did a bit of recon last week as i am under 2 hours from the general Rotary Rally area. i ran the Skyway (really nice 23 miles of sweepers) and the Dragon both directions. it was a rainy Monday so i had both runs to myself. since i now live on a road that is exactly like taking the two runs and dividing by two it was nothing new but of course the fun will be all the rotary company

i did a bit of sleuthing to figure out lunch and while a couple of attractive candidates were closed Mondays it looked like i had found the real deal... kind of a hole in the wall. lots of 5 star reviews interspersed w just a couple of yuchs. located in scenic Robbinsville (not) it sort of reminded me of a combo of what i would imagine Catholic confessional (the sliding window) and the **** soup kitchen on Seinfeld. anticipation built and my mouth was watering for the brisket sandwich. after a couple of attempted bites i retired it to the bag, thinking i would revisit later. maybe, like a good Bordeaux a bit of aging might help.

i headed out for the Dragon. big mistake. during the 22 miles (back and forth) it was sloshing around in the bilge of the pass side floor... and making me nauseous. really.

after the Dragon i decided it was time to head home and the quickest route took me past the scene of the crime. fortunately, T Dobbs is next to a McDonalds and i dumped my 5 star BBQ and ordered a large chocolate shake to cleanse my palate--- O K, get rid of the bad taste in my mouth.

five stars for McDonalds in Robbinsville

 

Thanks for the review, I think I'll skip that place if I get hungry around Robbinsville!

 

LOL

last time I was in TN a 2 years ago I had a similar experience. It was a BBQ joint on the highway just east of Gatlinburg. Ordered for 2 families, so I was pretty bummed as it was pricey and the bbq was dry AF. Must just be a tourist trap.......but you would think they could at least make decent bbq for what they charged.

 

Not sure why Google calls them a barbecue restaurant. Menu is full of mostly non-barbecue stuff. I will be sure to skip as well! On my way up Thursday, I will be trying Haywood Smokehouse in Franklin.

 

Yeah I don't know what the deal is in Robbinsville but there is NO WHERE good to eat there.

Bryson City has many good places and there are others out and about.

Thanks for the warning!

Dale