Azul Cantina — Restaurant in Pigeon Forge

We’re visiting the area from Texas, and as a Mexican American, I was really craving some Mexican food. Unfortunately, there aren’t many options in the area that looked appetizing based on pictures alone. This wasn’t surprising—having traveled all over the country, I’ve found it’s often tough to find great Mexican food the farther you get from the border.

As for the food itself, it was okay, but it didn’t quite meet our expectations. Maybe I’m being harsh, but the only standout items we had were the chips with queso (which isn’t even an authentic Mexican dish) and the beef, which was cooked perfectly and had great flavor. Here’s a breakdown of the dishes we tried:

Corn Appetizer: This was disappointing and not worth it. You get about one whole corn cut into pieces, but only the top layer had mayo, queso fresco, and Tajín. For the price, it felt underwhelming and poorly executed. Each piece should be fully covered, not just the top. If you’re sharing, you’d need at least one order for every two people, so for larger parties, you’d end up spending quite a bit. I wouldn’t recommend it.

Chips and Queso: These tasted good, but it’s hard to go wrong with melted cheese and chips. The queso was warm and flavorful, so no complaints here. It’s simple but satisfying.

Tacos: These were a miss primarily due to the tortillas. They seemed homemade, which is great in theory, but they weren’t properly served. Ours were lukewarm, bordering on cold or room temperature. I’m not sure if this was because the food wasn’t brought to us right away or if the tortillas weren’t heated properly to begin with. Either way, it detracted from the dish.

Chicken Breast Dish: This was another passable but unimpressive item. The chicken breast was dry, and I imagine that’s why they typically pour melted cheese over it. I requested the cheese on the side, but even with it, the dish lacked flavor or excitement. It felt like it was missing something.

Rice and Beans: The rice was overly seasoned, and like the tortillas, it wasn’t served warm, which further detracted from the taste. On the other hand, the beans were a highlight for me—rich, flavorful, and one of the few things I truly enjoyed.

Meat Platter (Chicken, Beef, Shrimp): This platter was a mixed bag. The chicken was a bit dry, the beef (like in the tacos) was very, very good, and the shrimp was just okay—not bad, but not memorable. I do want to note that we forgot to request the beef to be cooked medium-well, so it arrived a bit too pink for our liking. However, the staff happily took it back and cooked it to our preference, which we really appreciated.

Overall, while the service was friendly and accommodating, the food didn’t leave much of an impression. The beef and chips with queso were good, but the other dishes fell short due to temperature issues, seasoning, or lack of execution. If you’re in the area and craving Mexican food, it might satisfy a quick craving, but as someone who’s used to authentic flavors from Texas, I wouldn’t say...

3 Stars – Great Drinks & Service, Food Was a Bit Hit or Miss

We visited Azul Cantina in Pigeon Forge with high hopes after making a reservation the day before. We met up with my cousin and his fiancée around 7:10pm at the bar for a 7:30 reservation. I ordered the Cielo and my husband had the El Padrino—both cocktails were amazing and a fantastic way to kick off the night!

We were seated a little early at a cute low-top table near the Dolly mural (which is fabulous, by the way). The vibe inside is super fun—think modern Mexico with a funky twist. Loved the design and overall aesthetic!

Our server Nachaly was an absolute gem—friendly, attentive, and always one step ahead of our needs. Huge props to her for keeping things flowing.

We started with the queso, which sadly was a miss—thin, runny, and had a strange aftertaste. Definitely wouldn’t order that again. On the flip side, the salsa was fantastic and a total table favorite.

For dinner, my husband and I shared the birria tacos, esquites beef eggrolls, and elote ribs. The birria tacos were cooked well, but the consommé was overpowered by cinnamon, which really threw off the flavor for me. The black beans, though? Shockingly good—even for someone who’s not usually a fan! The eggrolls had a great flavor, but the wrapper was soggy and lacked that satisfying crunch.

There was a mix-up with the elote ribs, which were brought out as an app instead of part of my cousin’s fiancée’s meal—not a big deal. But when it came to our order, they didn’t arrive with the rest of the food. Nachaly followed up and let us know the kitchen was behind and offered to pack them to go. We agreed… but 20 minutes later, they still hadn’t shown up. When I asked for the check, Nachaly said they were still working on them.

I asked to speak with a manager, and Devon came over to apologize. Turns out the kitchen had run out of corn and had to send someone out to get more. He took the elote ribs off our bill and brought them out to-go, which we appreciated.

Overall: The service was excellent, the drinks were stellar, and the ambiance was super cool. The food, however, was hit or miss, and the kitchen clearly had a rough night. I’d come back for drinks and the vibe alone, but would be more selective with what I...

Wow this was a terrible experience. As a party of 7 we came for dinner after Dollywood. Joined the waitlist and waited 30 minutes for a table.

Got sat down in the back corner by the female mural and everything went down hill from there. Dirty, sticky menus and no server presence for the first 15 minutes. Jeremy finally came over to take our drink and app orders and when they were served we had no silverware, no plates, no napkins etc. I had to flag someone down to bring over some.

We ordered drinks including 4 of the cute little margarita flights but they didn’t come with limes.

When the food came, the entrees came out at all different times. One was missing and I had to get up and walk towards the kitchen to find help. Once everyone received their meals the quesadillas were burnt, the veggie burrito I got just had rice in it (missing the veggies) the salad my mom got was missing avocado etc. I flagged down the manager and he just waved back at me like it was a game. He did finally come over and I explained what was going on. After his sarcastic comments he did finally correct the missing items.

We had so much food and drink and the dishes just piled up our table was never cleared. No drink refills were ever offered.

When it was time to pay we had split checks and Jeremy took our individual cards. We waited and waited and 18 minutes in we asked what was going on with the checks. No one had an answer. We’re not 26 minutes into paying and still haven’t received our cards back. Another server (Ellle?) came over and handed everyone their (uncharged) cards back and asked us to start the payment process over. He eventually fixed it. We never saw Jeremy again.

We heard the birthday soon and dance all night but when we mentioned we were celebrating a 70th birthday it was overlooked. Never got any acknowledgment.

At the end my aunt was walking to the exit from the bathroom, the floor was wet and she fell on her butt. 9:20pm if anyone wants to check the tapes. Granted the host asked if she was ok she was so embarrassed she just left.

This was a 2.5 hour visit. What a...