Dancing Bear Lodge

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I absolutely loved Dancing Bear Lodge as a wedding venue. It was a photographer’s dream with everything close by. The coordinator was wonderful to work with and the staff did an incredible job decorating! Can’t wait to take Wedding photos there in the future.

Truly a diamond in the rough! I highly recommend this place due to impeccable dining, hospitable and friendly people! What a treasure!

Dinner at the Dancing Bear is always special. Great food, service and atmosphere.

The brunch is excellent. Every item is high quality. Ella is a wonderful, attentive server.

My husband surprised me for dinner! Atmosphere is delightful and as for food and service it was Exquisite. Top notch. We are from Miami and visit every other year so we will definitely be back! Thank you for the great experience! 🎂🍾🍴

We went yesterday for the Sunday brunch and it was absolutely AMAZING! The scenery was beautiful as well! Courtney was our server and she was TOP NOTCH ❤️ We will most definitely be back!

Great food great staff beautiful location.

Steaks are the BEST! Great atmosphere and service! Highly recommend if you’re looking for a nice, rustic but elegant place to eat!

What’s not to love about the beautiful views for days, exceptional customer service, and food that was out of this world?! Would definitely recommend for any event, special evening, or how about any day that ends in — y. Loved every moment we got to spend at Dancing Bear!

Absolutely awesome place the food is absolutely the best.

Absolutely amazing! Loved the food, service and atmosphere!

Beautiful setting, great staff, delicious food.

I seriously cannot say enough good things about this place! They put together a beautiful and delicious meal for our wedding reception of 20 people. The wait staff was quick and helpful, the setting was absolutely beautiful and they did all of this is under 24 hrs! The cocktails were to die for, the trout was mouth watering and the filet mignon was so tender. We will definitely be coming back on our next trip.

Celebration dinner was absolutely wonderful. Food was delicious and cocktails were really tasty too. Server went out of her to make our evening special.

Wonderful food and service, both of us enjoyed our meal. While the food is higher end the staff is still down to earth and provided us with exceptional service and went as far as altering things for our preferences.

Amazing! Loved the food and the atmosphere!

Great place, honestly the best in the area. Service and food was amazing. We came last year which was great but the menu has expanded since last year and we really enjoyed it. 5 stars.

Wonderful dinner, great service and drinks, topped off with a s’mores bar. Will be back on our next visit to Townsend.

What a treat to attend the Drew
Holcomb and the Neighbor’s concert/event at Dancing Bear! Appalachian Bistro created a
Fabulous spread with a taste of fall and fresh cuisine! The staff was excellent and eager to serve guest. We ask for coffee and Brad came out with a coffee caddy and french press! The bonfire and cozy surroundings along with perfect weather created a memorable night with great food, fun, service and music!

Way too overpriced and after spending $170 on dinner for two we walked right by the manager that never even spoke. Food was only so, so.

The squash blossoms were outstanding. The salmon was even better. We will be back.

The most relaxing place in Tennessee! Clean, friendly and comfortable!

Excellent-clean clean clean. Professional staff, quiet neighborhood — we have stayed there about 10 times in all different cabins.

The food was fabulous. The atmosphere is so nice & so relaxing. And our waiter was wonderful. We will be back.

Very clean cabin & friendly staff! The bistro filet dinner was 10 out of 10! I ordered my husband a birthday cake and it was in the room when we arrived with a very nice welcome basket! The fireplace was out and they comp us a $45 gift card with a personal hand written card apologizing! The hot tub was very clean aswell and the tub was fabulous! We will be back!

Had a wonderful few nights here for my 50th birthday! Everything was magical! Beautiful area so close to the Smokies. Can’t wait to go back!

Wonderful cozy cabins, excellent dining, pretty campus, friendly people.

We had an amazing experience! Channing our waiter was extremely professional and made our first time experience a great one. Everything we ate was not only plated beautiful but also tasted delicious! Look forward to coming up here to dine again!

