A Smoky Mountain native offers her opinion on local restaurant darling: The Peddler
The Peddler in Gatlinburg is a local favorite. And there’s no doubt it has delicious food and a unique ambiance. Plus, its location in downtown Gatlinburg couldn’t be more convenient. Ok, I guess it could be more convenient if the parking lot was larger, but I digress (more on that later). But is The Peddler the best restaurant in Gatlinburg? Here’s my analysis.
The Peddler is a famous restaurant in Gatlinburg, Tennessee that sits over a stream. It’s the perfect ambiance for a romantic date night. The food is spectacular, and it’s often known as one of the best places in town to get a steak. One benefit to this restaurant is its impressive salad bar. One downside is that parking can be somewhat limited. Overall, it’s an excellent choice for a place to eat.
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The Peddler ambiance
Parking is available, but the lot is small and it fills up fast (this is my biggest complaint about the location). Arrive early or consider parking in one of the nearby pay lots.
If you’re looking for a unique ambiance, few restaurants in town deliver quite like The Peddler. It’s steeped in history. It was originally a cabin built by the Ogles, a legendary East Tennessee family whose name is attached to many meaningful locations in and around the Smokies. The original century-old walls and carefully placed stones set the stage for your dining experience. The façade of the original cabin is part of the main dining room.
It’s also serene and might I say, even a bit romantic. Some tables (both inside and outside) look out over a stream. The relaxing sounds of the water gently gliding over the stones mask any Gatlinburg Parkway noise. The service is extraordinary with waiters and waitresses who will go out of their way to make a birthday or an engagement memorable.
The Peddler food & menu
The Peddler, is of course, best known for its steaks. Steaks here are cooked to perfection, from rare to well done. Yes, even well done is done well here. I have a friend who prefers his steaks this way. He only orders well-done at The Peddler, though, as most restaurants overcook theirs, his steaks arrive with no pink, yet still moist and tender. Chopped sirloin is not an option here, but you’ll find lean cuts – New York strip, rib eye, filet mignon and prime rib. The Peddler also serves seafood and chicken but I normally stick to the steaks. For the sides, I recommend the baked stuffed potato or the fresh button mushrooms.
But the real unsung hero of the meal is the salad bar which is included with the purchase of every entree (or for a $19 fee if ordered al la carte). Very few restaurants do salad bars justice. But the Peddler does. The salad ingredients are varied and fresh. Create your own Cobb salad or just load up your plate with your favorites. My favorite dessert is Kristi’s Chocolate Cake, made of hot cake, vanilla ice cream and fudge. They also make a solid cheesecake and cobbler. You can view the full menu here.
The Peddler pros
The pros are obvious. The aforementioned unique (and historical) ambiance, convenient location and romantic atmosphere. The food is also solid and, in my opinion, affordably priced for a higher-end steakhouse. Steaks range between $34-$57 depending on the cut and size. Fish and chicken entrees range between $29-$34. Desserts start at $8. And don’t forget – entree prices include a free salad bar – a rarity for this breed of restaurant.
The Peddler cons
Alas, no restaurant is perfect. My only complaint about The Peddler is their lack of parking. To be clear, there is a parking lot on site (unlike many other downtown restaurants) but it’s a tiny lot, so you can’t count on a spot being available. I recommend arriving very early or just walking from downtown. Also, you’ll want to plan ahead. Walk-ins are first come, first served and based on availability. So as always, make a reservation through Resy or the website, up to two weeks in advance. The Peddler didn’t use to accept reservations but added them this year as an option to help mitigate crowd issues. Thanks Peddler!
My final verdict on The Peddler
Overall, I love The Peddler. But I will admit, and others will disagree with me on this, I think it’s the second-best steak in Gatlinburg. Who has the best steak in town? That accolade, in my opinion, belongs to The Greenbrier. But I do think The Peddler has the best steaks in downtown Gatlinburg. And here’s a pro tip if you’re having trouble getting into this incredibly popular restaurant – just call The Park Grill a few blocks away. It’s The Peddler’s sister restaurant. The Park Grill features a very similar menu including the salad bar but currently sans the delectable aforementioned chocolate cake (one of my favorite desserts in all of the Smokies). It’s usually less crowded, has a larger dining area, and has a larger parking lot to accommodate hungry guests.
