Ever been to Myrtle Beach? If so, pretty much the same chains and what not.

There are a few steakhouses there..................Howards is good, as is Texas Roadhouse, Calhoun's, Park Grill............

Old mill, park grill

I wouldn't go. Riots probably.

Cherokee Grill

Bennetts BBQ

Do not go.


Went through on honeymoon. Tried to get out of the hotel and travel on as it was lame as shit.


They wouldn't refund. No big deal. We spent the majority of the time in the aquarium and arcade. Not worth it for that though.

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Garlic knots at Best Italian FTW.

As others have said, its absolutely a tourist trap a la Myrtle Beach or Branson, MO. Doesn't mean it can't be fun. There's shows to see and plenty of attractions to participate in. Pigeon Forge right down the road has tons of go-kart tracks and such. Great Smoky Mountains National Park is right there as well. Plenty to see inside the park: Cades Cove, Clingman's Dome, a million short day hike options.

And don't forget Smoky Mountain Knife Works; "World's Largest Knife Store". It is pretty damn big.

Its fun if you live close by (less than 6hr drive) and just want to take a long weekend.

 

Aquarium, the hollywood car museum, Ridleys etc were fun.  


Avoid Pigeon Forge.


Two years ago my wife and I rented the Castle in the Sky and it was ok .

There's a really big cicis pizza, and a NASCAR speedpark.

Apple Barn in Pigeon Forge.

This. Smoky Mtn Knife works is a must go to place there...can't believe no one mentioned that. There's a large gun store near it too.
 
My wife just mentioned The Mill which is just across the bridge in the center of the strip. They had some great food too.

On your way down on 81, stop by Ridgewood BBQ.

You're welcome.

I enjoyed eating at Smokey Mountain Brewery in Gatlinburg and Tony Gore's BBQ in Sevierville (on the way to SMKW). Calhoun's is good. Old Mill for country food in Pigeon Forge. Mellow Mushroom pizza is OK to try if you don't have one in your AO and don't mind smelly hipster workers.

Cade's Cove is a great drive, hit it early in the morning to see bears, etc. Alpine Coaster in Pigeon Forge is a trip if you have kids.

You could eat at one of the countless pancake houses.

Calhouns and the peddler are good for dinner. Eat lunch with Dennis at Partons deli. 3 Jimmys is good for lunch or dinner. Pancake pantry is good but always a line out the door. I've got a free breakfast for 4 the owner give me but haven't used it because it's usually busy. Log cabin pancake house on airport road is good to. Ask for Mary.

Buds gun shop and Smokey mountain knife works are nice to visit. Shoot me a message if you have any question about town or anything I can help you with.

It must be you, because 12 million people visit that area every year. There is a little bit of everything to do up there. Hiking, kayaking, shopping, catching a dinner show, Dollywood, skiing, horseback riding, go cart tracks, aquarium or just kicking back at the Smokey Mountain Brewery drinking beer. I will admit the traffic sucks, but not as bad during the week.

Gatlingburg Texas Roadhouse, just NO!!!!  Horrible service, long waits, lousy food!!!!  Go elsewhere!

Yeah, Bud's Guns is at SMKW.  Apple Barn has a lot of stores for momma, two great restaurants.

I avoid it at all costs.  30 years ago, it was pretty fun, now it's the most touristy place I know.

There are a few fun things to do there, but the hassle of getting around and parking is not worth it.

You can take Hwy. 321 and bypass Gatlinburg altogether.  It connects Townsend (which is the side of the park Cades Cove is on) and Pigeon Forge (where Smoky Mountain Knife Works is).

Cades Cove is a must see, especially this time of year..  Go early to catch the prettiest views and see the wildlife.

Unless you love crowds and searching for a place to park endlessly, don't go into Gatlinburg!

Smoky Mountain National Park is beautiful.  Gatlinburg is its asshole.

Peddler Steakhouse is still decent.  Pancake Pantry for breakfast.  Burning Bush was great but it's gone now.

Last time I was there, they had some haunted houses.

Just go into the park, fuck the rest of that hell hole.

What this guy says.  Ate there two weeks ago and enjoyed it.  If you go there go to the original restaurant in the back not the grill.

Go to the smokey mountain distillery. Last time I was there they had a bunch of stations set up to give free samples. Go from station to station until you get to your preferred buzz level. Free "moonshine"

I liked it (Peddler). Be sure to sit in the back, overlooking the water, if you go.










 
 

They stopped giving out free samples this past summer, gotta pay now.

City commision just passed an ordinance that they have to charge a fee for the taste testings. Too many people were hitting up all the distillarys for free taste tastings. The drunks stumbling up and down the street were becoming a nuisance and hazard. I believe the fee is $5 now.

Crawdaddy's is a seafood/bar on the main drag, great seafood and beer.  Oyster shots FTW.

If you keep going through Gatlinburg to the far end where the craft village is, there's a British Pub called 'The Ship' with a couple dozen beers on tap plus multiple bottled brews.  Great steak and mushroom pie.  

In the craft village there's a leather shop, one man store.  In July I got fitted for a beautiful handmade belt and holster, silver fittings, a real 'Texas BBQ' rig for my 1911.  He's supposed to ship the holster the end of September.  I cleaned out my wallet and now I can't find my receipt.

