You won’t run out of places to eat when you’re in the Smokies! You have so many options, you may be wondering where to start. While the popular restaurants are popular for a reason, we want to share some of the Smoky Mountain restaurants off the beaten path so you can try some incredible food. Here are the top 5 Smoky Mountain restaurants off the beaten path:
1. Quaker Steak & Lube
A really neat place to eat is Quaker Steak & Lube. This casual restaurant has a little bit of everything. You can get a burger topped with cheese, lettuce, tomato, onion, and pickles. There are also buffalo chicken, fish, or pulled pork sandwiches. You can’t go wrong with the baby back ribs, grilled chicken, or mac and cheese skillet. Quaker Steak & Lube also has a ton of different cuts of steak to choose from. If you want a drink to go with your meal, you can get beer, liquor, or your favorite cocktail off of their drink menu!
2. Mama’s Chicken Kitchen
If you love chicken, you need to eat at Mama’s Chicken Kitchen in Gatlinburg. They have breast, thigh, and leg pieces to choose from for meals, as well as chicken livers, wings, and chicken and dumplings. If you want to share with your family, you can get a full bucket of chicken and choose what pieces you want. For sides, there are mashed potatoes, french fries, mac and cheese, creamed corn, and more.
3. Junction 35 Spirits
A Smoky Mountain restaurant off the beaten path you’ll want to try is Junction 35 Spirits. This is a kitchen and bar all rolled into one. They use moonshine, gin, rum, and other liquors from the distillery on site to make all of their signature cocktails. You can get wings, burgers, fried green tomatoes, or cheese curds. Junction 35 Kitchen is also known for the barbeque, so you can get burnt ends, brisket, pulled pork, and more. Want even more barbeque? Check out these barbeque restaurants in Pigeon Forge and Sevierville!
4. Mad Dog’s Creamery
If you’re looking for a Smoky Mountain restaurant that serves sweet treats, Mad Dog’s Creamery is the place to go. You can get all kinds of delicious donuts, as well as ice cream. For the donuts, you can get a yeast, vanilla cake, chocolate cake, or blueberry cake donut. Some house specialties include fried apple pie, a red velvet donut, and cinnamon rolls. If you’re in the mood for ice cream, you can get classic flavors, including vanilla and strawberry. There are also cookies and cream, birthday cake, and caramel pie flavors. You can get it in a cone or a cup and add toppings and syrups!
5. J.O.E. & Pops Sub Shoppe
Do you love sandwiches? Then you need to visit J.O.E. & Pops Sub Shoppe. There are a variety of sandwiches to choose from, and they come in a J.O.E. size and a Pop size. There is a philly cheesesteak, buffalo chicken, Italian roast beef, and Italian sub sandwich. Some of their specialty sandwiches at this Smoky Mountain restaurant include a reuben, grilled chicken, and open faced roast beef. You can always create your own sandwich, or get a salad, wings, or hot dogs.
These are just some of the places to eat that are off the beaten path in the Smokies. Want even more ideas of where you should eat? Check out these other Smoky Mountain restaurants!
