By Christie Vanover | Printed August 24, 2023 | Final Up to date August 24, 2023
Tennessee is greater than the center of nation music, house of the Nice Smoky Mountains and epicenter of clean American whiskey. It’s additionally making its mark as a vacation spot for mouthwatering barbecue.
Now you can expertise a novel culinary journey in East Tennessee alongside the BBQ Path in Loudon County, which is positioned about half-hour southwest of Knoxville.
Its chamber of commerce has teamed up with 4 BBQ eating places to create the BBQ Path Problem.
How the BBQ Path Problem works
To take part within the problem, travel to the 4 taking part BBQ eating places which might be touted as a few of the area’s finest BBQ pit stops.
The chamber of commerce guarantees one thing for everybody. In line with their web site, “Whether or not you’re a smoky or candy BBQ fan, you’ll absolutely discover a taste you’ll love. Be sure you strive a few of the signature sides and sauces as nicely — you received’t be upset.”
When you go to every restaurant, make sure to save your receipt. For those who go to all 4 eating places, submit an image of your 4 receipts on the BBQ Trail website to obtain an $18 low cost code to make use of on Visit Loudon County merchandise.
Out there merchandise consists of mugs, puzzles, shirts, totes and extra. Additionally, you will obtain a free collector’s button from every restaurant on the BBQ Path.
The problem is out there year-round, so the journey might be coordinated along side your subsequent go to to East Tennessee.
Smokin’F BBQ & Barn
The Smokin’F BBQ & Barn is positioned in Philadelphia, Tennessee, and is run by Jay and Brooke Frankovich.
They run a meals truck Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. and dinner with reside music at The Feed Lot Fridays and Saturdays from 4-9 p.m.
The meals truck menu modifications and is up to date on their web site. Menu gadgets usually embrace nachos and sandwiches with smoked brisket, pork, hen or sausage and some aspect choices.
The Feed Lot menu consists of smoked prime-grade beef brisket, pork, sausage, hen, ribs and wings. Meats might be bought in half-pound increments or on a sandwich.
Sides embrace cole slaw, potato salad, Texas tot casserole, smoked bacon mac, jalapeno cream corn and peach baked beans. In addition they provide a child’s menu and desserts.
Along with serving recent barbecue straight from the pit, they get pleasure from bringing folks collectively from all walks of life. At Smokin’F, children can play and watch the animals whereas dad and mom can get pleasure from reside music.
Jay’s favourite meat to prepare dinner is brisket. He attributes that to his Texas heritage. He sources his beef from a farm in Georgia, the place he is aware of precisely what the cattle are fed and the way they’re processed.
To verify the meals truck location, menu and hours, go to the Smokin’F website.
Style-O-Texas
Situated at 1562 Freeway 72 North in Loudon, Tennessee, Style-O-Texas Gourmand Barbeque prides itself on offering genuine Central Texas fashion barbeque in East Tennessee.
Barbecue is out there Monday by Thursday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Friday and Saturday from 11 a.m. to eight p.m. They’re closed on Sunday.
The menu consists of smoked sausage, brisket and pulled pork that may be ordered on a plate with two sides, on a sandwich or loaded on tater tots, nachos, a baked potato or mac and cheese.
Though their meat is usually served with out sauce, they do provide 4 sauces on the aspect. Sassy is their candy and tangy sauce. Their three spicy sauces embrace Smokin’, Blazin’ and Backdraft.
Out there sides are mustard-dill potato salad, cilantro lime cole slaw, seasoned tater tots, fried okra, mac and cheese, smoky pinto beans and a backyard salad.
In addition they provide a lil Texan children menu, household packs and desserts, together with specialty cheesecakes. For the newest on their menu and hours, go to the Taste-O-Texas website.
Calhoun’s
Calhoun’s has a sequence of BBQ eating places positioned throughout Tennessee. Its Loudon County location is at 4550 Metropolis Park Drive in Lenoir Metropolis, Tennessee.
