By: cotsm

Pigeon Forge Restaurants – Something for Every Taste

Pigeon Forge Restaurants – Something for Every Taste

Pigeon Forge has as many different restaurants as it has all other attractions. The list is endless, but here are some notable eateries in town. From Tennessee southern cooking to themed restaurants for family fun, to more sophisticated fare, Pigeon Forge has it all, including national genres such as Cuban, Brazilian, Mexican, Italian and of… Read more »

Ober Gatlinburg Freestyle Terrain Park

Ober Gatlinburg Freestyle Terrain Park

Ober Gatlinburg usually kicks off its winter ski season with special events in advance of the slopes opening. As temperatures drop on the mountain and the snow guns start laying the human-made base, waiting for the fresh powder from Mother Nature, the groomers start shaping the new snow for two special areas: the Tubing Park… Read more »

Gatlinburg Restaurants – Great Places to Grab a Bite

Gatlinburg Restaurants – Great Places to Grab a Bite

Gatlinburg has hundreds of eateries, ranging from world-class hot dogs to eat on your feet, to ethnic and specialty food, fine dining, crepes, seafood, steaks, Italian, Mediterranean, vegetarian, barbeque, sandwich, breakfast – the list goes on. There are foods here that you may never have thought of, or never thought you’d see again (including a… Read more »

Great Smoky Arts & Crafts Community Trail

Image courtesy Great Smoky Arts & Crafts Community Trail

Gatlinburg, Tennessee, is noted for its wealth of arts and crafts, and its many artists and craftspeople, with one of the largest communities of independent artisans in the country. Nowhere is this more visible than along the Great Smoky Arts & Crafts Community Trail – an 8-mile scenic drive on the outskirts of Gatlinburg that… Read more »

Best Hiking Trails In Gatlinburg: Favorite Hikes, Drives and Easy Walks

Rainbow Falls in Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Great Smoky Mountains National Park is the most popular park in the nation. With more than 800 miles of trails that lead to waterfalls, stunning vistas, peaceful meadows and a diverse variety of plant and wildlife, the Park offers a vast range of hiking and viewing-point options. Here are some recommended light day-hiking trips that… Read more »

Johnson Family Restaurants in Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg

Johnson Family Restaurants in Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg

What Makes the Johnson Family of Restaurants So Darned Good? Decades ago, Bruce Johnson opened his first BBQ restaurant and fulfilled his dream of owning a restaurant. Now, Johnson Family Restaurants has grown by leaps and bounds in the Smokies and features restaurants offering just about any type of food your family is looking for…. Read more »

Place of a Thousand Drips: The Smoky Mountains Best Waterfall

Place of a Thousand Drips

There are only two waterfalls in all of Great Smoky Mountains National Park that you can drive to, and one of them is called Place of a Thousand Drips. This waterfall is so named because it’s a lacework of many small waterfalls rather than one big one. It’s an easily missed sight, visible towards the… Read more »

A Walk in the Woods: Smoky Mountain Guided Hiking & Nature Tours

A Walk in the Woods: Smoky Mountain Guided Hiking & Nature Tours

If you’ve tried some of the Scenic Drives & Easy Hikes we recommend, you may want to deepen your appreciation of the Smoky Mountains with more extended hiking. You can become a hiker-naturalist in an instant, with personal help from experienced guides. Book a guided tour in Great Smoky Mountains National Park with the nationally… Read more »

Split Rail Eats Restaurant – in Gatlinburg Along the Arts Trail

Split Rail Eats Restaurant – in Gatlinburg Along the Arts Trail

Split Rail Eats in Gatlinburg is a little off the beaten track but it’s worth finding if you’re hungry for a good meal. With a mix of traditional and modern American diner fare, and special twists to the ingredients and specialties, this cute little restaurant is a place the locals eat, and recommend to visitors…. Read more »

Taste of Italy Restaurant: A Gatlinburg Hidden Gem

Taste of Italy Restaurant: A Gatlinburg Hidden Gem

One of Gatlinburg’s hidden gems for dining is Taste of Italy. It’s a family-owned and operated restaurant popular with visitors and locals alike, serving a wide range of Italian dishes – including fresh homemade pizza – both for meat lovers and also for vegetarian and gluten-free tastes. Taste of Italy offers quality Italian food made… Read more »

The Mountain Mall: A Gatlinburg Shopping Original

Image courtesy of the Gatlinburg Mountain Mall

The Mountain Mall is an indoor shopping center set along the Parkway in downtown Gatlinburg. Easy to miss, but a must-visit favorite for many, you’ll find this mall standing proud with its classic mountain cabin aesthetic at traffic light just along from Ripley’s Aquarium. What you won’t find are any chain stores here, just locally… Read more »

