Family Style Feast at Paula Deen’s Family Kitchen in The Smoky Mountains

It took us about 5 hours to drive from Alabama to Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. We had breakfast and a few road trip snacks, but by the time we arrived in the early afternoon, we were starving! We decided to try to get in at Paula Deen’s Family Kitchen restaurant at The Island, and we were so glad we did. The southern comfort food here is delicious and the portions are VERY generous! If eating at Paula Deen’s is on your to-do list while in the Smokies, here is what you can expect….

Here are a few things you might want to know:

1. Come HUNGRY…very HUNGRY

2. You can get as many refills of food as you like

3. There are no doggy bags or to-go boxes offered or allowed EXCEPT for desserts

4. The food here is served family style. You choose how many entrees and how many sides for the table to share.

5. Lunch and Dinner meals come with one personal dessert for each person

6. This restaurant was awarded TripAdvisor’s Traveler’s Choice in 2021.

The Island

Paula Deen’s Family kitchen is located at the Island in Pigeon Forge, Tennesee. There are so many things to do here! We could have spent all day here! See all of the activities and eateries at The Island HERE.

Parking At The Island

Parking is FREE in marked lots. The main parking lot is located between The Island and the LeConte Events Center. Guests who park here can take a complimentary tram from the lot to the front of The Island. Complimentary trams run during The Island’s operating hours.

Reservations?

The restaurant accommodates people as they arrive, so no reservations are required. It is a first come first serve kind of situation.

We visited the restaurant in the off-season and during the early afternoon, so we did not have to wait for a table. But, if you do have to wait for a table, there is plenty to do on The Island. Even Paula Deen has a cute store below her restaurant. Right outside the restaurant is a beautiful fountain area with lots of seating. You can even enjoy The Island Show Fountain at the Island.  The shows are every Monday through Sunday. They play about every 30 minutes beginning at the top of each hour. You can watch during the day or see the fountains lit up at night. The shows run from 10 am until 11:30 pm. There are chairs all around the fountain if you want to sit and rest while waiting for your table.

You will receive a text when your table is ready. After checking in downstairs, you’ll take the escalator upstairs and will be led to your table. Just know that ALL members of your party must be present to be seated. If someone in your family/party is parking the car, using the restroom, etc, you will have to wait until they are present to be seated.

The Menu at Paula Deen’s Family Kitchen

Paula Deen’s Family Kitchen serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner. The food here is served family style. You choose how many entrees and how many sides for the table to share. Everyone also gets their own personal dessert. After ordering our drinks, we also got a basket of Cheddar biscuits. Like I said…come HUNGRY! You get so much food.

The options we had were (08/2022):

• The Albany – Choose 2 Down Home Dishes and 4 of Paula’s Famous Sides for the table + dessert for each person. 19.99 per person (drink not included)
• The Savannah – Choose 3 Down Home Dishes and 4 of Paula’s Famous Sides for the table + dessert for each person. 21.99 per person (drink not included)
• The Georgia – Choose 4 Down Home Dishes and 4 of Paula’s Famous Sides for the table + dessert for each person. 23.99 per person (drink not included)

We chose The Albany. We got Roasted Chicken, Chicken and Dumplings, Green Beans, Mashed Potatoes, Macaroni and Cheese, and Slaw. Everything was so good and we did re-order a few things. We got refills of the Chicken and Dumplings, Green Beans, Mashed Potatoes, Macaroni and Cheese. The second round of food is smaller portions.

The Menu:

• Breakfast Menu
• Lunch Menu
• Dinner Menu
• Drink Menu

Gluten-Free Menu Options:

• Breakfast – Alrighty then Scrambled Eggs, Black Pepper Bacon, Applewood Smoked Center Cut Bacon, Sausage Patties, Country Ham, Tomato Grits, and Fresh Fruit.
• Lunch/Dinner – Spare Ribs, Creamed Corn, Fresh Candied Yams, White Rice, Creamed Potatoes, Poppyseed Tossed Salad (no croutons), and Cole Slaw.

Vegetarian Menu Options:

• Breakfast – Alrighty then Scrambled Eggs, Ooey Gooey Butter Pancakes, Creamy Hashbrown Casserole, Tomato Grits, Fresh Fruit, Cinnamon Roll.
• Lunch/Dinner – Creamed Corn, Fresh Candied Yams, White Rice, Creamed Potatoes, Poppyseed Tossed Salad, Cole Slaw, Fried Green Tomatoes, and Fried Okra.

Drinks at Paula Deen’s Family Dinner

• Wine
• Beer
• Luzianne Iced Tea (Sweet and Unsweet)
• Hot Tea
• Coffee
• Georgia Peach Tea
• Strawberry Lemonade
• Blueberry Lemonade
• Fresh Squeezed Lemonade
• Coca-Cola
• Diet Coke
• Coke Zero
• Dr Pepper
• Hi C Fruit Punch
• Sprite
• Mello Yello
• Kids Drinks
• Kids Milk
• Kids Cranberry Juice
• Kids Chocolate Milk
• Kids Orange Juice
• Kids Apple Juice

Desserts

Every meal comes with a dessert. We tried them all and they were all amazing. We were told that you could get a to-go box for your dessert, but it was the only thing on the menu that can be carried out with you.

The desserts available:

• Vanilla Ooey Gooey Butter Cake
• Chocolate Ooey Gooey Butter Cake
• Banana Pudding
• Seasonal Cobbler (We had Peach Cobbler)
  

The Retail Store

After stuffing our faces, we headed back down the escalator to the store downstairs. Here, we found mixes for some of Paula Deen’s most loved recipes, kitchen items, jewelry, home decor, food items, and Paula Deen-themed souvenirs.

There is also an area (a replica of Paula Deen’s kitchen) where you can pose for a picture with “Paula”. It’s a great spot for Instagram photos, reels, or Tik Toks.

Overall, I have to say our experience at Paula Deen’s Family Kitchen was a good one. The southern, home cooking was delicious and the portions were very generous. The bread and desserts were great. Even the drinks were refreshing and tasty. If you’re looking for some yummy food – and a lot of it – while you’re in The Great Smoky Mountains, Paula Deen’s Family Kitchen is the perfect restaurant to check out.

Restaurant & Retail Hours & Location:

• Breakfast – 8 a.m. – 10:15 a.m. Daily
• Lunch & Dinner – Sun-Thurs: 11 a.m. – 10 p.m. Fri-Sat: 11 a.m. – 11 p.m.

Paula Deen’s Family Kitchen // 131 The Island Drive, Suite 8101 – Pigeon Forge, TN 37863 // 865.366.1510

WEBSITE

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