# Restaurant tips in and around Sevierville TN



## jberndt10 (Mar 13, 2011)

We'll be staying a Great Smokies Lodge next week. Always looking for good eats. It will be DH, 2 teenage boys and myself.


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## rod (Mar 13, 2011)

In Sevierville I suggest the Applewood Restaurant or Applewood Grill.

In Pigeon Forge I suggest the Log Cabin Pancake House or Old Mill Restaurant.

If you have never been to a Dixie Stampede, I would also suggest you go there.

You might also want to check out another web site, www.roadfood.com - it is all about restaurants that are not part of a chain.


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## dougp26364 (Mar 14, 2011)

I can second all of those except for perhaps Old Mill. While Old Mill wasn't bad, we felt it was more of a tourist trap style restaurant than a great restaurant. It's worth giving it a shot if only for the atmosphere.


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## tombo (Mar 14, 2011)

I must disagree with Old Mill being nothing but a tourist trap. I go to Gatlinburg at least once a year and I have a lot of place I enjoy eating at, but the two I never miss are the Old Mill Restaurant and The Log cabin Pancake house in Gatlinburg (go to the one in Gatlinburg for the high ceiling log cabin with huge woood beams). The corn chowder is fantastic, fritters great too, huge portions, good prices, and the best pecan pie I have ever had anywhere, and I have had a lot of pecan pie in my life. Trip adviser's 320 reviews rate it number one out of 120 restaurants.
http://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaura...d_Mill_Restaurant-Pigeon_Forge_Tennessee.html
Menu:http://thegreatsmokeymountainsparkway.com/_pigefor/pfmilres.htm

I have never had a bad meal at the OldMill and neither has anyone who traveled with us or anyone i told to eat there. Pork chops, chicken and dumplings, catfish, meatloaf,country fried steak, chicken pot pie are all good as I was told is the fried shrimp (not eating shrimp in the Smokies but a friend did and said it was great. 

I am not sure of exactly  which nights I will eat out in Gatlinburg on my next trip, but at least one of my meals will be the Old Mill. JMHO.


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## tfezell (Mar 14, 2011)

I will admit I am not a fan of the Old Mill either.  Just average after an extremely long wait.  It came highly recommended, but I can  cook better counrty style meat and veggies any day.  
I go to Gatlinbur about 2 times each year.  I love the Pancake Pantry on the main street in  Gatlinburg for breakfast.  The Log Cabin is also good.  I ahve only eaten breakfast there.
I love the  Pizza place, Best Italian Cafe, in Elk's Plaza on the main street also.  The pizza is the best!  
We also love Bubba Gumps and Blaines Bar and Grill.
And if you like mexican, No Way Jose's is pretty good too.
And if you have an iron stomach, you need to try Fanny Farkels corn dogs and/or polish sausages.  Yummy and greasy.


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## dougp26364 (Mar 14, 2011)

tombo said:


> I must disagree with Old Mill being nothing but a tourist trap. I go to Gatlinburg at least once a year and I have a lot of place I enjoy eating at, but the two I never miss are the Old Mill Restaurant and The Log cabin Pancake house in Gatlinburg (go to the one in Gatlinburg for the high ceiling log cabin with huge woood beams). The corn chowder is fantastic, fritters great too, huge portions, good prices, and the best pecan pie I have ever had anywhere, and I have had a lot of pecan pie in my life. Trip adviser's 320 reviews rate it number one out of 120 restaurants.
> http://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaura...d_Mill_Restaurant-Pigeon_Forge_Tennessee.html
> Menu:http://thegreatsmokeymountainsparkway.com/_pigefor/pfmilres.htm
> 
> ...



What can I say? I'm maybe a little pickier than most. I fealt the same way about Paula Dean's Lady and Two Son's restaurant in Savahana as well. While not a bad meal, not a great meal either. 

Strouds home of thowed rolls in Ozark, MO (a little north of Branson) is one more restaurant that fits this definition for me. 

None of these have ever been a bad meal and I won't say the food was bad either. Just not as great as has been billed. Like I said, Old Mill is worth at least one meal if nothing else than to decide for ones ownself the merits of eating there often or just once. If we had guests with us, I'd probabaly take them there at least once. IMHO, it's good but not great food. It's a fun place to go with a nice atmosphere and decent food but, it's more of a tourist restaurant to me.


