Every restaurant in Townsend, with addresses, phone numbers and how far each one is from the lodge. Updated June 2026.

A full day of tubing the Little River, driving the Cades Cove loop, or hiking the trails around Townsend builds a serious appetite. The good news is that Townsend’s restaurants are within a few minutes of Tremont Lodge & Resort, and most of them sit right along E Lamar Alexander Parkway (US-321), the main road through town. You won’t find chain-heavy strips or hour-long waits here; you’ll find Appalachian bistros, riverside pubs, family diners, drive-in burgers, and coffee houses that roast their own beans.

This guide lists every dining option in Townsend by type, with the address, phone number, website, and driving distance from Tremont Lodge (7726 E Lamar Alexander Pkwy). Eleven of the fifteen are within a mile, and everything is under three.

Staying with us? Ask the front desk for the current hours before you head out; several Townsend restaurants keep seasonal schedules, and a few close early on weeknights.
See our rooms and suites or browse things to do in Townsend.

American Restaurants in Townsend

This is the heart of Townsend dining: farm-to-table Appalachian cooking at Dancing Bear, wood-fired pizza and a taco bar with national park views at Peaceful Side Social, steak and fresh trout at Trailhead, and Southern home cooking with big portions at Riverstone. Most of these sit less than a mile from the lodge, so you can walk off dinner along the Townsend Greenway or the river.

Coffee Houses in Townsend

Townsend takes its coffee seriously for a town of a few hundred people, with two shops roasting in-house and one pairing espresso with handmade chocolate. Grab a cup before an early Cades Cove drive, when the wildlife is out and the loop road is quiet; The Chocolate B’ar is a three-minute walk from the lodge.

Fine Dining in Townsend

For an anniversary dinner or the one night you want to dress up a little, Dancing Bear’s Appalachian Bistro is Townsend’s white-tablecloth option: locally sourced ingredients, a seasonal menu, and a wine list that punches above its zip code. Reservations are strongly recommended, especially on fall weekends when Cades Cove leaf-peepers fill the town.

Fast Food & Quick Bites in Townsend

Sometimes you just need something fast between the river and the trail. Burgermaster is the local favorite here, an old-school drive-in with Black Angus burgers and soft-serve on the road toward the park entrance; Subway and Pizza Hut cover the rest, and both are within a mile of the lodge.

Sweets & Dessert in Townsend

End the evening with something from The Chocolate B’ar, where the fudge and truffles are made on site and the shop is close enough to the lodge to walk to after dinner. Apple Valley’s fried apple pies and the Dancing Bean’s cinnamon rolls (both listed above) round out Townsend’s sweet tooth options.

Restaurants You Can Walk to From Tremont Lodge

If you’d rather leave the car parked after a day in the park, four spots are within a half mile of the lodge: The Chocolate B’ar and Subway (0.3 mi), The Townsend Abbey on River Road (0.4 mi), and Trailhead Steak and Trout House (0.5 mi). Peaceful Side Social, Little River Pub and Deli, Pizza Hut and the IGA deli are all just under a mile along the parkway, an easy stroll on a summer evening.

Tips for Eating Out in Townsend

Hours change with the season. Townsend is quieter than Gatlinburg or Pigeon Forge, and that extends to restaurant schedules. Several places close one or two weekdays, and kitchens often stop serving by 8 or 9 pm. Call ahead in winter.

Fall weekends fill up. October brings Cades Cove leaf traffic and the town’s festivals; expect waits at the sit-down restaurants Friday through Sunday, and book Dancing Bear well in advance.

Pack a picnic for the park. There are no restaurants inside Great Smoky Mountains National Park on the Townsend side. The IGA deli, Little River Pub and Deli, and Apple Valley all make good sandwiches to carry to Cades Cove, Metcalf Bottoms or the Little River trailheads.

Bring the dog. Peaceful Side Social’s beer garden welcomes dogs, and Tremont Lodge offers pet-friendly rooms, so nobody has to stay behind.

Stay in the Middle of It All

Tremont Lodge & Resort sits at 7726 E Lamar Alexander Parkway, right in the center of Townsend’s restaurant row and a short drive from the Cades Cove entrance to the national park. Rooms and suites range from newly renovated two-queen rooms to river-view suites, with pet-friendly options available.

See Rooms & Rates at Tremont Lodge

Planning the rest of your trip? 

Read our guides to driving the Cades Cove Loop Road, the best hiking trails near Townsend, waterfalls near Townsend, and horseback riding in Townsend.

Know a Townsend restaurant we missed, or spot an outdated phone number or hours? 

Let us know and we’ll update this guide. 

Distances are driving miles from Tremont Lodge via Google Maps, June 2026.