Preacher’s, Delauder’s and Calhoun’s, Oh My!

Choosing among the best BBQ in the Smokies

The thing about competition is that most of the time, someone has to come out ahead. Rarely in life can we put something head-to-head – or in this case head-to-head-to-head – and walk away with everyone involved winning.

But, when it comes to comparing BBQ joints in the mountains, it is very hard to consider anyone involved a loser. Whichever of these places is your personal favorite – we all come out winning.

Now, you might ask, why did we pick these three establishments and not any others? It’s a good question. There are several places in the mountains where you can get good BBQ. Go to all those places, eat lots of pork that’s been slowly cooked and be happy. 

But these three – in our humble opinion – are the three preeminent BBQ places in the Smokies. Which one is the best? Well, that is a question that requires wisdom beyond Solomon. 

However, as your unofficial guide to culinary greatness in the mountains, we will try to tackle this impossible task. In a battle royal of Smokies BBQ royalty, which one comes out on top.

1. Delauder’s BBQ Sevierville

We want to be clear here. This is by the razor-thinnest of margins. Delauder’s in Gatlinburg and Preacher’s in Sevierville are cut from a very similar brisket if you’ll forgive a slight adjustment to the idiom. Both are kind of out-of-the-way establishments run by artistic geniuses whose medium includes various cuts of slow cooked meat and pork.

Delauder’s has earned more national accolades and that does factor in our ranking here. There have been some issues with location – stuff that it’s not our place to get into. But it sounds like Delauder’s may be on the move soon. Still, we don’t care if they move either, thither or yon. As long as Delauder’s is still in the Smokies, we’ll be among the first in line. With our orders at the ready.

What is our go to order? We haven’t figured out a way to successfully order one of everything, but the multiple meat plates are always a good way to get a bit of everything. The pulled pork sandwich is maybe not quite world famous, but it is getting close. We have long been advocates for the Holy Bologna Sandwich with smoked bologna, pulled pork and a lot more. The Smoky Mountain Slaw Dawg and the Smoky Mountain Potato are also both sneaky good favorites. 

2. Preacher’s Smokehouse – Sevierville

I honestly feel guilty ranking Preacher’s No. 2 in this battle royale of nothing but champions. It’s a little like the end of the “Lord of the Rings” movies when the hobbits find themselves at the coronation of Aragorn, now King of Gondor. They bow to the newly crowned King, and he looks at them quizzically. “My friends,” he says, “you bow to no one.”

Certainly, Preacher’s bows to no one. It is one of the wonders of the world. Preacher’s location looks exactly like you want a Smokehouse to look. It ain’t any kind of fancy. It is – however – every kind of fantastic. Owned and operated by an actual preacher, Preacher’s is only open Thursday through Saturday, which means you’ve got to do a little extra planning. But it’s worth it.

Smoked perfectly rubbed ribs are the specialty of the house, however, there are not a lot of places you can go wrong. The sampler is clutch as you can try a little bit of everything – but honestly you could close your eyes, point to the menu – which is just a big chalkboard with a list of delicious smoked things on it, and you couldn’t go wrong. A hidden gem is the Brunswick Stew. Makes for a perfect addition to your meal.

3. Calhoun’s

It almost feels unfair to Calhoun’s to include it in this competition. Calhoun’s – an East Tennessee icon since 1983 – is one of those places Tennesseans go to mark the passage of time. Is there a big ball game in Knoxville? Calhoun’s on the River – if you can get in – is the place. Do you have something to celebrate? Birthday? Anniversary? The fact that it’s a Tuesday and you’re hungry? Calhoun’s has locations across East Tennessee including one in Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge.

However, while places like Preacher’s and Delauder’s are homes for artists whose passion for BBQ drives everything they do, Calhoun’s is a more traditional restaurant setting. As such the menu is a little more traditional. You won’t find smoked bologna sandwiches, or a hot dog slathered in a sweet habanero sauce.

You will find things on the menu for people who are (gasp) not in the mood for BBQ. All due respect to their fish and chips, which are probably quite good but will never touch my fork. You don’t go to a BBQ cathedral and order fried fish. In the same conversation, Calhoun’s is pretty well known for its chicken tenders but as a self-respecting grown man, I can’t vouch for them. 

But make no mistake, Calhoun’s is a barbecue-ery (I just made that word up) of the first order. What should you get at Calhoun’s? Start with the smoked sausage and cheese plate and get a round of bacon wrapped beef brisket burnt ends for the table. Honestly, the fried green tomatoes are pretty good, too, but we’re trying not to get too far afield.

For main’s, try the hickory smoked ribs, the pulled pork or the smoked chicken. I have permitted myself the occasional Ale Steak which is also quite good. The Hickory Smoked Prime Rib is probably the best thing on the menu. But is only available on Fridays and Saturdays. 

As far as sides, it’s pretty standard fare but the Spinach Maria – spinach, Monterey jack cheese and red pepper – is out of this world. I don’t order any other sides at Calhoun’s, really ever. For dessert, they have a variation of the classic banana pudding that features Macadamia nuts, so we avoid that. However, the Key Lime Pie is 100% on point. 

Do you have a favorite of the three choices offered here? Let us know in the comments!