Where to Eat and Drink Near Great Smoky Mountains National Park | Eater

"Another breakfast institution in the area, Flapjack’s Pancake Cabin is a Tennessee mini-chain with a half dozen locations around the Smokies, all housed in literal wooden cabins. The Pigeon Forge location, right on the main U.S. 441 corridor that enters the national park from the northwest, is convenient for pregaming before a hike. Sure, you could feast on chicken fried steak or chicken biscuit skillets, but there’s no better way to fuel up for a day in the mountains than with a plate of bear cakes — bear-shaped smiley-face pancakes with a chocolate syrup smile and chocolate chip eyes. Or, if you’d rather not order off the kids’ menu, other pancake options range from cinnamon-swirled sticky bun pancakes with cream cheese icing to multigrain pancakes spiced with cinnamon and nutmeg." - Matt Kirouac