Come for the food, stay for the … singing animatronic chickens?
I’ve been around these mountains for a long time. I’ve seen the hooks, the gimmicks, businesses use to entice tourists to spend their dollars with them. Usually, I get it. Our go-karts are faster. We’ve got Pirates. Hey, remember the infamous Kentucky family feud that caught national attention 160 years ago? We turned it into a dinner show. It’s silly.
But occasionally, even I – a veteran of the mountains – find myself confused or maybe surprised. For instance, was there a Polynesian-themed summer attraction that imported both dolphins and Polynesians? Yep. And they still ain’t got nothing on Frizzle Chicken Farmhouse Café.
Frizzle Chicken Farmhouse Café is a breakfast and lunch eatery in the heart of Pigeon Forge. While the food is fine, the real attraction is the atmosphere which is highlighted but dozens of animatronic chickens.
IN THIS ARTICLE
What is it? What’s on the Menu?
It’s a typical Smoky Mountain breakfast place that also dabbles in lunch. If you’re a Midwesterner, it’s a little like Bob Evans with a less robust menu. And while the décor may hint at Bob Evans-style country flair, it has something that Bob Evans never will. It has animatronic singing chickens. Dozens of them, in individual coops, lining the walls. All with punny names like Hen Solo or Dolly PartHEN.
The Robot Chickens are programmed to perform every so often, in my experience you get two or three shows per dining visit. They’ll cluck to the “Star Wars” theme or “Let it Go” from “Frozen.” Have you ever secretly dreamed of having a robot chicken cluck a Taylor Swift song at you? Frizzle Chicken Farmhouse Café is your place.
The menu is pretty standard and fairly safe. Pancakes, waffles, chicken tenders and French toast. As you’ll find in the majority of places that serve tourists breakfast, the biscuits and gravy are bland. There are also some sandwiches, omelets and the like. The most daring options are Avocado Toast, Breakfast Tacos and Chicken n’ Waffles. The food is fine to good. But you don’t come for the food. You come for the food … and the singing chickens.
Why Singing Chickens?
Ah. The question that has bedeviled the days of man for centuries. Why Singing Chickens? Let me paraphrase Dr. Ian Malcolm. It’s because the mad scientists at Frizzle Chicken Farmhouse Café were so busy trying to figure out whether they could, they never stopped to consider whether they should.
The Frizzle website is a little light on the why. It explains that Frizzle Chickens – the non-robot kind – is a specific breed of chickens. The site says they are docile, gentle and quiet and have unique feathers that curl outward. They are used chiefly as show birds in chicken competitions.
But really, why? Because you need a hook. In a town overflowing with pancake houses and breakfast joints that close at 2 pm, you need to stand out from the crowd. Honestly, does anything stand out more than robot chickens singing pop hits of the last 40 years or so? It is significantly more affordable than importing and exporting dolphins each summer.
Hours and location
You can find the Friz – as the kids call it – right next to the Comedy Barn on the strip. It’s at 2785 Parkway Pigeon Forge, TN 37863. The Friz is open from 7 am to 1 pm for breakfast and lunch every day of the week. If you want singing robot chickens after 1 pm, you’re out of cluck.
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