Top 6 Outdoor Dining Restaurants in Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge
Published Aug 28, 2023
Dining alfresco sharpens your appetite for delicious food and delightful company. Add outdoor dining to your Smoky Mountains vacation at these six eateries.
1. Red Oak Bistro
Enjoy the fresh air while you sip wine and share small plates inspired by Mediterranean and Eastern European cuisines. Red Oak Bistro’s menu changes often, to reflect the freshest seasonal ingredients. Expect dishes like baked brie, flatbread with lamb, smoked salmon bruschetta or smoked oysters. An extensive selection of wines, beers and bourbons complements every dish.
2. Brick and Spoon
This cafe serves breakfast, brunch and lunch, and boasts Bloody Marys to start your day with a zing. Dine on New Orleans-style beignets, pancakes, waffles and the house speciality, eggs Benedict served six different ways. Lunch entrees include shrimp and grits, burgers and sandwiches. Look for the red umbrellas guarding the outdoor tables.
3. Azul Cantina
Azul Cantina features a rooftop bar where you can drink and dine. Look out over the Smokies and downtown Pigeon Forge while you eat authentic Tex-Mex cuisine–tacos, fajitas, and specials with steak, salmon and shrimp. Relish the tasty margaritas and craft cocktails you won’t find anywhere else.
4. Pottery House Cafe
Located in the former home of a Pigeon Forge potter, near the historic Old Mill, The Pottery House Cafe serves contemporary Southern dishes. Grab a table outside and try hearty meals including fried catfish, shrimp and grits, pork chops and fried chicken, plus steaks, salads, sandwiches and quiche. Don’t miss the breads, made from grain ground next door at the mill!
5. Wild Plum Tea Room
Eat on the screened porch or at shaded, outdoor tables. Wild Plum Tea Room is styled after Austrian tea houses and located in Gatlinburg’s trendy Arts and Crafts community. The tea room serves lunch only, made fresh from scratch, with unique offerings including hot pimento cheese dip, Shaker popcorn soup, lobster pie and the cafe’s famed chicken salad. Reservations are a must, so plan ahead for this treat.
6. Cliff Top Restaurant at Anakeesta
Cliff Top is the crown of Anakeesta, the mountaintop theme park. On the deck, you’re rewarded with expansive, spectacular views. If you can tear your eyes away from the Smokies, check out the menu’s steaks, gourmet burgers, salads, appetizers and house-made desserts. Don’t forget the local craft beers!
Stay at a Gatlinburg or Pigeon Forge cabin rental and you’re close to all these mouth-watering destinations. Browse our cabin listings today!