Chesapeake’s Seafood and Raw Bar in Gatlinburg

Chesapeake's Seafood and Raw Bar in Gatlinburg

Chesapeake’s Seafood and Raw Bar offers a prime seafood dining experience in Gatlinburg, offering lunch and dinner in a convenient location with gorgeous views, and both indoor seating and a heated patio for dining outdoors. The restaurant is spacious and well organized, and the seafood is acclaimed by many (many) customers as ranking with any… Read more »

Top Outlet Malls in Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge

Image courtesy of Tanger Outlets

The Smoky Mountains boasts some great outlet and specialty shopping – count the Pigeon Forge outlet mall and the Gatlinburg outlet mall (actually it’s more precisely located in Sevierville) as two prime destinations for deep discount shopping. Learn more about these two destinations and more in the following guide. The Smokies offers you the best… Read more »

Harpoon Harry’s Crab House in Pigeon Forge

You can find excellent seafood at Harpoon Harry’s Crab House, which also offers an excellent sushi bar – unusually for a seafood restaurant, but a very welcome addition to the dining choices in town. One of the largest restaurants in Pigeon Forge, Harpoon Harry’s isn’t a chain restaurant, but it is part of an empire,… Read more »

Unique Shopping at The Village Shops in Gatlinburg

Images courtesy of The Village

The Village in Gatlinburg is a beautiful shopping enclave with a European feel and more than two dozen specialty shops, eateries, galleries and clothiers. It’s a place for a leisurely and discovery-filled shopping experience, a relaxed cup of coffee, a breakfast or lunch snack, as well a place simply to sit and watch, enjoy the… Read more »

Smith & Son Corner Kitchen in Gatlinburg

Smith & Son Corner Kitchen in Gatlinburg

Smith & Son Corner Kitchen is an American fare lunch and dinner restaurant in Gatlinburg with a bar upstairs serving signature cocktails. The food is excellent, and hearty, with a large menu selection. This restaurant really is on the corner, at the intersection of Historic Nature Trail (Airport Rd.) and Parkway, at Light #8 –… Read more »

Boudicca’s Celtic Pub in Gatlinburg

Gatlinburg offers mouthwatering Southern food around every corner, but some specialties are a little harder to find. Boudicca’s is one of only two Celtic restaurants in town, and it’s a winner. Expect cozy, pub-like vibes, hot, delicious grub served up quickly in a casual atmosphere, and an impressive array of beers on tap. Boudicca’s even… Read more »

Take a Hike / Scavenger Hunt in the Smoky Mountains

Before embarking on your Gatlinburg cabin vacation or Pigeon Forge cabin vacation, consider adding one of these hiking guides to your suitcase: The Smoky Mountain Scavenger Hike Adventures help you explore these woods in a new light. To unveil true hiking mysteries, carry this scavenger hiking guide with you, choose a trail to explore, and… Read more »

The Island in Pigeon Forge: Shopping & Entertainment

The Island Fountain

The Island in Pigeon Forge is a family-friendly shopping and entertainment center with numerous attractions, games, eateries and shops. The Island boasts more than 60 retailers and specialty shops. You’ll also find restaurants and food stands, kids games and some special attractions, as well as stages and venues for live music and seasonal celebrations. The… Read more »

Local Goat Restaurant for New American Fare in Pigeon Forge

Local Goat is a Pigeon Forge lunch and dinner restaurant serving a New American menu featuring creative flavors and fresh, locally sourced ingredients with sustainable practices in mind. You’ll find the typical Southern American classics you’d expect on the menu, such as burgers, steaks, meatloaf, fried green tomatoes and grits. But each of these recipes… Read more »

Fannie Farkle’s in Gatlinburg: Food and Fun For the Family

Fannie Farkle’s in Gatlinburg: Food and Fun For the Family

Fannie Farkle’s is a restaurant and arcade in downtown Gatlinburg with food to go or to eat in, including its famous, foot-long corn dogs that some people have called the best in the world! Fannie Farkle’s has been converting visitors into regulars for years because of its high-quality food and fun for the entire family…. Read more »

Smoky Mountains Creperie in Gatlinburg: Crepes Are Back!

Smoky Mountains Creperie in Gatlinburg: Crepes Are Back!

Smoky Mountains Creperie in Gatlinburg serves freshly made crepes filled with mouthwatering items such as strawberries and ice cream on the sweet side and chicken and cheese on the savory side – with many more varieties of snack or dessert on each side. Sweet or savory, everything is delicious and fresh and you can order… Read more »

Where’s the Best Ice Cream in Gatlinburg & Pigeon Forge?

Where's the Best Ice Cream in Gatlinburg & Pigeon Forge?

