A local father of 3 offers his advice on the best family restaurants in Pigeon Forge
A calculus is needed when taking the family out for a meal in Pigeon Forge. Cost and the quality of food are considered. But part of the equation is, it is something the kids will eat. Our oldest at nearly 20 has grown out of the picky eater stage. However, our middle child has food allergies that can make dining out complicated. We’re lucky that his allergies are not life-threatening but if he eats something on the off list he’ll break out in hives so we are cautious.
Our youngest – a pea in a pod with her older brother – follows his lead on almost all things and mostly follows his dietary limitations out of habit despite not being allergic to anything. Most places have tenders and fries, but we do try to give the kids more options, gently pushing them out of their comfort zones. And John Paul – whose most severe allergic reaction is to beef – does get tired of chicken after a while. With all of this in mind, the following are in my opinion, the 6 best family restaurants in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee.
1. Frizzle Chicken Café
You might think the novelty of eating breakfast or lunch surrounded by singing animatronic chickens wears off after a while. But Frizzle Chicken Café is surprisingly endearing. The food is fine to good, depending on what you order but the experience is memorable. And what more do you want from a vacation meal in the Smokies than something your kids will be telling their kids about? “When I was your age, Dad took us for breakfast with robot chickens who sang the “Star Wars” theme is significantly better than “Dad took us to get pancakes on vacation.”
2. The Old Mill
Is there anything better than Dad taking the family out to a good meal at a place where you can impart some wisdom and a little history? The Old Mill not only serves good homestyle cooking but it’s also in a historic setting, one with roots going back to 1786 and a man named Mordecai Lewis, who moved from Virginia to settle in what would become Pigeon Forge.
3. Calhoun’s
Not all restaurants have to serve pancakes. Calhoun’s is an East Tennessee institution and a perfect place for families who want some classic East Tennessee dining. Calhoun’s with its BBQ-heavy menu is a good place for youngsters interested in expanding their palette but it’s not so bold as to scare them off. Plus, the chicken tenders are quite good as well.
4. Harpoon Harry’s
Harpoon Harry’s has several things going for it, including its size. It’s a big facility with a lot of seating. That means reservations often remain available when other places are out. It means wait times are manageable even when other places tell you it will be at least 90 minutes. Also, there’s this: Once, due to some poor planning on my part, a family birthday celebration for our middle child was going south. Because of that low wait time, we turned to Harpoon Harry’s. The staff got wind of things not going well that day and went above and beyond to make him feel special. That’s the kind of thing a father remembers.
One last thing, Harpoon Harry’s has calamari. Ainsley – who eats a total of 7 things – loves calamari. She even knows it’s squid and doesn’t care. Accessible calamari is a big plus with the Gullion family.
5. Mellow Mushroom
Any mom or dad knows the great family dining equalizer is pizza. This one wants barbecue. That one wants Mexican. The other one wants pancakes. Nobody wants Chinese. What’s a family to do? Pizza. Works every time. We typically don’t recommend chains here and there are some good, lesser-known pizza options in town. But Mellow Mushroom is consistently excellent pizza with various flavors and options. Plus, they serve a delicious allergy-friendly pizza that the boy can have. After years of him coming home from school and talking about how excited the other kids were for pizza day, the Mellow Mushroom served the boy an allergy-friendly pizza that actually tasted like pizza.
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