Townsend (the quiet side of the Smokies) is a food day trips in Knoxville.
Townsend 35 minutes south of Knoxville at the Smokies' quiet entrance, offers slower-paced dining as the alternative to Gatlinburg's Parkway crowds.
Tip: The quiet alternative to Gatlinburg; pair the Townsend approach with a Cades Cove loop drive.
Sevierville 35 minutes east of Knoxville, Dolly Parton's hometown and a quieter Smokies-area town with food anchored on the Tennessee Smokies AA baseball.
Tip: Less touristy than Pigeon Forge; the Dolly Parton statue at the courthouse is the photo stop.
Maryville 20 minutes south of Knoxville, the foothills college town home to Maryville College, anchors a quieter dining strip on Broadway Avenue.
Tip: Closest of the day-trip towns; pair with Foothills Parkway drives for mountain views.
Blackberry Farm in Walland 30 minutes south of Knoxville, the Relais and Chateaux foothills resort with chef Cassidee Dabney at The Barn, runs top dining.
Tip: Reservations are tightly held for non-overnight guests; lunch is the easiest entry point if you can secure it.
Gatlinburg 45 minutes east of Knoxville at the Smoky Mountains gateway, home to Pancake Pantry on the Parkway since 1960 and Crockett's 1875 Breakfast Camp.
Tip: Pancake Pantry opens 07:00 and the line forms early. Pair with Crockett's Breakfast Camp at 1103 Parkway as an alternative.
Pigeon Forge 40 minutes east of Knoxville, home to the Old Mill Restaurant on Old Mill Avenue adjacent to the 1830 grist mill on the National Register.
Tip: Old Mill Restaurant doesn't take reservations and the wait runs long; walk-in early in the morning for the shortest queue.