A local offers his opinion on the Best Restaurants on the strip in Gatlinburg
One of the best things about staying on the Gatlinburg Strip is parking your and just forgetting about driving for a day or two. The strip offers enough dining, entertainment and shopping that you don’t have to get in your car and battle traffic. Sure, if you want to eat at the absolute best restaurants in town like The Peddler, Delauder’s, Chesapeake’s or the Greenbrier you’ll have to get off the strip and drive, but you don’t have to. The dining options on the strip that are worthy of your attention are plentiful. You could do a lot worse than a foot-long corndog or sausage at Fannie Farkles followed by dessert from Waffle de Lys.
Of course, if you want to do a Gatlinburg vacation right, you’re gonna have to drive out into the National Park and around to some other things. But you can plan a day or two simply leaving the car in the garage and walking along the strip. It’s part of Gatlinburg’s charm.
1. Cherokee Grill
The Cherokee Grill probably deserves to be right up there with The Peddler and the Greenbrier but is often relegated to the next rung on Gatlinburg’s culinary ladder. It offers classic steakhouse fare – though the prices are a little less than what you’d pay in a typical top-end steakhouse – in a cool, rustic setting.
Start with the Asian Egg Rolls or the Seared Ahi Tuni and then order the strip with Sauteed burgundy mushrooms. The Prosperity Pork Chop is also quite good if you want something healthier. Neva’s potatoes are the go-to side and the fruit cobbler a la mode is a classic dessert.
2. Calhoun’s
Calhoun’s is an East Tennessee institution serving award-winning barbecue to the region for decades. Our go-to order starts with the Smoked Sausage and Cheese plate followed by the prime rib when it’s available – if not, It’s the hickory smoked ribs. The side has to be the Spinach Maria. It’s all washed down with an IBC Root beer unless I’m in the mood for an actual beer. Barbecue is a religion in East Tennessee and Calhoun’s is one of the region’s chief acolytes.
3. Pancake Pantry
The first of three restaurants on our list are only open for breakfast or lunch. The Pancake Pantry is a Gatlinburg institution and helped make the strip what it is today. Without the Pantry, the dining scene in Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg would look very different. And – after all these decades – the food at the Pantry remains excellent. What should you try? Everything. But start with the pancakes.
4. Tennessee Jed’s
Much has been written about Tennessee Jed’s and a lot of that was written by me. There is an art to building perfect sandwiches and the people at Tennessee Jed’s are the Van Goghs of the Smoked Chicken Salad. They are the Rembrandts of the Classic BLT. They are the …. Ruebens of the Rueben. You get the point. Open for breakfast and lunch – they are the Dali of breakfast sandwiches (It’s gone too far now, hasn’t it?). Is it fair to rank a Grateful Dead-themed sandwich shop over a dozen sit-down restaurants with full menus and less interesting theming? I can only tell you where I’d rather eat. And I’ll do it in the form of a song. “Tennessee, Tennessee. There ain’t no place I’d rather be.”
5. Crockett’s Breakfast Camp
Often overshadowed by the historic Pancake Pantry, Crockett’s Breakfast Camp is worthy of its own attention. Serving a heartier breakfast fare fit for a group of explorers heading to the mountains, the Breakfast Camp offers a completely different vibe from the Pantry. Big Tennessee French Toast is a favorite as is the Elk Mountain Grande Burrito. They even serve a different style of pancake than the pantry, using the recipe of the famed Aretha Frankenstein out of Chattanooga.
6. The Melting Pot
While we often try to avoid chain restaurants, The Melting Pot remains an exception. Why? You start by dipping things in delicious melty cheese and end by dipping things in delicious melty chocolate. In between they bring you high-quality meats and veggies to cook as you desire. Fondue is a miracle of the Lord and at TheSmokies.com, we appreciate miracles. And honestly, would you rather have some classic fondue or a half-baked Nashville hot chicken sandwich that’s only going to destroy what’s left of your stomach lining?
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