5 of the Best Places to Eat in Pigeon Forge on a Budget
Dining out is one of the best parts of being on vacation, but it can also be one of the most expensive. Eating at a restaurant for nearly every meal can add up quickly, especially if you are feeding an entire family. Fortunately, Pigeon Forge is home to a number of wonderful eateries where you can enjoy great food at a great price. To help you make the most of your next getaway, we have put together a handy guide to five of the best places to eat in Pigeon Forge on a budget.
1. Lil’ Black Bear Cafe
The Lil’ Black Bear Cafe is perfect for lunch or dinner! This small, family-owned restaurant has built a loyal following for its super friendly service, mouthwatering food, and extremely reasonable prices. Guests will find a great selection of omelets, salads, soups, sandwiches, and more all-American fare. Standout menu items include the biscuits and gravy, fried bologna sandwich, and the patty melt. Be sure to save room for dessert, so you can try one of the cafe’s incredible homemade cupcakes!
2. Cielito Lindo Mexican Grill
Cielito Lindo Mexican Grill is another one of the best places to eat in Pigeon Forge on a budget. Specializing in authentic south-of-the-border cuisine, this restaurant is famous for its incredibly generous portions. We recommend sharing your entrees or taking home leftovers!
A highlight of eating at Cielito Lindo is their salsa bar, where guests can choose from a variety of mild, medium, and spicy salsas.
3. Pigeon Forge Deli
Tucked away on East Wears Valley Road, Pigeon Forge Deli is the ultimate lunch spot! The deli’s signature subs are served on freshly baked bread and come with your choice of tomato basil soup or homemade pasta salad. Popular sandwiches at Pigeon Forge Deli include the Pot Roast Sub, Pizza Loaf, Chicken Salad Sub, and the Meatball Sub.
4. Mel’s Classic Diner
If you’re looking for cheap eats, it’s hard to beat a diner! Mel’s is a classic 50s-style eatery that is open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Guests will find a varied menu filled with comfort foods like burgers, hot dogs, meatloaf, and chicken pot pie. Best of all, Mel’s serves breakfast all day long, so you can have pancakes at 11 p.m. if that’s what you’re craving. Of course, no visit to Mel’s is complete without sharing one of their epic sundaes or banana splits!
5. Smokies Cuban Cafe
Believe it or not, you can find delicious (and very affordable) Cuban food right on the Parkway! Smokies Cuban Cafe is a family run hole-in-the-wall that serves traditional Cuban food in a cozy, no-frills atmosphere. Some of the most-buzzed-about dishes at this restaurant include the empanadas, ropa vieja, Cuban sandwich, and the palomilla steak. It’s easy to see why Smokies Cuban Cafe is one of the best places to eat in Pigeon Forge on a budget!
Save Money with Pigeon Forge Restaurant Coupons
Coupons are another great way to enjoy dining out on vacation without breaking the bank. Pigeon Forge TN Guide has scoured the internet to find the very best deals and discounts at some of the most popular restaurants in the Smokies. Follow the link to see all of our Pigeon Forge restaurant coupons!
I hope Mel’s has improved. The last time we ate there, one of the servers was cleaning off the table next to ours. The group that left had eaten breakfast, so the server was eating all of the leftover bacon off of the different plates! We could also smell sewage. Maybe we’ll give it another try next year!
We ate there last fall when we were there. The food and service were ok. We were seated right next to the drink station and it wasn’t very clean. Plus, I don’t think I would call it budget friendly. We may try it again some day.
We ate there this year Oct 3,2019 and the food and the servers was wonderful.We took my parent’s there and we would have all gone more than once.And the prices were great and the food was wonderful.
We went 2 years ago and this place was awesome , never experienced this behavior or smells, hope it has not gone downhill because we really loved it, so sorry you had experienced this on your visit, hopefully the waitress was caught with behavior, and hopefully it was just one bad day, definitely give it another try, just heartbroke over this.
Love Mel’s Diner. Always eat there when in town.
Mel’s Diner is one of the best places to eat in Pigeon Forge. I have probably been there 20 or 30 times and I have never been disappointed. It is clean. The food is great and inexpensive. The staff is friendly. My favorite is the pot roast but everything is good! I would highly recommend this place for anyone who is hungry!
How in the world Lil’ Black Bear made the list – I’ll never know. Went there for breakfast. The owner was the server, cook and dishwasher. The food was horrible (especially the gravy), Portions were extremely small. Asked for some jelly. He brought one pack for two people to share! A couple was seated next to us. When they finished eating, they didn’t have change to leave a tip until they paid for their meal. When they went to the register to pay, the owner/server/cook/dishwasher said in quite a hateful tone – “it is customary to leave a tip”. The man said, I need to pay first in order to get change to leave a tip. The owner/server/cook/dishwasher did not apologize. I would never even think about going back there.
We love going to Mel’s at least once while we are in town. The food is good, (not classy) just your typical 50’s type food. Save room for a banana split or one of their luscious ice cream makings. The servings are big and filling. This is one of the few places you can find to eat after an evening show. They stay open late and never seem to rush you no matter how late you arrive.
Love Mel’s never had a bad meal there!
The Old Pottery Cafe is the best place to eat in pigeon Forge. Home cooked food and very reasonable price.
Home made breads, chocolate cake & coconut cream pie.
Agree
Mel’s is our favorite place to eat! We make this trip at least twice a year!
ALL WAY’S EAT THERE WHEN WE ARE IN THE SMOKIES ALL WAYS HAD GREAT SERVICE ONE WAITRESS FLO SHE IS THE BEST.
Huck Fins?
It says “on a budget”. Huck’s Is not a bad value but definitely in a different league than these five.
would starve before eating at Mel’s Diner, they are rude. rip you off and lie to your face terrible service.
Look my family eat there one time it was trouble we will not never be back
We eat at Mel’s and it was not good at all
Mel’s Diner is awesome. Order the catfish. It is the best I have ever had. The meatloaf was great also. Will be going back there on our next visit.
Love Huck Finns is so good large portion s and very nice people
We used to eat at mels all the time and the last time we were there, my mom found a huge black long hair in her food. we may go back someday but it will be a while
One of our favorites is Corkys BBQ. Eat there evry time we go down there.
We live here in Wears Valley and Pigeon Forge Deli is the place to eat! We recommend it to tourists all the time. Locally family owned, clean, great service. Don’t leave without trying their homemade bread pretzels with many dips to chose from! Tell em’ Mark & Tracy sent you! 😁
Ate at mels last year the wings was massive and tasted great
My family loves Mel’s. We have ate there several times & always get great service & the food is great. We live in West Tn. & visit the Smoky mountains at least twice a year & always go to Mel’s.
We eat at Gondolier every time, sometimes every night. Dessert to die for! Have never had bad food or service.
Cheezy Steaks is awesome. Dont miss this hidden Gem!!!
We have been going to Mel’s diner for several years and the only thing we have eaten there that was good is ice cream. Members of our family have ordered burgers, hot dogs, chili, etc.and it was all bad. Plus all the food is over priced and the place is not very clean. We were there a couple of months ago and our waitress was very polite but her fingernails were nasty. I’m not really interested in ever going back!!