Junction 35 Spirits - Pigeon Forge

The restaurant was only half full, yet we were informed it would be an hour wait. Clearly, they are experiencing staffing issues. I sat at the bar where one emp... read more The restaurant was only half full, yet we were informed it would be an hour wait. Clearly, they are experiencing staffing issues. I sat at the bar where one employee was clearly doing her best but was overwhelmed with work. My salad never arrived, and my side order was incorrect. When it was eventually replaced, the mashed potatoes were lumpy and had a lot of skin in them. On the positive side, the drinks were decent, and my husband's burger and fries were quite good. Overall, it wasn't a great experience. I also noticed there were only two small TVs at the bar, with no exciting content to watch.

This distillery and bar/restaurant has it all in one package. It was recommended to us by a lifelong local, and lived up to the descriptions. The cocktail menu... read more This distillery and bar/restaurant has it all in one package. It was recommended to us by a lifelong local, and lived up to the descriptions. The cocktail menu is (as you might expect) structured around their distilled spirits. So too is the food menu. The dishes benefit from the cross marketing. We had the pork belly burnt ends, which were slathered with a sweet and savory bourbon barbecue sauce, and then shared a Nashville hot chicken (fried) sandwich. It boasted a full breast fried too crispy perfection, liberally sauce with fiery pepper sauce, topped with bread and butter pickles slices and a sweet creamy Cole slaw that tempered the heat and pulled it all together. Even the boys that landed on our plates were scooped up and eaten... to good to leave anything behind. For the distillery itself, we took advantage of a free tasting for diners, and sampled the whiskeys (one of them bourbon style), the moonshine flavors, the house tequila, and a flavored vodka. On this particular day, the flavored spirits were universally super sweet, but we could see from the merchandise racks that there is also product for those of us with a taste for something less sweet. I hope we get to sample some of those next time we will surely be back!

Overall, it was a fantastic experience. We tried the pork belly burnt ends, ribs, and a few cocktails, and everything was excellent. Our server was quite busy b... read more Overall, it was a fantastic experience. We tried the pork belly burnt ends, ribs, and a few cocktails, and everything was excellent. Our server was quite busy but still managed to check on us frequently and provided a wonderful recommendation for my wife's cocktail. We look forward to returning the next time we’re in Pigeon Forge.

We had a wonderful dinner at Junction 35! The smoky mountain chicken was our favorite dish. The portion sizes are generous, and the atmosphere is lovely and fam... read more We had a wonderful dinner at Junction 35! The smoky mountain chicken was our favorite dish. The portion sizes are generous, and the atmosphere is lovely and family-friendly. An added bonus is that if you dine at Junction 35, you can enjoy a free sampling after your meal with your receipt!

We started with the pork belly because our waitress said it was award winning. It was not terrible but it was not something I would have guessed was award winni... read more We started with the pork belly because our waitress said it was award winning. It was not terrible but it was not something I would have guessed was award winning either. I got a margarita that came in an 8 ounce glass half filled with ice. I ordered the citrus chicken with a side salad and my fiancé ordered the shrimp Alfredo. We were not impressed. I don't know why they call it citrus chicken since it seemed like it was completely unseasoned plain chicken- virtually flavorless. The rice it came with was ok. My fiancés Alfredo was not very saucy and the shrimp was over cooked. Overall it was just a bleh meal for $85 that we didn't finish- We are from Asheville NC where mediocre restaurants like this would not last 3 months. Somehow the food is so terrible in this area that crummy restaurants have TripAdvisor awards. It blows my mind.