Great atmosphere excellent food and staff. Love the crackling fire
and the outdoor gazebos.

We had another wonderful experience at Dancing Bear.
The trout dinner was delicious. The Hot Pot was amazing. Great atmosphere, friendly staff.

We had a wonderful time! The food was excellent beautiful scenery and the Oldham’s know how to run a fabulous resort!

Service was lacking… food was less than amazing and it was chefs choice.

Ate at the restaurant. Food was terrible and prices outrageous.

We loved everything about your beautiful restaurant! The food was delicious and the service was excellent! Worth the drive! A+

What’s wonderful: reasonable price, quiet, beautiful, conveniently close to the smokies, delicious food. What is compromised: attention to detail. We had a few issues like they didn’t leave us a key and we had to ask for one, the bed dropped in the middle, the pillows were overstuffed into the pillowcase, and the included breakfast was good only one of the two days. My wife and stayed in May 2020. We had a nice stay and would do so again. Overall, I think the cabin privacy and amenities are great for the price. I would recommend it to anyone looking for something nicer than a hotel room, but willing to forego to detailed touches of a luxury experience.

Delicious food, fantastic atmosphere and wonderful staff. We will be back to enjoy your delightful cuisine.

This easy to get to mountain escape is a beautiful venue for a wedding! — LB Floral.

Excellent food and service. The standard for Excellence in dinning. The cabin is amazing. Perfect party accommodations. Beautiful spacious cabin. Great mountain getaway.

Wonderful dining experience! Food is incredible, and so is service! Lively atmosphere in a cozy fun place!

We loved it. Cabin was clean and just perfect. Food was good
a few misses but they were more then willing to change it for me. Owners were on property and very welcoming. Hiked all the trails this morning with our pups. They even allow them in their coffee shop and gave them. Pup cups❤️ we will be back to this rare gem.

Great service, wonderful food and atmosphere!

Amazing pre 1/2 marathon meal with my running buddy on Sept. 6, 2019. From the appetizer and wine to the carrot cake dessert and s’mores … fabulous! The impeccable service provided by Brad! Thank you Dancing Bear!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Wonderful place in an absolutely gorgeous setting with full on southern hospitality to vacation or have an event such as a wedding, anniversary, birthday or to just chill for a few days! Staff are friendly and professional. Cabins are cozy & clean. Looking forward to coming back!

We did not stay at the Lodge… yet but stopped at the Coffee House three times during our visit. Server, Kenzie, was great! She was very friendly, made us feel at home and knew just what we wanted after our first visit! Great drinks and fried apple pies!

We did not stay at the lodge, we came just to have a dinner at the Bistro. The food was excellent, fresh, tasty and well executed. Our Server Pepper was professional and very friendly. We are definitely coming back.

We stayed at Rich Mountain it was a short walk to the Dancing Bear Bistro and the room was above expectations. Perfect for quiet and private getaway. Check in & out super simple and the staff was very helpful.

Fantastic! Spotless cabin (Rabbit Creek) we arrived after hours and they had the keys set aside for us. The hot tub was turned on and warmed up on the wooded private back porch ready to go for us AND… the fireplace was stack with dry wood with starter log ready for one match and your in cozy business! Very impressive and I travel for a living. Can’t wait to try the food tomorrow!

Great location. Its east tn. This is the but. Seated and after a few minutes asked for drink and what we would like for dinner. Asked for a moment and 15minutes later I apologized and hit the door. If in the area walnut kitchen is fantastic.

This place has became my wife and I's quick getaway retreat. We have stayed in several of cabins. Though all different all are great. Each cabin feels secluded where you can escape into your own little world. We always eat at the bistro for supper and the food is 5 star quality. They should be charging for the complimentary breakfast at the bistro because of how wonderful it is. For lunch we visit the Apple Valley Cafe on the property for burgers and sweet potato fries. A coffee bar has been recently added and my wife said it was great as well. If visiting the Smokies do yourself a favor and drive into Townsend and stay here, you will not regret it.

