7 Classic Diners in the Smoky Mountains You Need To Try

A local rounds up a list of top diners in the Pigeon Forge area

Classic diner fare isn’t fancy. Typically, it’s juicy burgers and fries washed down with a thick milkshake. Classic Southern comfort foods are hard to beat. But what I like about a good diner – aside from the food – is the nostalgia. I’m a sucker for any experience that lets me feel transported to another place or time. In other words, authentic diners offer mainlined Americana.

So what makes a good diner? A few things come to mind. First, you’ve got to have the menu. Secondly, the food must be comfortable, affordable, tasty and incredibly unhealthy. Next, you have to have the look. It should be a small place, preferably one that looks like somebody converted an Airstream camper, with limited seating and the ability to see all of the establishment’s employees as they work. If you can’t see the cook, you ain’t in a diner. Finally, the hours. Not all diners are open 24 hours, but they should be. Here are some of my personal favorite diners in Pigeon Forge:

1. Mel’s Classic Diner

Mel’s offers many of the diner staples we mentioned above, all expertly prepared. I’m a fan of the meatloaf. But we’re going to talk about desserts. Specifically, we need to discuss Mel’s Famous Ultimate Banana Split. The legendary banana splits have a six-scoop version that comes with two scoops of chocolate, two scoops of vanilla and two scoops of strawberry ice cream between a split banana all topped with strawberry topping, pineapple topping and chocolate syrup with whipped cream, nuts and a cherry on top. Certainly, it ranks alongside Mt. Rushmore, the Hoover Dam and Neyland Stadium as one of America’s greatest architectural achievements. Mel’s is located at 119 Wears Valley Road.

2. Lil’ Black Bear Café

Based on the shape of the building and the name, you’d be tempted not to include the Lil’ Black Bear Café in the diner club. You’d be wrong. They have very limited hours, but the Lil’ Black Bear Café is not here to mess around. The menu offers 10 options. That’s it. There’s a salad, but I suspect it’s some sort of test. Order the salad and your seat immediately ejects you through the roof, James Bond style. The breakfast is rave-worthy. The pancakes are beloved. The omelets are so good, that chickens volunteer their eggs in tribute.

But we are here, my friends, to discuss two menu items in particular: The Reuben and the Patty Melt. They are diner staples. An artist lives at the Lil’ Black Bear, and that artist works in rye sandwiches. The Patty Melt is a hamburger patty on grilled rye with grilled onions and two slices of provolone. The Reuben has real corned beef. Too many places in the South try to make a Reuben with something else and it is an INSULT to places like the Lil’ Black Bear Café. Swiss cheese, kraut, 1,000 Island dressing. It’s perfect. Lil’ Black Bear is located at 3068 Veterans Boulevard.

3. The Corner Diner

The Corner Diner is a surprising new addition to the Pigeon Forge culinary scene. This place always seems to be hopping. The menu is a tribute to the beauty of what a true artist can do with a grill. Get a classic smash burger or some biscuits and gravy and thank me later. The Corner Diner is located at 3060 Teaster Lane.

4. Bob’s Burgers at the 50’s Diner

Located inside a little antique store on Wears Valley Road, this 50’s diner is itself, an antique and a work of art. You got burgers, hot dogs, onion rings and both kinds of fries, loaded or regular. I like classic sandwich options like the grilled cheese – the perfect grilled cheese is a wonder of the world – or BLT, hot ham and cheese and fried bologna. When you grow up poor, you learn about the multiple properties of bologna. For example, straight out of the fridge, rolled up, it’s an appetizer. Fry it and serve it up with fixings, it’s a sandwich fit for a king. It’s located at 1386 Wears Valley Road.

5. Reds Drive-In

Reds opened in the Dollywood theme park in the 90s. The restaurant was inspired by Reds Cafe, where a young Dolly Parton reportedly ate her first hamburger in downtown Sevierville. I rank it lower because you have to buy tickets to Dollywood to dine here, but it’s a great place to get a delicious burger and crispy fries. The menu is more limited than most others on the list, but it is theme park dining, after all. Reds is located in Jukebox Junction inside the Dollywood theme park.

6. The Sunliner Diner

The Sunliner Diner is a classic 50s-themed American Diner that has two locations in the world: Gulf Shores, Alabama and Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. Hearty breakfast meals? Served all dang day like it says in the Bible. Lunch and dinner? Both start at 11 am. I like everything about the Sunliner until I get to the menu, which is fine, but a little frou-frou for an authentic diner. Sure, there’s meatloaf. There’s country fried chicken and steak. There’s also more than one burger/sandwich with an avocado option. Yes, avocado in a 50’s diner.

The Sunliner also offers a New York Strip steak dinner. Everyone knows diners have two kinds of steak, thinly sliced sirloin or bottom-of-the-market T-bone. In the mood for pancakes? I recommend their delicious Chocolate Chip Pancakes. The Sunliner Diner is located at 2302 Parkway.

7. Waffle House

A lot of people look down their noses at the Waffle House. I disagree with those people. There is nothing better after a late night than swinging into the Waffle House and ordering a BLT with a side of hash browns, scattered, covered and smothered as God intended. It’s got all the classic breakfast staples like biscuits, potatoes, gravy, sausage and more. Why John, if Waffle House is so great, are they ranked last? First, it’s the obvious answer. Bob Dylan didn’t need a weatherman to know which way the wind blows, and most locals and visitors don’t need me to tell them the Waffle House is a high holy place for diners. Secondly? They are pretty ubiquitous to the South, and we like to highlight more unique experiences.

Then why include them at all? Because there are places in the world, my friends, where The Waffle House is only a rumor. Surely we should feel pity in our hearts for them. In fact, if I ever hit the Powerball, I’m becoming the Johnny Appleseed of Waffle Houses. I will travel the North and West and points beyond, spreading the good word and seeding Waffle Houses where there are none. The Pigeon Forge location is at 3949 Parkway.

Do you have a favorite 50s-style diner in the heart of Pigeon Forge? Let me know in the comments!

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