Howard's Restaurant

The building has two levels, and the seating gives you a choice. In warm weather you can eat outdoors by the water, a pleasant spot on a street that otherwise trades in neon and sidewalk crowds. When the weather turns, the indoor room has a stone fireplace, which suits a cool evening after a day in the national park.

The location is also practical. The Ober Gatlinburg tram is across the street, so Howard's makes a natural dinner before or after a ride up the mountain, and the Parkway's free trolley (see the city's trolley page) stops nearby, which saves you the work of finding downtown parking.

Diners usually order the porterhouse or the ribeye, and the catfish dinner is the regional counterpoint to the steaks. Burgers and salads are on the menu too, so a table with a mix of appetites can find something. This is a sit-down steakhouse, not a quick counter stop, so allow time for the meal.

Prices are in the middle of the Gatlinburg range, and a steak dinner costs more than a burger lunch. If you want to keep the bill down, eat at lunch, when the menu leans toward lighter plates.

Published hours conflict between sources, with some listings showing closing at 10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 11 p.m. on Friday and Saturday and others running later. Call (865) 436-3600 to confirm before you go, and ask whether they take reservations or work from a first-come list; one listing says there is no reservation system.

• Gatlinburg is busiest in summer and in October, when fall color brings heavy traffic. Dinner waits on the Parkway grow on weekends, so go early or on a weekday.
• If you are driving in from the park, remember the Great Smoky Mountains National Park parking tag is required for any vehicle parked in the park longer than 15 minutes ($5 daily, $15 weekly, $40 annual), but not for a restaurant in town. See the NPS fees page.
• Ask for the creekside seating if the weather is good, and ask early, because the outdoor tables go first.

Howard's will not surprise you, and that is the point. It is an old Gatlinburg restaurant doing steaks and catfish in a room with a fireplace and a creek outside, across the street from the tram. If you want a straightforward dinner with some history behind it, it is a dependable pick.