By Dr. Clint W. Kerns, ThD
There are restaurants where I enjoy trying something different every time I visit.
Then there are restaurants where I’ve found something I like so much that trying something different becomes difficult.
Local Goat is one of those places.
Donna and I have eaten at Local Goat in Pigeon Forge at least ten times over the past several years. I’ve sampled several dishes. I’ve had the Bison Meatloaf. I’ve had the Jumbo Lump Crab Cakes. I’ve enjoyed both of them enough that I’d gladly recommend either one.
But there’s a problem.
On my very first visit to Local Goat, I ordered the Shrimp and Grits.
I was hooked.
Shrimp and grits happens to be one of my favorite dishes anyway, and I’ve eaten it at restaurants in plenty of other places. But Local Goat’s version is easily one of my favorites I’ve ever had.
It may very well be my favorite.
And that’s why, no matter how many times I look over the menu and tell myself I’m going to order something different…
I keep coming back to the Shrimp and Grits.
A Pigeon Forge Restaurant We Keep Returning To
Local Goat isn’t one of those restaurants Donna and I visited once, enjoyed and never happened to visit again.
We’ve returned again and again.
That’s important when I recommend a restaurant on PigeonForgeVisit.com. There are plenty of places where you can have one particularly good meal. When you’ve eaten somewhere ten or more times and still want to return, that tells you considerably more.
Local Goat describes itself as a New American restaurant with an emphasis on a scratch-made kitchen and locally sourced and sustainable ingredients. The menu ranges from steaks and burgers to seafood, salads and Southern-inspired dishes. Local Goat – New American Restaurant Pigeon Forge
But I’m not recommending it because of what their website says about it.
I’m recommending it because I eat there.
It Started With the Shrimp and Grits
I made what turned out to be a dangerous decision on my first visit.
I ordered Shrimp and Grits.
Local Goat’s current version combines jumbo Gulf shrimp with bacon jam, spinach, mushrooms, caramelized onions, stone-ground cheese grits and sriracha. The dish remains on the current menu.
For me, it works.
I’ve eaten shrimp and grits at many restaurants because it’s one of my favorite dishes. That also means I have plenty of versions to compare it with.
Local Goat’s remains right at the top.
And therein lies my dilemma.
When you discover your favorite dish on your first visit, what are you supposed to order on your second?
Eventually I forced myself to branch out.
I’m glad I did.
But I keep coming home.
I Did Manage to Try the Bison Meatloaf
One of the dishes that finally convinced me to leave the Shrimp and Grits behind for a meal was the Bison Meatloaf.
And I’m glad I tried it.
Local Goat currently serves its Bison Meatloaf double-glazed with demi-glace, crispy onions and caramelized-onion mashed potatoes.
I love it.
Bison also makes this a little different from the traditional meatloaf you’d expect to find on a Southern restaurant menu. If you’re interested in trying something distinctive but still want familiar comfort food, this is one I’d recommend.
The only problem is that when I’m eating the Bison Meatloaf, there’s a little voice in the back of my mind saying:
“You could have had the Shrimp and Grits.”
And Don’t Overlook the Crab Cakes
I’ve also had the Jumbo Lump Crab Cakes, and those make my personal Local Goat shortlist as well.
They’re another dish I’d order again without hesitation.
That’s really the advantage of having eaten here as many times as we have. I’m not looking at a menu and picking three dishes that sound good.
I’ve eaten all three.
If you asked me personally what to consider on your first visit, my list would be:
Shrimp and Grits, Bison Meatloaf and Jumbo Lump Crab Cakes.
But you already know which one I’m going to tell you to try first.
Sometimes I Run Into People I Know
Local Goat has also become one of those Pigeon Forge restaurants where I’ve occasionally walked in and unexpectedly encountered somebody I know.
During one National Quartet Convention trip, I ran into Gerald Wolfe of Greater Vision there.
I’ve encountered several preacher friends eating there through the years as well.
That probably says something about how popular the restaurant has become. During busy periods in Pigeon Forge, particularly around major events such as NQC, Local Goat can be a very busy place.
Current diner reports repeatedly mention crowds and waits, even while rating the restaurant highly overall. Local Goat – New American Restaurant Pigeon Forge
So here’s one piece of advice from experience:
Don’t wait until you’re starving before deciding to go.
This Isn’t Traditional Smoky Mountain Cooking
That’s another distinction worth making.
If you’re looking specifically for old-fashioned country cooking, biscuits, fried chicken and bowls of vegetables passed around the table, there are other Pigeon Forge restaurants that fit that description better.
Local Goat is more contemporary.
That’s why the menu can comfortably put Bison Meatloaf, Shrimp and Grits, seafood, steaks, burgers and other dishes under the same roof.
And that’s one of the reasons it works particularly well when you’ve got several people eating together who don’t necessarily want the same kind of food.
The restaurant is casual enough for a vacation meal without feeling like fast food, while the menu offers enough variety to make dinner feel like something more substantial.
Expect It to Be Busy
This is probably the most important practical advice I can give a first-time visitor.
Local Goat is popular.
The restaurant sits directly on the Parkway, and current information shows it open daily from 11:00 a.m. until 10:00 p.m. Local Goat – New American Restaurant Pigeon Forge
At peak dinner times, particularly during busy tourism seasons, don’t be surprised by a crowd. Parking can also become congested when the restaurant is packed. Current guest feedback frequently mentions waits while still describing the food as worth waiting for. Local Goat – New American Restaurant Pigeon Forge
My advice is simple: plan ahead and give yourself some flexibility.
If your vacation schedule allows you to eat slightly earlier or later than everybody else, that’s often easier than arriving at the height of the dinner rush.
Who Would I Recommend Local Goat To?
This is a restaurant I’d recommend particularly to someone who wants something beyond the standard tourist-area chain restaurant.
Families can find familiar choices.
Someone looking for a burger or steak has options.
Seafood lovers have choices.
And if you’re a little more adventurous, dishes such as Bison Meatloaf give you something you won’t find on every menu.
It’s also a restaurant I’d consider for a nicer vacation dinner without requiring everybody to dress up.
That’s pretty much how Donna and I use it.
We go because we like the food.
And after at least ten visits, we’re still going back.
Clint’s Take
I sometimes think the best restaurant recommendation isn’t:
“What’s the best thing you’ve ever eaten there?”
A better question may be:
“What do you keep ordering when you go back?”
For me, Local Goat has a very easy answer.
Shrimp and Grits.
I’ve tried other dishes.
The Bison Meatloaf is excellent.
I love the Jumbo Lump Crab Cakes.
And the menu contains plenty of things I still haven’t tried.
But I know myself.
The next time Donna and I walk into Local Goat, I’ll sit down, look over that menu and probably tell myself:
“This time I’m going to get something different.”
Then I’ll see Shrimp and Grits.
And all bets are off.
After more than ten meals at Local Goat, I suppose that’s about as strong a recommendation as I can give.
Plan Your Visit
Local Goat is located at 2167 Parkway, Pigeon Forge, Tennessee 37863. Current hours are 11:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. daily. The restaurant is extremely popular and can become crowded during peak dining periods, so allow extra time, particularly during weekends, holidays and busy Pigeon Forge travel seasons. Hours, menu items, prices and policies can change, so check current information before visiting. Local Goat – New American Restaurant Pigeon Forge