Local lists top spots to get the biggest, juiciest steak around the Smoky Mountains
As someone who has personally spent a lifetime in search of the perfect steak, I understand that the biggest doesn’t always mean the best. But as a red-blooded American, I also know that sometimes the biggest dang well does mean the best.
When dining out in the competitive market of Sevier County eateries, there are a lot of places that dip their toes in the steak game. Essentially, everybody’s got a 7 oz filet. Sometimes they’ll get frisky and take it up to 10 oz. Also, there are plenty of places with 12 oz sirloins and 16 oz ribeyes. Most places begin to tap out around the 20-oz range. But, my friends, when you’re on the hunt for a big steak, 20 oz is just getting started.
Who has the biggest steak in the Smokies?
We’ve arrived in the realm of large to very large steaks. It is a place of beauty and wonder. Before we begin, remember that all mentioned prices are subject to change. So without further ado, here are the largest steaks you can find around the Smoky Mountains:
1. Tomahawk Ribeye at The Appalachian (48 oz)
The Appalachian sits atop the Tomahawk Ribeye throne with a massive 48 oz steak. It’s $120 of perfectly prepared meat, and it is glorious. There is a lot of competition for best steak in Sevier County, Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge. But if you’re looking for massive steaks that are also excellent, the Appalachian has cornered the market.
2. Tomahawk Ribeye at The Greenbrier (40 oz)
Second and third places in this list come in at a tie. The Greenbrier’s Tomahawk Ribeye is a 40 oz dry-aged Premium USDA prime-graded beef. Prepared with a fresh cracked pepper and kosher salt sear, the folks at The Greenbrier Restaurant don’t explicitly forbid eating it caveman style. However, it’s certainly not encouraged. This steak will set you back $160.
3. Tomahawk Ribeye at The Burg Steakhouse (40 oz)
A relatively new member of the area’s steakhouse brigade, The Burg Steakhouse opened in September of 2020. Its entry in the massive steak competition is its Tomahawk Ribeye. For $120.90, you get the 40 oz “colossal steak, well-marbled, rich and buttery with a long French trimmed bone that steak lovers use as a handle when feasting on this ribeye.” Listen, I don’t know about all that. I think it may be a tad gauche to pick the thing up Captain Caveman style by the bone while you gnaw on the meat. Maybe just stick with the fork and knife and don’t go all Cro-Magnon.
4. Dry Aged Porterhouse at The Appalachian (34 oz)
As the king of Sevierville’s foodie revolution, The Appalachian offers a Contemporary Southern Appalachian Culinary Dining Experience and is essentially unmatched in the big steak game. In addition to the Tomahawk Ribeye, the Appalachian has a 34 oz Dry Aged Porterhouse for $118. If the question is do you have to sacrifice quality for quantity in the big steak game, the answer at The Appalachian is a resounding heck no. The Appalachian also offers a Dry Aged Cowboy Ribeye for $116, which is 32 oz in size.
5. The Porterhouse at The Greenbrier (28 oz)
The Greenbrier is arguably the best restaurant in Gatlinburg and maybe one of the best in East Tennessee. Its second-largest steak is a 28 oz Porterhouse, dry-aged Iowa Premium USDA prime cut from the short loin with filet for $72.
6. The Porterhouse at Howard’s Restaurant (28 oz)
Howard’s in Gatlinburg has been in the steak game since before Rock and Roll was invented. Their entry on the list is a 28 oz USDA Choice Porterhouse for $57. It’s billed as being perfect for those with a hearty appetite. At least they don’t want me to be a cowboy.
7. The Porterhouse at Texas Roadhouse (23 oz)
The Texas Roadhouse in Pigeon Forge has a 23 oz Porterhouse for $32.99. It’s a fine steak, nothing wrong with it. But it starts to get into the territory of offering what most other restaurants in the area offer: A fine, large steak. It’s not the biggest, but still worthy of making the cut.
Honorable mentions
I try to stay away from chain restaurants in these rankings but, fair is fair. Longhorn has a 22 oz Porterhouse for $34.29. It’s a good steak. The Alamo Steakhouse, whose ribeye is known simply as The Steak, has a 20-ounce that doesn’t need any frou frou names. Cooked with the bone-in to add to the flavor, the steak comes in at $42.
One of my favorite spots in East Tennessee, the Chop House, isn’t so preoccupied with size. Still, the T-Bone is a worthy entry on this list, combining a tenderloin and strip. Coming in at 20 oz, it’s $42.
Finally, if I’m being honest, Crystelle Creek isn’t exactly at the top of my list when it comes to steaks in the area. However, the Texas Ribeye – which is seasoned with kosher salt is a 20 oz Texas-sized bone-in cut that stands with many on this list. I do wish the menu didn’t say it’s perfect for a hungry cowboy. It makes me feel odd ordering it. If I had to cosplay to eat the steak, could I be a hungry astronaut? Or maybe an architect? I always wanted to be an architect.
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