The Apple Barn in Tennessee With Apple-Flavored Everything

apple barn sign in pigeon forge tn

The Apple Barn can be an especially fun place to visit in the fall (photo by Alaina O'Neal/TheSmokies.com)

Tennessee native lists favorite things about local favorite attraction

The Apple Barn Cider Mill and General Store is a popular, iconic destination in Sevierville Tennessee, very close to the Pigeon Forge line. I love going there for the shopping, apple treats and especially the winery. Plus, two local favorite restaurants are on the property – Applewood Farmhouse Restaurant and Farmhouse Grill. So, if you love sweet, specialty wines, apple butter, apple pies, apple fritters, apple cider and heck – anything apple-flavored, you should schedule a trip to the Apple Barn in Tennessee.

What can you do at the Apple Barn?

Put simply, the Apple Barn has a selection of restaurants, stores and shops on-site, where you can snack, dine or shop. Some of my favorite things to do there include …

Apple fritters at the applewood farmhouse restaurant
The restaurants serve complimentary apple fritters (photo by Alaina O’Neal/TheSmokies.com)

1. Dine at one of the restaurants

If you’re planning a visit to the Apple Barn, be ready to eat. The entire property offers delicious snacks like apple dumplings, apple pies, apple donuts and more. But if you’re ready to eat a full meal, Applewood Farmhouse Restaurant and Applewood Farmhouse Grill offer delicious Southern meals. Pro tip: Don’t arrive too hungry because wait times may be long for these popular restaurants.

christmas trees and other decor inside apple barn christmas store
Visit the Christmas & Candle Shop for all kinds of holiday decor (photo by Alaina O’Neal/TheSmokies.com)

2. Start your Christmas shopping

Apple soap? How about apple cider? Or apple pancake mix? Check, check and check. While I enjoy visiting any time of the year, fall is a good season to visit and start your Christmas shopping. It’s easy to find unique gifts, home decor or souvenirs that have mass appeal at the Apple Barn General Store or the Christmas and Candle Shop.

sign for cider tastings
Apple Barn offers free tastings on wine and cider (photo by Alaina O’Neal/TheSmokies.com)

3. Try a few cider tastings

The Apple Barn is a great place to enjoy fresh apple cider and hard cider. The folks at the Apple Barn begin to pick most varieties from the apple orchard and make fresh cider in September and continue through October. You can get fresh apple cider at The Cider Bar along with souvenir mugs, fried apple pie or their famous apple stack cake.

apple barn wine tastings
The Apple Barn Winery is a great place to do some wine tasting (photo by Alaina O’Neal/TheSmokies.com)

4. Enjoy some wine tastings

If cider isn’t your thing, they also have an on-site winery. In fact, the products are made with apples instead of grapes. The Apple Barn Winery features seasonal flavors, and fall is a great time to catch favorites such as Apple Cranberry or Apple Peach. The wine tastings are free but remember to tip your server. They are also part of the Rocky Top Wine Trail.

apple barn creamery sign in pigeon forge tn
Everything at The Creamery is made in-house (photo by Morgan Overholt/TheSmokies.com)

5. Get some ice cream

If you enjoy locally made ice cream, this is your spot. The Creamery is an old-time ice cream parlor with an antique soda fountain. They offer scoops of ice cream, banana splits, sundaes, floats and other baked goods. Of course, the baked goods are all made from scratch.

Apple Barn history

I also enjoy knowing that the Apple Barn is historic. In fact, the Apple Barn was a real barn that was built back in 1910. The Apple Barn as it is known today was established in 1981, according to their website. The Mullendore family owned the barn in 1910, and the family farmed the land for generations. In the 1970s, Bon Hicks and Bill Kilpatrick bought the farm as an investment and “gentleman’s farm”. The Kilpatricks planted a few apple trees on a whim and soon began making cider. In the 1980s, the property expanded to include the Applewood Farmhouse Restaurant, run by restauranteur Jim Huff. The partnership later included Stokely Hospitality.

breakfast foods including bacon, biscuits and gravy from applewood farmhouse in sevierville
The Apple Barn’s restaurants offer delicious, Southern-style breakfast foods (photo by Morgan Overholt/TheSmokies.com)

What is the difference between the Farmhouse Restaurant and Farmhouse Grill?

Applewood Farmhouse Restaurant is the original on-site Apple Barn restaurant. The Applewood Farmhouse Grill was later established in 1995 to meet the growing demand for on-site dining. Overall, the two restaurants are very similar. And they both have delicious food. Fried chicken is also a popular choice as is the Applewood smoked ham.

Both offer a complimentary serving of apple cinnamon muffins, apple fritters, apple jam and an apple julep. They also both offer breakfast, lunch and dinner. They are famous for offering country classics and farmhouse specials. You’ll see many of the same menu items between the two places, although there are small differences here and there. If you want to compare menus, check out the Restaurant menu here and the Grill menu here.

the apple barn winery
The winery offers free samples, but be sure to leave a tip (photo by Alaina O’Neal/TheSmokies.com)

Parking and what you should know

The Apple Barn is a great place to visit, and some of my favorite things about it are the free parking and no admission fee to enter. The on-site restaurants and stores include:

  • Applewood Farmhouse Restaurant
  • The Apple Barn General Store
  • Cider Bar
  • The Cider House
  • Candy Factory
  • The Creamery
  • Apple Barn Winery
  • Christmas & Candle Shop
  • Applewood Farmhouse Grill

On my last visit, I was told you can bring your own bottle of wine at the restaurant, so be sure to go to the winery first before you dine. Also, remember to put your names down early if you plan to dine there since wait times can be long. The Apple Barn is located at 230 Apple Valley Road in Sevierville, TN. For more, visit applebarncidermill.com.

Have you been to the Apple Barn? What are your best tips for visiting? Let me know in the comments below.

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5 thoughts on “The Apple Barn in Tennessee With Apple-Flavored Everything”

  1. The Apple Barn is great! We eat at the Farmhouse Restraunt every time we visit the area. Great food, we especially like there dinners. We aslo enjoy the winery and the creamery has great ice cream. The apple barn has great gift ideas smd souvenirs along with the Christmas shop.

    Reply
  2. Long waits, to many people!
    Food is way over rated, served on red plastic plates.
    I would say cafeteria tasting.

    Reply
  3. Best food we had in the Sevierville/Gatlinburg area. Don’t miss the apple fritters, soooooo good!!! We will make this a must-do restaurant anytime we are in the area!

    Reply

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