7 Unique Places To Eat Ice Cream and Treats in The Smokies
You scream! I scream! We all scream for ice cream!
It’s summer in the Smokies and a great way to beat the heat is with a delicious cold treat. And not just any treat – Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge and Sevierville have some truly fun shops with unique ice cream creations and sweet snacks.
Mad Dog’s Creamery and Donuts
With Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg locations, Mad Dog’s motto is “Unleash the Sweet.” And does it ever.
Along with traditional – but also delicious – vanilla, chocolate and strawberry, Mad Dog’s offers unique hand-dipped ice cream flavors including Yellow Brick Road, White Chocolate Raspberry, Orange Pineapple, Strawberry Cheesecake and Sea Salt Caramel Cheesecake.
Ice cream flavors aren’t the only unique treats. Among, Mad Dog’s fun creations are an ice cream stuffed cotton candy burrito, a banana pudding funnel cake and ice cream on a cloud – ice cream on cotton candy served in a cone. What fun! Visitors also will find soft, fluffy doughnuts, and you know the offerings are anything but ordinary. Maple bacon, dreamcicle, banana pudding, chocolate chip cake are among the flavors.
Have your 4-legged best friend with you, Mad Dog’s has doggie treats and toys for them too. You can sit outside with your dog where there are picnic tables and water bowls. Their treats come in ice cream and doughnut form as well.
Find Mad Dog’s in Pigeon Forge at 3048 Parkway, (865) 774-5558, and in Gatlinburg at 731 East Parkway, (865)430-5757.
The Old Mill Creamery
Located in Pigeon Forge’s Old Mill – an actual working grist mill –The Old Mill Creamery “makes ice cream the old-fashioned way, churning rich custard to scoop into bowls or sugar cones, whirl into thick shakes, or sculpt into eye-popping sundaes.”
The shop adds treats from The Old Mill Candy Kitchen, the bakery, spirits from the Old Forge Distillery and fresh fruits and nuts to create interesting and tasty ice creams. Among its signature flavors are Whiskey Ribbon, Salted Caramel, Vanilla Bean, Banana Pudding and Oat Mill Cream Pie.
The Old Mill Creamery will serve you a Sundae Bowl that you design, and it comes in a handmade keepsake bowl from Pigeon River Pottery Company.
The Old Mill History
The Old Mill is a nationally recognized Historical Site and is located on the West Prong of the Little Pigeon River in the heart of Pigeon Forge. It was the heart of the community and served as a gathering spot for villagers. During the Civil War, looms were set up on the second floor to make woven articles for soldiers. Then, the area around the Old Mill was first settled by pioneers near a river in the early 1800s. The river was named Little Pigeon because of its popularity with pigeons, and the name was given to the community as well. William Love dammed up the Little Pigeon River and began construction of the first building of the Old Mill. He utilized 40-foot-long, 14″-by-14″ Yellow Poplar logs, which are clearly visible even today. Huge river rocks serve as pillars to support the structure. The Mill has been in continuous daily operation since its completion in 1830, and consequently this is one of the most photographed structures in Tennessee.
Read more about The Old Mill and Pigeon’s Forge’s history in our blog post.
Find The Old Mill at 171 Old Mill Ave, Pigeon Forge, (865) 453-4301.
Apple Valley Creamery
The Apple Valley Creamery in Sevierville is an old-fashioned ice cream parlor and bakery that makes about 60 different ice cream flavors and made from scratch baked goods. The shop, and adjoining restaurant and store, are just off a main road but they feel a million miles away. In business since 1991, Apple Valley Creamery will turn your ice cream choice into a banana split, malt or an ice cream float, and you can top your homemade fruit cobbler with ice cream too!
Find Apple Valley Creamery at 230 Apple Valley Rd., Sevierville, (865) 429-4113.
Curl de le Crème
Customize your own creation at this Pigeon Forge eatery and the curlers will make it beautiful and almost too pretty to eat – almost.
Visitors choose an ice cream flavor – vanilla, chocolate, mint, and also vegan vanilla, vegan chocolate and sugar-free vanilla or chocolate. Each order is turned from liquid cream to ice cream as you watch. Choose from a selection of cookies, fruits, cereal, and nut-based pastes to mix in. Fruity Pebbles, peanut butter, Nutella, pecan pie, cherries, coffee and many more to mix in and add on top of the final creation.
