Don't go if there is a wedding reception. We went on Sat during a wedding reception. We felt like wedding crashers and was disappointed in the atmosphere (almost empty restaurant) and food quality (entrées came at different times and one was luke warm).
Great food , friendly and attentive staff, wonderful ambiance with fireplaces
My mom and I thoroughly enjoyed our dining experience until the end when a fiasco completely ruined our evening. The restaurant is in a beautiful setting, and we chose to dine outside. The service was impeccable, the food inventive and flavorful. Highlights were the tomato pie, fried oysters, and butterscotch cheesecake.
5 star dining at its best. Tucked away with a spectacular view. They have their own garden.
But here's what happened to turn a lovely experience into a nightmare: We had a late reservation, and ended up being the last diners remaining outside (and inside, to our knowledge). We weren't quite ready to go home, and decided instead to walk over and sit in the nearby garden area, just a few yards away. 15-20 minutes later, I realized I had left my purse at the table. We went back and it was not there. After looking everywhere, we called the police, who with the help of google's "find my phone" were able to locate the purse, less than a half mile away, thrown out on the side of the highway. Unfortunately, the thief had taken my keys and wallet. The officer said that the perpetrator was almost certainly an employee (and since the restaurant is on the Dancing Bear Lodge property, isolated from the general public, and all of the other customers had left, it does seem highly unlikely that it was anyone other than an employee, several of whom would have had easy access to the table).
After two phone conversations with Christine, the manager of Dancing Bear Lodge, she has offered NOTHING in the way of compensation (or even a good will gesture) for what we went through as a result of the theft by (almost certainly) an EMPLOYEE of her establishment. The last conversation ended with her saying she would call me back in a couple of days, after reviewing the security video from that evening (but she said the video was of the inside, not outside. And, I'm not sure why they hadn't already viewed the video, since that phone call was 4 days after the theft). She said she asked all of the employees who were there and none of them "saw anything." She has not called back. (I do want to add here that Nick, the host, was nothing but helpful upon finding that my purse was missing, and did what he could to help us locate it.)
Excellent food, service, atmosphere. Maybe the best restaurant ever and we have traveled all over, France too.
My dog was in the car, and the police officer had to break in to get him out, setting off the car alarm twice in the process. Since the thief had the keys, we did not want to leave the car right where he/she knew it was, and so I had it towed to the campground where we were staying (car alarm going off in a campground at 2 AM: no fun). I was supposed to drive home the next day, but had to spend another night to wait for the spare key my husband sent next day air. Add to that the stress, hassle, and financial loss of having my credit cards, drivers license, etc stolen.
The bottom line is apparently you take your chances when dining here. If you decide to dine at Appalachian Bistro (like I said, the food and service were excellent), just be sure to hold on to your valuables. And if the thief strikes again, don't expect Christine to offer you anything other than "sorry that happened," or, even, to call you back when she says she will.
Dancing Bear Appalachian Bistro is a US Bar based in Townsend, Tennessee. Dancing Bear Appalachian Bistro is located at 137 Apple Valley Way, Townsend, TN 37882, USA.
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