Great Smoky Mountains National Park Restaurants

You'll find Calhoun's in prominent spots in both Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg, and although they are known for their award-winning ribs and hickory smoked barbeque pork, there's a whole lot more here than just barbeque. For starters, Calhoun's also serves grilled steak, rotisserie chicken, and prime rib on the weekends. For an appetizer, try the onion loaf. (It's so huge that one will probably feed your whole family.) Spinach Maria (spinach with a blend of cheeses) is practically a legend in these parts -- not to mention a surefire way to get the kids to eat a vegetable. Calhoun's has its own microbrewery, so the variety of beer is excellent.

Barbeque is a mainstay in the Smoky Mountain region, and Clint Carnley is considered a local master. In addition to fabulous slow-cooked pit barbeque specialties (which include beef, pork, chicken and ribs), this informal eatery and its down-home-friendly wait staff serve plenty of other fare, such as sandwiches, shrimp and 32-ounce cowboy-cut steaks. The homemade desserts are simply delectable. The walls are covered with old-fashioned signs, historic photos, and old-fashioned memorabilia that will keep the kids occupied until the food arrives. On Tuesday nights, Clint (who used to be a professional musician before he took up chef duties) even plays guitar and sings for patrons. The restaurant is less than six miles from the center of downtown Sevierville, on US Highway 411 (which starts out in town as Dolly Parton Parkway before its name changes to Newport Highway).

This cafe, next door to a picturesque historic gristmill, sits where the late but legendary local potter Douglas Ferguson once lived; the plates it uses appropriately come from the adjacent Pigeon River Pottery shop, which was once Ferguson's retail store. The chef uses flour and cornmeal ground right next door at the Old Mill (which dates from the 1800s and is open for tours). The cafe menu includes salads, sandwiches, quiche, and soups, as well as locally caught rainbow trout, southern catfish, and steaks. The restaurant is part of the Old Mill Square shopping complex, which also houses a toy store, a candy store, an ice cream shop and a general store in addition to the pottery shop and a gift shop.

The Pancake Pantry on the main road through town is the place to have breakfast (or lunch) in Gatlinburg. It has a long and much-lauded history, dating from 1960 when it was the first pancake house in Tennessee. You may want to send someone in the family out early to get a spot in line, since people often snake out the door and around the block in the mornings. Be sure to bring cash, too -- the eatery doesn't take credit cards (although there is a cash machine inside near the register). The pancakes and waffles come with every conceivable topping and with every flavor and filling imaginable, including some your kids will probably start asking for at home (like M&Ms). You'll also find a wide variety of hearty omlettes, as well. Although you are certainly welcome to order breakfast of you come for lunch, the afternoon menu does include burgers, sandwiches, soups and salads.

This shiny, silver diner right on the main drag in town look like it belongs in the 1950s, right down to the jukebox and Formica tables. Specialties here include the usual diner comfort food (burgers and fries and other kid-friendly fare) as well as plenty of southern favorites (fried green tomatoes and liver and onions). Save room for the homemade desserts, especially the cheesecake. The hand-dipped milkshakes are a particular specialty here, and they come in plenty of flavors (including unusual ones, like banana). Breakfast is served any time of the day or night.