Find a river-view table, a steak dinner near the Parkway, or a dry-aged ribeye worth the splurge.
Pick the Steak Dinner That Fits Your Evening
Before choosing among steakhouses in Gatlinburg, decide how you want to spend your evening. For dinner beside the river, book a river-view table at The Peddler. Stepping off the Ober tram with an appetite? Cherokee Grill and Howard’s are close enough to keep things simple. For dry-aged beef and time to linger over dinner, consider The Greenbrier.
With children or a group, I’d also compare Alamo and The Park Grill. Look beyond the steak price. Included sides, parking, and a reserved table can change which place suits your plans. We’ll cover those details below. For other dinner possibilities, browse our Gatlinburg restaurant guide.
Gatlinburg Steakhouses at a Glance
Start with the kind of evening you want, then compare the steak prices. These examples give you a starting point before drinks, tax, and tip.
| Restaurant | Choose it for | Steak price example | Getting a table |
| The Peddler | Dinner beside the river | 12 oz. ribeye, $45 | Reserve online; select river seating if available. |
| Cherokee Grill | Dinner near the Ober tram | 10 oz. Prosperity Sirloin, $28 | Reserve online. |
| The Greenbrier | A dry-aged steak splurge | 16 oz. bone-in ribeye, $62 | Reserve online. |
| Alamo Steakhouse | Oak-grilled steaks with the family | 14 oz. Rio Grande Rib Eye, $39 | Join the Gatlinburg waitlist. |
| Howard’s | A steak dinner for two | Two-steak meal, $79 | Walk in; no reservations. |
| The Park Grill | A group with different appetites | 12 oz. ribeye, $45 | Reserve online. |
Menu prices can change.
The Peddler Steakhouse — Book the River Table
Gatlinburg gives you plenty to look at along the Parkway. For dinner, I’d trade the shop windows for the river. The Peddler sits at 820 River Road, near the national park entrance, with tables overlooking the Little Pigeon River. If that view is part of your plan, choose river-view seating when you reserve. Those tables hold up to four people. A larger family will need to make the steak itself the occasion.
And there’s a little ceremony to ordering it. The ribeye and New York strip are cut tableside, so you can choose how much beef ends up on your plate. The starting point is 12 ounces, priced at $45 for the ribeye and $41 for the strip. I’d choose the ribeye for its marbling and richer flavor. The strip suits someone who likes a firmer bite and less fat. Both go over Tennessee hickory charcoal.
Be careful with the invitation to add another ounce or two. Each ounce costs $5, and there’s already a salad bar waiting for you. The $40 petite filet is worth considering if you prefer a tender, smaller steak.
The included food makes the bill easier to judge. Your steak comes with the salad bar and one side, with bread available on request. Order a ribeye and a strip, and dinner for two starts at $86 before drinks, tax, and tip. I’d leave the appetizer decision until you’ve considered how much you’ll eat from the salad bar. Children have their own menu, including steak, shrimp, and trout.
Our full Peddler Steakhouse review covers the menu and setting in more detail.
There’s parking outside, though the lot can fill during busy periods. You can walk in, but I’d reserve if you’re planning the rest of the evening around dinner. Groups have a separate arrangement. Call one hour before opening on the day you want to eat, and the restaurant may be able to put you on its seating list. For a group that needs a booking settled before arriving in Gatlinburg, sister restaurant The Park Grill is the more practical choice.
Cherokee Grill — A Parkway Dinner With a Good $28 Steak
After a day on Ober Mountain, dinner can be as simple as stepping off the tram and walking to Calhoun’s Village. Cherokee Grill sits at 1002 Parkway, close enough to make a reservation here a sensible finish to the outing. The mountain-lodge dining room suits a sit-down dinner, while the location lets you keep exploring downtown afterward. Driving in? Complimentary parking for restaurant guests takes one expense out of the evening.
I’d give the $28 Prosperity Sirloin a close look before moving down the menu to the pricier cuts. This 10-ounce steak is marinated with olive oil, Cherokee Red Ale, garlic, and pepper, then finished with Worcestershire butter. That’s an order for someone who enjoys seasoning as part of the steak. If you prefer the richness of a well-marbled cut, the 14-ounce USDA Prime ribeye is $44. The seven-ounce filet costs $37, or $41 stuffed with Boursin cheese.
