Alamo Steakhouse — Restaurant in Gatlinburg

Alamo Steakhouse – Incredible Food and Service, But Serious Security Concerns

We had dinner at Alamo Steakhouse in Gatlinburg, and when it comes to food and service, this place absolutely delivered. Every meal starts with a basket of fresh, warm rolls that are soft, flavorful, and a perfect start to what turned out to be an excellent meal.

I had the Caesar Salad, which was crisp and refreshing with fresh romaine, tangy Caesar dressing, shaved Parmesan, and crunchy croutons. My wife opted for a regular garden salad, which was just as fresh and well-prepared. For the main course, we both ordered the 8 oz. Filet Mignon — tender, juicy, and cooked to perfection. I had a baked potato with butter and sour cream, while my wife had the loaded baked potato, and both were exactly what you'd expect from a top-tier steakhouse. I paired my meal with a Moonshine Rita — a fun and flavorful twist on the classic margarita using moonshine instead of tequila.

Our server, Caroline R., was outstanding. She mentioned she was new, but her service was smooth, attentive, and professional. If she’s new, she’s already better than many seasoned servers elsewhere. She’s the kind of employee any restaurant should be proud to have — and should work to keep.

The bill came to $93.50, which felt completely fair for a quality meal in a vacation town. The $12 tax, however, was a reminder that Tennessee’s sales tax is steep — back in West Virginia, we would’ve paid less than half that in taxes.

Now, the negatives:

Parking is frustrating. We pulled into a lot that was full and noticed another lot across a creek near the restaurant. We tried to get to it from another entrance, but the roads didn’t connect. We had to loop back, wait for someone to pull out of the original lot, and finally snagged a space. There’s a footbridge to the other lot, but to this day I don’t know how you’re supposed to get to it by car. Best advice: take an Uber and save yourself the hassle.

More concerning was the “No Firearms” sign posted at the door. I hold a valid West Virginia concealed carry permit, which is recognized by Tennessee. I carry to protect my wife and family — as many law-abiding citizens do. I respect a business’s right to prohibit firearms, but if you do, then you need to provide proper security.

At Alamo, there was no security, no metal detectors, and no checks of any kind. The only reason I didn’t carry that evening is because I obey the law. But a sign alone doesn’t stop someone with bad intentions — it only disarms the people who do follow the law. If you’re going to bar your guests from protecting themselves, you have a responsibility to protect them in return.

As a Delegate in the West Virginia House, I take security seriously — especially given the recent tragedy involving Minnesota State Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband. Incidents like that are a grim reminder that safety can’t be taken for granted, and many of us are now reevaluating what we expect from businesses when it comes to our personal protection.

In summary:

5 stars for food

5 stars for service

1 star for atmosphere, due to a lack of meaningful security while disarming lawful patrons

Alamo Steakhouse serves a fantastic meal, but their security policy needs...

This was probably my 4th or 5th time to the Alamo Gatlinburg. I've tried to overlook issues in the past because I like the environment and the love nest rooms are great for a private meal. Unfortunately when our party of 6 went last night things were too bad to want to go back again. It started with attitude by the hostess and went downhill. Online you can't join the wait with parties larger than 6 but showing no wait we felt good showing up until we walked in and were told 30-35 minute wait because there 2 large parties in front of us. I'll try to make the long story short. Both of them and about 4 or 5 smaller parties were seated quickly while we continued to wait. When I asked the head hostess if we would be seated soon I was told our quoted time was 35-40 minutes and it hadn't been 35 minutes. I asked if that meant they wouldn't seat us sooner and was told rudely no because it would overwhelm the staff. If they seat 10-12 people in separate parties but not our 6 that makes no sense at all! at exactly 40 minutes we were seated. The 3rd hostess that took us to our table and our server Ashley were the only bright spots in our evening. When I asked about the filet tip and shrimp special I was told it would only come mid-well to well done. I should have known if they can't cook tips better than that we were going to have other issues. The food was bland, mostly overcooked and over priced for what we got. $28 for "stuffed" shrimp which was 5-6 small shrimp doused in butter and breadcrumbs is not what I was expecting with a side of overcooked soggy Brussel sprouts. My husband's medium 1# burger was hammered past well done. The French onion soup and bread were the best things I ate. Our bills were way to high for what we got. On the way out my husband asked to speak to the manger on duty and was told there...

This might be a tad long, I've taken overnight to think about this. We're in town celebrating our 20th anniversary. There are plus's and minuses here. We emailed last minute and inquired about the small celebration rooms the have available for parties of two, they had one available and booked us! Upon arrival we were greeted by a very friendly young man. Waited just a few minutes to our table to be ready. After being seated we were greeted by our waitress Tonya, what a sweet person! She took our drink order, pretty simple. Wife had water with lemon, I ordered sweet tea. 15 minutes later our drinks arrive only she brought me water. ( A lot of restaurants serve water and also main drink) My tea never came, I had to ask for it again. We placed our order I ordered steak and she ordered chops. When my salad was delivered that I ordered with Catalina she brought me ranch. Now I like ranch, despite not being what I ordered I ate it anyhow and said nothing. Our meals were delivered, well presented, my steak was ordered medium, when I cut into it it was well, well done. Frustrated, I started eating because I didn't want to send it back nor wait for another to be made. It had great flavor, but not a medium texture. Tonya did offer to make another steak, which I kindly declined (I don't like to waste food). I asked for her to let the manager know so he/she could talk to the kitchen. Our bill was adjusted fairly for the steak, and overall, although disappointing the food was tasty. It wasn't the special experience we had hoped for. I believe they may be short on help, or going through growth because she seemed very rattled. Maybe we'll try again when...