The Old Mill Pottery House Cafe

Why go: Plates arrive on pottery thrown next door and the breads come out of an oven on the premises, which makes the Pottery House the more modern and more individually plated of The Old Mill’s two restaurants.

About The Old Mill Pottery House Cafe

The Pottery House Cafe is the counterpart to its older sibling a short walk away. Where that dining room leans traditional, this one runs a broader card: black angus steaks and chops, salmon, signature quiches, and a sandwich list long enough to carry the whole lunch service on its own.

Two things distinguish the room. Food is served on pottery made next door at Pigeon River Pottery, so the plate under the meal was thrown a few steps away. And the breads are baked on site using grain from the mill, in six varieties that include cinnamon raisin pecan, onion rye, and sourdough, with loaves sold whole for guests who want to take the bakery home.

Getting to The Old Mill Pottery House Cafe

The cafe stands on Old Mill Street inside the same walkable district as the mill, the distillery, and the pottery works, a short turn off the Parkway. Parking for the cafe is on Butler Street, which is worth knowing before you circle the lot in front of the other restaurant.

Why Choose The Old Mill Pottery House Cafe

Two Southern restaurants a few hundred feet apart under the same ownership invites an obvious question. Here is what tilts the answer toward this one.

• You order your own plate. Individual entrees rather than a shared spread, which suits a table where five people want five different things.
• Brunch on Saturday and Sunday. Benedicts, skillets, and chicken and waffles, served on the weekend only.
• A separate midday card. Lunch specials run from late morning through the afternoon, distinct from the all-day menu.
• An award pointed at families. Named 2022 Best Family Restaurant in Pigeon Forge, with a kids menu for guests twelve and younger.
• The bakery is not a side note. Soups come in a homemade bread bowl and loaves leave with guests who ask.

Menu Favorites

The card spans soups and sandwiches through steaks, with a separate brunch list on weekends. These are the plates that define it.

• Fried Green Tomato BLT. The sandwich most associated with the cafe, and its Southern move on a familiar format.
• Original Chicken Reuben. A house reworking of the deli standard, listed as an original rather than a variation on one.
• Shrimp & Grits. Part of the Miller’s Selections group, built around grain ground at the mill.
• Pottery House Hot Brown. An open-faced Kentucky classic that eats like a knife-and-fork dinner.
• Cafe Bread Bowl. Any of the soups, from loaded baked potato to tomato basil, served inside a bowl from the bakery.
• Country Ham Eggs Benedict. Weekend brunch only, alongside chicken and waffles and the sweet potato and sausage skillet.
• Coconut Cream Pie. Leads a dessert list that also carries chocolate pecan pie, key lime, and carrot cake.

What to Expect

Practical notes for planning the visit.

• No reservations here either. Both Old Mill restaurants seat walk-ins only, groups included.
• Made to order takes time. Steaks and burgers are marked as cooked to order on the menu, so this is not the faster of the two rooms.
• No alcohol. The menu carries no beer, wine, or spirits.
• Takeout goes in by phone. Call ahead rather than arriving to order at a counter.
• Seasonal and baker’s special selections rotate, so it is worth asking what came out of the oven that morning.

Nearby in Pigeon Forge

• The Old Mill Restaurant. The traditional half of the pair, serving Southern plates with sides passed at the table.
• The Old Mill Creamery. Hand-dipped ice cream a few steps across the courtyard.
• Old Forge Distillery. Small-batch spirits made in the district, with free tastings for guests twenty-one and older.
• Reagan’s House of Pancakes. A Parkway breakfast house for mornings that start earlier than weekend brunch.
• Tennessee Shine Co. Moonshine and wine tastings with a bottle shop over on Teaster Lane.

Explore More

My Smoky Mountain Guide Pigeon Forge is a great resource for finding places to eat and things to do.

• Pigeon Forge Food & Beverage Guide. Restaurants, dinner shows, breweries, distilleries, and eateries throughout Pigeon Forge, from sit-down meals to grab-and-go stops.
• Pigeon Forge Outdoor Adventure. Mountain coasters, UTV rentals, rafting, helicopter tours, and other ways to experience the Smokies from outdoors.
• Pigeon Forge Attractions. Museums, escape rooms, mini-golf, arcades, and other family-friendly stops across the city.
• Pigeon Forge Entertainment. Dinner shows, live music, comedy, magic, and theater experiences throughout Pigeon Forge.