Great Smoky Mountains Restaurants | Food Recommendations in the Southe

I spent four days and three nights in the Great Smoky Mountains and fully immersed myself in Southern cuisine! Here are some of my favorite restaurants, all located in Gatlinburg. Listed in order of personal preference: 📍 Crockett‘s Breakfast Camp 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 The most popular brunch spot in town Southern-style pancakes are huge, thick, and fluffy—absolutely loved them! Their signature Black Bear Skillet is incredibly hearty, and the cornbread it comes with is so fragrant! The wait can be crazy, so join the waitlist as soon as you wake up (you can do this directly on Google Maps). I joined on a Friday at 10:30 AM and waited over two hours—finally got seated at 12:50 PM (they close at 1 PM!). 📍 Chesapeake’s Seafood and Raw Bar 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 Seafood restaurant We spent around $200 for two people and left completely stuffed! Highly recommend the lobster 🦞—the staff prepares it right beside your table. The complimentary bread was also surprisingly amazing! 📍 Donut Friar 🍩 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 I never expected a local American donut shop—especially one with such long lines—to make donuts that aren’t overly sweet! The other flavors were decent, but you must try the coconut donut—it’s fragrant, lightly sweet, and not greasy at all. 📍 Ristorante DellaSantina 🌟🌟🌟🌟 Italian restaurant Located in a small town about 20 minutes north of Gatlinburg. The other dishes were pretty standard, but the scallops were incredibly tender! 📍 TENNESSEE JED’S 🌟🌟🌟 A popular local sandwich shop Their signature is the Reuben sandwich (corned beef with sauerkraut). I went around 4-5 PM, and it was already sold out—so I made a special trip the next morning to try it. Verdict? It’s… very sour 😂 This one really depends on personal preference! #GreatSmokyMountains #GreatSmokyMountainsNationalPark