About Best Italian Cafe & Pizzeria
Best Italian Cafe & Pizzeria is at 968 Parkway, Suite 9, in Elks Plaza on the upper end of downtown Gatlinburg. The restaurant has been in business since 1976, which makes it one of the longer-running Italian kitchens on the Parkway.
What it is known for
Visitors and local guides point to the garlic rolls, the eggplant parmesan and the New York-style thin-crust pizza. You can browse the menu and place a takeout order on Toast. The menu is Italian-American: pasta, pizza and baked dishes, designed for sharing.
Hours and phone
The phone is (865) 430-4090. Listings disagree on closing time, with one showing 9 PM and another 10 PM, plus later nights on weekends. Check the restaurant's website at bestitalian.com or call before you plan around a late meal.
Two locations
A second Best Italian is on the Parkway at 710 Parkway. This page covers the Elks Plaza location at 968 Parkway. Be sure which address you are typing into your navigation app, since the two are on different parts of the strip.
Getting there
The restaurant is toward the north end of the downtown strip, near the national park entrance, so it is convenient on the way in or out of Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The park's parking tag is $5 a day for any vehicle parked longer than 15 minutes. After dinner, you can drop the car at your lodging and use the free Gatlinburg trolley to get around town.
When to go
Dinner is the busy time, especially on summer Saturdays and during October leaf season. Arrive a little before the usual dinner hour, or order takeout and eat at your cabin. Pizza travels well, and it is an easy answer for a group that has been hiking all day and wants no more waiting.
Who it suits
Families, tired hikers and groups with mixed tastes. The menu is predictable in the best way: pizza for kids, pasta for adults, and a vegetarian option in the eggplant parmesan. It is not a fine-dining Italian restaurant, and it does not pretend to be. It is an unfussy place that has fed a lot of vacationers.
Good to know
- What kind of food does Best Italian Cafe & Pizzeria serve?
- Italian, Pizza. It’s known for new York-style thin-crust pizza.