Howard's Restaurant Gatlinburg's Oldest Restaurant

Howard's has been feeding people in Gatlinburg since 1946, making it the town's oldest restaurant, and they just moved to this gorgeous new spot at 976 Parkway overlooking LeConte Creek. We love the creekside patio setup — they've got this adaptable pergola thing that works whether it's sunny, raining, or just plain cold, which is clutch in the mountains where weather changes every hour.

The menu hits all the classics you'd want — hand-cut steaks, fresh mountain trout, and their slow-roasted pulled pork platter that's actually worth the $18. Their jalapeno poppers are stuffed with way more than they need to be (jalapeños, cheddar, cream cheese, and bacon for $13), but honestly that's the point. The bourbon maple carrots are weirdly addictive as a side, and yes, they have a 2-for-1 steak deal at dinner that locals have figured out.

One heads up though — we saw some rough reviews from last summer when they were still getting their feet under them at the new location. Growing pains happen when you relocate after 80 years in business. The Bloody Marys are supposedly the best on the Parkway, which isn't saying much, but they're decent if you're into that.

Get there before the dinner rush if you can. The new place closes at 9pm most nights (10pm on weekends), and the kitchen slows down toward closing time like everywhere else on the strip.