Any decent eats in Gatlinburg, TN?

It doesn't look promising. Any hidden gems there?

In general, I recommend using the review system on TripAdvisor and then carefully reading and vetting the written reviews. In general, the more intelligent comments there are remarkably close to our experiences. You can pretty much separate the folks who are overly impressed by all you can eat biscuits and gravy from those who are picky about what they put down their stomachs and who know decent food.

I'd actually call that whole area a good repository of good middle American road food, even though a lot of it is in regional chain form (like the Corky's/Bennett's BBQ places, etc.)

Just a few general tips or observations: 1) The Peddler isn't the only good steak in town and is way overpriced, except, the ambiance is nice, and you should try to go once. 2) The Italian restaurant on the parkway that has the little Italian chef guy statue in front of the place and the red and white checker decor is, indeed, a lousy place to eat. 3) I have *never* seen a noteworthy Indian, Chinese, or Middle Eastern place in Gatlinforge/Pigeonburg. 4) The Old Mill in Pigeon Forge (sorry) is still a great place to eat.

I've visited the Gatlinburg/Pigeon Forge area many times over the years and, sad to say, I have yet to find a restaurant there, chain or indie, that I feel is worthy of a recommendation.

Gatlinburg and good roadfood?  It is a challenge.  I like the breakfast buffet at the Greystone Inn on Airport Rd. The pancake place across the street is good for uhhh pancakes.  Calhouns can have some good food:bbq, ribs and white chili. There are a variety of steak/seafood places. I've had some good and some average meals at these places, but not recently. When Corky's gets their ribs right they can be very good. Hopefully some others have some more recnt activity in the area. Enjoy the moutains.

I do not remember the name  but the Mexican restaurant right by the aquarium is  really nice and the food is very good and  very reasonably priced.

I definately suggest the Apple Barn in Pigeon Forge for breakfast, lunch or dinner.
 
It is super and I have been therre many times over the years.
 
Paul E. Smith
Knoxville, TN

Sundancer7


I definately suggest the Apple Barn in Pigeon Forge for breakfast, lunch or dinner.
 
It is super and I have been therre many times over the years.
 
Paul E. Smith
Knoxville, TN

Me too - a wonderful place to be and to eat.

donw9876


In general, I recommend using the review system on TripAdvisor and then carefully reading and vetting the written reviews. In general, the more intelligent comments there are remarkably close to our experiences. You can pretty much separate the folks who are overly impressed by all you can eat biscuits and gravy from those who are picky about what they put down their stomachs and who know decent food.

I'd actually call that whole area a good repository of good middle American road food, even though a lot of it is in regional chain form (like the Corky's/Bennett's BBQ places, etc.)

Just a few general tips or observations: 1) The Peddler isn't the only good steak in town and is way overpriced, except, the ambiance is nice, and you should try to go once. 2) The Italian restaurant on the parkway that has the little Italian chef guy statue in front of the place and the red and white checker decor is, indeed, a lousy place to eat. 3) I have *never* seen a noteworthy Indian, Chinese, or Middle Eastern place in Gatlinforge/Pigeonburg. 4) The Old Mill in Pigeon Forge (sorry) is still a great place to eat.

The Old Mill is my second favorite place to the Apple Barn.

Apple Barn is great and a good selctionofmenu items. There used to be a locally owned cafe on Wears Valley Road near Pigeon Forge that people claimed was very good. May be closed. A friend of mine likes a little bakery in Gatlinburg. Donut Friar?  I'm not much help. I too wish there was some better food in the area since I am here two or three times a year.

Perhaps my tastes are not as discriminating as others but I have had decent meals in Gatlinburg and nearby.  Here, for whatever they're worth, my comments:

In Gatlinburg:  I liked the "Best Italian Restaurant".  I thought the Pancake Pantry was good.  And Howard's steakhouse wasn't bad ("since 1946").

