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Thanks to recommendations from couples on The Knot
Dead End BBQ is a wedding catering business based in Knoxville, TN. From casual outdoor barbecues to elegant receptions, Dead End BBQ is equipped to provide delicious, affordable catering options for any bride. We offer a variety of foods and services to make your event memorable and hassle-free.
Dead End BBQ began as a neighborhood block party for those in the community to mingle and hone their cooking skills. In 2008, George Ewart and Robert Nutt were selected to represent Tennesse at the Jack Daniels World Championship Invitational Barbeque Competition. This pushed them to open their custom-designed restaurant. Honoring their roots, they continue to support their community through youth group programs and charity to local causes.
Expanding beyond their restaurant, George and Robert offer excellent catering services. They offer affordable options for your wedding reception, fitting any budget. Some of their featured menu items include pulled pork, sliced brisket, southern-style green beans, and creamed corn. They can also provide desserts such as banana pudding and cookies.
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Details
Cuisine
American
BBQ
Dietary Options
Dairy Free
Gluten Free
Nut Free
Food & Catering
Buffet
Catering Clean Up
Catering Delivery & Setup
Menu Tastings
Passed Appetizers
Servers
Awards and Affiliations
Any questions?
Reviews
5.0
out of 5.040 reviews
Your trust is our goal. Our community relies on honest reviews to help you make those big decisions with ease.
Review Summary
This AI-generated summary is a snapshot of this vendor's ratings and feedback.
Dead End BBQ received consistent praise for their wedding catering services with guests raving about the delicious food, particularly the mac & cheese and banana pudding. Reviewers appreciated the attentive and professional staff, highlighting Jennifer's helpfulness in coordinating the catering. The communication was described as excellent, with Dead End BBQ being highly recommended for couples seeking exceptional BBQ catering for their special day.Review photos
Showing slide number 1 out of 7
Kristen L
Highlighted review.
5.0
10/26/2025
Dead End BBQ catering was used for our wedding day and DID NOT DISAPPOINT! These guys are the best in the game by far. Our wedding was on 10/10 and we continue to hear about our we...
dding including the best wedding food guests have ever had. Highly recommend catering Dead End BBQ for your next big event! Their staff is so friendly and Jennifer who runs the catering department was a joy to work with. Thank you Dead End BBQ for making our day so special and memorable!!
Kendra S
5.0
11/21/2025
We hired Dead End BBQ for our wedding day and they did not disappoint! They made our plates for us and even put one away for each us to take home and eat after!! The food was amazi...
ng but my personal favorite was the mac & cheese! If you're looking for some good food for your wedding day then this is it!!
Any questions?
Alyssa K
5.0
11/03/2025
Dead End BBQ was easily the best decision we made regarding our wedding! We knew we wanted BBQ from the beginning of planning, and when we sampled their food last year, we were so ...
impressed. The staff was extremely kind and helpful both when we did the tasting and on our wedding day. They were great to work with via email to make sure all of the details were correct. Everyone is raving about how amazing dinner was and that it was some of the best BBQ they've ever had! We had leftovers from our wedding day and enjoyed them multiple days in a row following. Thank you so much Dead End BBQ for making our wedding meal AMAZING!
Kathryn T
5.0
10/30/2025
When I met Josh and Jesse at Johnny & Cami's wedding last week, I thought that they were the owners of the company. That is how professional they acted at their job. Not only was t...
he food delicious that the Bride & Groom had chosen to have served from Dead Ends, but the service was top notch as well. This was my first (of hopefully many) experience with this company and I will definitely be recommending them in the future. Josh and Jesse were polite and courteous and went out of their way to wash all the dishes they had used, boxed up the leftovers for the couple, asked us (Owner, Wedding Coordinator and Assistant Coordinator) if there was anything else that they could do to help us. This was over and above what their job entailed and what they were paid to do. I was so impressed. As we continued to talk, they commented on the banana pudding and asked if I'd tried it. I had not. When I did, it was like no banana pudding I've ever tried - absolutely delicious and very unique. Josh told me that the recipe had been in the Owner's family for a long time. That is the only reason I knew that they were not the Owners of the company. When you hire Dead Ends to cater for your wedding or other event, you don't just get great food, you get amazing quality service that you'd never expect.
