Tennessee Jed’s is a sandwich-style breakfast and lunch restaurant hidden away on Parkway in Gatlinburg, with some of the best meats and sandwiches many people say they’ve ever tasted. Understated and laid back, the restaurant offers great service with very friendly staff and a kitchen that knows exactly what it’s doing.
Images courtesy of Tennessee Jed’s
Sandwiches may sound easy, but when everything is perfectly cooked and with complementary flavors – as is the case at Jed’s – they come into a world of their own. Jed’s is a mouth-watering kind of place, where literally every single thing on offer tastes great. The ingredients here are locally sourced and meats are roasted in-house daily, and served tender and moist.
Offerings at Jed’s range from breakfast sandwiches stuffed with good things in a bun – with sausage, home-cooked biscuits, gravy, and even quiches available as well – to the lunch sandwiches that include a world-class Reuben, BBQ, turkey, smoked chicken, and an excellent Cubano: a pulled-pork with ham and cheese sandwich.
There’s also a variety of beef hot dogs, and a scaled down kid’s menu of choice sandwiches, and even a tofu sandwich as vegans are not forgotten. Sides include slaw, beans and a homemade (and highly acclaimed) potato salad. If you prefer, there’s a Chef Salad on offer as well. Drinks include good fresh coffee for that breakfast treat and soft drinks.
Meats are available to buy by the pound, and once you taste them you may well want to get some to take back to the cabin, to eat once you’ve regained your appetite. Several desserts are on offer at Jed’s, if you have room, including some with seasonal fruits.
With so many great sandwiches, there’s still one last thing to highlight – a real Frito Pie, in case you haven’t been able to find one in a while. This comes as the Classic (except on a plate and not in the actual Fritos bag) and the Loaded version, with extra fixings. The chili is homemade and frequently praised by customers.
With a Grateful Dead decor (hence the restaurant name) and a chalkboard menu, Tennessee Jed’s has limited seating inside, with very pleasant tables also outside. The atmosphere is laid back and the food is the thing. A great staple for years in Gatlinburg, the restaurant opened a second location in 2022, also in Gatlinburg. Both locations are slightly hidden away, in two of our favorite, funky shopping areas.
The original Tennessee Jed’s is in the delightful Baskins Square Mall, a quaint outdoor mall with some unusual shops, often overlooked because it sits right across the street from The Village. It’s worth a look, and you won’t go hungry doing so, and not just from Jed’s. You can stroll into this mall from your walk along Parkway.
The second location is in Winery Square off of East Parkway, a place we’ve noted several times for the Smoky Mountain Winery, Whole Earth Grocery and the Salt & Pepper Shaker Museum. Now add Jed’s to the list of attractions there, going under the name of 321 (from Hwy 321, which is East Parkway). This one you can drive directly to, with parking available.
Note some changes, as of July, 2022. The original location (downtown) has now stopped serving breakfast, and extended its hours, starting and ending later in the day. It’s heavily focused on that lunch sandwich, but now available into the late afternoon and early evening. The new location at 321 Jed’s serves the famous Jed’s breakfast still, taking on the traditional hours of the original legend for breakfast and lunch.
The people and the kitchens are the same, and while we know it can be tricky changing hours or locations for a restaurant, we don’t worry about Jed’s – the food has kept a lot of us going over the years, and this will certainly continue as the operation spreads its wings farther afield in the town.
Useful Information
Tennessee Jed’s (Downtown Jed’s)
631 Parkway Suite A8, Gatlinburg, TN 37738
Tel: (865) 412-1131
Open Daily 11 am – 7 pm
Web: tennesseejeds.net and Facebook
321 Jed’s (4 minutes away with free parking)
450 Brookside Village Way, Gatlinburg, TN 37738
Tel: (865) 436-5445
Open Mon-Sat, 7:30 am – 3 pm