On the other side of the Great Smoky Mountain National Park is another touristy place - Cherokee, NC.  We had a great breakfast there at Peter's Pancakes and Waffles (better and slightly less cost than the Pancake Pantry).  Also we enjoyed eating at Paul's Restaurant - try their Indian Taco.

Just my two cents.

Mike

The Old Mill was great.My family enjoyed it.

It's high end, not road food, but the Brass Lantern is the best food in Gatlinburg, has been for 30 years.  Steaks etc.  Excellent.

On a Sunday night late in Gatlinburg a few years ago I was starving and the only place open was Domino's Pizza.

Moral of the story:

Starve.

The Best Italian Restaurant is really good.  New York pizza and great garlic bread. The best place to eat in Gatlinburg however is the New Orleans Sandwich Company.  We just got back home and we ate there 3 times in 2 days. The owners moved there after Katrina, its kind of hard to find, but is incredible. The red beans and rice and the gumbo are both really good, but the thing to get are the sandwiches, we had the meatball and the shrimp po boy, both were great, the meatball was the best we ever had, without a doubt. When we were there, we saw someone get a roast beef sandwich, and after they left the chef came out of the kitchen, we asked about the roast beef, and he went back into the kitchen and came out with one for us to try,  and it was no doubt the best sandwich I have ever eaten.  Just thin sliced roast beef, swiss cheese and mayo on a great french bread with some excellent gravy. It seems such a simple thing, but the gravy was unbelievable.  The people who own it are really nice, and your waitress may be the chefs daughter who is maybe 7 years old. It was great food prepared by people who really care about making great food that people will enjoy. You better hurry, it seems the chef is getting homesick for New Orleans.

Pancake Pantry--same as PP in Nashville, Best Italian Kitchen, Old Mill Pottery Cafe, Both Apple Barn restaurants, Park Grill, Greenbrier Restaurant are some we like.  Burning Bush is now closed and the restaurant on Wears Valley Rd.--Tastebuds Cafe--is also closed.  It was our favorite--housed in a double-wide trailer--it was all homemade from the pasta down to desserts.  It was a real loss to the area when it closed.

If the traffic in Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge wasn't so horrendous, I might venture back. But from our experience just a couple of weeks ago, our group of three decided we will never go there again in the summer. We were in Knoxville for a quilt show and thought it would be fun to go to the Craftsman's Fair in Gatlinburg. Wrong decision!

What about HUCK FINN's in Pigeon Forge?

Anybody ever eat there? I saw it once on the way out of the Smokey Mountains... just woundered.

We was just there over the 4th holiday........Mellow Mushroom has opened in Pigeon Forge it is a regional chain but really good pizza. We also found great food and good beer at The Smokey Mountain Brewery, also both of the resturants at the Mill in Pigeon Forge are good. We did not like Howards Steakhouse in Gatlinburg and would not return to it.

Carolina Bob


I've visited the Gatlinburg/Pigeon Forge area many times over the years and, sad to say, I have yet to find a restaurant there, chain or indie, that I feel is worthy of a recommendation.

I agree!

We have been there many times and the food is spotty--lots of tourist traps and bad pancakes.

Pancake Panty in Gatlinburg has to be the best breakfast in town, very good and worth the wait.

Smoky Mountain Brewery has a good pizza.

The Old Mill and the Apple Barn are the tourist favorites, they are good enough but not outstanding IMO but an enjoyable experience, especially the Old Mill for breakfast.

IMO The Chop House is good for a quiet, upscale steak.

For detailed reviews see my Trip Report "Illinois to South Carolina" from 2006.  Good luck, Todd

andydeahl


It's high end, not road food, but the Brass Lantern is the best food in Gatlinburg, has been for 30 years.  Steaks etc.  Excellent.

That incarnation of the Brass Lantern is gone. Renamed the Brass Grill.

No one could top a fllet and a bowl of veggy soup from the Brass Lantern in it's prime. Of course, that's almost 40 years ago.

toddfleet


Pancake Panty in Gatlinburg has to be the best breakfast in town, very good and worth the wait.

Agreed. But take cash. No credit cards at the Pancake Pantry.