Thanksgiving falls on Thursday, November 26, this year, and plenty of families would rather spend it in the mountains than in the kitchen. We checked each restaurant’s own website for its 2026 Thanksgiving plans and only listed the places that have posted them. More will announce over the next couple of weeks, and we’ll add them as they do.
One tip before the list: Thanksgiving is one of the busiest days of the fall here. Where a place takes reservations, book early, and where it doesn’t, plan on a wait.
Pigeon Forge
The Old Mill Restaurant and Pottery House Cafe
The Old Mill is serving a traditional Southern Thanksgiving at both The Old Mill Restaurant and Pottery House Cafe from 10:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Thanksgiving Day, and it doesn’t take reservations. The menu includes roasted turkey, sugar-cured ham, cornbread dressing, giblet gravy, corn chowder, corn fritters with maple butter, sweet potato casserole and pumpkin pie. The Old Mill Thanksgiving page lists the meal at $29.99 for adults and $15.99 for children under 12. Pottery House Cafe switches to a special menu after 4 p.m.
If you’d rather eat at your cabin, the Pottery House Cafe Family Feast feeds 4 to 6 people and is listed at $125. You can take it chilled to reheat or hot and ready, with pickup on Wednesday, Nov. 25, or Thanksgiving Day from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Pickup is in the Pottery House Cafe back lot, entering from Butler Street. Prices can change, so check the Old Mill website for the latest. Our pages on The Old Mill Restaurant and Pottery House Cafe have more about both.
Harpoon Harry’s Crab House
Harpoon Harry’s on Community Center Drive is doing an all-you-can-eat Thanksgiving buffet with traditional holiday dishes alongside its usual favorites, including crab legs and sushi. The restaurant strongly encourages reservations at 865-428-2006. It hasn’t posted a price or hours for the day, so ask when you call. Our Harpoon Harry’s page has the regular details.
Song & Hearth at Dollywood’s DreamMore Resort
Song & Hearth, the Southern restaurant inside Dollywood’s DreamMore Resort and Spa, is serving a Thanksgiving buffet from noon to 8 p.m. According to the resort events page, it will have traditional Thanksgiving dishes, seasonal sides and house-made desserts. No price is posted yet. For questions, the resort lists 1-800-365-5996 (option 2) for reservations. DreamMore is at 2525 DreamMore Way, a short drive from Dollywood.
Gatlinburg
Ober Gatlinburg Thanksgiving Feast
Ober Gatlinburg is serving a Thanksgiving Day buffet up on the mountain with 75-minute seatings from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Reservations are required and seating is limited. The buffet has carved herb-roasted turkey breast and honey-glazed ham, cornbread stuffing, sweet potato casserole with candied pecans, mac and cheese, two soups and pumpkin and pecan pie.
On the Ober ticket site, the buffet-only adult ticket (ages 12 and up) is listed at $59.99, buffet plus a round-trip Gatlinburg Tram ride at $85.99, and buffet plus a Fun Pass at $118.99. Children 5 to 11 have their own tickets, and kids 4 and under eat free with a paying adult. The buffet-only ticket doesn’t include the tram or parking, so you’d drive up. Tickets are non-refundable and can’t be rescheduled. Prices can change, so check the Ober ticket site for the latest. Our Ober Gatlinburg page has more on the mountain.
Planning the rest of the day
- Our November guide covers Winterfest, Dollywood’s Christmas season and more going on this month.
- If you’re staying into December, our December guide picks up from there.
- Restaurants that aren’t listed here may still be open on Thanksgiving with their regular menu. Call ahead, since holiday hours often differ.
Photo at top: The Old Mill in Pigeon Forge, courtesy of The Old Mill.