Just because they are ‘weird’ doesn’t mean we don’t love them! Here are 3 strangely themed restaurants in Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg
Like anything, weird is in the eye of the beholder. When considering weird restaurants in the Smoky Mountains, the first thing that pops to mind is there is a seafood place named after a mentally challenged character and his best friend who passed in Vietnam from an Oscar-winning 1994 classic. Is there anything in the world that’s weirder than saying to someone – in the year of our Lord 2024 – “Hey, let’s go to Bubba Gump’s Shrimp?”
But, since Bubba Gumps are all over the place, how weird can they be? What about Dick’s Last Resort? If you’re unfamiliar, it’s a restaurant where the wait staff ridicules you and treats you poorly. Again, weird but not the kind of weird we’re looking for. What kind of weirdness are we looking for? The kind of weird that makes you question reality a little bit. The kind of weird that makes you question whether you’ve stepped through a portal of some kind and found yourself in another reality. Here are the three weirdest dining experiences in the Smokies.
1. Frizzle Chicken Farmhouse
To me, the definition of weird might just come with people munching on tasty breakfast and lunch far surrounded by dozens of animatronic, singing chickens perched in individual hen houses attached to the ceiling. When the disco lights start flashing and chickens with names like Hen Solo and Hennifer Anniston start clucking along to well-known hits like “Let it Go” from “Frozen” or “Cotton-Eyed Joe” or the “Star Wars Theme,” you’ll wonder just what kind of mushrooms they put in your omelet. Honestly, though, the food at this restaurant located at 2785 Parkway, Pigeon Forge, is good. If you have young kids, the experience is even better.
2. Tennessee Jed’s
It is a long trip philosophically from the Frizzle Chicken Farmhouse to Tennessee Jed’s. The weird at Jed’s is so much more mellow. The Grateful Dead-themed sandwich shop in Gatlinburg serves fantastic sandwiches and Nathan’s Hot Dogs Frito pies in a setting that is filled with mellow vibes. The barbecue and smoked chicken is done in-house and fresh. The menu is simple and delicious. It’s not exaggerating to say these are among the best sandwiches I’ve ever had in my life.
So why is it weird? Other than the Grateful Dead song “Tennessee Jed” – with a chorus of Tennessee, Tennessee, there ain’t no place I’d rather be, baby, won’t you carry me, back to Tennessee? – there’s not a lot of connective tissue as to why a heavily Grateful Dead-influenced restaurant. In fact, a pair of them exist in Gatlinburg. Tennessee Jeds is located at 631 Parkway, Suite A8. The Catering and Craft Sandwich Shop is located at 450 Brookside Village. Both are in Gatlinburg, TN.
3. Chubby’s Deli
Located in a Citgo Gas Station at 2659 Newport Hwy, Sevierville, Chubby’s offers the kind of authentic Southern-style rural experience that’s going away in a lot of places. It’s the kind of place your grandfather would have stopped at on a Saturday morning on his way into town to visit the hardware store. Chubby’s lunch menu features hamburgers, hot dogs and sandwiches. They also offer a rarity this far south, a Northern Indiana-style fried pork tenderloin – when available – that I, as a native Hoosier, can vouch for. So to recap, it’s a great local deli inside a Citgo that serves a regional classic from Northern Indiana in Sevierville. To me, it’s weird.
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