Tony Gore’s Divinely Inspired Smoky Mountain Barbecue Restaurant

One of our favorite family travel destinations in the entire country remains Sevierville, Tennessee, year after year. We love really good music and excellent, savory food and when we can relish the two together, well, that’s all the better. The good life!

We’ve visited Tony Gore’s Smoky Mountain Barbecue & Grill restaurant, yearly for several annual pilgrimages, and it all began about nine years back on a cross country trip for a story I was doing for some magazines and my radio show. We were served Tony’s delicious potato chips with shredded meat and the rest is delicious history, repeated history. Food like this had never tasted so good before. The kids were equally blown away by the huge portions and as they were with Tony’s unique flair and fabulous music. I think what melted out hearts the most is his kindness and sincere Southern hospitality. He treats us and others as if you’re family friends and the food is absolutely delicious with generous Southern portions and award-winning secret family recipes and sauces.

Every delectable recipe is lovingly created by Gospel singer Tony Gore. This is one of the few places where you can pick anything off the menu and it will melt in your mouth to perfection. He is famous for his buffet and desserts, not to mention his fried green tomatoes and pickles. Ribs are also a famous specialty that literally melt on the tongue.

Making Tony Gore’s acquaintance and experiencing his restaurant now on several occasions, we’ve developed a deepening appreciation for the man behind the restaurant and the music. Tony didn’t establish his restaurant on his own; he credits God’s help in every way.

Since age 14 Tony had been serving The Lord with his gifted voice, which began by a God-planted passion instilled in his heart at age 10, and today he remains a devoted man of tremendous faith. This exudes over and into the heart-warming way he shares his talents and love of good food and music with all his patrons who become dear friends and adopted kin. Tony’s talent is astounding and the moment you hear it, it becomes no surprise that some of the greatest names and faces of Gospel and Country adorn his walls. His music isn’t just any kind of Gospel music. It touches you to the core and will likely make you want to move, dance, tap, or sing. Many of his songs are very deep and likely to touch your heart profoundly.

Tony offers numerous concerts each year where fans of his food and music can experience this talented and kind man. Planning our trips to Dollywood, and Pigeon Forge each year revolve around return visits to see Tony and we are always greeted and welcomed back by his kind and warm staff who are as accommodating as Tony. As if the music and food weren’t enough to warrant our visits, best of all we look forward to being greeted with one of Tony’s big bear hugs and dazzling smile. It’s always a treat to see what his latest musical release is and we enjoy listening to it on our way home and throughout the rest of the year as a reminder of our special time at our favorite barbecue.

While Tony branched off into becoming a solo artist in 2002, the second Gospel group he was part of, prior to that, became one of the most requested artists on Gospel Music Television, and on radio markets across the US,  Ireland, and South Africa. They were also the first Southern Gospel group to tour Ireland. 

One woman we met at his restaurant on a recent visit, has only missed one concert in years. His concerts provide another affordable way to enjoy a real taste of the most fabulous melt-in-your-mouth barbecue and homemade desserts and music in the Smokies. Taking in one of his concerts is always a pinnacle of our trip. Once we even had our Christmas dinner at the restaurant. That was an unforgettable memory of comfort food and holiday deliciousness.

Heck, we became such fans that one year we insisted on bringing our dear friends from North Carolina, several hours away, to meet Tony and try his food, and naturally they became enamored too.

Sevierville and Pigeon Forge are both world class, larger than life, family travel destinations drawing vacationing families and visitors the world over. The Titanic Museum, Wax Museum, Alpine Coaster, Wonderworks, Dollywood, Splash Park, beautiful cabins and hotels, fabulous shopping, and hundreds of outstanding music and show venues make this one of our family’s favorite travel destinations on the globe. Millions of other families from around the world enjoy it for many of the very same reasons we do.  

Spend a few minutes on his website calendar whenever you plan a visit to the area as his shows do book up early and you won’t want to miss one. They are truly unforgettable and a chance to make memories your family will cherish forever.