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Headed to the Smoky Mountains and looking for the best food in Dollywood? We’ve got you covered with a rundown of their best bites to eat.

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There’s a lot that Dollywood has to offer. This ranges from thrilling roller coaster rides to showcasing the world’s classic shows. What’s more, you can visit the theme park and enjoy a different activity, eating. 

What’s outstanding is that the restaurants have a wide array of food options. Hence, if you’re in the mood for a snack or meal, you’ll find it in Dollywood. Here are the restaurants and foods you should enjoy when you visit Dollywood. 

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Aunt Granny’s

This is easily one of our favorite restaurants in Dollywood. To begin with, it has been named among the best ten theme park restaurants in the USA. This restaurant has you covered as it offers one of the largest all-you-care-to-eat buffets in the area. 

Menu

As stated, you get all you want at Aunt Granny’s restaurant. For lunch, you have many food options. This hence means there is something for every family member. It includes; baked chicken, fish, and fried chicken. Side dishes in the buffet are; biscuits, cornbread, and mashed potatoes. 

This restaurant also has a taco bar, salad bar, hot bar, and dessert bar.

Location

Aunt Granny’s restaurant is located in the Rivertown Junction area of the theme park. 

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Front Porch Café

The Front Porch Cafe is a country-themed restaurant that was renovated in 2017. The menu was revitalized during the renovation, making the location a must-visit when we visit Dollywood.The restaurant is arguably one of the best due to its personable service and favorable atmosphere. 

Menu

What’s impressive about this eatery is its many of Dollywood’s favorite meals. The first on the menu is Dolly’s smoky mountain breakfast skillet. In addition to the skillet, your breakfast will also have stone-ground grits and cheddar biscuits. 

Another on the menu is the onion rings. The rings are hand-cut, battered, and fried to golden brown, making them tasty. In addition, it’s served with sauce. Another meal worth trying in the restaurant is the meatloaf stacker. This homemade meatloaf is served with garlic cheddar biscuits and green beans. 

What impressed us about Front Porch Cafe is the impeccable service, a good portion of the meals, and the use of fresh ingredients.

Location

The restaurant in the Showstreet area near the front of the park is a definite must-go.

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Granny Ogle’s

This is also one of the most common restaurants in Dollywood. The eatery was named after a county mother who epitomized the Appalachian spirit. 

Menu

Granny Ogle’s Ham and Beans is doing more than serving amusement park meals. The restaurant has gone a notch higher as various southern classics are served. As the name suggests, you know what type of food to expect in the restaurant, ham, and beans.

Other meal options you have in the restaurant include sandwiches, slow-cooked meat, and satisfying sides. The best thing to order in this restaurant is the sampler platter. The platter is a combination of beef pot roast and smoked pit ham. It is served with pinto beans, mashed potato and gravy, and fruit cobbler.

The eatery caught our attention because all the meals, sides, and desserts have a touch of southern cooking.

Location

Granny Ogle’s is located in Craftsman’s Valley. Even when the restaurant is busy, you can ensure that you’ll not wait for long to enjoy your meal. 

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Hickory House BBQ

Don’t miss out on trying the best barbecue in the award-winning restaurant. The Amusement Business Magazine recognized Hickory House BBQ as one of the best serving compared to other amusement park restaurants. 

Menu

When the meat is good, you can’t afford to pass it. The BBQ pork sandwich is among the menu favorites served in this park eatery. It’s worth noting that this is the sandwich that caught the attention of the Amusement Business Magazine. Why, you might ask? This sandwich is cooked slowly, shredded thoroughly, and covered with sauce. 

Another meal option you have is the smoked turkey leg. If you want something to eat while you walk around, this is to go for. Surprisingly, it’s large enough to fill the whole family.

Since I travel with my family, I also want to ensure that my little ones are catered to. This is made possible at this eatery as they also have chicken tenders.

