Satisfy Your Cravings in the Great Smoky Mountains

There’s so much to love about traveling, from unique cultural experiences to exciting outdoor activities. However, one of the best aspects of travel is meal times – especially if you consider yourself a foodie! The Great Smoky Mountains are an excellent choice of destination for food enthusiasts of all kinds. The next time you’re up for a travel adventure and craving your favorite type of grub, look no further than the best restaurants in the Smokies!

For the Burger Grillmaster

If you consider yourself an amateur of the grill, just wait until you can learn from the masters at Local Goat. This American restaurant uses sustainably and locally sourced ingredients to whip up scratch-made original recipes. As a result, Local Goat is home to the best burgers in Gatlinburg.

Try gourmet inventions like the TN Whiskey Glazed Burger with smoked bacon, crispy onions and garlic aioli or The Elvis burger with peanut butter, smoked bacon, and fried bananas. Of course, you can’t go wrong with their more classic-style burgers either, like the Bacon Cheeseburger with aged cheddar and smoked bacon or the Billy Burger with sauteed onions and mushrooms, Swiss cheese, and garlic aioli.

For the Carnivore

Artistes of the grill are a close cousin to prodigies of the barbecue pits! If you’re prone to burger cravings, you’re probably a fan in-the-making of barbecue as well. As a visitor to the Great Smoky Mountains, you’re in the right neck o’ the woods for sweet and savory barbecue-sauced juicy meats. Find your go-to barbecue joint for the duration of your stay at Buddy’s Bar-B-Q in Sevierville. This locally-owned restaurant has been slow-smoking meats over hickory since 1972.

Whether you dine in, take a picnic to-go, order delivery, or hit the drive-thru, you’ll want to order one of everything on their menu! Choose between pork, half chicken, pulled chicken, beef brisket, wings, ribs, or a combo if you want an individual dinner. Otherwise, go all-out for a 5-person or 10-person family pack or buy your favorite barbecue meats in bulk by the pound. They will certainly give you the chance to order enough to have leftovers for tomorrow. Although, whether you leave any leftovers remains to be seen!

For the True Southerner

If you are from the South, you already know how crucial it is to try the local fried chicken. If you’re new to the South – don’t worry. Between a culture of Southern hospitality and generations-old recipes, you’re in for a treat.

At Mama’s Farmhouse, the Johnson family’s great-grandmother can be your stand-in Southern mama if you don’t have one. Her fried chicken recipe is still used today at this family-style restaurant. Sit down for breakfast, lunch or dinner for homemade buttermilk biscuits served alongside award-winning fried chicken, honey-glazed ham, country-fried steak, and classic Southern sides. Everything is made with love and designed to be shared with the whole table – so don’t forget your appetite!

For the Sweet Tooth

One thing that is true across the board about Southerners is that they love butter and sugar and combining the two to treat the people they love. Among the dozen or so sweet shops scattered across the Smokies, Adina’s is hands-down the best. Head to the Parkway in Sevierville for coffee and sweets at Adina’s Sweet Shop. Though this locally-owned business may appear humble in its cabin-like venue, their cupcakes open up a world of richness.

Perhaps the most famous item on their menu is the moonshine cupcake. That’s right – it’s a cupcake made with local moonshine or whiskey. You can also choose between 30 other cupcake flavors or indulge in other pastries like cannolis, cookies, whoopie pies, cream horns, cakes, pies, and more. Next time you’re celebrating a birthday, graduation, or marriage in the Smokies, look no further than Adina’s for your cakes and sweet treats!

Bonus: For the Whiskey Enthusiast

Between juicy red meats, mouth-watering fried chicken, and homemade desserts, you certainly need a little something special to wash it all down. For a genuine Smoky Mountain foodie experience, dinner should always be followed by a moonshine cocktail or whiskey tasting. As the first legal moonshine distillery in Tennessee, Ole Smoky Moonshine & Whiskey Distillery is the most famous in the region.

Visit the Barn in Pigeon Forge, the Holler in Gatlinburg, or the Barrelhouse in Gatlinburg to see what all the fuss is about. You’re likely to find live bluegrass music, dog-friendly areas, distillery tours, and, of course, daily tastings. Don’t hesitate to snag a bottle of Strawberry, Mountain Java, Pumpkin Pie, or Apple Pie moonshine, or go home with a bottle of Mango Habanero, Salty Caramel, Salty Watermelon, or Amaretto Whiskey. Discover many more flavors and ask the bartender for cocktail recipes during your stay.

In Conclusion

When staying in the Great Smoky Mountains, Southern cuisine is a must. Not only do Southerners understand the art of crispy fried chicken and melt-off-the-bone barbecue, but they can grill up a mean burger, too. Besides, the sweet treats in the Smokies taste as though your long-lost Southern grandma baked them fresh this morning. After you follow up your dinner with a digestif of authentic Appalachian whiskey, don’t be surprised if you feel tempted to move to these picture-perfect mountains!