6 Best Restaurants in Gatlinburg, Tennessee

In these parts, BBQ means just one thing—pulled pork. And while many spots in town may serve shredded pig, they're not serving a sandwich that makes you want to buy a T-shirt to prove you've been there; for that experience, head to this unassuming old-school joint that'll leave you full but drooling for more. BBQ travels well, so order sandwiches and slaw to go and enjoy them 20 minutes away at the Chimney Rocks Picnic Area in the national park.

It's well worth the five-minute drive from town to this haven in the hills for prime beef steaks and inspired seafood. The stone-and-log entryway is a clue that you've left the touristy part of the Parkway behind and entered a dining room with a talented chef calling the shots on the ever-changing menu. And speaking of shots, the selection of top-shelf bourbons and whiskeys is second to none in Gatlinburg. Choose from the cigar menu and slowly sip by the fireplace. 

It's not every day in the Smokies you walk past an 80-foot-high redwood tree to eat at a riverfront steak house comprising five historic log cabins. And it's probably just as unusual to have your steak brought table-side and custom cut before being sizzled over Texas hickory charcoal while you graze on hot homemade bread and items from the salad bar. Chicken, shrimp, salmon, and fresh boneless English mountain trout are also on the menu, along with desserts like hot blackberry cobbler or Peddler's version of strawberry shortcake.

If you're packing a picnic for the park—or if you just need a meal that's not fried—this long-standing organic spot is an outlier in a town built on pancakes and pizzas. The simple menu of wraps, sandwiches, and salads is made to order but ready almost as fast as grab-and-go.

Enjoy an idyllic stream-side setting that's just right to sip the signature sweet tea (served sweet, either hot or cold). Savor the sherried tomato bisque, or sample creative salads like dill pea or arugula tossed with strawberries and feta with a citrus vinaigrette. The attentive staff is eager to make recommendations from the limited menu while you share a basket of warm wild-plum muffins.