A Quick Review of The Daiquiri Shack in Gatlinburg

You can be excused from being unaware The Daiquiri Shack in Gatlinburg actually sells food. I know I was oblivious to that fact when I first heard of the place. In reality, since they weren’t local, I had no intention of even setting foot in this place. I’m generally not opposed to non-local businesses, especially if we’ve never been there before. But since our favorites in Gatlinburg are numerous, we just assumed it would be a skip. Now, as I’m about to tell you...well, you shouldn’t assume anything.

Sometimes, among our many visits to Gatlinburg in the past, we split up. It allows us to cover more ground so we can talk about our discoveries and allow us all to hit them up if it’s recommended from one of us. On our last visit as tourists in July, my wife and son decided to come here for…yes, a daiquiri (not daiquiris plural, since my son is still underage).

My wife likes to have an occasional fruity alcoholic beverage, and daiquiris obviously are fruity-licious to her. I know the word “daiquiri” is in the name, but let’s get into the aforementioned food that was a mystery prior. The Daiquiri Shack is part of the Margaritaville Resort group, which lands in other popular tourist destinations nationwide. They have nine of their signature drinks on the menu, and then there is the food.

There’s really nothing spectacular about the menu itself. If you’re a picky eater, you could find at least six items on the menu worth trying. It’s all standard fare. Everyone it seems has wings, and they chargrill theirs as an option. Overall, you’ll find nachos, fried pickles, wraps, sandwiches, and basic grill sandwiches on the menu. It’s pretty small and easy to run through. But deciding? Here’s where it may get tough.

I ordered the chicken quesadilla from the “Tasty Bites” section, thinking I probably wasn’t getting a large tray of food. Boy was I wrong! Four sections were cut with a generous filling of melted cheese, shredded chicken, plus peppers and onions. The other half of my tray had basically a basket full of fried tortilla chips. Also, with this “tasty bite” was one cup each of salsa and the thickest, yummiest queso I’ve ever had. Man, was it creamy and delicious!

I only ordered what I did because my wife and son selected the other two things I was considering: the Buffalo Chicken Wrap, and the Wild Ranch Chicken Wrap, respectively. These two items come with potato cracklins. About them: Think of diced potatoes that are fried. Dip them in queso, and you’re floating above the clouds and on cloud nine.

The service was attentive, but not overly shadowing. I will say they don’t have a host like other restaurants, so you will likely be seated by your server. This is fine because it’s a small space, but it’s spread out with a good amount of seating by the open windows facing the Parkway. I enjoyed this aspect, watching people cross the road and the traffic coming in and out of Gatlinburg. Even with the occasional noisy vehicle, it was a very pleasant overall atmosphere. There’s plenty of televisions for distraction as well.

The Daiquiri Shack blew my expectations out of the ocean. The food was great, and if you’re not starving, you can easily share a plate—especially mine—with at least one other person in your party and still leave satisfied. Out of five stars, I would rank it close to a 4.5. You’re not getting a fancy meal here; you’re getting a tray of excellent bar food that does it’s job…and does it well!

Thank you for reading my review of the Daiquiri Shack in Gatlinburg! More reviews of restaurants are upcoming, so I hope you’ll consider subscribing so you can possibly list these places on the itinerary for your exciting Gatlinburg vacation! Thank you so much, and I hope you enjoy my publication!