The 16 Best, Most Over-The-Top Places To Eat In Dollywood

The walk-through establishment is without a doubt the perfect place to start your Dollywood day. The choices here are overwhelming—do you go straight for the slice of mondo apple pie? Is a box of small cinnamon rolls that's been drowned in icing the way to go? What about the cookies? Any of the cookies? Here's what you do: Sit down at Spotlight with the fam for a slice of pie and circle back on your way out of the park for a box of the buns. Skip the cookies, keep chipping at the pie.

I cannot overstate how much of a must Red's is. If you are a human who likes good food, kitsch, and air conditioning, it is one of your finest options. Seriously, the cheeseburger and fries and shakes and decor all feel very 1950s New Jersey, and the temperature control in there is just phenomenal. As a very hot (temperature-wise) person from NJ, I can be trusted on this.

Again, not to be dramatic, but the food truck (parked conveniently outside of Red's) is a very good place to stop if you enjoy, like, eating good food. It's got a curated menu of mac & cheese varieties, the best of which is undoubtedly the pulled pork-topped version. My only complaint: The truck is extremely and inexplicably tall. Anyone who's heigh is less than six feet has to reach for their meal.

Come for the pictures of the gigantic, ever-stewing skillet, stay for the cheese sauce that floods almost every selection on their menu (like this cheesesteak). Bonus: The whole Market Square area has lots of seating and lots of shopping nearby.

Sick of sugar but still need something sweet? The Kettle Korn stop right by Market Square offers Splenda-topped popcorn for those who might need or want it.

Well. I went into this trip very excited about a pickle-marinated fried chicken sandwich, and I left this trip craving that same sandwich every day. You don't need anything but the sandwich at Grandstand Café. It's a phenomenal salty bite I hope all those I love get to experience in their lifetimes.

The line piles up at Miss Lillian's (whether that's because the food is solid or the opportunity to watch meat smoke there is fun), so you can expect a wait. The Carolina Gold barbecue sauce that tops some of their sandwiches is worth it, though. Ohhh, is it worth it.

OK, you know what I just said about lines at Lillian's? They're omnipresent at the Grist Mill. That said, anyone who comes to Dollywood must pass through it. The cinnamon bread is legendary and exactly as good as everyone says it is.

Granny Ogle's is where you go for pork rinds and pimento cheese. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise.

Listen. This wasn't my favorite stop. But if searing-hot turkey legs and chive-y cheese fries are your jams, by all means, enjoy. You'll find your people here.

Got myself a lil' butterfly pretzel at Skyview and loved every bite of it. The salt is thick and crunchy, the pretzel gives beneath all its butter, and the combination is heavenly.

Splinter's is the home of that Fruity Pebble funnel cake you've read so much about. It is very sweet. It is very delicious. Eat it quickly before the whipped cream melts into it, forming a sticky, cereal tie-dyed mosh.

The biggest mistake of my trip was not walking the extra 50 steps to The Dog House to eat my Reuben Dog before the Fruity Pebble Funnel Cake. Learn from my mistakes. Grow from them.

Till and Harvest was the first of two places we hit up in Dollywood's brand new Wildwood Grove, a pristine and gorgeous land that serves as a quieter offshoot for those who need a break from the craziness and heat of the park. The food is reflective of that calmness—the Smoky Mountain Nachos (which are drowned in all the best nacho toppings...plus an avocado creme) are something worth sitting at and enjoying for awhile.

It was here that I found myself with a "Flit 'N' Flutter" Sundae (which is essentially churros, ice cream, strawberries, and a mountain of whipped cream). It's another Wildwood Grove must, if even for just a few minutes.

Margherita pizza topped with mozz that's (perhaps unintentionally) shaped like a butterfly? Incredible. Find it at Lumber Jack's.