It began in 1983 when the restaurant’s ribs had been named one of the best in America. They nonetheless use the identical recipe immediately and have received a number of awards since then.
The Loudon County location is dockside on Fort Loudon Lake overlooking the Fort Loudon Dam. They’ve nightly leisure on the deck.
The menu is substantial. Along with their award-winning smoked ribs and pork, they provide burgers, sandwiches, steaks, chops, wings and salads. They even have hickory smoked prime rib on Friday and Saturday.
Appetizers embrace dishes like southern fried inexperienced tomatoes, fried pickles and bacon-wrapped beef brisket burnt ends. They’ve a number of sides, together with baked cinnamon apples, Smoky Mountain baked beans, baked potatoes and spinach Maria.
Calhoun’s has a Tiki Hut positioned adjoining to the restaurant that caters to the boating group. It presents the identical menu. Each places even have a full drink menu with specialty cocktails, beer, wine and non-alcoholic lemonades and aqua frescas.
Listed below are a couple of Meals Drink Life cocktail recipes you possibly can sip on whereas planning your BBQ Path agenda.
For the newest on their menu and hours, go to Calhoun’s website.
“Our household loves to move as much as the Smoky Mountains each few months and escape into the attractive views, scrumptious eats and enjoyable actions. It’s our completely satisfied place. We’re positively foodies, and one in all our favourite locations to cease for a chew to eat is at Calhoun’s. The service is all the time stable, the menu has loads of choices for the entire household and we all know we’ll stroll away feeling happy after we go to. Plan forward and get there early as a result of it’s positively a preferred vacation spot for a lot of guests. Ensure you decelerate to get pleasure from all that the world has to supply. There’s a lot to absorb and revel in.”
— Nicole W., Everyday Thrifty
Sons of Smoke
The fourth cease on the BBQ Path is Sons of Smoke positioned, at 304 Cedar Road in Loudon, Tennessee.
Pitmasters Chris Freels and Andy Walker began taking part in barbecue competitions in 2012 below the staff identify Sons of Smoke. After profitable a number of awards, the Loudon County natives opened their BBQ restaurant in downtown Loudon.
Certainly one of their main missions is to provide again to their hometown. Proper on the entrance of their menu, it says: “With out the assist of our group, we might not be the place we’re immediately.”
Along with chopped brisket, BBQ pulled pork, ribs and smoke hen, Sons of Smoke additionally presents smoked bologna and wings. All of those might be served on a plate with two sides or ordered by the pound, dozen or rack.
There are many appetizers to select from, plus all their smoked meats can be found piled on baked potatoes, fries, nachos, sandwiches and quesadillas.
Sides embrace baked beans, potato salad, mac and cheese, cole slaw, inexperienced beans, onion rings and fries.
On Friday, they serve a thinly smashed and fried pork tenderloin sandwich. The pork is 2 to a few occasions the dimensions of the bun. Saturday, they serve up 12-inch pizzas and Sunday’s particular is smoked meatloaf.
In addition they provide steak nights and vacation specials.For the newest on their menu and hours, go to Sons of Smoke on Facebook.
Different issues to do in Loudon County
Loudon County is named the Lakeway to the Smokies as a result of the county has a number of lakes and rivers, making it a really perfect vacation spot for boating and fishing.
It’s additionally house to the East Tennessee Lakeshore Trail, which is a 31-mile accessible Nationwide Recreation Path that travels alongside the Tellico Lake shoreline.
Loudon County prides itself in combining agriculture and tourism in participating and gratifying experiences. Households are invited out to a number of farms to study agriculture and buy freshly crafted cheeses, wines and produce.
A number of farms additionally provide season corn mazes, pumpkin patches and even haunted experiences. To be taught extra about Loudon County, go to its chamber of commerce website.
This text initially appeared on Food Drink Life.
