Big Daddy's Pizzeria

We've eaten at Big Daddy's probably a dozen times over the years, and that wood-fired brick oven really does make a difference — you can taste the char on the crust without it being burnt. They hand-pull all their dough and don't use a freezer anywhere in the place, which sounds like marketing speak until you bite into one of their pizzas next to a chain restaurant pie.

The honey roasted wings are honestly better than the pizza sometimes. They cook them in that same wood oven, so they get this smoky flavor you can't replicate in a regular kitchen. Fair warning though — we've noticed the service has gotten pretty inconsistent lately, and our last few visits weren't as good as we remembered.

It's right on the Parkway at 1820, so parking is actually easier than most Sevierville restaurants since they have their own lot. Just don't come Friday or Saturday night unless you want to wait 45 minutes — we learned that the hard way with hungry kids in tow. The online waitlist helps, but weekday lunches are your best bet for getting in and out without drama.

They'll work with you on allergies if you talk to a manager, which saved us when our nephew visited with his gluten sensitivity. The large pizzas are great for sharing back at the cabin, and they do takeout if you'd rather skip the restaurant scene entirely. Hours are 11-9 Sunday through Thursday, 11-10 on weekends.

One thing though — the prices have crept up over the years and you're looking at $25+ for a specialty pizza. It's not chain restaurant cheap, but the quality is there when they're on their game.