Timbers Log Cabin Restaurant is a local kind of place; a place you go to when you want to enjoy a good filling meal and get acquainted with the residents of an area you’re visiting. It might not be a five-star restaurant, or offer dishes with unique flavors or fusions, but the food and service are the types to keep you coming back.
You will find Timbers Log Cabin Restaurant tucked behind a small shopping center at the corner of Glades Road and Kings Road in the very far northwest corner of Gatlinburg. This intersection has a lot of unique craft stores and businesses that we’ll talk about later, but suffice to say here that one could spend a couple of hours meandering the shops before or after your meal at Timbers Log Cabin Restaurant.
As its name suggests, Timbers Log Cabin Restaurant boasts cozy log cabin architecture. This isn’t a fake type of country cabin facade as you often see with new places trying to look old, this is an authentic aesthetic. Walking up the front door, you will find several patio tables often filled with locals enjoying an early breakfast or lunch. Inside, country music is on and the scents of breakfast and chili are often wafting from the kitchen. A mish-mash of tables are scattered throughout the dining room and one of the owners is apt to be running about with dishes and menus. Again, this is very home-style, log cabin, country authentic.
The food here is typically served on paper plates with plastic cutlery, and there is an overall laid-bad attitude about the place. Menus come with a warning that food is going to take some time on their four-burner kitchen stove, but almost everyone who comes here finds the wait well worth it. Breakfast is served all day and American grill food reigns supreme.
Some of the most popular menu items at Timbers Log Cabin Restaurant includes:
Coal Miners’ Breakfast
This is a hardy breakfast that will surely fill you up and get you ready for a long day of hiking or general adventuring around Gatlinburg. It comes with three egg biscuits, roasted potatoes, sliced tomatoes, and your choice of breakfast meat. You can also opt to add on three pancakes served fresh from the griddle and to have your biscuits smothered in savory homemade pepper gravy.
Grateful Dead Burger
It’s not all things country here. This rock-and-roll-inspired lunch entrée features a large burger served with sautéed mushrooms and your choice of cheese. You also can pick from a number of sides, including potato salad, homemade chili, and collard greens.
Shrimp and Grits
This item is not always on the menu, but when it is, it comes strongly recommended. This is a massive plate filled with shrimp and smothered with their gravy and cheese grits. If the Shrimp and Grits aren’t available but you enjoy grits, try their three-cheese grits.
No matter what you order, you might want to plan on taking things to go or sharing them with your party. You can also order food to-go, just be prepared for a long wait.
Note that this restaurant is operated as a husband and wife duo (if you go to their Facebook page, you will see that their URL isn’t the restaurant’s name but rather their names and profession, GarryJudyCooks). They clearly love what they do, but don’t confuse their more neighborly-style service with the VIP treatment you might expect from a luxury resort restaurant or multinational chain. Their smaller stature also means they cannot handle parties over six at this time, and hours and supply can change with minimal notice.
Insider Tip:
Remember, you really want to plan on spending more than just your meal at this corner as there are so many interesting shops to visit here. The quilt shop Mountain Stitches by Susan, First Impressions Pottery, and the musical store of Smoky Mountain Dulcimer are just a handful of the fun and interesting locations here.