Gabby A
5.0
10/26/2025
The service and food were excellent at my wedding. The food was hot and delicious! The business provided a server who cleaned up after dinner. It was a wonderful experience!
Kate Q
5.0
8/13/2025
We had an amazing experience with Dead End. Jennifer, the catering manager, is very responsive and helpful. Most importantly, the food is delicious. Our guests kept talking about h...
ow good the food was. The caterers during the event were very attentive. We would recommend them to anyone!
Jon W
5.0
12/02/2024
Dead End BBQ was fantastic to work with for our destination wedding and came highly recommended by our wedding coordinator. We opted for doing nachos and margaritas for our July w...
edding. Our guests were very surprised by how good the nachos were. They were super easy to do, and everyone could customize them to their own liking. Even our vegetarian and vegan friends were able to build a meal to their liking. We would definitely recommend them and plan on eating there the next time we come to visit Tennessee.
Anonymous
5.0
11/29/2024
Dead End BBQ is a must have at a wedding. Our guests to this day (our wedding was in September) still talk about how good the food was. I was a little hesitant booking them without...
tasting, but there was no regrets on the big day. Jennifer was amazing throughout the planning process and responds within a day! Must have for a wedding in the area!
Brittney W
5.0
11/18/2024
We had Dead End BBQ cater our wedding on 11/16/24. We have never eaten their food since we lived out of state but I asked my MIL to try the restaurant for us the next time she was ...
in Knoxville since she is local to the area. She asked me what all I wanted her to try and she did and said the food was absolutely delicious. We went ahead and booked them right away. The communication was spot on with the team at Dead End BBQ. First time we had their food was at our reception. It was delicious. The mac n cheese was by far my favorite. The catering staff were so attentive and they packed us up with a lot of food as well. So thank you!!!’
Louise M
5.0
11/11/2024
They came recommended by our wedding venue and they were amazing! Easy to communicate with about changing details or answering questions! The food and service was amazing!
Jackie B
5.0
10/28/2024
Dead End BBQ was amazing and we highly recommend them. Jennifer was great throughout the planning process and always was quick to answer any and all questions. We wanted BBQ for ou...
r wedding, and they did not disappoint. All the food tasted amazing and we heard all great things from our guests. Way better than your typical plain chicken and boring potatoes! If you are a fan of good BBQ, look no further. We would not have had it any other way. If it was possible to recommend them more, we would!
Jenny N
5.0
10/15/2024
Thrilled with Dead End! We used them for a small cabin wedding. They were easy to stay in touch with and coordination was easy. The food was amazing! We did the brisket and pulled ...
pork and both were delicious. The staff was very polite and helpful for us as well.
Shawn L
5.0
9/30/2024
We booked Dead End without ever tasting their food. It did not disappoint. I am still getting compliments on how good the food was 6 weeks after our wedding. The staff members they...
sent were great! Punctual, efficient, attentive. Thank you!
Jenna K
5.0
9/23/2024
Amazing food! We had so many compliments on cocktail hour appetizers and dinner. They are super flexible and good communication! Highly recommend
Katherine G
5.0
6/17/2024
Dead End provided delicious food and amazing service at our mountain top wedding. Guests absolutely loved everything, and it was such a great value for the money we spent. Highly r...
ecommend!
Shannon H
5.0
6/15/2024
We catered Dead End BBQ for our wedding at The Magnolia on 6/1/24. The food was amazing and we got so many compliments on how amazing the food was! Communication was great, they we...
re so great at giving advice on how much/what types of appetizers should be served. The food was served hot and fresh. Definitely recommend!!
Summer S
5.0
5/29/2024
Wow, just wow!!! The food was amazing, the service was great, and the communication was good. Back to the food, some of the best BBQ and sides around. We had so many guest asking u...
s about our food and saying how good it was. Would recommend them for any occasion!!!
Kelsey S
5.0
11/14/2023
Great communication from the very beginning, fantastic pricing, and all of our guests raved about how good the food was! Budget friendly, delicious, and easiest vendor to work with...
by far.
