Peddler Steak House - Gatlinburg

The Peddler Steakhouse of Gatlinburg, Tennessee

The Peddler Sign welcomes you to the best steakhouse in the South. The restaurant is packed every night of the week, and for good reason. The steaks and chops are legendary and delicious. There is always a good 1-2 hour wait depending on the time of arrival. The trick is to eat in the open bar and lounge area. We walk straight in and find an open table. Most people are sipping drinks waiting for a table to open up down stairs but we just inform the waiter that we are eating here.

The waiter brought out a basket of hot delicious rolls with butter. He took our order and we proceeded to the salad bar. My Salad was fantastic with big chunks of ham, real bacon, hard boiled eggs, green olives, celery, carrots, several varieties of grated cheese, tomato, and of course lettuce.

The main entree, Filet Mignon, was prepared medium well and I asked for it to be butterflied to ensure it would be done. It was perfect. Absolutely zero fat on the filet and it was very tender and juicy.A baked potato came with the filet and I smothered it with butter. The cokes were bottomless and crisp.

The service, considering the crowd was exceptional. Our meals were promptly served with a smile.

The cost is a little pricey. The Filet dinner was just over $50.00 without tip.

The Grassy Knoll Institute recommends the Peddler for dinner in Gatlinburg, Tennessee and awards 4 out of 5 stars deducting only for the crowd and the cost.

Back To Blue Plate Special Archives

LURKING ON THE GRASSY KNOLL

Parkway Pancake House - Gatlinburg

The Hash Browns Are To Die For

Parkway Pancake House is right on the main drag and Airport road in Gatlinburg, Tennessee. We make sure to always stop and have breakfast when visiting this great town.

As you can see, I had scrambled eggs, sausage, pancakes and hash browns. Hot maple syrup and butter completed the meal. The eggs were cooked well, not runny, not burnt. The sausage was cooked well also. And oh, the hash browns, cooked perfectly. To the pancakes. Light, fluffy, with butter and hot maple syrup were fantastic.

The service was excellent. We were seated right away even though there was a crowd. The waitresses were friendly, well trained, and curteous.

The cost, I was amazed, it was under $9.00 without tip. Keep in mind, we were in tourist trap city and all the prices are higher.

The Grassy Knoll Institute recommends Parkway Pancake House and rates it 4.25 shots out of 5.

Sadly, the Parkway Pancake House is closed. It is now Bubba Gumps.

Back To Blue Plate Special Archives

LURKING ON THE GRASSY KNOLL

Open Hearth Restaurant

While in Gatlinburg, Tennessee this past November, I found that the Open Hearth restaurant had closed it's doors. Perhaps they had lost their lease, couldn't afford the property taxes, or just had a bad business plan. Whatever the reason, here is a last meal from the now defunct Open Hearth.

We walked to the foothills of the Smoky Mountains and saw the sign, Open Hearth and walked in. It was very eloquent inside and we were waited on right away. For being a busy evening in Gatlinburg and waiting lists of an hour or more at the other restaurants, this was a pleasant surprise. I asked what the soup of the day was and the waiter said that they didn't have any soup today. Oh well, I went for the Loaded Potato Skins and for the main course, Chicken Parmesan with spaghetti.

My fellow Grassy Knoll Institute scientist tried to order several different appetizers but none were available. Even the main courses were not available. he settled for the prime rib. Five minutes later, the waiter came back and said that he was sorry but the prime rib was also not available that evening. Reluctantly, he settled for the fish.

The potato skins were cooked just right, plenty of bacon, cheese, and no sour cream which I asked to be left off.

The chicken parm was very good as well. A very generous portion with plenty of tangy sauce. The spaghetti was average, a little to rubbery, and almost cold, like they forget to warm it up. But I was so full from the skins and parm, that the spaghetti was left on the plate and not touched.

The cost was just under $30.00 without tip which was reasonable, but not the best. The Grassy Knoll Institute rates Open hearth 2.75 stars out of 5 shots and barely recommends Open Hearth for dinner.

The lights are on, but no one's home.

Back To Blue Plate Special Archives

LURKING ON THE GRASSY KNOLL

Duffs Smorgasbord

Duffs Smorgasbord Of Pigeon Forge

You guessed it. We are staying with the Gatlinburg, Tennessee cuisine for a few more entries. This time, we went to Duffs Smorgasbord in Pigeon Forge. It was Saturday night and Gatlinburg was packed with the lighting of the Christmas lights ceremony plus the Smoky Mountain Gift Show was in town packing the city to above maximum capacity. Hence, all the restaurants had a minimum of one hour wait time. So we set off to the Forge. We spotted the Duffs Sign and pulled in.

The line was short as it was a self serve set up. I quickly paid my $11.95 and got in line. I selected Mac and Cheese and a salad for starters and then went for the main entree pictured above. The fried chicken was crispy, not greasy, hot, and very good. The mashed potatoes were real, not flaky, and the rolls were fresh, hot, and tasty.

For dessert, there was Strawberry Shortcake and Brownies. And you could go back as many times as you wanted. The cokes were bottomless as well. It was a feast indeed. Duffs receives 4.5 out of 5 shots and the Grassy Knoll Institute recommends Duffs Smorgasbord.

Back To Blue Plate Special Archives

LURKING ON THE GRASSY KNOLL

$3.00 Hot Dog

This is what a $3.00 hot dog at a typical trade show looks like. Yes, 3 bucks for a hot dog. And not even a foot long, or a chili dog, just a plain hot dog.

This one was purchased at the Smoky Mountain Gift Show in Gatlinburg, Tennessee November 6th, of this year. Being a little busy that day, I decided to stop at the kiosk and grab a dog. What a mistake. I re-tasted that hot dog all day long and well into the evening. That was the last hot dog I will buy there. (BURP!)

The Grassy Knoll Institute fires 1 out of 5 shots and does not recommend trade show hot dogs.

Back To Blue Plate Special Archives

LURKING ON THE GRASSY KNOLL