Location

Visit Hickory House BBQ, located in Craftsman’s Valley, and enjoy all the good meat. 

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red's drive in at Dollywood

Red’s Drive in 

Notably, Red’s Drive in has been one of the favorite eateries since 1995. Another significant aspect of this restaurant is its indoor and outdoor seating

This is one restaurant we visit every time we go to Dollywood. We love the area of the park it is in and our kids love the burgers and kid’s meals. Mom and Dad love the burgers, too!

Menu 

If you love burgers, try to get one at this retro “drive in”. First, you’ll get a well-made hamburger alongside a DIY toppings bar. Isn’t this amazing? You get to add toppings of your liking to make your burger right. This is better than hoping they get your order right (anyone else have a picky kiddo?).

The coke lovers are not left behind in this restaurant, either. There is a coca-cola freestyle machine for them to get a drink from.

Location

If you want to learn more about the history of the original diner that inspired Red’s, visit this fun restaurant located in the Jukebox Junction area. 

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Miss Lillian’s smokehouse

Miss Lillian’s Smokehouse and Fried Chicken is often visited by Miss Lillian, famously known as the ‘chicken lady’. This is unsurprisingly one of the most exciting restaurants as you’ll find Miss Lillian entertaining the guests. She often plays her banjo and sings songs about visitors who walk by the eatery.

Menu

At Miss Lillian’s, you’ll find Southern classics and barbecue. Make sure to try her famous fried chicken when you get an opportunity to visit. Other items you’ll find in the buffet include; smoked chicken, carved ham, and smoked roast beef.

In addition, you can enjoy the season’s sides served in the restaurant. They include; mashed potatoes and white paper gravy, brown sugar cinnamon apples, and baked beans. This doesn’t end there; there is also a salad and dessert bar for your pleasure. 

This restaurant was a buffet but is currently serving cafeteria-style for social distancing measures.

Location

Drop by Miss Lillian’s Smokehouse, located in Craftsman’s Valley, to enjoy live entertainment and hearty meal options.

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Dollywood Specialties

Flower and Food Festival

We love the Dollywood Flower and Food Festival that happens ever year in the spring. The flower and food festival is inspired by Dolly Parton’s childhood love for the spring season and bright colors. During this festival, you’ll enjoy nature and have a great entertainment experience.

Menu: Besides the fantastic flowers and captivating entertainment, what’s on the menu? Since food is in the name festival, the chefs understand that they should deliver nothing but the best. At the food festival, you’ll find different foods across the park.

Meal options you are sure to enjoy are bulgogi nachos, lobster rolls, and lavender funnel cake. The food festival located in the Smoky Mountain area of Tennessee is an event you don’t want to miss. 

Location: This event occurs all over the park and you can purchase a “tasting pass” to partake of the special eateries as you work your way around the park. You get to choose 5 festival foods and can choose from beverages, savory items or sweets.

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Cinnamon Bread

I’m sure you’ve heard about Dollywood’s world-famous cinnamon bread. This mouthwatering treat is so famous that at least 350 pieces are sold in an hour. Cinnamon bread can either be served with homemade apple butter or icing. 

We never, ever go to Dollywood without getting cinnamon bread at least once on our trip! The kids would never let us live it down because it’s their favorite!

Location: Finding this tasty treat is undeniably an easy task. The scent of freshly baked bread will lead you to the theme park’s Grist Mill bakery in Craftsman’s Valley.

They also now serve the cinnamon bread at the Spotlight Bakery at the front of the park because the line could be hours long at the Grist Mill!

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This is by no means an exhaustive list of all the food at Dollywood! There are tons of smaller vendors with amazing foods, including pizza, hot dogs, cinnamon rolls, ice cream, and so much more.

Our kids love to get the refillable bucket of popcorn, and you can also get great pork rinds made fresh, which our kids also love.

So the next time you visit Dollywood theme park and Pigeon Forge, make sure you stop by some of these amazing restaurants!

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