Kellie M
5.0
9/18/2023
Our catered cancelled last minute so Dead End swooped in and saved the day! The workers were so thoughtful and professional, clearing plates and cleaning promptly. The coordinator ...
was so organized and helpful. Plus the food was delicious (esp the Mac and cheese and greens!)
Thank you dead end!!
Tiffany H
5.0
2/15/2023
I can't rave enough about how amazing our reception food was! Most of our guests had never been to the south so it was very important for us to share some authentic southern cookin...
g while they were in town and Dead End BBQ delivered! The team was amazing to work with and so helpful, the servers were beyond amazing, the food was fresh and warm and they even made a special pan of food for us so we could actually eat supper after our reception! Our guests are still telling us how much they enjoyed it! Thank you Dead End!
Alicia S
5.0
12/13/2022
We went to two BBQ tastings about a year out from our wedding and Dead End was hands down the best. The presentation at the tasting was top notch and everything following was grea...
t! They were extremely easy to work with and very communicative throughout. The food at our wedding was DELICIOUS and we got so many compliments from guests. Additionally, the servers were very attentive with cleaning up cleared plates. I would highly recommend Dead End for anyone wanting delicious BBQ at their wedding!
Chelsea S
5.0
11/04/2022
If you're going to have a destination wedding in Tennessee, it only makes sense to have BBQ and Dead End BBQ was the perfect choice for us. The food was delicious, the price was af...
fordable and communication leading up to the big day was amazing! Highly recommend.
Courtney R
5.0
1/23/2021
I booked them for my wedding with on site catering services and they were amazing. I live 9 hours away so I didn't get to taste test anything but everything we had was perfect. So ...
many guests complimented on the food and our server. Our server had a wonderful personality. He did a great job of juggling the food, clean up, and cake cutting. He checked in with me from time to time to make sure everything was to my liking and if there was anything I needed. I am also very pleased with Stacy who managed the event. Her communications were very prompt and made sure all the plans and details were very clear. I'm extremely happy we selected Dead End BBQ for my wedding
Lisa B
5.0
9/11/2020
Dead End BBQ nailed our wedding food!!! From cocktail hour, to dinner, they went above and beyond to make sure some of our special requests were fulfilled even if they didn't offer...
the specific food. I had so many compliments that our food was delicious and I couldn't agree more! Planning with their staff was fun, easy, and they were so quick to respond. We definitely had the wedding of our dreams and Dead End BBQ helped make that happen. I wouldn't change a thing. I would highly recommend them!!!
Alice P
5.0
10/30/2019
Best BBQ in town! We used Dead End BBQ for our wedding and we are so happy we did! Leah was wonderful to work with and she made sure we had everything we needed. Definitely recomme...
nd Dead End BBQ for your catering needs!
Rebecca S
5.0
8/01/2019
We are so happy we chose Dead End BBQ to cater our June wedding! We had a large wedding of almost entirely out-of-town guests, and we really wanted to give them a delicious, southe...
rn meal at a reasonable price point. We found Dead End BBQ to be incredibly affordable AND absolutely delicious. Leah in catering worked with us to build a menu perfect for our event. She was always exceedingly kind and professional. The day-of catering staff were wonderfully competent and helpful from setup to teardown. We truly cannot recommend Dead End BBQ highly enough and our guests can't stop talking about that mac n' cheese :)
Sara K
5.0
5/04/2019
Everyone was talking about the food all night long. After the wedding, another engaged couple asked us "permission" to use the same caterer for their wedding. They give free sample...
s if you are interested in using them, the least you can do it try it for yourself!
Anonymous A
4.0
12/29/2018
Honestly, we didn’t get to eat the food at the wedding. I think our guests liked it though, and they were so kind to pick us food for the wedding night. I was a little disappointed...
by the sauce, because we requested regular and spicy but did not get the spicy sauce.
Kevin C
5.0
11/21/2018
Nothing says a barn wedding in Tennessee quite like barbecue. We could not be happier with our decision to go with Dead End BBQ! Of course the food was incredible, but the service ...
that came with it was also impeccable. They went above and beyond to make sure that our wedding reception was flawless and we had everything we needed. If you plan to have barbecue for your event anywhere around Knoxville/Pigeon Forge/Gatlinburg, look no further than Dead End BBQ! Ask for Leah!!
