Apple Barn Restaurant - Chicken Strip Dinner - Gatlinburg

Apple Barn Chicken Strip Dinner

Right to the main course this time. The Apple Barn restaurant was a favorite place of mine in Pigeon Forge. Imagine my delight when they opened one right on the strip in Gatlinburg. It looks exactly the same outside and inside of the original restaurant. And the food and service, yes, just the same. Excellent.

As you can see, I ordered the fried chicken planks with all the fixins. The chicken was golden brown and tasted excellent. An ample portion was served. You were not going away hungry from this restaurant.

Also with the main course was a baked potato with real butter, a bowl of macaroni and cheese, which was creamy and delicious, and a hot fresh roll with butter.

Apple Barn Menu

Of course, this is the menu, which was clean and easy to read. I hate receiving a menu that has dirt or crud on it. It makes me suspect the food they are preparing in the kitchen. If the menu is dirty, more than likely so is the food.

Apple Barn Apple Fritters

Brought out first were the apple fritters and juice along with several rolls with jelly and butter. Not wanting to fill up before the main course, I only had one.

Apple Barn Chicken Noodle Soup

Although the picture is a little out of focus, the chicken noodle soup was right on. It tasted like home made, with big noodles and chunks of chicken and carrots in a thick broth all steaming hot. A cold, crisp coke completed the meal.

Over all, the waitress was very friendly, helpful, and professional. We were seated quite quickly, and on a busy evening, that doesn't happen all the time. The cost was very reasonable, about 15 dollars before tip.

The Grassy Knoll Institute awards 4.5 out of 5 shots to the Apple Barn restaurant and recommends eating lunch and dinner there.

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Michael’s Gourmet Restaurant, Las Vegas

Michael's Restaurant

I had the good fortune to dine at Michael's restaurant housed in the Barbary Coast hotel and casino, Las vegas, Nevada before it closed. News is that Michael's will be opening soon in a new location. I hope they maintain the same excellence in service, ambiance, and cuisine.

Now That Is An Appetizer

Michael's was a small intimate restaurant that oozed old style Las Vegas decorated with plush decor and high back wrap around chairs and a stained glass ceiling, and chandeliers hanging over every table. I don't think there were 50 seats, not tables, seats in the entire restaurant.As we waited for our order to be taken, an appetizer tray was placed on our table full of enticing vegetables. I must have had at least a dozen green olives. And they were huge. And delicious.

Filet Cut Like Butter

Although Michael's was well known for it's imported Dover Sole, I chose of course the Filet Mignon. An atomic sized baked potato and stuffed tomato accompanied the filet. It was a very wise decision. The filet was huge, juicy, tender, and delicious. It was cooked exactly as ordered.

Nuclear Chocolate Covered Strawberries

After dinner, a dessert tray was presented with many delectable treats. I opted for just one enormous multi chocolate flavored strawberry.

After Dinner Fruit Basket

A fruit tray followed of which I sampled the several varieties of grapes.The cost, well, let's put it at very expensive. Let's just say around $100 per person. The service was excellent, and the filet was delicious.

The Grassy Knoll Institute awards 5 shots out of 5 and recommends Michael's Gourmet Restaurant when they reopen in the near future at a new location.

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1. 
   

   Ohio J said

   December 23, 2007 at 9:05 am e
   OMG my favorite, Michael’s has closed? Booo hooo. Really it was a rare treat and a privledge to have eaten there. I think Hoffa is buried under the tiles of the kitchen. I am going to steal your pix for memories!
   Reply
2. 
   

   Craig said

   March 16, 2008 at 12:26 am e
   Michaels has re-opened at Southpoint Casino on the south end of the stip. They literally picked up the place at Barbary and dropped it in the southpoint. Nothing has changed, not even a staff member.
   Reply
3. 
   

   LOTGK said

   March 16, 2008 at 2:46 am e
   Craig, thanks for the info. I knew they were re-opening but didn’t know where. And since I am in Vegas right now, perhaps I can make it there this trip.
   Reply
4. 
   

