A local offers tips on how to avoid faux pas at Pigeon Forge’s premier historical eatery
There’s a challenge that comes with some of the “what not to do” articles. And it comes with an assumption of what you, the reader, need to hear versus what other readers need to hear.
For instance, you don’t need to be told not to try and jump inside the mill wheel and run like a hamster. You certainly don’t need to be told that. I know you don’t need to be told that. But we both know some jamoke has eyed that wheel and thought about it.
Is that guy – someone like the dude who tried to climb the Tree of Life in Disney’s Animal Kingdom the other day – reading this article? If I say “Hey, don’t jump in the wheel and run like hamster!” am I providing prevention? Or am I planting an idea?
Thou-shalt-nots of the mountains
You would think that now – in the year of our Lord 2025 – that you wouldn’t have to tell people the basics of civilized behavior in the mountains. Afterall we’ve been living in some version of this society for quite some time now. I can remember learning not to feed the bears from Bugs Bunny cartoons. The shows were 20+ years old when I was a boy.
And yet, each year we get people in Cades Cove trying to pet a bear or mount a deer or some other such nonsense. People are still carving their names or initials into historic cabins, on national park trees or inside the stalls of picnic area bathrooms. They act as if they are making a memorable mark on the edifice of time.
People still pick flowers, snap branches, remove rocks or stones. They park where they shouldn’t. Some also drive far too aggressively and in general act as if the mountains are some kind of theme park.
Still, those are the noticeable minority. The vast majority of people in the mountains operate within the boundaries of what is good and proper. And so, is this article for them? So, is it for you? Or is it for the one who truly needs to be told implicitly not to stick their hand in the campfire?
Well, read on and we’ll find out.
Things not to do at the Old Mill Restaurant
1. Don’t be in a hurry
The Old Mill isn’t simply a single restaurant. There’s nearly 200 years of history on site that links to the very founding of Pigeon Forge, including the creation of the forge for which the town is named. There are multiple restaurants, shops, an ice creamery, a candy store, a distillery and more. You can take care of multiple items on your Smoky Mountain checklist with a single visit to the Old Mill complex.
2. Don’t expect high-end fare
In Pigeon Forge, there are a series of restaurants that make their bones providing down home fare in a “historic” setting. The Old Mill is probably the best of these with the deepest menu.
There’s a selection of Southern Fried items as well as Southern Classics. But there’s also fish and shrimp options, grilled options and vegetarian choices. The Pottery House Café offers a wider selection of soups, salads, sandwiches and even steaks and chops. I wouldn’t rank the Old Mill with places like The Appalachian or the Greenbrier. However, it’s certainly at the top of its tier of regional restaurants.
3. Don’t skip the ice cream course
Look, one of the delights of getting away to Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg is some of the indulgent treats available. I’m not recommending overdoing it or gorging yourself. But there’s a particular pleasure in leaving enough room at the end of your meal to walk over to the ice creamery and getting a perfectly made classic cone. It’s just perfection.
4. Don’t forget about the moonshine
Distilleries are all the rage in Pigeon Forge, Gatlinburg and even Sevierville. Each selling their own take on mountain classics as well as more traditional alcohol options. If you want to include a visit to a distillery on your trip, it makes sense to include it in your Old Mill visit, taking out two birds with one stone so to speak.
How does the Old Forge Distillery rank amongst the others in the region? Can I make a confession? I’m not sure my alcohol palate is sophisticated enough that it makes a difference. I can tell the difference between the homemade moonshine and the store-bought kind. However, I find most of the local distilleries are pretty much the same unless you’re talking about the super high-end stuff.
5. Don’t skip the pottery
The Pottery House Café captures an underexplored, underappreciated part of the Pigeon Forge, Gatlinburg culture. The mountains in Western North Carolina are better known for being an artists’ refuge. Places like Hendersonville, Asheville and others are known for the thriving artist communities to which they offer welcome and comfort. While the mountains of East Tennessee have also been home to some amazing artists, they tend to operate more individually and less collectively.
The Pottery House Café was once home to Douglas Ferguson. He was a potter who in the middle ’40s recognized the value of the area’s red clay. As a result, he transformed a tobacco barn into Pigeon Forge Pottery. Ferguson and his wife Ruth belonged to the specific mountain artist class of the time. Such as Mildred Haun, the hyper educated mountain woman who wrote “The Hawk Done Gone” and also travelled the world as a journalist and copy editor.
These are the kind of people who are the quiet casualties of the Smokies selling themselves based on stereotypes. Sure, guys like Skeeter at the Stampede are funny and fun. But there was always more to the mountain people than feudin’ and moonshine. So, maybe enjoy a bit of pottery on your visit and think about the artists who helped build the mountain culture as well.
Do you agree with our list? Let us know in the comments!