Smoky Mountain Brewery

You'll spot Smoky Mountain Brewery by the grain silo towering over Shops at the Square — it's tucked in the back corner, which actually works in your favor since you get free parking while everyone else fights for spots on the Parkway. We've been coming here for years because it feels like an actual local spot, not a tourist trap with mountain decorations slapped on the walls.

The beer's legit — they're one of the biggest working microbreweries in Tennessee, and you can watch them brewing through the windows. Skip the sampler and go straight for the Cherokee Red if you want something smooth, or the Appalachian Pale Ale if you're into hoppy stuff. The 20+ TVs make it crazy loud during football season, which is either perfect or terrible depending on what you're after.

Their pizza of the month thing is pretty cool — February was this meatball pizza with fresh ricotta that actually tasted homemade. The portions are huge, like "take half home in a box" huge, but don't expect gourmet. It's solid pub food that fills you up without breaking the bank.

Here's the thing though — avoid Friday and Saturday nights after 8pm unless you want to wait forever. We learned that the hard way during a Vols game. Weekday afternoons are your sweet spot, especially since they keep the kitchen open until 11pm Sunday through Thursday.

Oh and they have live music every night, which sounds great until you realize you can't have a conversation. Mike Snodgrass is playing there in April if you're into rock concerts, but honestly we usually duck out before the entertainment starts because it gets too rowdy for our taste.