Gatlinburg Restaurant Review: Flapjack's Pancake Cabin (Downtown Parkway)

Happy Fourth of July, everyone! I decided to get my butt out of bed early so I wouldn’t be so hesitant about starting my day. As a result, I checked another unvisited restaurant off my checklist—Flapjack’s Pancake Cabin in Gatlinburg. Well, I should add that I have been to 2 different FPC locations in the past. The first was good, the second not so much. Like another restaurant in town where redemption is being sought after, this one—even though it’s my first here—I desperately wanted to approve.

There are a handful of Flapjack’s Pancake Cabin locations in Sevier County—3 in Gatlinburg. This location is downtown between the Summit Manor Condos hill and Elks Plaza, where Howard’s and Best Italian are. There’s another when you first enter Gatlinburg from the spur on the left, and another on 321 just beyond Winery Square—the latter I’ve also not patronized.

As I walked in, I was a bit confused when the young lady at the front directed me to the back by the sign that directed guests to the restrooms. Well, stupid me didn’t even realize they had an upstairs eating area where they sought to seat me. Thankfully, a man who I suspect was the manager told me to follow him. Yes, there are still times when I look and act the part of being a tourist.

The inside was mildly reminiscent of a cabin. It’s nothing too unique, unlike the other breakfast restaurants in town, which have a special character and theme, making it unmistakable and memorable, even if it’s your first and only visit. There is a certain charm this place offered that’s difficult to describe, and the fact I got a window seat upstairs was a bonus I didn’t anticipate.

Lacie was my server and she took my coffee and water drink order as I scanned the menu, stressing over my options. I nixed the skillets and feasts which looked massive and more than even this breakfast fanatic wanted to drool over. A small part of me still wants to order pancakes, but being a good boy means getting something not to disturb my health so much—meaning an omelet. A Veggie Omelet is starting to be a popular choice for me, and it’s what I chose, substituting 2 pancakes or hash browns with 2 biscuits. I like how I was offered a vast array of options when I was fickle about the listed options on the menu. I figured—even though they aren’t the greatest for me either—biscuits would be fine, especially because I like to compare all places’ bread morsels to the gold standard set by Log Cabin Pancake House.

I received my food in approximately 5 minutes. I had everything I needed on the table, including napkins, so I was ready to dig in. I was surprised at how well it was presented. Even the best breakfast spots in town don’t necessarily have it down pat—another pleasant surprise. Okay, so I enjoyed my omelet and biscuit (I saved the other). I would rate the quality as pretty good, but not the best. I wish my folded egg had more vegetables in it, but not quibble-worthy. They also were a bit skimpy on the cheese—you can never have too much. The biscuit looked amazing with the golden brown, buttery, cratered top, but it didn’t give me the same type of flavor explosion Log Cabin Pancake House delivers with. It’s a high bar, so maybe that’s not fair. I did think it was a well-made biscuit, though, and I would clearly rate it higher than the recent disappointments we’ve been served at another spot only a few hundred feet away.

They do offer a 10% local discount which shows up on the receipt as a military discount, so don’t think I was trying to pull the military card, because they are much braver, better men and women than I could ever be. I thought a filling breakfast with coffee that came in at less than $15 before tip was very reasonable.

What would I rate Flapjack’s Pancake Cabin in downtown Gatlinburg? Since it’s not the best nor the worst breakfast but better than average, I’m going to give it a 4.2 out of 5, which is actually the average review on Google, based on thousands of them. Again, the service was superb, the food was enjoyable, and the atmosphere was decent to good. Do I recommend them? YES! Would I return? Also, yes. If you’re hoping for a well-made breakfast and don’t want to wait an hour or more at Crockett’s Breakfast Camp down and across the street, please go here instead. They may not have the outlandish signature items CBC has, but this is some no-frills food that I believe will satisfy when you don’t want to delay your hunger. Enjoy!

Thank you for reading my latest restaurant review of my first visit to Flapjack’s Pancake Cabin in downtown Gatlinburg! If you want to read more food reviews, news, and more from my home here, be sure to subscribe so you don’t miss anything. All you need is your email address to become a free subscriber and you’ll get the inside scoop when I publish each post! You can also opt to be a paid, exclusive member, which will give you access to all my personal stories: monthly updates on our life in Gatlinburg, and more intimate details on how we’re adjusting to life in a tourist town. Thank you all for following and supporting me! You encourage me to stay the course, documenting this journey that I am on! See you next time!