Chesapeake's Seafood and Raw Bar

Chesapeake's sits right on the Parkway with river views from their heated patio, and honestly, it's the closest thing to East Coast seafood you'll find in the mountains. We've eaten here probably a dozen times over the years, and their oyster bar stays busy shucking fresh ones to order — you can watch them work from the curved bar inside. The seafood tower is ridiculous if you're celebrating something, but fair warning: this isn't cheap eats like most Gatlinburg spots.

Their crab cakes are legit — mostly crab, barely any filler, which is rare around here. The grouper changes based on what they get in that day, and our server always knows exactly where it came from. One thing though — make a reservation or you're looking at an hour-plus wait on weekends. We learned that the hard way last October.

The patio's heated year-round, which is clutch in winter when you want those river views without freezing. Inside feels more upscale than most Parkway restaurants, with actual cloth napkins and a wine list that doesn't make you cringe. They cut all their seafood in-house daily, and you can taste the difference.

Parking's a pain since it's right downtown — there's a paid lot next door but we usually walk from one of the free spots a block over. Pro tip: if you can't get a table, grab seats at the bar. Same menu, and the bartenders know their stuff about wine pairings.

Skip this if you're looking for typical tourist food or have picky kids who won't eat seafood. This runs $30-50 per person easy, but it's worth it for a nice dinner out. Just don't show up in flip-flops expecting Cracker Barrel prices.