Yep, too many people just drinking and not buying.



 

I just parked on the outskirts and my wife and I just walked everywhere....

 

Apple Barn. Me and the wife drive from Knoxville just to go every now and again.

12 million people are wrong.








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There is a really cool T-shirt shop that does air brushing if you want a souvenir.

East TN rednecks don't allow rioting. Just ain't goin' happen.



If you come in off I40 at exit 407, you will come by SMKW (they carry guns and ammo, now, but their prices aren't very good) on your way into town. It is definitely worth a stop to check it out. Buds Guns is back behind them, and has an indoor range with a decent selection of rental guns. Closer to town is the Brass Bullet surplus store which is hit-or-miss depending on current stock.

Tony Gore's BBQ is just down 66 from the Brass Bullet. The BBQ is good, but the baked beans are the best I've ever eaten. They put BBQ meat in them which makes them more like a meal than a side.

In town is Floyd's Golf and Guns which has decent prices and good sales at times. They share space with a convenience store in front of the Home Depot.

Just past them on the right is a muscle car museum that I've been told is pretty good, but I've never visited personally. Left on Dolly Parton Parkway will take you by the Sevierville airport which has a small collection of planes including a couple of MIGs. They occasionally have small airshows, too. The Hard Rock Cafe is in Sevierville just before PF if you are interested. The food is decent but overpriced.


Pigeon Forge has the usual tourist  crap and outlet malls, as well as the Island, Dixie Stampede, Lumberjack Feud, Dollywood, and Splash Country. They also have lots of go-cart tracks and the NASCAR track that includes all the go-cart rides for one price. There are also putt-putt courses, chain restaurants, amusements, and shops of all kinds. Bennett's BBQ is reasonably priced and decent, but it's not stand-out BBQ.


In Gatlinburg, the Atrium has good breakfasts, and the best vegetable soup ever. Their chili is good, too. On 321, Smoky Mountain Lodge has good plate lunches. It and the Atrium are where the locals eat. As far as fine dining in Gatlinburg goes there aren't that many choices, and I'm only there during the day working so I am not up on all the decent options.

Gatlinburg has the Space Needle, a chair lift, a luge track, the aquarium, and Ober Gatlinburg as well as shops and craft places. The Glades off of 321 is an artist colony with all kinds of arts and crafts, and there is an English pub in the area, but I've never been to it.


The entire area has beautiful views where congestion isn't so heavy, and there are lots of trails, too. If you golf, there are plenty of courses in the area, but none of them are exceptional.

If your willing to drive to south knoxville, Ye Olde Steak House on Chapman Hwy has excellent steaks. Their decor is very rustic redneck, but the cuts of meat more than make up for it.

What kind of activities to you like to do? That will help guide you to something you might enjoy doing while you are in the area.

The Old Mill on the south end of Pigeon Forge.  Good homestyle cooking.

Take a drive to Cade's Cove to look at deer, bear and turkey.

Rent a Corvette and hit the Tail of the Dragon!

Bennett's is posted no carry.  I made my last trip there in July.  Never again.

Worst food I've had in 20 years of eating down there.  I'm really surprised to see all the praise in this thread.  Wife and I went last year as she had heard good things.  The fried chicken wasn't horrible, but everything else was just plain bad.  Never mind the fact they didn't have cider vinegar for the greens.  Service was bad too.

Just get there early.

That guy is a great craftsman.  I bought a belt from him three or four years ago.  Was still in great shape after daily wear for two or three years.  It got too big though.

 

Take the kayaks, short drive to Douglas Lake.  Plenty of water to float.

Completely avoid Gatlinburg from Friday through Monday.  If you want to drive from one end of the town to the other, on those days, you can let your passengers out to do some shopping or whatever, and they'll be waiting for you at the edge of town, having done whatever they wanted to do and then walked to the edge of town to wait for you.

Tuesday through Thursday is completely different, though the Pancake Pantry will most likely still have a line out the door, 30 minutes after they open.

12 Million people visit because I40 goes right through the park!  Gatlinburg doesn't get nearly that many visitors, yet somehow if you go into town, it feels like they are all there AT ONCE!!!  

Seriously, AVOID!!!!!

Go to Asheville and visit the Omni Grove Hotel.

Alamo Steak house on E. Parkway There's a little BBQ joint near there as well. The Hungry Bear. Real good. I like The Log Cabin for breakfast. The Old Mill is good as well, but that's in Pigeon Forge.





Edit;



I started going there about 25 years ago.  It was pretty nice back then. Lots of good entertainment in those days. All the big acts folded or went to Branson. Probably visited every 12 to 18 months since then until about 2 years ago. Since about the last 6 or 7 years ago, it's started to suck, hard. I tried avoiding town and just enjoying the park. It wasn't enough to keep me coming back anymore.

We like to hike to water falls. There are plenty.

Laurel Falls is fun.

http://www.hikinginthesmokys.com/laurel.htm

Grotto Falls is neat. You can walk behind the falls. Kind of unique.

http://www.hikinginthesmokys.com/laurel.htm

Chimney Tops is also short but very steep.

There are several "moonshine" places to check out too.

Clingman's Dome is interesting. On your way up stop at the TN / NC boarder. The Appalachian Trail runs by both places so you can check out the AT.

It's a fun place.

Concealed means concealed.