To satisfy a craving for ice cream creations, whether it’s a cone, shake, sundae, or split, when it comes to creamy goodness, cool treats abound in the Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge, and Sevierville area. Here are some notable places to consider – not in any order of preference, and NOT exclusive. There are LOTS of places… Read more »

Baskins Square in Gatlinburg: Not to be Missed

Image courtesy of Baskins Square

Close to Traffic Light #6 in a great strolling part of downtown Gatlinburg, Baskins Square is an outdoor enclave of shops and eateries, with some hidden gems not to be missed, especially when it comes to food – there’s good eating here. The mall is right across Parkway from the Village Shoppes, another oasis of… Read more »

Mel’s Classic Diner in Pigeon Forge: Back to the Fifties

Mel’s Classic Diner in Pigeon Forge: Back to the Fifties

You’ll step back in time when dining in the classic style of the 50’s at Mel’s, where American favorites fill the menu. From the large exterior neon sign to the cozy booths, chrome accessories, and music playing from the jukebox, it’s a time machine and a great place to eat. With something to please every… Read more »

The Old Mill Restaurant and the Pottery House Cafe & Grille

The Old Mill Restaurant and the Pottery House Cafe & Grille

The historic Old Mill District in Pigeon Forge is a relaxing change of pace that can take several hours to explore all the many things to see, do and browse. Keep your strength up by planning on breakfast, lunch or dinner at one (or both) of the two fine restaurants a few steps away from… Read more »

Food and Fun at Downtown Flavortown in Pigeon Forge

Downtown Flavortown

Pigeon Forge offers a new addition in 2022 with Guy Fieri’s Downtown Flavortown, a huge, 300-seat restaurant with a large arcade and bowling alley. Great food and drinks are on the menu as well as fun for all the family. The atmosphere is vibrant and colorful – kids will love it – and the restaurant… Read more »

Delauder’s BBQ: Award-Winning Hidden Gem in Gatlinburg

Delauder’s BBQ: Award-Winning Hidden Gem in Gatlinburg

UPDATE: Note the new location – see below Delauder’s Smoky Mountain BBQ in Gatlinburg is hard to find but worth it – a hidden gem serving barbecue that was named among the Top 25 in the nation. If you crave an authentic taste of Tennessee barbecue, you have to give this place a try. Eastern… Read more »

New Orleans Sandwich Company in Gatlinburg

New Orleans Sandwich Company in Gatlinburg

We don’t have massive Mardi Gras parades in the Smokies, but you can still find tasty and authentic Louisiana cuisine in Gatlinburg thanks to New Orleans Sandwich company. Get an authentic taste of the Big Easy in the Smokies The rolling peaks of the Great Smoky Mountains may as well be a world away from… Read more »

Gaucho Urbano: A Brazilian Steakhouse with Modern Flair

Gaucho Urbano

Gaucho Urbano, located just off of Parkway in Pigeon Forge, is an iconic Brazilian steakhouse offering a unique dining experience. It’s popular, so book your table well ahead of time (walk-ins are welcome but it’s chancy). Service here is a churrasco-style dining experience, essentially grilled meats of many kinds, typically on a skewer, and brought… Read more »

The Mountain Mile & Tower Shops in Pigeon Forge

Images courtesy of the Mountain Mile

The Mountain Mile & Tower Shops is an upscale shopping and entertainment complex in Pigeon Forge, growing all the time with new attractions. The complex is situated just across the river from The Island, and is reached from Teaster Lane – this runs parallel to Parkway, and is a less crowded way to go north-south… Read more »

Smokies Cuban Cafe: A Pigeon Forge Hidden Gem

Smokies Cuban Cafe: A Pigeon Forge Hidden Gem

Miami may be known as the epicenter of Cuban food in the United States, but it’s possible to find authentic Cuban cooking without having to take a trip down to south Florida. That’s where Smokies Cuban Cafe comes in – it’s a hidden gem in Pigeon Forge that serves up delicious and traditional Cuban dishes… Read more »

Tennessee Jed’s: Fabulous Sandwiches, Now 2 Gatlinburg Locations

Tennessee Jed's: Fabulous Sandwiches, Now 2 Gatlinburg Locations

Tennessee Jed’s is a sandwich-style breakfast and lunch restaurant hidden away on Parkway in Gatlinburg, with some of the best meats and sandwiches many people say they’ve ever tasted. Understated and laid back, the restaurant offers great service with very friendly staff and a kitchen that knows exactly what it’s doing. Sandwiches may sound easy,… Read more »

Huck Finn’s Catfish in Pigeon Forge

Huck Finn's Catfish in Pigeon Forge

Huck Finn’s Catfish in Pigeon Forge is a family business serving locals and visitors alike since 1995. Fans of this freshwater fish will find a satisfying seafood and Southern-style food experience at this all-you-can-eat restaurant. The catfish is excellent, grain-fed and pond-raised in Mississippi (which means that the quality will be consistent, from the last… Read more »