Tuckaleechee Trout Farm & Restaurant in Townsend TN near the Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Townsend, Tennessee, billed as the "Peaceful Side of the Smokies", has a lot to offer the traveler who visits the Smokies. A major gateway to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Townsend also offers the easiest access to Cades Cove, which happens to be the most popular attraction in the most popular park. A lesser known fact is that Townsend also happens to be the home of the best trout farm restaurant in the Smokies area.

The Tuckaleechee Trout Farm Restaurant, owned and operated by Larry and Sue Smith, simply serves good food, with good service, at a good price. You can order fresh-caught trout from the menu or catch your own from their spring-fed ponds (the spring pumps 1,000 gallons per minute), and the staff will prepare your fresh-caught trout for you.

The trout is fried or broiled to your taste and served with fresh vegetables (in season) and the best hushpuppies we've ever had. We always save room for some of their blackberry cobbler with vanilla ice cream (they also have other fresh fruit cobblers).

We prefer the trout, but the Smiths also serve steak, chicken, and fried shrimp dinners. They even have hamburgers for those who haven't discovered the pleasure of fresh trout.