Pigeon Forge is about to be home to a brand new restaurant that is sure to quickly become one of the most popular places to eat in the Smokies! Paula Deen is coming to “butter people up” in the Smokies by opening a restaurant at The Island in Pigeon Forge. The original opening date was scheduled to be in late summer 2014, but they revised their plan to add more seating and kitchen space which pushed the opening date back and it will open April 27, 2015! The name will be Paula Deen’s Family Kitchen and is said to have a budget of $20 million to get it up and running, which makes it one of the highest-funded restaurants in Pigeon Forge! On their official website there is a question as to if Paula Deen will be at the Restaurant and it says, “Yes, the whole family will be here and are extensively involved in every aspect of the operation, menu, and design.” Neat! As to when they will be there and how often, that’s a bit unknown as of now, but it sounds like they will at least be there for the grand opening!
Paula Deen Pigeon Forge Restaurant Opening Date:
We originally shared an inside tip that we received stating that Paula Deen’s restaurant would do a “soft open” for VIP invites April 21-27 and then open to the public after that, and it sounds like that’s true! We finally have an officially announced opening date! They will open to everyone on April 27 and the hours are 7:30am to 10:00pm Sunday through Thursday and 7:30am to 11:00pm Friday and Saturday. They will be serving Breakfast from 7:30 until 10:30, lunch from 11 until 4, and dinner from 4 until 10 Sunday through Thursday, and 4 until 11 Fridays and Saturdays.
They are accepting walk-in guests, but you can definitely expect long lines and wait times, so be prepared and don’t be in a hurry if you plan to eat at Paula Deen’s! They are also accepting call-ahead seating as well up until an hour before you arrive, which we HIGHLY recommend. It’s just call ahead seating a not reservation, so they haven’t published a phone number yet to call. If you have to wait, they’ll give a pager, which has a range that will reach all throughout The Island so you can watch the water fountain show, shop, enjoy the rides, etc until your table is ready.
For group reservations, contact groups@pauladeensfamilykitchen.com. You can also visit their official site at https://pauladeensfamilykitchen.com/ for more info.
About Paula Deen’s Pigeon Forge Restaurant
The building is about 20,000 square feet and can seat up to 300 guests, which is great because Paula Deen’s Pigeon Forge restaurant will undoubtedly attract large crowds eager to enjoy her southern-style cookin’! The bottom level of the building is a 4,000 square foot store offering all sorts of Paula Deen goods, and you’ll feel like you’ve walked into Deen’s home, complete with a replica of her kitchen for special events, samplings and personal appearances! Paula Deen said, “We are going to serve our meals family style, with big ol’ bowls on the table, heaping full of fried chicken, collards, fried okra, corn and sweet potatoes.”
The Visit My Smokies website reported the following:
Everything on their menu is served family style with a twist, and the portions cannot be beaten. The way the staff described it is that the portions are big enough that you think it is all-you-can-eat, but you only get one plate.
Paula Deen Pigeon Forge Menu
Want to know what Paula Deen’s Family Kitchen offers for breakfast, lunch, and dinner? Check out the each menu for Paula Deen’s Family Kitchen in Pigeon Forge below! The meals are served family style (loads of food brought directly to your table) and the prices are per person. For example, for 2 people to have breakfast and coffee it is $14.99 for each person, and then $2.99 per coffee so the total for 2 people to have breakfast would be $35.96.
Breakfast Menu
Click on the Paula Deen Pigeon Forge breakfast menu below to see a larger version.
Lunch Menu
Click on the Paula Deen Pigeon Forge lunch menu below to see a larger version.
Dinner Menu
Click on the Paula Deen Pigeon Forge dinner menu below to see a larger version.
Paula Deen’s restaurant will join the popular Jimmy Buffet’s Margaritaville restaurant and Ole Smoky Moonshine at The Island.
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