   Ohio J said

   May 9, 2008 at 1:23 pm e
   WTF- where is the Southpoint Casino? Did you make it there?
   Reply
5. 
   

   LOTGK said

   May 10, 2008 at 9:16 am e
   The people i talked to that live in Vegas had not heard that Michaels was up and running anywhere. It’s known that they were going to reopen but have not yet. So no, I did not make it there.
   Reply
6. 
   

Maxwell's Restaurant - Grilled Chicken

Maxwells Of Gatlinburg

Maxwell's Restaurant is located right on the Parkway in Gatlinburg, Tennessee. Being in the mood for something different to eat, we ventured in and were greeted by a huge fish tank with apparently our dinner swimming inside. We were met by the hostess and seated right away. (Not a good sign on a busy week during the Smoky Mountain trade show in Gatlinburg) Our waitress took our drink order, (Diet Coke) and then our dinner order which was the grilled chicken in a lemon sauce.

Potato Soup

Instead of the salad, I opted for the soup, which was a wise choice for it was potato soup. A huge assortment of bread was brought to our table with plenty of butter. The potato soup was exquisite, the best potato soup I have ever had. Big chunks of potato, carrots, celery, a hint of bacon, onion, and a very steamy broth that made my mouth water. The bread I passed on.

Grilled Chicken

The main dish came out minutes after our soup and salads were done. The chicken was plentiful, cooked just right, and several added lemon slices were on hand just in case more was needed. A steaming hot baked potato in butter completed the meal.

The chicken tasted great. (It tasted just like chicken!) Very tender, juicy, and just spicy enough. As baked potatoes go, this one was very good.

The cost was just under $30 not including tip.

The Grassy Knoll Diner awards 4.25 out of 5 shots to Maxwell's Restaurant in Gatlinburg and recommends them for dinner.

Addendum: 10/24/2011: Sadly, Maxwell's restaurant has closed. The reason is not known. The sign is still up but no new restaurant seems to be going in anytime soon.

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1. 
   

   Contessa Confessa said

   March 5, 2008 at 11:12 pm e
   I just love a man that delivers… *wink*
   Reply
2. 
   

   LOTGK said

   March 5, 2008 at 11:40 pm e
   There’s plenty more where that came from.
   I was at Stack, Kokomo’s, California pizza, and Carnegie Deli twice this trip. But I’m lazy, it will take a little while to get them posted.
   Reply
3. 
   

   Eddy said

   March 6, 2008 at 1:36 am e
   I thought you were in Las Vegas. or are you behing again.
   Reply
4. 
   

   Jungljim69 said

   March 6, 2008 at 7:25 am e
   You know what gets me LOTGK? You and I both travel extensively. When I look at the meal listed above and add up the cost of the ingredients, (.60 potato, .30 diet coke, 1.00 potato soup and MAYBE .99 worth of chicken and they have the nerve to charge 30.00 for it. I can see maybe charging 10.00. BASTARDS!
   Reply
5. 
   

   LOTGK said

   March 7, 2008 at 12:19 am e
   Excellent point Jim.
   I always wondered the same at the service garage for my car. You can buy the part needed to repair the car for 10 bucks, but then have to pay a mechanic 150 dollars to install it.
   I guess the same goes with restaurants.
   You pay the cook 30 dollars to cook it.
   Plus tip….
   All of them bastards.
   Reply
6. 
   

   Scott said

   April 6, 2009 at 3:47 pm e
   My wife and I try to always get to Maxwell’s every time we are in Gatlinburg. I have always been happy with the quality of the service and the food. Given that it is a local restaurant we weren’t expecting a lot the first time we went in and honestly only did so because it was open later than most other places.
   The trout is good and the beef loin, excellent. The bananas foster is a kick but it’s definitely a dessert for two or more. I agree they are overpriced (what isn’t in Gatlinburg?) but for a couple’s night out I am willing to splurge a little.
   I recently tried getting to their website but the one I found had expired, I went to a to get the phone number to make sure they were still open for business.
   Reply
7.