Restaurant Review: Huck Finn's

Huck Finn's Catfish, Chicken & Steaks
3330 Parkway
Pigeon Forge, TN  37863
Phone: 865-429-3353
http://www.huckfinnsrestaurant.com/

We had a delightful dinner at this rustic-looking restaurant over the weekend.  It's interior looks straight out of a old farmhouse rather than a Cracker Barrel.  Seating is at tables with gingham tablecloths and straight back chairs that were reasonably comfortable.

Our server was a 'mature' lady who was very cordial and accommodating and explained their dining process.  The food is brought out in a family-style sort of way (think Farmer's Daughter or Shirley's).  The first bring you out bowls of white beans, tasty coleslaw, real hushpuppies, dill pickles with sweet onions and your choice of skin-on mashed potatoes & gravy or fries. One thing I must warn you about is not to overindulge in the 'Vittles' as they call these offerings before your fish or chicken comes out or you'll not have room for them!  I'm sure the restaurant brings out these temptations first so that you won't have too many second or third helpings of the fish and chicken.

They specialize in all you can eat dinners of fried catfish, fried chicken or a combo of both.  Individual dinners are available with quite a choice of other items including clams, shrimp, steaks, trout, even gator tail and frog legs. I'm sure most people opt for the catfish and/or chicken as an all you can eat dinner is only about $2 more.  Prices aren't too bad considering the quality of their food which is quite good.  Their all you can eat catfish, chicken or combo dinners are $14.95.

The catfish is boneless, grain-fed fillets rolled in a seasoned meal mixture that they bring in from Superior Fish of Macon, MS.  If you like catfish, they are really good.  I must say also that their fried chicken is some the best I've eaten anywhere.  They use fresh chicken that's been deep fried and is amazingly moist even on the breasts and our server assured us that it's not pressure fried. 

Our daughter ordered the Shrimp Calabash ($10.95), which was a half-pound serving and were quite tasty.  The rest of our party ordered the catfish/chicken combos. A second helping of the catfish and chicken was all I could handle without being miserable.  All of us came away with the feeling that we made a great food discovery in Pigeon Forge.  My daughter and her boyfriend had eaten a few months ago at a newer similar establishment in PF called Bullfish Grill and came away very disappointed over the food quality, high prices and poor service.  They said there was no comparison to Huck Finn's as it was superior in every way.

Take this from me as I'm picky about food: give Huck Finn's a try.  With so many dismal restaurants in the Gatlinburg/Pigeon Forge area along with the usual chain restaurants, why would you go out of town to eat at the same places you could eat at home or pay resort prices for bad food?  That's something we try to avoid whenever possible.