Whether you choose an affordable, family-friendly restaurant or something more upscale with a view of the Smoky Mountains, you’re sure to enjoy every bite from some of Gatlinburg’s best restaurants.
Your trip to the Gatlinburg area is sure to be filled with outdoor activities and stops at all the popular attractions. During your Gatlinburg getaway, don’t forget to take some time to experience this mountain town’s restaurant scene.
Gatlinburg restaurants serve up everything from down-home cooking to high-end meals using locally-grown ingredients. Start your day with pancakes piled as high as the Smoky Mountains at one of Gatlinburg’s pancake houses. If you’re looking to have a romantic night out, settle down in an intimate restaurant with rustic décor. The whole family will enjoy finger-licking barbecue or classic, made-from-scratch Southern dishes.
Whether you choose an affordable, family-friendly restaurant or something more upscale with a view of the Smoky Mountains, you’re sure to enjoy every bite from some of Gatlinburg’s best restaurants.
Restaurants on the Gatlinburg Parkway
Downtown Gatlinburg is always bustling as people visit the some of the area’s best shops, restaurants, attractions and hotels. While you’re exploring downtown Gatlinburg, you may not want to venture very far when it comes time to eat. The Gatlinburg Parkway is lined with restaurants for every occasion and budget that will satisfy any palate. Hop aboard the Gatlinburg Trolley or walk to one of the conveniently located restaurants.
Gatlinburg Restaurants with a View
Wine and dine with a view of the Smoky Mountains. Several restaurants in Gatlinburg provide picturesque meals that will elevate your dining experience. Whether you choose steak, seafood burgers or Mexican, your meal will be complemented by the area’s breathtaking vistas. Here are some of Gatlinburg’s best restaurants with a scenic view.
Buckhorn Inn
Nestled among vast tree canopies, the luxurious Buckhorn Inn’s restaurant serves the finest regional dishes. The Buckhorn Inn offers Southern-inspired meals, from filling breakfasts to sumptuous three-course dinners. The menu changes often to accommodate local and seasonal ingredients. Take a seat by the cozy fireplace in the rustic dining room, or get a table by the window. The inn itself is tucked away amongst the trees to provide a secluded, and often romantic, dining experience.
Crystelle Creek Restaurant and Grill
Perfect for couples, friends and families of all ages, the Crystelle Creek Restaurant and Grill offers a variety of fine dining meals, entertainment and spectacular mountain views. Crystelle Creek is known for serving some of the best catfish, steak, ribs and authentic Italian dishes in the area. As you dine inside or outside, you’re sure to get swept away by the view. The restaurant is just outside the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and boasts a koi pond and waterfall on the pristine, landscaped grounds.
The Peddler Steakhouse
The rustic charm of the Smoky Mountains comes to life at The Peddler Steakhouse. A long-standing establishment in Gatlinburg, The Peddler features a fresh salad bar, dinner menu, selection of wines and even options for kids off the children’s menu. Open for dinner, choose from prime cuts of steak, tender chicken or seafood then finish your meal with a decadent dessert. Enjoy your meal in the comfortable dining room or a riverside table overlooking the Cliff Branch river.
Gatlinburg’s Best Breakfast Restaurants
Restaurants in Gatlinburg are known for serving some of the best and filling breakfasts in east Tennessee. Order up a stack of fluffy pancakes then fill the restaurant of your table with scrambled eggs, fruit and an assortment of breakfast meats. Here are some of Gatlinburg’s best breakfast restaurants.
Crockett’s Breakfast Camp
Honoring the legacy of Davy Crockett, Crockett’s Breakfast Camp serves a quality, homecooked breakfast that would make the American hero proud. The rustic, cabin-style restaurant offers large portions of your favorite Southern breakfast dishes. From chopped steak and eggs with homemade gravy to waffles, griddle cakes and stone ground grits. The portions will be big enough to share but the food will be so good that you may not want to.
Log Cabin Pancake House
Family owned for over 40 years, Log Cabin Pancake House is best known for their fantastic selection of specialty pancakes, crepes and French toast. Try the signature buckwheat pancakes or cornmeal cakes. Log Cabin also has pancakes that are more outside of the box, including the Pigs in a Blanket pancakes, Caribbean Pancakes and more. The restaurant also offers omelets, a lunch buffet and all-you-can-eat biscuits and gravy.
