
They say breakfast is the most important meal of the day. If that's true, then visitors to the Great Smoky Mountains are in luck, because restaurants that specialize in breakfast abound in Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge and Sevierville. What types of foods do you prefer to start your day? Pancakes? Bacon and eggs? Omelets? Whatever your preference, the eateries of the Smokies aim to please. And regardless of what town you're visiting or staying in, you're never more than a short drive, walk or trolley ride from a great first meal of the day.
When you visit the beach, it's only natural to want to dine on the local cuisine. Whether you're sitting down at an upscale restaurant or a folksy crab shack overlooking the ocean, dishes like oysters, lobster, crabs, shrimp and more are the perfect meal for water-loving travelers.
One of the great things about traveling is not having to cook or prepare your own meals. Not that there's anything wrong with that; lots of folks are handy in a kitchen and enjoy cooking, even when on the road. But for those of us who consider dining out to be one of the cornerstones of being on vacation, heading out to a restaurant is always one of the high points of the day.
One of the great things about taking a vacation is that you get to dine out. That's because one of the things most folks want to take a vacation from is the kitchen. When you take a trip to the Smokies, the restaurant choices are seemingly endless, with a wide variety of cuisine styles available around every corner and on every block.
Obviously, when you think about places that serve great seafood, your mind will probably first be transported to some oceanfront locale – maybe a gulf-side shack that specializes in fresh crab or coastal Maine, where lobster reins supreme. But just because you happen to like vacationing in the mountains doesn't mean you have to go without tasting the flavors of the sea.
Some foods and drinks just go with certain seasons. Hot cider and eggnog are winter beverages, and nothing says fall like a holiday turkey. So what's the quintessential food of summertime? If you've ever spent much time in the Great Smoky Mountains, you'll know that the answer is barbecue, and next time you come to the Smokies for a visit, you definitely need to make a point of sampling some for yourself.
They say breakfast is the most important part of the meal. And when you're visiting the Great Smoky Mountains, that advice is especially true when you consider that a typical day might be filled with hiking, shopping or visiting any number of local attractions. Sometimes, even when you're having fun, you can spend a lot of time on your feet and rack up a lot of steps.
If you haven't driven through Pigeon Forge in a while, you'll notice some definite changes when you return to this Smoky Mountains tourist destination this summer. Three major restaurant chains are setting up shop in town-one of them a transplant from Gatlinburg and the other two brand-new to the area. Today we'll give you an overview of each and hopefully arm you with enough information to make some tough dining choices on your next visit. Or who has to choose? You might wind up making plans to try all three!