Dining

dining at dollywood

Dining at the Dollywood Theme Park

Ranking the best places to eat when you’re visiting America’s favorite theme park How you tackle Dollywood’s many dining options depends somewhat on what you want to achieve on your park day. Are you marching up and down the various hills and hollers? Then you’re gonna wanna carb up a little. Beware the quick sugar fixes brought on by places

Mellow Mushroom The Island Pigeon Forge

The Best Allergy Friendly Places To Eat In the Smokies

Where to eat in the Smokies if you have food allergies I got the call from the school nurse. John Paul – our middle child – had ingested one of the many, many foods to which he is allergic. Luckily for us, JP’s allergies aren’t anaphylactic. They don’t affect his ability to breathe. If he comes in contact with most

The Appalachian, The Peddler and The Greenbrier

Battle Royale: Pitting the Smoky Mountains Best Eateries Against Each Other

The Peddler vs. The Greenbrier vs. The Appalachian: Which Sevier County top end restaurant is the best? This is a contest in which – in the end – everyone walks away a winner. Whether you dine at The Peddler, The Greenbrier, The Appalachian or any of the other handful of fine-dining restaurants in the Smokies, you’re walking away with an

A Sandwich With Melted Cheese, Toasted, Yoders Bulls Gap TN

The Art of the Sandwich in the Smokies

The 10 best bites of bits between two pieces of bread in the mountains Is there any food that is as ubiquitous but underappreciated as the sandwich? It’s a utilitarian meal you can carry around and eat on the go. It can be upscale or downscale and everything in between. Maybe it’s an artful demonstration of culinary thought, creativity and

wilderness pass restaurant dollywood

Now Open! Dollywood’s Massive New Restaurant Wilderness Pass

There’s a new restaurant, Wilderness Pass, that recently opened at Dollywood, and here’s what we know so far Choosing from the many Dollywood dining options is one of the great joys of visiting the park. Do I want a sit-down meal from Aunt Granny’s? Or maybe some delicious mountain barbecue. On some trips, I’m craving ham and beans. But there

alamo steakhouse with image of steak in corner

A Surprising Comparison of the Two Best Steakhouses in the Smoky Mountains

Local breaks down The Peddler vs the Alamo in Gatlinburg, TN It’s steak night in the Great Smoky Mountains. In one corner, you’ve got The Peddler: A popular dining destination in Gatlinburg. Housed in the former home of Charles “Earl” Ogle Sr., a fourth-generation Gatlinburg merchant, The Peddler is directly and deeply connected to Gatlinburg royalty.  In the other corner, Alamo

preachers bbq next to delauder's bbq - two mom and pop bbq spots in the smoky mountains

A Surprising Comparison of the Two Best BBQ Places in the Smoky Mountains

Local declares winner between two best BBQ spots in the Smokies As a travel blog writer, there are times when I find myself facing an impossible task. I’m often asked to choose the best in Gatlinburg or Pigeon Forge. The best what? Best restaurant or best attraction? The best go kart track, pancake house or mountain coaster? And so, I

inside of restaurant with plate of steak

Why Are People Obsessed With This Old Cabin Turned Restaurant in the Smokies?

The Peddler in Gatlinburg is a historic cabin turned famous steakhouse, and it has a cult-like following It’s Gatlinburg and it is 1958. Less than twenty years after FDR dedicated the National Park just up the road at the Rockefeller Memorial in Newfound Gap, the public is still deep in America’s obsession with the Smoky Mountains and its people. It’s

Culvers Restaurant

A Frozen Custard Free-for-All Is About To Break Out on Dolly Parton Parkway

Culver’s – a Midwestern staple of fast-casual dining – is bringing its signature frozen custard and butter burgers to Sevierville I left my Midwestern home in Indiana for the mountains of East Tennessee in 1990 unaware of a growing phenomenon to the north. A kingdom was growing. It was built on dairy products and Midwestern beef. They called the kingdom

me fishing at english mountain trout farm

The Restaurant That Lets You Catch Your Own Fish in the Smoky Mountains

English Mountain Trout Farm is an off-the-beaten-path restaurant that lets you catch your own fish in the Smoky Mountains While I grew up in the mountains I’ve always been a city girl at heart. Sure, I’ve tried all the various “outdoor” activities. Hiking, camping and of course, fishing. While I appreciate the kind of person these sorts of activities appeal