Parton's Deli — Restaurant in Gatlinburg

🥪 Parton’s Deli – Gatlinburg, TN ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (5/5) “Closed on weekends. Open in your memories forever.”

When I travel, I stick to two sacred rituals:

Find the best local coffee shop.

Find a sub spot that doesn’t cut corners—or lettuce.

So when I saw Parton’s Deli on Google Maps, the photos practically reached out and slapped a sandwich in my hand. The place had that we’ve-been-doing-this-since-before-you-were-born look. And guess what? They have—since 1974. That’s over 50 years of subs, steamers, and stories.

But heads up: Parton’s doesn’t follow your schedule—you follow theirs. They’re open Monday to Friday, 10 AM to 3 PM, and closed on weekends and holidays. Translation: if you show up Saturday afternoon, the only thing getting fed is your regret.

I went during Fourth of July weekend, which, as I quickly learned, is peak Gatlinburg gridlock. Parking was... let’s just say creative. I circled more than a hawk over a picnic, but I found a spot. And it was absolutely worth the hunt.

🧑‍🍳 Alyssa: The One-Woman Show

Inside, it’s a cozy, old-school deli with Pepsi memorabilia lining the walls. Clearly, this is not a Coke-friendly zone.

At the helm? Alyssa. She’s the cashier, cook, storyteller, and vibe curator. And she’s doing it all solo, even on the busiest weekend of the year. Instead of stress, she brought kindness, humor, and great conversation. We chatted about our kids (hers are 6 and 9, mine 10 and 7), Gatlinburg’s busy season, and how she beat social anxiety by working here: “You don’t get a choice when you’re the only one making the sandwiches.” Love that.

She also filled me in on the legendary BMW parked out front. I'd seen it on TikTok—millions have—and it turns out it belongs to David, one of the original Parton brothers. He’s lived upstairs since the ’80s, beat cancer twice, and became a local icon after someone made a Facebook page for his car. He still pops in to say hi from time to time.

🥪 Sandwiches That Speak for Themselves

I ordered:

The Italian (cold)

The Reuben (steamed)

Alyssa broke down the menu: top half = steamed, bottom half = cold, and every sub you see was voted in by customer demand over the years. These aren’t gimmicky or overloaded—they’re just right.

The Reuben was hot, melty perfection. The steam blends the meat, cheese, and dressing into a single delicious mouthful. The Italian brought that classic sub shop energy: fresh, salty, and balanced.

They were out of deviled eggs, or as Alyssa calls them, “angel eggs”—because “they’re too good to be deviled.” I was crushed. I’d seen them in reviews and photos. But hey, now I have an excuse to come back.

🔍 Pro Tips:

Don’t go on a weekend. Just… don’t.

Arrive early if it’s a busy week—parking’s a beast.

Talk to Alyssa—you’ll walk out full of food and stories.

Order the Reuben. That’s the one.

If angel eggs are available, act fast. Or don’t....

WOW! I truly do not even know where to start! This place is mouth-wateringly delicious. I love a good sandwich so I love to try new sandwich shops/delis (particularly family owned sandwich shops!) & I absolutely LOVE a good Reuben 😍 Parton's Deli Reuben is by far the BEST Reuben that I have ever eaten! And I've eaten a lot of them. As soon as you walk in, it is truly like you have stepped back in time, from the smells, the sounds, the food, the menu & Dennis (and his flip phone 😅😍). Everything about Parton's Deli is OLD SCHOOL, the best. And let me remind you, this is a ONE MAN SHOW. The Reuben, the STEAMER (if you know, you KNOW) the chili dogs, the DEVILED EGGS, the LEMON 🍋 pound cake, the bottled root beer, the chips, DENNIS, the atmosphere & everything else inbetween will blow you away. Do your self a favor & stop in this HIDDEN gem, I promise you, you will...

After visiting this gem for 14 years, Its sad to think that we may not be back. Sometimes a business can thrive without the face of the original owner, who was happy to see his patrons walk in the door. We tried to go twice on our trip to Gatlinburg this week, the first time it was closed early which we understood could be a family emergency or something unexpected. We went back the next day and were treated like we were a total bother to the woman behind the counter. We decided to go to a place that was happy to see customers walk in! I am hopeful this can get straightened out and it continue to be a staple of Gatlinburg. I am not one to leave negative reviews but we have tried to reach out and had no luck. I hope the new owners will read this and make adjustments. I would be happy to remove this review if to help this...