Who would have thought that vegan was tasty? I converted to be a vegetarian 5 months age — and had a vegan wine pairing dinner today. The best testament to trying food is that not a step was missed despite trying new ingredients. Family, food and friends came together in harmony for a truly memorable night.

We stayed in one of the cabins with a loft and we're pleasantly surprised! The staff while checking in were so kind and helpful, telling us about her favorite local spots. The free bikes you can loan are such an amazing idea, and are great for biking the numerous trails on lodge property, as well as into town on the bike paths. The park itself is only about 20 mintues away, near an entrance that is easy to acess. Our cabin was clean, and the kitchen was well stocked with plates, pans, cups and extra. There is a toaster, microwave, fridge/freezer, oven, coffee maker, and dishwasher in the kitchen, which was awesome for making your own food. Housekeeping did an awesome job changing the sheets, even on the pull out couch. I would definitely stay here again, great job Dancing Bear Lodge!

The Dancing Bear Lodge and Appalachian Bistro are an amazing combo. The property that the lodge and bistro are on is absolutely beautiful. So beautiful in fact that I proposed to my Fiancé in the gazebo right outside the bistro. Anna, the event and wedding planner was so helpful in making everything so special for Tonia. She didn’t have a clue what was going on as it was her birthday meal so she didn’t suspect a thing. We had a photographer photograph the proposal as it was happening in real time. What a great idea. Tonia loves the photos. Now onto the food. The food was specially prepared for my Fiancé. Anna helped me to coordinate either Chef Shelly to cook all of Tonia’s favorite dishes. It was the best salmon we had ever had. Period. If you are visiting or live in the area you have to eat here. We already had a cabin booked but I would imagine staying at the lodge would be a pleasant experience. I could not have asked for a better experience and everything went according to plan. Highly recommend this for a dining adventure or to hold your next event or the most important step in your life which is asking my beautiful girlfriend to marry me. Thank you to all the staff that helped me pull this off without a hitch.

This place does not treat their serving staff very well. Management is easily frustrated and they constantly lose their tempers and will speak condescendingly to the people who work for them. Very unprofessional work atmosphere. The 'celebrated' chef will cuss and yell in your ear while you are trying to serve her food for her. Very unappreciative and repressive environment. It certainly was not for me, as someone who is seeking a refined place to work with professionals.

Great place to stay for one night or plenty of nights! It has the best of both worlds, hotel and cabin life. The lodge accommodates the cabin you stay in with fresh sheets and towels, but also allows you feel like you can make the place your own. The "duplex" cabins feel like more of a hotel stay… All the other cabins feel and look more like a traditional cabin in the woods. Very private no matter where you stay. There is a lot of things to do outdoors near the lodge. A car is necessary to get around outside the lodge, but within, a pair of legs or golf cart will do. I will definitely recommend this lodge to anyone and would love to return!

Great food from the apps to our entrees. But the service was lacking. We had reservations this past Friday night and the place wasn't busy at all. Our server was kind and polite however she was very slow and not the most attentive server we've ever had. Food took a little longer than expected to receive but it was very delicious. I had the chop and the others had the beef tenderloin. Its a good place to eat but I doubt ill be back anytime soon. Too far out of the way to drive for mediocre service.

Where to start? I guess with service, it was horrible! I waited on another beer for several minutes, I was ready to leave then but gave the girl another chance. That was a mistake. Then we get our very over priced bland food. I have a burger which was dry however the bun was good. My bride ordered the beef tenderloin and it was undercooked, at the price this is unacceptable. Not to mention very bland. Her vegetables were tasty but oily. Then we waited 20 minutes before we got our bill. We do not recommend this to anyone. It's overrated, overpriced and service is horrible. I'm fair so I will say that when she would show up that she was polite.

Sensational. Clean. Friendly. … Not to be outbid … Very quaint.

