One of Gatlinburg’s hidden gems for dining is Taste of Italy. It’s a family-owned and operated restaurant popular with visitors and locals alike, serving a wide range of Italian dishes – including fresh homemade pizza – both for meat lovers and also for vegetarian and gluten-free tastes. Taste of Italy offers quality Italian food made with fresh ingredients. The restaurant is located on East Parkway, hidden from sight but close to hand.
Taste of Italy’s menu features a generous selection of Italian-inspired dishes to please the palette of every member of your group. If you’re looking for a classic Italian entree such as Eggplant Parmesan or Chicken Piccata you’re in luck, and you can’t go wrong with one of the gourmet pizzas built on scratch-made dough. Entrees include many seafood and pasta dishes, many salads and appetizers – calzones of course – as well as subs and wraps. The restaurant offers a children’s menu also.
Images courtesy of Taste of Italy
Regardless of taste, all the family can dine together and find something for everyone, because Taste of Italy also offers American fare such as burgers, sandwiches, and french fries to go along with their variety of Italian specialties.
Gatlinburg can get crowded with throngs of visitors, especially during holidays and peak-season weekends. This means that restaurants often fill up fast too, as families roam Parkway in search of a satisfying meal.
Taste of Italy prides itself as being “Gatlinburg’s best kept secret,” largely due to its location just off East Parkway. In other words, most people who dine there are “in the know,” and Taste of Italy usually has plentiful parking and fewer crowds when compared with some of the more centrally located options.
The interior of Taste of Italy is tastefully decorated with Italianate photos and artwork adorning the walls to complement its classic Italian cuisine. The ambience of the restaurant is simple and comfortable, without any trace of stuffiness, making it a great choice for a nice meal out with the entire family, a date night, or as a great spot to refuel amid the rigors of the day.
Planning your visit to Taste of Italy
Taste of Italy is located at 1235 East Parkway, Gatlinburg TN, 37738. You’ll find it at traffic light #2B, in the strip mall at the far end of the Food City parking lot. Reservations are accepted, and you can also call to order take-out.
Taste of Italy serves serves beer both bottled and on draft, and allows guests to bring in their own wine, supplying glasses and charging no corking fee. There is also a wine shop nearby, in case you need to stop in and grab a bottle of wine for dinner on the way.
Hours
Tuesday through Saturday, 11:30 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.
Sunday, 11:30 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Closed on Monday
[During January & February: Closed Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday]
For more information, please visit www.tasteofitalygatlinburg.com, or call 865-325-1750.
And remember, whichever town you go to eat or for entertainment, Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge are really close, and all the attractions are close to our Gatlinburg cabin rentals, Pigeon Forge cabins, and Wears Valley cabins.
