Johnny Rockets

We stumbled into Johnny Rockets on the Parkway last fall when everywhere else had hour-long waits, and honestly? The retro diner thing is pretty fun if you're not taking it too seriously. They've got the full 1950s setup — red vinyl booths, tabletop jukeboxes, servers in bow ties who'll break into choreographed dances when certain songs come on.

The burgers are solid. Nothing mind-blowing, but they use fresh Angus beef and the unlimited fries deal is clutch when you've got hungry kids after hiking all day. We tried their new Hostess Cupcake Shake in February and it's basically diabetes in a glass — the kids loved it, I felt sick after three sips.

One thing though — this place has gotten inconsistent. It's got a 4.1 rating on TripAdvisor, which sounds decent until you dig into the reviews and see people saying it's "on the decline." We've been twice and had completely different experiences. First time was great, second time our server looked miserable and the fries were cold.

Pricing hits you right in the tourist wallet. Expect $18-25 per person for a burger combo, and those milkshakes run $7-9 each. The unlimited fries helps soften the blow, but it's still chain restaurant prices with Gatlinburg markup. Friday and Saturday nights they're open until 10pm, which tells you something about when the crowds show up — get there before 6 or you're waiting.

It's right across from McDonald's on 441, so you can't miss it. Takes all the major credit cards, which is more than I can say for some places around here.