We booked last minute in March and had a way better experience than expected. The lodge was very modern and eloquently decorated. They left us a small breakfast treat every morning and the late night helper Amy was amazing too, she helped us start a fire in our lodge late at night. I will definitely be recommending this to friends! By the way, for those wanting to see the sunrise, drive to the start of Lookout Rock at Foothills Parkway to get a beautiful view. It's closeby to the dancing bear lodge.

We visited the Dancing Bear on a recent trip to Townsend. It was our great good fortune to have Juliette as our server. Not only is she one of the managers, she's recently passed her Level I sommelier exam. She guided us through our meal selections and then came back to suggest a wine which paired very well with every entree. The food was fantastic, the service was equally good, and both were above any standard you would normally set for this sleepy Appalachian town. We were so impressed that we went back for a second night. This time we had Ontaria as our server. A qualified chef in her own right, she was very helpful in selecting our courses. I have a feeling that all of the wait staff at Dancing Bear would be equally comfortable in the kitchen or behind the bar. Go. Relax. Trust the Dancing Bear team to make sure you have a meal to remember.

Planning our wedding! Amie Is so helpful and puts my worries at ease! I'm excited to continue the process!

This place is magical! We go every Thursday, Chef Shelley is amazing and the staff very personable!

My daughter was married there last weekend 10/28/17. I must say that everything was wonderful! They staff was amazing! Everyone made this special event memorable. We had to contend with all day rain which led to a change in seating and accommodations for sit down meal. The staff and especially Christi the wedding Cordinator were fabulous! The food was Devine! It was a amazing night! I would highly recommend dancing. Bear for all occasions.

The lodge exceeded my expectations! Everything from the wonderful rooms and accommodations to the little things like providing a coffee pot and fresh ground coffee was a wonderful addition!

Fine food and decent wine selection, beer selection not so much. Friendly staff, prompt service, pricy but every dish we ate was high quality. Appealing outdoor eating section.

Reviewed as someone who understands and has enjoyed fine dining on 3 continents: Slightly pretentious and over-priced. Good food, with a smattering of potential greatness and nice atmosphere. Time between courses was stretched to the point of boredom and watch-checking. Master or Executive chef quality and/or innovation? … I'm afraid not. Would I go back again? … only if the prices were cut in half and service was sped up a bit.

Unfortunately the owner of this restaurant doesn't care if you have a bad experience. Would not accept or return calls to try to resolve a truly poor dining experience at their special menu event for Christmas. Anyone who runs a restaurant and who ignores customers concerns, doesn't deserve your business. It's a one, at best two, star restaurant that charges five star prices. Beautiful setting, especially on the patio, but the ambiance is wasted on this mismanaged, over-priced, and over-rated restaurant. If you want a special occasion dining experience in this area, that is worth the cost, you will do much better at the Barn at Blackberry Farms, or the Foothills Milling Company in nearby Maryville. Avoid The Dancing Bear. If you do dine there you run a significant risk of being disappointed.

I've been here several times and have not been disappointed. We drove up for dinner on Fathers Day and had an exceptionally great meal, as always. The stuffed trout is delicious and the corn flaked fried chicken very good but needed a little seasoning. We ask to see the dessert menu and was told by our waitress the lodge had a new dessert chef. Ok. My husband and I got the berry Cobbler which was served in a cute little black skillet type dish; we were somewhat disappointed; we were used to a Southern Cobbler with sugared/ buttered pie crust and the berries were very tart, so tart. Our daughter got the log donuts which were so bland, no taste at all. We are already planning our return visit for we really enjoy the atmosphere and the main course meals. This is a very unique place!

Dancing Bear Lodge was great! The accommodations were rustic-themed while maintaining modern amenities such as Wi-Fi and cable. Overall great experience!

I had dinner at the restaurant. The hostess and server were inviting and friendly. The menu was small but had good variety and was thoughtfully put together, making use of local and seasonal ingredients. It was a bit pricy, but everything everyone at our table had was excellwnt and well worth it.