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## jberndt10 (Mar 14, 2011)

Bar b que suggestions?


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## shagnut (Mar 14, 2011)

In Gatlinburg at #10 traffic light ( entrance of GSMNP ) make a right behind the Apple Barn/Grill there is a small restaurant/store right in the curve that has delicious BBQ!!

I always eat at the Apple Barn and also the Old Mill .  If you have a chance to see James Rogers, he's my fav. shaggy


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## tombo (Mar 14, 2011)

Calhoun's in Gatlinburg has good baby back ribs. They are not the best I ever had (Best is Dreamland in Tuscaloosa) but they are very good. They also have a good bbque pork sandwich. Calhouns has a large menu and I also enjoy their burgers.

I heard that Smoking Ed's bbque is good but have never eaten there.

Corky's is a chain and it has good bbque in other places I have eaten, but I have never eaten at the Corky's in the Gatlinburg area.

There are several other bbque places that I haven't eaten at, but others will hopefully have eaten at them and can give advice on where to eat and where to avoid.  I love good BBque myself and was thinking about tryin Smokin Ed's next trip unless others have a better suggestion.


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## Lisa P (Mar 15, 2011)

We enjoyed the steak at Calhoun's.  Their restaurant in Gatlinburg, next to the Convention Center, has a pleasant atmosphere and free parking for customers.  We'll go back.  Even though they have a few restaurants in the area, it's not a big chain and it shows.  We like that.

We love the pancake house in Gatlinburg that's on Parkway, next door to the Candy Kitchen, where you watch them pull taffy through the window.  I don't recall the name right now.  There are many pancake houses in the area and not all are good.

We like the Old Mill but we don't love it.  If we're with people who really enjoy the southern down-home cooking, then we go there.  Their desserts are yummy.


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## sfwilshire (Mar 16, 2011)

jberndt10 said:


> Bar b que suggestions?



One of the favorite local chains, Buddy's BBQ, has a restaurant near the resort. I've only been to that location once years ago, but the chain typically has pretty good food at a very reasonable price. I ate at one in Knoxville last Friday and it was very tasty.

Sheila


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## jberndt10 (Mar 27, 2011)

Just returned, thanks for the suggestions...here's my take.
Calhoun's in Pigeon Forge was very good, as was Bullfish Grill. Old Mill ok....an unbelievable amount of food, kind of a waste on me. Smokin Ed's everyone liked though I'm not a spare ribs gal, to much fat and waste. Flap Jacks pancake cabin, good and reasonable breakfast.  Bubba Gumps way over priced.  Del's Italian Family Restaurant, in Sevierville, good, a bit greasy but good.


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## rachel1998 (Mar 30, 2011)

We loved the Old Mill. Great fried chicken, in fact everything eas wonderful. I didn't feel it was a tourist trap at all.


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## dougp26364 (Mar 30, 2011)

rachel1998 said:


> We loved the Old Mill. Great fried chicken, in fact everything eas wonderful. I didn't feel it was a tourist trap at all.



I guess when I say tourist trap restaurant, I'm refering to the fact it's more designed to attract tourists vs locals. I call Paula Dean's Lady and Two Son's restaurant the same thing. Sure it's decent food (depends on if you're already accustomed to southern cooking) but, it attracts more tourist because of it's name recognition and or uniqueness. To me, Old Mill fits that bill with it's design and advertising. It's designed to attract tourist and it does a good job of it.

That's not to say all tourist trap restaurants are poor choices. When you eat at Paula Dean's, there is always a line and, it's not typically locals that are in line, it's tourists. Lamberts, the home of throwed rolls in Ozark, MO (north of Branson) is another such restaurant. Heck, Lamberts even brings in bus load of tourists. Again, the foods not bad but, it's the atmosphere that brings 'em in. 

Even a tourist trap restaurant must have good food and decent service. Without good food, I don't care how unique the restaurant is, it will go under. Take a look at entries into this catagory such at the Motown restaurant chain or even ESPN Zone restaurants. The food was very mediocre, the prices high and the service lacking (IMHO).

Old Mill has been around for awhile so, the food and service has to be good enough to keep the tourists coming back for the unique atmosphere. It makes them stand out and makes the experience a little more fun. For us we did not find the food all that exciting but, I grew up with southern cooking so, I tend to be a little more particular about my fried chicken or chicken fried steak.


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