About Smoky Mountain Brewery (Gatlinburg)
Smoky Mountain Brewery is the easy answer when the whole group wants something different from dinner: house-brewed beer, a full kitchen and a late closing time, all on the Parkway at 1004 Parkway in Gatlinburg. It is a brewpub, so the beer is made by the same company that feeds you, and that tends to show in how well the lineup suits pizza, wings and burger-style food.
The beer
The brewery's beer page lists a core lineup that covers most tastes. Mountain Light is a low-carb American light lager, Cherokee Red Ale is a medium-bodied amber, and Appalachian Pale Ale is a hoppy golden ale. You will also see a Helles, an English-style brown ale called Black Bear Ale, a West Coast IPA and a honey-colored lager called Thunder Road. Dark ales and a Brewmaster Special rotate, so ask your server what is on.
Seasonals follow the calendar. Winter Warmer is a strong ale in the style of an English olde ale, and Harvest Fest is an amber lager in the style of a Munich Oktoberfest beer, which makes it a natural pick on a fall evening after a day of leaf-peeping. A third seasonal slot rotates through the year.
If you are not sure where to start, order the lightest thing first and work toward the darker beers as the evening goes on. Beer drinkers who like to compare should ask about the dark ales, since those change.
Food and the room
The kitchen is part of the draw. The brewery's food page links its full menu and also lists Pizza Packs and Party Platters, which is useful if you are feeding a cabin full of people and want to pick something up instead of sitting down. Curbside and carryout ordering are available through the website.
Inside you will find big-screen TVs and a cozy, casual atmosphere, which makes this a good spot for game day or for a night when you are too tired from hiking to care about a fancy dinner. The location page lists free parking, plus a three-hour complimentary parking option for restaurant guests. That matters on the Parkway, where parking is one of the great headaches of a Gatlinburg trip.
Hours and planning
The Gatlinburg location page lists 11am to midnight every day. The kitchen closes at 11pm Sunday through Thursday and at midnight on Friday and Saturday. Holiday hours differ: for example, the listed hours are 11am to 10pm on Thanksgiving, 11am to 10:30pm on Christmas Eve and 11am to 10pm on Christmas Day. The site notes that hours are subject to change, so check before you go in the off-season.
The page does not mention a kids menu, so if you are bringing children, call (865) 436-4200 and ask what is available before you commit.
Tips
- Eat early on summer and fall weekends, when the Parkway is busiest.
- Park once, then walk. Gatlinburg is a walking town, and the free trolley can bring you back if your legs give out.
- Pair this stop with a second brewery in town. Gatlinburg Brewing Company is also on the Parkway, so a short comparison crawl is easy.
- If you are in Pigeon Forge instead, the company also runs a Pigeon Forge brewpub, and there is a Maryville location on the west side of the region.