We didn't stay here but We lost our dog in the area and owners and staff were very friendly and helpful during our search, they even took time to help us look, and soon after we found her! Thanks again!

We had a fantastic dinner at the Dancing Bear Lodge. First of all, the lodge is tucked away in a beautiful and serene location up on a hill. You couldn't ask for a better location. The staff was cheerful and attentive from beginning to end. We were seated at a table on the porch. We started with the Appalachian Lunchable, which includes a variety of delicious snacks including biscuits, pimento cheese, some sort of Sriracha-candied bacon, and more. Everything was delicious and unique. For dinner, I decided to go simple, so I had the burger. It was very well seasoned and juicy. One of the best burgers I've had in a while. My wife had the bacon wrapped scallops over risotto, and she loved every bit of them! They were large scallops, but they were cooked to perfection, so they were still tender and delicious! Throughout the meal we enjoyed some Pinot Noir and tried some of the fantastic local beers they have on draft. Although the desserts sounded delicious, we were pretty stuffed, so we retired to the fire put where we sipped on some wine and enjoyed the complementary s'mores. We hung out there for an hour or so enjoying the beautiful scenery and great conversation. The perfect way to end an amazing dinner. If you have an opportunity to stop by, I highly recommend it!

The dancing bear is a beautiful place in Townsend the staff is amazing and will go above and beyond to fit your needs is a great location to get away have a wedding or just sit back and relax the mountains.

The room (Sugarlands 2) was downright swank. Food was delicious. Staff was genuinely friendly!

Best find in smokey mountains. Stayed 2 nights and will be back. Staff was wonderful. Cabins are fantastic!

Had a blast at the Dancing Bear Lodge! I went to an overnight training session for work and the cabins were so cozy and the beds were VERY comfy.

My wife and I had a very pleasant experience. The service was excellent. The food was unique and very good as well.

My wife and I went here to eat for our anniversary. Ilthe atmosphere and good was outstanding. Highly recommended.

Terrific cozy cabins with short driv s for amazing hikes. Rustic, clean, yummy food and quiet!

Words cannot express how much we LOVE Dancing Bear! While visiting for a venue tour for our wedding we realized we had discovered the diamond of the smoky mountains! We have stayed and worked for a lot of luxury resorts so it was greatly appreciated to see that customer service and attention to detail reflected here at Dancing Bear! The entire staff is friendly and makes you feel like you are never without! Our stay would not have been complete without visiting with Christi Silliman, Director of Sales! She is the reason we feel like Dancing Bear is the only place for our wedding and we know with her by our side it will be flawless! Dancing Bear is perfect for a romantic getaway, family vacations, and destination weddings. We cannot wait to return and have already booked our next visit!

Great log cabin. Great staff, Colleen was very helpful.

This place is fantastic! We loved the privacy but also being close to amenities. Everything surpassed our expectations. Thank you so much for under promising and over delivering. :)

Not too may words can describe these cabin. They are gorgeous, very well kept, and luxurious. I throughly enjoyed every aspect of my stay; from the beautiful room, wilderness, feather bed, jacuzzi, the shower is great too, and even the friendly staff at the apple valley country store. We will definitely be back to stay here, maybe even make it an annual trip. I would highly recommend these cabins. -Christina, Tampa, FL.

I've stayed in the Smokies in cabins on repeated occasions, but Dancing Bear has the most luxurious ones I've seen yet. It is on the Cades Cove side, which is the beautiful, peaceful side of the Smoky Mountains. I've always found Gatlinburg to be a little too touristy, great for a day, but I prefer relaxing in front of a fireplace, soaking in a hot tub or sitting in a rocking chair on a deck in the woods with those gorgeous mountains all around. Dancing Bear has added a continental breakfast with house made granola, premium OJ, Greek yogurt and Starbucks coffee. There's a full kitchen and a gym on the property, plus Wi-Fi, which is a necessity these days, even when you want to get away from things.