Whether you’re celebrating a special occasion or just want a memorable meal, these unique Pigeon Forge restaurants will delight your taste buds and your eyes, too.
1. The Appalachian
Chef David Rule brings a modern approach to traditional Appalachian ingredients. Cooking focuses on smoky flavors created by the kitchen’s large, open hearth. In a serene dining room accented with dark wood and stone, Rule serves locally sourced ingredients in dishes that change with the seasons. Ask for the Chef’s Table experience, where the chefs curate a five-course menu just for you.
Typical entrees are wood-grilled lamb, hanger steak with potato dumplings, or rainbow trout with pecans and mustard greens. Steaks are a specialty. Desserts with Southern flavors include homemade fruit cobblers and a chocolate apple cake with bourbon caramel.
2. Gaucho Urbano Brazilian Steakhouse
Experience authentic Brazilian churrasco, with servers carving your chosen meats right at your table. Enjoy unlimited meats, including juicy, grilled beef, pork, chicken, and lamb. Add salads, sides, and hot dishes from the generous, self-serve Harvest Bar and Chef’s Table. Complement the meal with craft beers, wines, and Brazilian cocktails. The setting evokes a stylish mountain lodge, adding to the festive atmosphere. This is interactive dining with international flair.
3. Ember & Elm
Tucked into Dollywood’s Heartsong Resort, Ember & Elm features rich, Southern-inspired dishes including locally raised mountain trout, fried chicken, shrimp and grits, and appetizers like hush puppies and fried green tomatoes. The menu includes steaks, chops, and savory flatbread entrees.
The dining room is a quietly elegant spot in shades of blue and buff, with gleaming wood, simple farmhouse tables, and plumply padded chairs. As Dolly herself might say: Sit and stay a spell!
4. Azul Cantina
Azul Cantina uses wood-fired grilling, South American influences, and Texan roots to create elevated Tex-Mex cuisine. You’ll find classic burritos, tacos, and quesadillas on the menu, with luscious fillings including blackened salmon, fire-roasted corn, and chicken tinga–chicken in a special, smoky sauce. Don’t miss the yummy ice cream fritters, made of cheesecake plus gelato then crusted in crispy tortilla chips.
Dine and drink top-shelf tequilas at the rooftop bar while you enjoy views of the Smoky Mountains. Downstairs, the sunny, colorful dining room features a mural of Pigeon Forge’s favorite daughter, Dolly Parton.
You can try all these hotspots when you stay nearby in a Pigeon Forge cabin rental! Book your private, luxurious cabin today.