Rachel M
5.0
9/04/2018
We are so pleased that we chose DE BBQ to cater our wedding. The food was just as fantastic as it was at the tasting. Our guests loved it! Leah Harville was excellent to work with ...
and always professional! The gentleman who provided the services went above and beyond to ensure we were well taken care of. We expected simple buffet service, but he cleared dinner plates and refreshed drinks as well! Would highly recommend.
Bridget B
5.0
6/14/2018
Amazing job. We received so many compliments on our food! Absolute perfection!
Regan R
5.0
11/20/2017
Leah and everyone at Dead End BBQ were nothing but helpful. They were quick to email or call you back during the days leading up to our wedding. On the wedding day, our guests love...
d everything. I saw one person just have a plate of the amazing mac & cheese. When my husband and I arrived at our reception, someone was right there getting our plates and drinks. My husband was sick at the time and 3 days before, they were able to plan a special plate just for him. It was so yummy and would recommend them to anyone wanted warm, comfort food on their wedding day!
Robin W
5.0
10/26/2017
The food was amazing as always. The catering staff was supper nice. They made sure my Husband and I had food during the reception. They also had two boxes of food ready for us whe...
n it we left the reception. They even boxed up all of the left overs so that the guest could take some home as well.
Christie V
5.0
10/21/2017
Dead End BBQ is delicious! Leah was extremely nice and easy to get a hold of. She was very knowledgeable and made it easy for us. We had a ton of compliments from our guests at how...
much they loved the food and how much better it was than other weddings they have been too. There is a great variety of options to choose and by far the most popular item was the banana pudding. We should have gotten more, it went so fast. We did not have many leftovers, but what leftovers we did have were still great to eat. The pricing is very reasonable and there aren't any hidden fees. I have nothing negative to say. We recommend Dead End BBQ to anyone for catering and for any event!
Haley F
5.0
10/14/2017
As soon as I got engaged we knew we wanted Dead End. They made it very easy with set up and they boxed up all the left overs, yum! Everyone thought the food was amazing!
Danielle H
5.0
11/23/2016
I cannot say enough about Dead End BBQ Catering. They catered my wedding for 120 people in September in Gatlinburg, TN. The price and selection is unbeatable! They were is const...
ant communication until the day of the event, arrived and setup on perfect schedule. EVERYONE kept telling me afterwards how great the food was! Dead End BBQ exceeded my expectations by far and I would recommend them to anyone!
Carole Z
5.0
10/10/2016
Amazing!! Dead End was incredible to work with. We had a huge variety of appetizers, entrees, sides to pick from. They were prompt, efficient, and professional, and really friendly...
every time we met with them. They provided all the serving trays, utensils, and even dessert service - though we didn't get all our desserts from them. I recommend them to anyone who needs a catering service!
Mason T
5.0
12/12/2014
Excellent Vendor! Wouldn't have chosen anyone else to Cater my wedding. On time, Professional, inexpensive and delicious.
Cara M
5.0
7/15/2014
Not only did me and my husband LOVE Dead End BBQ all of our guest did too. WE wanted something that didn't cost too much, tasted good, and could feed a bunch of people and BBQ was ...
the best choice. We tried a few places in the area and Dead End was the best and it worked out that it had the best deal too! For $11 a person we got 2 meats, 3 sides, bread, sauces, drinks (sweet tea, water, and lemonade), cups, plates and silverware. The plates, cups, and silverware were plastic and Styrofoam so I did buy my own to make it a little nicer. They come and set up, stay during the event to clean as people finish, and they clean up and pack extra food for you to take home at the end of the night. Just remember BBQ goes a long way so don't stress out about an exact head count. I did and we had a lot of leftovers. They were great to work with, great price, and even better food!
Jessica E
5.0
7/11/2013
Everyone enjoyed the catering! They are very budget friendly! What I loved the most, they are inexpensive, but the best tasting food around town. I recommend this to anyone!
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Wedding vendors in Knoxville
Dead End BBQ
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