Going to Gatlinburg , pigeon forge area in September . What’s the do’s and don'ts for food

They might all be pancake places, gonna have a hard time.

Don't eat at Fuddruckers, go to McDonald's instead.

Went recently, here are my thoughts/impressions:

Food and drinks overall suck. It apparently is a flavored moonshine and cider town as far as local beverages. Some places had some offerings from Highland Brewing out of Asheville, NC as far as beer. This was good stuff if you’re a beer drinker. Best food I had was a tapas and grill called LaConte. The Park Grill was decent but nothing to brag about. Same with The Old Mill in Pigeon Forge. All of the food offered in Anakeesta is trash.

The main strip itself is big time tourist trap, lined with shitty shops full of cheap crap.

Saw a bunch of bears.

Junction 35

Go to Paula Deans Kitchen

Junction 35 or Blue Moose for a good burger.
J.T. Hannah has a good steak. It’s similar to Texas Roadhouse.
No way Jose’s has good fajitas but not a fan of their salsa.

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Saw a bunch of bears.

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those were the tourists. This is ground 0 for obese people. I've never seen so many fat people congregate in one place.

I also forgot that people in the Midwest have terrible food.

if I was OP, I'd bring a cooler with local food to cook, at least some of the time.

This is a place I will never spend another dime. Dollywood was kinda decent tho.

Gatlinburg/PF/Sevierville/Kodak has all the makings of having really good restaurants, but yet they suck and only draw in more chains. Which is surprising given the wider area has some really good restaurants. This place is not a foodie destination.

Things like Peddler and Local Goat are decent, but not amazing. Then you got things like Old Mill and Apple Barn which are barely better than frozen dishes and get celebrated for whatever reason.

If you decide to branch out and want to drive, the wider area has much better food destinations. I mean just a hop skip away and you have Blackberry Farm and Foothills Milling Company. I do not get why the busiest tourist place can't draw in great food.

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Do get the cinnamon bread at Dollywood.

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This

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those were the tourists. This is ground 0 for obese people. I've never seen so many fat people congregate in one place. I also forgot that people in the Midwest have terrible food. if I was OP, I'd bring a cooler with local food to cook, at least some of the time. This is a place I will never spend another dime. Dollywood was kinda decent tho.

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Gatlinburg is great if you understand what it actually is - a tourist town that caters to families. Families dont normally want to eat out all the time so they rent cabins with full kitchens and cook most meals there. When they do go eat they aren’t looking for amazing culinary experiences. They are going somewhere that’s above fast food, but with food their kids will eat without complaint. Hence pancake places.

The whole place is filled with touristy things designed mostly for kids. Air-brushed tshirts, panning for gold, the Ripley museum. Parents can sample some moonshine and buy a bottle for the cabin. You can take your teenage nephew to a giant knife store and buy him throwing stars. I know because I’ve done just that

Gatlinburg isn’t designed to be impressive. It’s designed for an easy vacation with the kids. It’s touristy. It’s a little trashy. It’s basically Myrtle Beach in the mountains. Just embrace it.

If you’re in the area and are really looking for quality food you can go to Blackberry Farms. It’s not too far. But it’s definitely a different feel than Gatlinburg.

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I feel like I just gained 10 lbs looking at those pics

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