This post contains sponsored content from certain restaurants. However, all opinions on restaurants in Pigeon Forge are my own.
Recently we took a media trip up to Pigeon Forge. I had not been since I was in High School (same for Bobby) and Emma Kate had never seen mountains before. The trip came together every last minute, but we were able to do some amazing things, stay at an awesome hotel, and of course, eat at some delicious restaurants. Some of the little mountain town’s top attractions include the titanic museum, alpine coaster pigeon forge experience, and Dollywood theme park. Below you will find my top 4 favorite family-friendly restaurants in Pigeon Forge. Enjoy!
Applewood Farmhouse Grill: Ready for a good old fashioned southern breakfast? You won’t be disappointed here. Portions are huge, servers are friendly, and the orange juice is fresh squeezed (and out. of. this. world. amazing!)
I had the french toast with eggs, bacon, and potatoes. Everything tasted amazing and fresh, and I loved having variety!
Emma Kate was pumped to try the pancakes with rainbow sprinkles paired with the delicious syrup.
Don’t forget, they bring out apple fritters and apple butter while you wait, and it’s such a treat it should be a dessert. We basically had to roll ourselves out of there! Want something a little lighter? They had healthier options too, but hey, we were on vacation! You can also eat at the Applewood Farmhouse restaurant, which is the original restaurant on property. They are also open for lunch and dinner.
Local Goat: Was a recommendation given to me by well, a local! Trust me when I say you are doing yourself a disservice if you don’t order the cheese fondue.
They also had a large drink selection, so of course, we had to sample a few. Everything we had was wonderful! I had a burger and a huge pile of french fries that I tried my best to finish.
They also have a kids menu, and Emma Kate had a hot dog and fries. (Side note, if you don’t finish all the cheese fondue, save it at your table and dip your french fries in it!) This place stays pretty busy, so my advice is to arrive early, especially in peak vacation times. It’s right on the parkway in the middle of all the action, so it’s really easy to get to!
Paula Deen’s Family Kitchen: As a true southerner, I was pumped about this meal. It’s located on the Island (we walked from our hotel!) and is on the second floor, while the store is on the first floor. It works a little differently in that everything is served family style. You pick your meats and sides and the food comes out amazingly fast. It’s all you can eat, so ask for seconds (or thirds!) Then everyone gets to pick a dessert. Even if you are stuffed (which, newsflash, you will be!) You can get the dessert to go. Do it, they are all amazing! Also, kids under 5 eat free, so four year old Emma Kate didn’t have to pay. Score!
We ordered catfish, fried chicken, and chicken and dumplings for our meats, and broccoli, corn casserole, mashed potatoes and mac and cheese for our sides. My favorites were the chicken, mac and cheese and corn casserole. Oh, they also bring out this delicious garlic cheese bread as an appetizer. Oh my. Heaven. Note: Drinks are not included in the all you can eat price.
Chicken Frizzle Farmhouse Cafe: If you are looking for a fun novelty meal, then this is the right place. Southern charm, delicious food, caring servers, and dancing chickens. Say what? Yup! Every few minutes, the chickens all around the restaurant (complete with hilarious names) dance and sing. Emma Kate got a huge kick out of it, and we enjoyed dancing along every time.
Something else that was greatly enjoyed by my child was her adorable caterpillar pancake breakfast. It was so pretty she almost couldn’t eat it! But then of course she did.
Bobby was excited about his choice, which was layers of pancakes, eggs, and bacon.
I had a delicious ham and cheese omelet with potatoes and a biscuit on the side. Portions were very generous, and their syrup is made from scratch in house!
The best part was, we could walk from our hotel on the island! It’s located right on the parkway in a central location. Perfect!
They also serve lunch until 1:00, so if breakfast isn’t your thing, I highly recommend still going to visit at lunch!
Be sure to check out my Instagram story highlights for videos and photos on all of these restaurants. Just click on “Pigeon Forge” or “Pigeon Forge 2” for all the fun! I hope you enjoyed and can find a new favorite of these restaurants in Pigeon Forge.
Related: Disney World vacation recap
