The Best Italian Cafe & Pizzeria in Gatlinburg has been a favorite among locals and repeat visitors to the Smoky Mountains since it opened in 1976. Stop in for lunch or dinner at this hidden-gem restaurant to try Best Italian’s versions of Italian favorites done right, from pizza to classic dishes, with New York style.
Images courtesy of Best Italian
Embrace the Italian classics
Best Italian Cafe & Pizzeria is proud of the fact that it mostly sticks to serving the iconic Italian dishes, because it means the kitchen can take the time to prepare them the right way without taking shortcuts. All you have to do is take one look at their menu to see that it’s dishing up all the favorites you love, and just one taste will prove that the restaurant is committed to quality and freshness.
Try the famous Garlic Rolls, baked to golden brown perfection and topped with a blend of garlic, herbs, fresh cheese, and olive oil. Or consider the Eggplant Parmesan, featuring a stack of layered crispy eggplant slices and creamy mozzarella cheese, with just enough salty, rich Parmesan flavor. This is just a small sample of the many lovingly prepared Italian dishes you’ll find on the menu at Best Italian Cafe & Pizzeria.
Head off the beaten path to discover a Gatlinburg hidden gem
Best Italian Cafe & Pizzeria is a little bit off the beaten path from some of the more visible restaurants in Gatlinburg, and it’s hard to just stumble across it unless you know where you’re going. That means that it’s a favorite of locals and repeat visitors to the area, and if you ask around you’ll find that many families making the trip to Gatlinburg plan to get some delicious Italian favorites every year on their Smoky Mountains family vacation.
Best Italian Cafe & Pizzeria is located in the Elks Plaza shopping area, a place bursting with unique and interesting retail options. The atmosphere is cozy and relaxed, and the service always comes with a smile, just as you’d expect from a great neighborhood Italian spot that prides itself on serving the community. There’s a back patio that faces the creek behind the restaurant, so you can feel even further removed from the throngs of people packing into many of the other restaurants that face the Parkway.
Get the full Italian culinary experience with everything from antipasti to pizza
With a menu focused on delivering the best possible versions of the classics, Best Italian Cafe & Pizzeria offers something that everyone in your group will love. Twirl your fork around a traditional pasta dinner like fettuccine Alfredo or spaghetti with meatballs. Dig into a rich and creamy plate of stuffed shells with ricotta cheese. Or enjoy the classic combo or perfectly fried calamari paired with tangy and slightly sweet marinara sauce. You really can’t go wrong here.
And sometimes nothing can satisfy quite like the perfect pie, which is why Best Italian Cafe & Pizzeria has been delighting customers with thin-crust NY-style pizza and calzones for years. No matter what direction you decide to go in, the odds are great that a meal here will have you feeling like a part of la famiglia.
Useful Information
Open seven days a week from 11 AM to 10 PM (11 PM Fri-Sat), Best Italian Café is located in Gatlinburg between traffic lights 9 and 10, across from the aerial tramway.
Best Italian Cafe & Pizzeria
968 Parkway, Suite 9, Gatlinburg, TN 37738
Tel: 865-430-4090
Web: www.bestitalian.com