On Friday and Saturday, the kitchen also serves a 12-ounce prime rib for $36, with au jus and creamy horseradish. Keep those days in mind if prime rib is what you’re coming for.
Bread and a side come with the steaks. One Prosperity Sirloin and one ribeye bring the entrée subtotal to $72 before drinks, tax, and tip. I’d consider the Tennessee blue cheese grits alongside the beef. For someone who has had enough steak on this trip, there’s herb-crusted trout at $29.75 and rotisserie chicken at $19. Children have their own menu.
The reservation is part of the appeal here. Book online, leave a comfortable gap after your tram ride, and you’ve settled dinner without adding another drive to the day. With children, that gap gives everyone time to regroup before sitting down.
Nearby Howard’s works well when you’re content to arrive and wait for a table. I’d choose Cherokee Grill when the evening needs a little more certainty. It also gives two diners room to spend differently. One can order the sirloin, the other the prime ribeye, and both get the dinner they wanted. Be ready for all that you can find at the Cherokee Grill by checking out our Cherokee Grill review.
The Greenbrier — Make Dinner the Evening
Give Gatlinburg one evening when you put away the attraction tickets and let dinner take its time. The Greenbrier, at 370 Newman Road, is a place I’d consider for that night. You’ll need to plan the trip from downtown, so reserve first and check the directions before setting out. If you’re celebrating an anniversary, leave enough room in the evening for a cocktail and conversation before anyone starts watching the clock.
Start your menu reading with the dry-aged steaks. The 16-ounce bone-in ribeye and New York strip are both aged for 35 days and priced at $62. I’d lean toward the ribeye for its marbling, or the strip if you prefer a firmer bite with less fat. Ask your server about the flavor of the aging before choosing. At this price, it helps to understand what makes your order different from the steak you might have downtown.
The six-ounce filet, at $49, offers a smaller portion. Beef Wellington takes dinner in another direction, wrapping an eight-ounce filet in pastry with prosciutto, mushrooms, and foie gras pâté for $63. Read the small detail before ordering. It’s served medium-rare only. For a companion who would rather have something else, the $38 duck comes with smoked cheddar grits and collard greens.
Do a little arithmetic before the evening gets going. Two $62 steaks and two $7 wedge salads bring the subtotal to $138 before drinks, other additions, tax, and tip. I’d leave the steak toppers alone on a first order and let the beef earn its price. Ask what sides come with your steak, too. The online menu lists them without explaining their cost or inclusion clearly.
Book online, and remember that Monday is the restaurant’s night off. I’d avoid sandwiching this dinner between a late afternoon outing and an evening show. You’re spending enough to give the meal some breathing room.
The choice comes down to what you’ll enjoy remembering. Choose The Greenbrier if you’re curious about dry-aged beef and want to devote an evening to dinner. Choose The Peddler if a river table and a traditional steakhouse meal sound more like your vacation. See if the Greenbrier is right for you with our full Greenbrier Review.
Alamo Steakhouse — Oak-Grilled Steak With Easy Parking
By dinnertime, a family vacation can come down to a simple question. Where can we park, sit down, and find something everyone will eat? Alamo, at 705 East Parkway, earns a look on those grounds alone. There’s free parking outside and a children’s menu inside. Check your directions before leaving the cabin, though. Alamo also has a Pigeon Forge location, and hungry passengers seldom appreciate an accidental sightseeing drive.
Once seated, give the oak-grilled steaks your attention. The kitchen cuts its aged beef in-house. I’d consider the 14-ounce Rio Grande Rib Eye at $39 before taking on the 20-ounce bone-in ribeye, listed as “The Steak” at $45. Six dollars buys a considerably larger cut, but some of that extra weight is bone. Let your appetite make the decision.
The $38 peppercorn New York strip comes with sweet marinated shallots, while the $40 filet suits someone who prefers a leaner cut. Prime rib is $39, with limited availability. Ask about it early if that’s the dinner you have in mind.
A salad and one classic side accompany the steak. Premium sides add $3, so check the choices before everyone orders a loaded potato. For two adults, a Rio Grande Rib Eye and the $24 Santa Fe chicken total $63 before extras, tax, and tip.
Children 10 and younger get a side, drink, and brownie bites with their meal. Those little inclusions matter when you’re adding up a family dinner. They also save the negotiations over whether dessert is coming.
