A Local Offers Tips on What Not To Do at Gatlinburg’s Most Frequented Steakhouse
The dining options in Gatlinburg are vast and varied. You can choose an elevated experience at a place like The Greenbrier, The Peddler or Chesapeake’s. You can eat some of the best (literally) BBQ in the country served on checkered plastic tablecloths while seated at mismatched chairs at Delauder’s. There are mass-produced popular tourist joints like Bubba Gump or Dick’s Last Resort and a variety of mom and pops. There are places sponsored by country music stars or where you can get fantastic sandwiches themed after Grateful Dead songs. Depending on what you’re in the mood for; the possibilities are nearly limitless.
But, if you want to dine in a Gatlinburg institution with roots that essentially track back to the town’s founding, you can have no better option than eating at The Peddler.
About the Peddler
In the beginning, there was an Ogle. Gatlinburg – which began its life as White Oak Flats – was originally the vision of a South Carolinian, William Ogle. William endeavored to move his family to the mountains.He started building a cabin and went back home to bring in a crop and make enough money to finance the move. Sadly, he died before that could be accomplished. Two years later, his wife and her brother finished what William began, and the Ogles became the first family White Oak Flats.
Fast forward four generations and meet Charles “Earl” Ogle Sr., a local merchant who built a log cabin for himself and his wife in 1958.Steaks Sophisticated, the franchisee for The Peddler, acquired the cabin from Earl and his family. It was renovated and opened as a restaurant in 1976.The Peddler has been a Gatlinburg institution ever since.The Peddler is one of the more upscale dining experiences in the Smokies, and as such, I have some thoughts on what not to do when planning your visit.
1. Don’t forget your wallet
The Peddler is a lot of things. It is an excellent steakhouse with fantastic dining options. There is a strong wine cellar and a world-class salad bar. It has great apps and a cool mountain atmosphere. But what it ain’t, is cheap. The Peddler is among the more expensive dining options in the mountains. I don’t expect they’ll let you work off your bill by washing dishes, but if they do expect to be washing for quite some time.
2. Don’t bring your littles
I realize that this advice comes with a certain amount of controversy. Through my 20 years of parenthood, I have been firmly in the camp of taking my kids with me on trips, to restaurants, to movies and shows whenever appropriate. I think kids learn how to behave in public by being in public and I hate – HATE – when people try to police where parents should and should not take their kids. But that’s not what I’m saying here. The Peddler is certainly kid-friendly. They have a kid’s menu and if you visit with your young ones they will be welcomed. But I think the Peddler is not the kind of dining experience my kids would have appreciated or enjoyed when they were little.
A Peddler meal is meant to be savored. From appetizers to the main course to drinks and dessert, you’re paying for an experience where you are meant to take your time. In my experience, dining with little kids is not about taking your time. Of course, these days you can hand them a device and let them watch Mickey Mouse or some other kid-soothing show. But the Peddler experience is at its heart an adult experience. If you have access to babysitting, a date night at the Peddler is the perfect time to access it. If not, by all means, bring your kids. But I think you’d both get more out of the evening if they were being well cared for someplace else.
3. Don’t forget to get a reservation
You can do a walk-in at The Peddler. Depending on the evening and the season, you might not have to wait very long. But why roll the dice? Make a reservation in advance and save yourself the worry. Spontaneity is cool. Good planning is cooler.
4. Don’t skip the salad bar
You’ve come to a steakhouse, why would you want a salad bar? Because it’s freaking great. I could go to the Peddler and just eat the salad bar – it’s $19 if you do that. Because I am constitutionally unable to go to a steakhouse and not get a steak I do not do that. However, in theory, I could just get the salad bar and be happy. I love a good salad and this one is top-notch. Everything is crisp and fresh and flavorful. Just a fantastic salad bar option.
5. Don’t Forget your appetite
As I said before, The Peddler is an experience meant to be savored. Do not waste a trip to The Peddler if you’re just feeling peckish. Let’s lay out the perfect Peddler meal. You start with an app, I like the Fried Mushrooms & Cauliflower but prefer the Shrimp Cocktail, a must at any great steakhouse. For the entrée, it’s a steak for me, probably a custom-cut New York Strip which comes with a trip to the “world-famous” salad bar. I used to be strictly a baked potato man with my steak but have moved on to other options. Here we’re going with the Fresh Button Mushrooms. To drink, I look hard at the Peddler Ole Smoky Ole Fashion if I want something alcoholic or maybe a draft beer if they have something dark and heavy.
For dessert? I’m a sucker for a good cheesecake, but you can’t go wrong with the decadent Peddler Mud Pie – chocolate and peanut butter ice cream on an Oreo cookie crust with homemade whipped cream and chocolate sauce.
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