Here are some of the best places to celebrate your birthday in the Smoky Mountains
What percentage of your birthday celebrations do you actually remember? I consider myself to have a pretty good grasp on key memories, but I’d never really given birthday reflection much of a thought.
There was the fifth – that was a big one – celebrated at a Chuck E. Cheese with some friends. That was back when Charles Entertainment Cheese was on top of his game. Got a GI Joe figure and motorcycle. Classic. My 16th was also a good one. We went to our favorite Mexican place in Maryville, Los Amigos. It’s still there if you’re in town.
But other than that? I’m struggling a bit. The kids took me to see the Pirate Show in Pigeon Forge last year for my birthday – or maybe it was Father’s Day. I’m not sure.
While I don’t always recall the specifics, the last several birthdays have been family events. We go to the mountains, go apple-picking in North Carolina or go out to dinner. My wife’s birthday is a week before mine so sometimes we do a combo thing, celebrate them both together.
But, if you want to make your birthday celebration special – and more memorable – there are several ways to make it happen in the mountains.
A memorable birthday meal
At this stage in my life, if you wanted to create a memorable birthday experience, an evening at any favorite restaurant in the Smokies would be nice.
At the top of my personal list, would be The Appalachian. It’s expensive enough where going is something of a treat and the quality is such that you know you’re going to get a meal that’s memorable. I don’t know – at this point – how many steaks I’ve eaten in my life. But, it’s a lot. But there are only a handful that I remember. The Appalachian is one of them and I’m not sure the steak was the best part of the meal.
In fact, as I write this, my birthday is coming up. If you are wondering what to get me, a gift card to The Appalachian would be perfect. Better than a GI Joe, even.
Other great places to get a birthday meal include the list of all of our favorites like The Greenbrier, Chesapeake’s The Peddler, Calhoun’s, The Local Goat and don’t forget the Melting Pot – fondue makes a great birthday.
I’ll give you a couple of underrated ones as well. Harpoon Harry’s is big and spacious and can accommodate larger parties. We had one of my son’s birthday’s there, and it was great.
A party scene for your birthday
Some of this depends on where you are in your life. There was a time when my birthday planning would have been a little more rambunctious than a good meal. If you’re looking for a place where you can get a little loose, shake of the shackles and get your drink on, the rooftop bar locations like Jason Aldean’s and Loco Burro in Gatlinburg make for a nice place to ring in your personal new year. Azul Cantina in Pigeon Forge has a rooftop setting with vibes for days.
You can also do a variety of distillery crawls, pub crawls, or bar crawls. But I prefer to pick my spot and let the drinks come to me rather than the other way around.
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A mountain picnic
Finding a spot near the water where you can grill and chill under the mountain canopy is never a bad birthday idea. It’s especially nice if you’ve got a wide range of ages on your guest list. My favorite spot for this is Metcalf Bottoms. There’s plenty of space and when the water is high enough you can bring some tubes and float the river. Our other favorite get together spots are the Cades Cove picnic ground – which can feel a little cramped – and the Chimneys.
Kids’ birthday plans
A couple of years ago, we got a hotel and spent a weekend celebrating the boy’s birthday. It was the same trip where we went to Harpoon Harry’s. Planning a kids birthday in Pigeon Forge is incredibly easy – expensive – but easy. Mix in some go-karts, some arcade, a mountain coaster and a mini-golf and you’ve got yourself a good time. Sky Pirates is probably the best mini-golf destination even after the Scooby Doo one opens, but Scooby would be a pretty fun birthday spot as well.
You can also pick fun kids restaurants like Frizzle Chicken Café with its animatronic singing chickens. Can they program the chickens to sing Happy Birthday? I just realized I don’t know the answer to that. But if they can, that might beat Charles Entertainment Cheese.
Other places that would be good for kids birthdays include Mellow Mushroom – what kid says no to a pizza party? – or any of the many new taco restaurants like Taco Ranch or Gorilla Taco.
The ultimate kid’s birthday celebration might be at one of Pigeon Forge’s many dinner theaters. From Dolly’s Stampede to the Pirates show or even Hatfield and McCoy, the dinner theaters offer a meal and celebration plus the show. The Pirates is by far the best experience in general, and I would assume that it would apply to birthdays as well.
Finally, a day at one of the local museums would top it off. Certainly, WonderWorks is a contender. I don’t know that Alcatraz or Titanic strike quite the right birthday theme. I think if you’re looking for the best birthday experience, the Hollywood Wax Museum is the top option, especially if your kids are like mine and have a good understanding of Hollywood characters. You wouldn’t necessarily expect kids to be wowed by wax figures of actors whose movies they haven’t seen, but my kids just love it.
Not normally on the list, but would be pretty good for birthdays
There are a couple of places in the mountains I don’t normally recommend but, I have to admit they’d be fun for a birthday celebration. Dick’s Last Resort – a chain I’m not really fond of – would be fun for the right kind of birthday group. With a waitstaff that’s essentially paid to be rude, the birthday would have some legit roast potential. If your friend group likes to give each other a hard time, this might be the place.
You should also consider Flavortown – Guy Fieri’s Chuck E. Cheese for adults. With duckpin bowling, arcade games and a menu that seems like it’s entirely made up of dishes that were designed on a dare, Flavortown would be a fun and memorable experience, even if the food is mostly forgettable.
Do you have a perfect birthday destination in the Smokies? Let us know in the comments!