Preacher’s Smokehouse has a great authentic barbeque vibe as soon as you pull up. There is the barbeque stand itself which is one of a kind. It was built for a walk up and order. There is also a dining hall set up and a barn on their property. Picnic tables serve the public well in the warmer months and make an incredible backdrop to enjoy a meal at. Preacher’s is run by Sam as part ministry, and part amazing spot to find barbeque slightly off the beaten path. He got into cooking for larger groups while volunteering to feed fire fighters during forest fires in 2016. He saw this as a great opportunity to spread his message and started looking for a commercial kitchen. We love his spot which is a beautiful, short mountain drive from the Pigeon Forge strip. It’s served as the backdrop for weddings, great meals, and many other life lessons and gatherings.
Sam loaded us up with some great options from his menu. We had the burnt ends from some local pork which is tenderized with sweet glaze. These are highly recommended and I can’t wait to try some again. We had his three meat plate featuring beef brisket, checken, and pork each coated in a dry rub and Sam’s seasoning. You can substitute the burnt ends on this plate. The four bone ribs were tender and delicious. From our perspective you can’t go wrong with any of the locally sourced meat options. On the side we tried the brisket chili, white chicken chili, brunswick stew, baked beans, fries, potato salad, and a homemade coleslaw. If it sounds like a lot, it was! It was also all delicious and did not disappoint. Our favorites were the brunswick stew and I always love homemade coleslaw. The chili’s were also amazing. We finished the meal off with some cast iron skillet fried desserts. We had the skillet fried brownie, and skillet fried honey bun. They had a great presentation and also were amazing, with both melting in our mouths. Preacher’s has a family style appeal. There is enough food for everyone!
Preacher’s offers catering, of which the menu includes many options from his great grandparents logging camp. Camp Dog Catering is even named after his father who would do lot’s of camp cooking over the years.
Preacher’s is great for take out wherever you are staying in the area and even better if you have in time to take in the view. He also offers some homemade wares from his congregation, which are offered to diners for a donation to his ministry. Members of his congregation make hand crafted shelves, walking sticks, crosses, and other assortments. We came away with a really cool puzzle box which has a cut out wooden key to open it. Sam is full of history and his knowledge adds to the character of his place. He had some great sayings that stuck with us including: “We’re not fancy, we’re filling” and “If it’s good tell everyone you know, if it’s not, don’t tell a soul!”. We loved our time at Preacher’s and are proud to spread the word of their great food.