Before heading over, check the Gatlinburg waitlist on Alamo’s website. Leave room for a wait if you have tickets for something afterward. For an extended-family gathering, I’d call about the private room, which seats up to 12 and accepts reservations.
Couples have a bookable option, too. The two-person Love Nest lets you arrange the table ahead of time. Call 865-436-9998 for either space. That small bit of planning can make dinner easier, especially when several people are counting on you to have it sorted. Check out our full Alamo Steakhouse review.
Howard’s Restaurant — Steak for Two Across From the Tram
Step off the Ober tram, cross the Parkway, and you have a dinner possibility at Howard’s, at 976 Parkway. Before settling inside, ask about the creekside patio. A table beside the water gives you somewhere to pause after an afternoon of shops and attractions. I’d consider this stop when the evening is still open and nobody needs to be somewhere else at a particular time.
Two steak eaters should take a moment with the $79 Steak for Two. Each diner chooses an eight-ounce filet or a 14-ounce ribeye, with two sides apiece. Order one of each, or both have the same cut. A filet and ribeye purchased separately would cost $93. The combination saves $14, which is worth remembering before you each order from a different part of the menu.
Choose the ribeye if you enjoy marbling and a richer bite. The filet suits someone who values tenderness. For a smaller dinner, the six-ounce bacon-wrapped petite filet costs $40. The 28-ounce porterhouse, at $59, calls for a considerably larger appetite, though its listed weight includes the bone.
Watch the salad addition when comparing prices. Two $6 salads bring the Steak for Two subtotal to $91 before drinks, tax, and tip. The Peddler’s ribeye-and-strip pairing comes to $86 with its salad bar included. Howard’s gives you two sides each, so let what you enjoy eating settle the comparison. For someone skipping beef, there’s $25 Smoky Mountain trout or $19 creekside chicken.
Howard’s takes neither reservations nor call-ahead seating. I’d check the wait before everyone is tired and hungry, particularly if the patio is part of the attraction. You can ask for that seating when you arrive, but keep your plans flexible.
If dinner needs to fit between the tram and an evening booking, nearby Cherokee Grill offers online reservations. Howard’s is an easier choice when you can sit down as a table becomes available and give dinner whatever time it needs. Make sure you check our full Howard’s Restaurant Review.
The Park Grill — When Only Half the Table Wants Steak
Coming out of the Smokies, you can settle the dinner debate before you get far into town. The Park Grill sits at 1110 Parkway, near the national park entrance. Its timber lodge feels right after a day outdoors. And if one person has been thinking about a ribeye since lunch while another would rather have trout, you can both stop looking.
For the steak eater, I’d start with the 12-ounce ribeye at $45. Choose it for the marbling, or save $4 with the same-size New York strip if you prefer a firmer bite. The five-ounce filet, at $40, makes sense for a smaller appetite. Remember the salad bar before talking yourself into a bigger cut. It’s already part of dinner.
My pick for the other side of the table would be the $33 rainbow trout. You can have it grilled or fried. For a heartier plate, the $30 barbecue sampler brings together pulled pork, chicken, and baby back ribs. A ribeye and trout come to $78 before drinks, tax, and tip, with a side and the salad bar for each diner. Our full Park Grill review goes into more detail on the menu and dining room.
If you’re coming straight from the park, book online and give yourself time to park. The lot is free, but spaces are limited. When several cars are making their way back from different trailheads, I’d agree on a dinner time that gives the last car a little breathing room.
For a reunion or a few families traveling together, ask about the private and semi-private dining rooms. Find out what the room costs before you book, and remember that the posted menu adds a 20% gratuity for parties of six or more. The advantage of arranging dinner ahead is that nobody has to spend the last hour in the park rounding up votes on where to eat. You’ve already got a table and a menu everyone can work with. Check out our full Park Grill Review.
Before You Book
Before you leave the cabin, take a minute with the menus. A steak at The Peddler comes with the salad bar and a side. At Howard’s, you get two sides, and a salad is $6 extra. If you’d both order one, put that $12 into the comparison. Menu prices were checked in November 2026.
Then think about what comes after dinner. With show tickets in your pocket, I’d reserve at The Peddler and leave time for a second trip to the salad bar. Alamo’s waitlist gets you in line for regular seating. And if you’ve left the evening open, stroll over to Howard’s and see what’s available.