. When you’re backed by a multi-millionaire, I think calling your food “Eats” is somehow reverse pretentious.
Jason Aldean’s pros and cons
The pros
First of all, it’s newer. And the building is cool. The four-story concept with the rooftop bar is a good idea and well executed. It has better vibes and doesn’t feel like it was crammed into another building where they used to do something else, even though it is and they did. It has a legitimate restaurant, bar and music venue vibe.
Also, I like the music. You’re still gonna get a lot of what I call the cookie-cutter country music – you know people who sing cliched songs and lament about the state of country music. But you also seem to get more of what I enjoy in country music, mountain rhythm and harmonies and picking. In very general terms, it’s more East Tennessee-style country than Nashville country. To each their own, of course, but I prefer this model.
I also like their menu. Remember, at Ole Red’s it’s not about hamburgers and beer. Aldean’s is owned by restaurant people who seem to have sought his input. I don’t know the business model at Ole Red’s, but it seems Shelton is more in the driver’s seat.
The cons
It’s associated with Jason Aldean. Maybe you like him. But Aldean once said about himself he’s not a warm and fuzzy guy. Given a chance to hang out with Jason Aldean or Blake Shelton, I think everyone in the world, maybe even Jason Aldean, would pick Blake Shelton.
Which is better?
With the caveat I’m not the target demo for with place, I’d pick Aldean’s over Red’s, even though I’m a much bigger fan of Shelton’s. I prefer the concept of Aldean’s, which is a restaurant with music rather than Shelton’s which seems to be a music venue with food. I also, slightly, prefer the music being performed at Aldean’s though that could easily change from one month to the next, depending on bookings.
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