A Smoky Mountain local reviews Old Mill Pottery House in Pigeon Forge, TN

The Pottery House Cafe and Grille is one of two restaurants to call the Old Mill Square home, despite the relatively small size of the square. Each serves a different crowd and a different style of food. The Cafe and Grille, for instance, offers a quick-serve menu of salads, soups and sandwiches. The food served here is a trendy take on Southern classics. While the food served at the Old Mill Restaurant is Sunday supper standards. Both are in one of the most historic districts in the Smoky Mountains.

Editor’s note: Prices, hours and menu items may vary.

Concept, history and ambiance

The Old Mill Pottery House restaurant is appropriately named because a potter once lived there. In 1946, according to the website, Douglas Ferguson and his wife Ruth founded Pigeon Forge Pottery. The couple built the home that is now the Pottery House Cafe, and they continued making pottery until 1999. Today, The Cafe and Grille is open for lunch and dinner with a weekend brunch available from 10 am-2 pm serving up Southern-inspired staples. Both inside and outside patio dining is available.

Breakfast and lunch at Pottery House

The brunch menu is a bit more limited compared to the plethora of brunch options in Pigeon Forge. However, it still offers anything you could want for a good southern breakfast. They offer chicken and waffles, omelets, steak and eggs and French toast. My favorite brunch menu item is the truly southern benedict, which comes with fresh biscuits, green tomato, country ham, poached eggs, pimiento cheese hollandaise sauce and chopped bacon. For breakfast, you can plan on spending about $12 per person. That is if you skip the mimosas.

Lunch specials are served daily from 11 am-4 pm. The lunch specials range between about $10-14 and include items like spicy catfish, shrimp and grits, grilled salmon and pork chops. Lunch also features soups and sandwiches and some big city salads (baby wedge, kale and berries, and the southern green tomatoes and bacon salad). I enjoy getting the triple decker club sandwich with soup. It’s a lighter meal that will give you energy for the rest of your day of adventuring. Build-A-Combos are popular at about $10 for a salad with half of a sandwich or a cup of soup. Heartier dishes are also available at a reasonable price but keep it light or you may need an after-lunch nap. When you go, be sure not to miss out on one of their signature items like their signature quiche plates and fresh baked bread.

A children’s menu is available for the little ones 12 and under. Options include items such as chicken tenders, macaroni and cheese, a grilled cheese sandwich, an Old Mill corndog and hamburgers or cheeseburgers. Prices range from about $5 to 7 for children.

Dinner and dessert at the Pottery House

Dinner is served from 4-8:30 or until 9 pm on Fridays and Saturdays. A special menu, The Miller’s Selection, features dishes made with ingredients ground by the mill. Fried chicken and fried catfish are the highlights. The fried chicken livers aren’t my thing, but you do you. The Pottery House is also known for having some of the highest quality steaks and best southern catfish in the area. Other menu items for dinner include roast beef, a BBQ pork plate, and alfredo.

Finally, don’t skimp on homemade desserts. The desserts are rich and come in hearty portions. Options include delicious classics like Coconut Cream Pie, Carrot Cake and Chocolate Pecan Pie. I like the Lemonade Pie and Peanut Butter Pie. Reese’s has nothing on the chef that makes the latter. But if you don’t feel like dessert, just wander by the Old Mill Candy Store next door and buy some homemade candy (fudge) to take home with you. For the full menu, click here.

Reservations, location and parking

Remember, hours may vary at this location. They do not take reservations, so you might plan your dining hours to coincide with off-peak eating times. The address is 3341 Old Mill Street, Pigeon Forge, TN. Parking can be very tight. Consider parking in Patriot Park and walk a few blocks from Old Mill Square.

Have you been to the Pottery House Cafe in the Smokies? What is your favorite thing to order? Let us know in the comments.

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