A British pub on Glades Road
Most people come to Gatlinburg for the park and end up on the Parkway. The Fox & Parrot Tavern is on the other side of that equation: a British-style pub at 1065 Glades Road, in the middle of the Arts and Crafts Community loop, a few minutes' drive from the traffic and the fudge shops. Local write-ups describe it as a two-story pub with darts, live music, and "few tourists in sight," which is a fair summary of why it exists.
What to order
The menu leans on the pub classics the name promises. Listings and local guides name fish and chips, bangers and mash, and shepherd's pie as the British core, with chicken tenders, wings, a chicken salad and reubens filling out the American side. A kids' menu has been published in the past (hot dogs, grilled cheese, peanut butter and jelly), so the room has long worked for families with an early dinner, though it is a bar first and you should expect that after dark.
The draft list is the other draw. Local guides single it out for one of the area's larger selections of beer and cider, including European imports such as Newcastle Brown, Bass Ale, Magners and Smithwick's. If you are a beer drinker who has had enough of mountain-themed lagers named after bears, this is your stop.
Plan around the hours
Published hours have been short for a restaurant that gets tourist traffic: roughly noon to 8 PM Monday through Thursday, noon to 10 PM on Friday and Saturday, and an early close on Sunday.
Where it fits in a Smokies day
Glades Road is the Gatlinburg end of the Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail and Arts and Crafts Community area, which makes the tavern a natural finish after a day spent on the loop's galleries, or after an afternoon at the park. If you are heading in from the park, the Sugarlands side of town is the closer approach; remember that a parking tag is required for any vehicle parked longer than 15 minutes inside the park ($5 daily, $15 weekly, $40 annual, per the National Park Service), though the tavern's own lot is outside it.
Who it suits
- Adults who want a pint and a plate of fish and chips without a wait list
- Families with older kids who can handle a pub setting at dinnertime
- Visitors staying in the Arts and Crafts Community or in a cabin off Glades Road
- Anyone who wants live music in a room that is not a Parkway show venue
Practical notes
- Address: 1065 Glades Road, Gatlinburg, TN 37738
- Phone: (865) 436-0677 (as listed in directories; confirm before calling a group in)
- Reservations: none documented, so assume walk-in
- Price: mid-range, about $$ for a main and a pint
Treat it as a local-feeling pub with a British accent and you will not be disappointed. Treat it as a fine-dining destination and you will be.
Good to know
- What kind of food does The Fox & Parrot Tavern serve?
- British pub, American. It’s known for fish and chips, shepherd's pie, bangers and mash.