My Top 5 Restaurants For Pizza in Gatlinburg: 2024 Edition

I’ve been wanting to update this list for months. I’ve agonized over it, and I’m still wavering as I write this. You see, Gatlinburg actually has some pretty good picks for pizza. Is it a hotbed for the Italian dish? Not really. In these parts, pancake is the “p” word that flips people out (pardon the pun). I’ve never been to New York, or even Chicago for that matter—hard to believe from a Northwest Ohio native. So maybe I’m not the best person to ask, but I absolutely love a good pizza pie, and I’ve still had a lot of different ones to have some credibility on the topic. Let’s get saucy! Here are my 5 favorite restaurants for pizza in Gatlinburg…right now.

5. Luigi’s Pizza

This is a surprise and underrated pick for me. Luigi’s Pizza has been here since 2006, but we only recently tried them for the first time in 2023. A few years ago, new owners took over the business, so I can’t compare and dispute the quality of pizza before. All I know is that we were pleasantly surprised how good it was. You could tell the dough was freshly-made, and the toppings were imbued with the same quality. I don’t pick apart the individual elements of a pizza too much; it’s not part of the experience. I just know, as a whole, the ingredients were harmonious, and that’s what puts it in my top 5 in Gatlinburg.

4. Big Daddy’s Pizzeria

This is where the struggle begins for me. Big Daddy’s Pizzeria is actually my wife’s favorite; however, my list has plenty of nuances to make this fourth best for me. It may not be fair, but the fact I’d rather order their delicious Dough Daddies (appetizer rolls) than pizza, I have to put it here. Like I said, not fair. I really do love a good wood-fired pizza, and Big Daddy’s is a great place to enjoy one. On our first few visits, this restaurant would easily be top 3, but recent developments have it sliding ever so slightly out.

3. Gatlinburg Brewing Company

Gatlinburg Brewing Company also suffers from the misfortune of having an appetizer better than the pizza. The gulf isn’t as wide, so they are my third favorite restaurant for pizza in Gatlinburg. Their Cheese Sticks are simply amazing, and could be an easy substitute for pizza if you’re here by yourself. As far as the pizza, it’s simple. Which wood-fired pizza would I take? I’ll go with GBC every time. Their specialty pizzas are creative with fresh ingredients and a crunchy crust that’s not too thin or thick. Pair it with one of their own brewed beers, and you have a perfectly scrumptious combo!

2. Smoky Mountain Brewery

Yes, Smoky Mountain Brewery is a sentimental pick, but they are also very consistent. Their specialty pizzas are also amazing, and SMB is my second favorite because they are everything I don’t expect in a pizza. What do I mean? I’ve always been a big fan of their tasteful cracker-like thin crust. It had me from hello when we first visited Gatlinburg, and it’s still unlike any other, even if it’s not quite as thin as the first one. While I love their toppings-loaded pies, they are one of only two pizza places in town where I am perfectly satisfied with just plain cheese. That’s a sign of an excellent pizza, in my eyes, and another reason it fits as my number 2.

1. Best Italian (Elks Plaza)

The best plain cheese pizza in Gatlinburg is still Best Italian in the Elks Plaza. That’s right, there’s no need to throw on additional toppings; it’s perfect on its own. Save yourself some dough (sorry) and order their medium, which definitely looks larger than a medium, for $15 as of this writing. That’s certainly enough for 3 of us (my wife and son) pizza fanatics like ourselves. Yes, they have another location on the Parkway, but this one is the original, and it’s definitely my top recommendation for pizza in Gatlinburg. I may not know what authentic New York pizza tastes like, but I imagine this being as close as it can be. Delizioso!

All of these places serve fantastic pizzas, in my opinion of course. This list is fluid. One bad experience at any could cause quite the shift—that’s how close the difference is. Seriously, my top 4 was debated for way too much time that I care to admit. I’m just happy I can decide which one of these delicious pies to have whenever the situation—or the mood—allows me to indulge in a carbohydrate binge. While there’s just a few more pizza restaurants I’ve yet to try, these five are certainly not cheesy choices (pardon the final pun).

Thank you for reading and subscribing! Does this list compare to yours? I’d love to hear your favorite pizza in Gatlinburg! And if you haven’t been here to try them yet, you might be surprised like I was when I tried these places for the first time. Please consider a simple subscription if this is your first time reading A Gatlinburg NOW Publication. It’ll allow you to see more of Gatlinburg through my eyes. I appreciate you all for taking the time to follow. I hope you enjoy my past, present, and future posts!