The Peddler Steakhouse is located at 820 River Road, Gatlinburg TN near downtown Gatlinburg.
Have you been to The Peddler? Where’s your favorite place for a romantic meal near the Great Smoky Mountains? Let us know in the comments!
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We came to the Peddler for our wedding night dinner. It was the most amazing experience we have ever had out eating. Service was beyond any of our expectations, quality of food was excellent. I have never given a 50% tip but your service deserved it, they were that good. Jeremiah Joyce, Rachel Perry, and Kristan Coggins were the only names I received but, I can sum it up in one word, AMAZING, we will see you next year for our anniversary. That meal make the perfect end to our wedding. Thank you again, Jim & Cindy Frasure.
We have been going to the Peddler in Gatlinburg since our 25th anniversary and we were there this anniversary on the 24 of September 2021. The young man where we were to sign in for some reason placed us way down the line . We were wanting to eat dinner and then travel back home 3 hours away. We had been on vacation over a week. We were there at 3:45 and waited to sign in and so we were 3rd to sign in. We were not called so my husband told the man we were 3rd in line He very rudely said “no you weren’t”. He needs to be taken off the front desk. He never looked at a customer just kept his head down and then was reuse to people in my opinion. I guess somebody licked all the red off his candy.
We had the pleasure to visit The Peddler of Gatlinburg last year on vacation. By far the best meal of our vacation. The food, the service were impectable.
I miss the smoked oysters on the salad bar. I also prefer Ye Olde Steak House in Knoxville!
Great writeup Morgan! The Peddler does have a bar, it’s where I sat when I went.
My husband and I had our first date at the Peddler over 25 years ago. It made that occasion as wonderful as I could have ever ask for. The Peddler has always been my favorite place in Gatlinburg to eat as a local resident. Over the last year I have to say I have been disappointed at the ability to even be able to get a reservation. No matter when you call it is always at least a four hour wait to be able to get a reservation. Living here year-round, it is causing locals to chose just other as wonderful places to dine. They are losing local customers but their loss is others gain.
When I was growing up in Knoxville in the 70’s 80’s, The Peddler along with the Open Hearth or Burning Bush were considered top notch. We began a family tradition in the early 2000’s of taking our children to Gatlinburg at Christmas each year for the winter light festival. The kids absolutely loved the Park Grill with its abundant salad bar, lady coming around with long stem roses, festive decor and the beautiful baby grand piano with Christmas music flowing freely. Through the years, the baby grand went away, the holiday decor diminished, and the food quality followed. Looking for a change, we took them to The Peddler one year after recounting some great experiences there from the 80’s. It was overpriced and underwhelming. Then we discovered the newly renovated Greenbrier and haven’t looked back. If you want fine dining in the Smokies, it’s either Greenbrier or Dancing Bear in Townsend. Period. One other lovely option was the restaurant at the Inn at Buckberry Creek which sadly met its demise in the wildfires of 2016.
Along with our friends, we’ve been to Bill Gaither’s Family Fest every May for over 20 yrs. After an 8 or 9 hr. drive, checking in hotel, unpacking, etc. the 4 of us hoof it down the hill to The Peddler. It’s a tradition we cherish each year & we’re looking forward to next month!
My wife and I love going to the Peddler Steak House. We always try and get a seat by the river. You never know when a bear will walk by the window. We dont have to worry about parking because we always stay at the Bear Skin Lodge and walk over. In fact if you walk all the way to the back of the Bear Skin parking lot you can see the people eating at Peddlers.
We have been going to the peddler for over 10 years and just love the food and the ambience and the friendly staff we go there quite often never gets old. The salad bar is five star.