Just because they are โweirdโ doesnโt mean we donโt 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 thatโs weirder than saying to someone โ in the year of our Lord 2024 โ โHey, letโs go to Bubba Gumpโs Shrimp?โ
But, since Bubba Gumps are all over the place, how weird can they be? What about Dickโs Last Resort? If youโre unfamiliar, itโs a restaurant where the wait staff ridicules you and treats you poorly. Again, weird but not the kind of weird weโre 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 youโve 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 โLet it Goโ from โFrozenโ or โCotton-Eyed Joeโ or the โStar Wars Theme,โ youโll 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 Jedโs
It is a long trip philosophically from the Frizzle Chicken Farmhouse to Tennessee Jedโs. The weird at Jedโs is so much more mellow. The Grateful Dead-themed sandwich shop in Gatlinburg serves fantastic sandwiches and Nathanโs Hot Dogs Frito pies in a setting that is filled with mellow vibes.ย The barbecue and smoked chicken is done in-house and fresh. The menu is simple and delicious. Itโs not exaggerating to say these are among the best sandwiches Iโve ever had in my life.
So why is it weird? Other than the Grateful Dead song โTennessee Jedโ โ with a chorus of Tennessee, Tennessee, there ainโt no place Iโd rather be, baby, wonโt you carry me, back to Tennessee? โ thereโs 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. Chubbyโs Deli
Located in a Citgo Gas Station at 2659 Newport Hwy, Sevierville, Chubbyโs offers the kind of authentic Southern-style rural experience thatโs going away in a lot of places. Itโs the kind of place your grandfather would have stopped at on a Saturday morning on his way into town to visit the hardware store. Chubbyโs lunch menu features hamburgers, hot dogs and sandwiches. They also offer a rarity this far south, a Northern Indiana-style fried pork tenderloin โ when available โ that I, as a native Hoosier, can vouch for. So to recap, itโs a great local deli inside a Citgo that serves a regional classic from Northern Indiana in Sevierville. To me, itโs weird.
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