Pancake Pantry
As Tennessee’s first pancake house, Pancake Pantry offers legendary, made-from-scratch pancakes served with real butter and fresh whipped cream. Order the old-fashioned buttermilk pancakes or something more flavorful like the Sweet Potato Pancakes, Apricot-Lemon Delight pancakes or the Swedish Pancakes. The menu also includes savory options such as omelets, country egg dishes, sandwiches and burgers. Stop by for a filling breakfast or lunch before browsing the shops at The Village.
Best Steakhouses in Gatlinburg
Order a glass of wine to go with your hand-cut steak when you visit one of Gatlinburg’s steakhouses. Perfect for a family dinner or romantic date night, here are some of Gatlinburg’s best steakhouses.
Alamo Steakhouse & Saloon
Alamo Steakhouse believes in only serving steak that’s been aged to perfection. To create Alamo’s tender and flavorful steaks, they hand-cut and season the meat in house, then grill it over an oak fire. The steaks served on their lunch and dinner menus include, slow-roasted prime rib, ribeye, New York strip steak, filet mignon, T-bone, porterhouse, chopped steak and Alamo’s signature steak dish. Known as “The Steak,” this dish showcases a 20-ounce bone-in ribeye steak that any meat lover won’t want to miss.
Cherokee Grill
Blending mountain lodge décor with an upscale menu, Cherokee Grill is one of Gatlinburg’s premiere steakhouses. Cherokee Grill offers classic steaks like New York strip, filet mignon, ribeye and prime rib, as well as their own steak dishes, including a filet stuffed with Boursin cheese, a teriyaki sirloin and a sirloin topped with blue cheese crumbles. Add a flavorful sauce, mushrooms, lobster tail, crab cake or grilled shrimp to their mouthwatering steaks to complete your exceptional dinner.
The Peddler Steakhouse
Along with being one of Gatlinburg’s best restaurants offering a scenic view, The Peddler Steakhouse is also one of the town’s best steakhouses. The prime cuts of steaks are grilled over real Tennessee hickory charcoal of a one-of-a-kind flavor. Choose from a New York strip or ribeye, hand-cut at your table, as well as prime rib and filet mignon.
Gatlinburg’s Best Barbecue Restaurants
In east Tennessee, local pitmasters are dedicated to serving mouthwatering barbecue. From piled-high brisket and pulled pork to slow-smoked ribs, you won’t want to miss trying Tennessee’s award-winning barbecue. Here are some of Gatlinburg’s best barbecue restaurants.
Bennett’s Pit BBQ
Bennett’s Pit BBQ has been serving award-winning barbecue since 1991. Bennett’s chicken, pulled pork, beef brisket and pork ribs are basted in a homemade sauce then smoked for up to 14 hours over hickory wood. This technique is what makes Bennett’s barbecue so tender and flavorful. Located right off the Gatlinburg Parkway, Bennett’s Pit BBQ is centrally located so you can satisfy your barbecue fix after visiting some of the area’s best shops and attractions.
Bones BBQ Joint
Bones BBQ Joint also prides itself in their barbecue technique. Their grill masters start by getting the smoking temperatures just right using a process that has been perfected over four generations. Open for lunch and dinner, dive into beef brisket, ribs, barbecue chicken, pulled pork and more. This casual, family-friendly restaurant even features a children’s menu with kid-sized portions. Order from Bones’ Smoky Mountain Picnic menu and get a family-sized portion of barbecue, perfect for taking back to your hotel or cabin.
Delauder’s BBQ
For affordable, down-home barbecue, visit Delauder’s BBQ. Delauder’s serves generous portions of barbecue staples like pulled pork and baby back ribs. The restaurant also combines these favorites to create innovative dishes like the Smoky Mountain Slaw Dog, a beef hot dog topped with pulled pork and jalapeno mustard, and the Smoky Mountain nachos, also topped with pulled pork. Escape the hustle and bustle of downtown Gatlinburg for a family-friendly barbecue meal.
