Subway

This Subway is at 1359 East Parkway in Gatlinburg, on the stretch of US 321 that leads from downtown toward Pigeon Forge. It is a plain counter-service sandwich shop, and its value to a Smokies visitor is practical: low prices, quick service, and sandwiches that travel well. The location lists the phone number (865) 436-8726, and the Subway site has the store locator and online ordering.

• Address: 1359 E Parkway, Gatlinburg, TN 37738.
• Phone: (865) 436-8726.
• Hours: check the Subway site or app before you go, since closing time varies by season.
• Price: inexpensive, one of the cheaper sit-down or carry-out lunches in the area.

The big lunch question on a park day is how to eat without spending an hour in a Parkway restaurant. A sandwich solves it. Order one or two foot-long subs, a few bags of chips and drinks, and you have a picnic for the trail or a pull-off. Many of the best spots in Great Smoky Mountains National Park, such as the picnic areas along the road toward Cades Cove or on the Newfound Gap side, have tables but no food service, so you bring your own.

Parking inside the park works differently from a restaurant lot. Entry to Great Smoky Mountains National Park is free, but any vehicle parked longer than 15 minutes needs a parking tag ($5 daily, $15 weekly, $40 annual) displayed on the dashboard. America the Beautiful and other federal passes are not accepted for it; the Park Service fees page has the details. Pick up lunch before you enter, because there are few places to buy food once you are on the park roads.

East Parkway is busy in season, and traffic through town backs up on weekend afternoons and during fall color. If you are staying in a cabin outside town, the free city trolley, described on the Gatlinburg visitor site, does not serve every neighborhood, so plan to drive. Allow extra time to turn in and out of the lot at peak hours.

• Families with picky eaters who want a predictable order.
• Hikers who need a lunch to carry.
• Anyone watching the budget in an expensive tourist town.

Order sandwiches wrapped to go and ask for extra napkins. Cold subs hold up well in a day pack or a cooler. If you want to eat in town before heading out, remember that lunch crowds are lightest before 11:30 a.m.