Restaurants in Gatlinburg TN Arts and Craft 8 Mile Loop

 TehGatlinburg, Pigeon Forge and Sevierville have so much to offer in fun, food and beauty. It took me 10 years to find the 8 Mile Arts and Crafts Loop and it was like opening an entirely new jewelry box full of goodies. We loved it so much we bought a cabin here!
There are some fabulous and unique restaurants in the 8 Mill Loop area in Gatlinburg TN, not to mention lots and lots of shopping. These are not chain restaurants, they are run by hardworking locals. There is something about supporting locals and hearing their stories that warms my heart.  Here are some of my favorites:
Split Rail Eats
The taco tater bowl was a fun treat. I love tater tots, so the deluxe version was great. There are fresh made desserts on the menu and a local beer selection too. They have a very clean and new design tucked into the community.

The Fox and Parrot
So, I wasn't sure what to expect when we pulled into this location. It is a 2 story building with other buildings and a few animals roaming around leisurely outside. There was a super friendly woman serving as hostess, waitress and bartender. The wait wasn't bad and the beer selection was great. The food however....was even BETTER! All of the "pies",  scotch egg and fish and chips were great. This is a great family envioronment as their indoors is non smoking and with other friendly things, such as games and darts.
Wild Plum Tea Room
The Gatlinburg wildfires in 2016 has made attracting staff more difficult for all of the mountain restaurants, but the food at The Wild Plum Tea Room was definitely worth the wait. The chicken salad, plum tea, baked brie and scones were wonderful. On the dessert menu the bread pudding and brownie with chocolate chip ice cream were fabulous too. I would definitely recommend a stop by this quaint Tea Room. Make sure to get there early and don't get there too late, or you will miss out. They are only open in season Thu, Fri and Sat from 11 am until 3 pm.

Red Oak Bistro
I wasn't able to eat at this restaurant yet, because we didn't have reservations on a busy Saturday night, but if the food is a pretty as the inside of the restaurant we will be visiting soon. The decor and more upscale setting with tapas and wines for the area is a real treat.

Ole Red Gatlinburg
We visited on a Sunday and just missed the Brunch, but the lunch was Fabulous! There was live music and the Nachos (big enough for 3-4 people) and Tater Tots Poutine were to die for. The space is large, new, clean and great for any age. A plus is they have live music almost all day and later on the weekends. Even the bathrooms were decorated with amazing touches. There is parking right across the street in the new parking garage. I highly recommend this restaurant.

I can't wait to hear your experiences with these locally owned restaurants in Gatlinburg TN and the 8 Mile Arts and Crafts Loop.
Brandie

---