The ice cream curls are placed beautifully in a cup, waffle bowl, waffle taco or between 2 Krispy Kreme doughnuts!
The sister owned and founded business, Curl de la Crème shares its seasonal creations on Facebook and Instagram.
Find Curl de la Crème at 2656 Parkway, Suite 6, Pigeon Forge, (865)-286-9230
The Village Café and Creamery
Located in downtown Gatlinburg in the charming Village Shops, The Village Café and Creamery serves up ice cream in shakes, malts, floats, sundaes, old-fashioned sodas and on hot days – smoothies, slushies and shaved ice.
Set in a quaint European village atmosphere, The Village – opened in 1970 – and its brick pathway, landscaping and fountains provide a “tranquil escape from Parkway traffic.” Along with the creamery, there are 26 other gift and specialty shops, clothiers, galleries and eateries.
The Village Story
“In 1965, two families purchased the property on which “The Village” now stands. Careful not to make any hasty decisions about the property’s future, the two families traveled extensively in search of ideas for the property.” To create a unique experience, the families found old homes, churches and buildings that were being demolished yielded numerous unique items they could use for construction. “They acquired thick roofing slates, heavy carved doors, antique trim moldings and gas lighting fixtures and handmade bricks to complete a sense of the Old World.”
Find The Village at 634 Pkwy. Ste. 17, Gatlinburg, (865) 436-0888.
Pearl’s Pie in the Sky
Whether you want pie or ice cream or pie and ice cream, Pearl’s will satisfy and surprise. Treats are served up with one of the most spectacular views in the Smokies.
Located in Firefly Village in in the mountain playground called Anakeesta, where the only way to get there is by scenic open chairlift or the enclosed Chondola from Gatlinburg.
Enjoy a scoop of creamy hand-dipped ice cream by Bluebell; cones, milkshakes and sundaes. Add a scoop of your favorite flavor to homemade fried pies, cookies and brownies.
So, head up the mountain for the pie and ice cream, stay for the fun and the views.
Read all about Anakeesta in our blog post. Find Anakeesta by calling (865) 325-2400, 576 Parkway, Gatlinburg.
Glades Soda Fountain
Step back in time at Glades Soda Fountain, where ice cream dishes – Phosphates & Floats, sodas & sundaes, milkshakes & malts – are mixed up by the “soda jerks” just as they were in the drugstores of Main Street USA during the late 1880s and most of the 20th century (Drugstoremuseum.com).
Owned and operated by The Mitchell Family, Glades Soda Fountain makes ice cream sodas including chocolate soda with vanilla ice cream – a black and white. With chocolate ice cream, it’s called a black and black. There’s also strawberry blonde, Cherry Coke, banana, pineapple and many more.
28 Years Experience
Glades Soda Fountain has been in business for 28 years in the Morning Mist Village on Glades Road and part of the Great Smoky Mountains Arts and Crafts Community. We are a vintage soda fountain and ice shop, serving hand-mixed sodas, floats, ice cream sodas, milkshakes, malts and other ice cream treats. We use Mayfield- brand ice cream, which is produced here in Tennessee.
The Mitchell Family is the 3rd or 4th owner of the soda fountain. The previous owner had the soda fountain for 11 years. Our family has been coming to Gatlinburg for over 35 years. We were here from Springfield, Ohio on vacation in December and had visited the soda fountain, when we saw that the business was for sale. I went in to chat with the owner regarding the sale and within 2 weeks, our family was making an offer for the business. We created an LLC, with myself and my children, Cory and Abbie. My wife Lori and I travel to Tennessee each weekend to work in the business, while our daughter Abbie has moved to Gatlinburg to manage things here. Our son Cory is our marketing director and is working on the website and logo-wear. We also have our “adopted daughter”, Masie Perkey, who works with Abbie Monday through Friday.
With serving hand-mixed sodas and hand-dipped ice cream, we can create different flavors, as long as we have the syrups and ice cream available. Root Beer Floats are a favorite of many, but you can also get a Root Beer Milkshake or Root Beer Ice Cream Soda, since we have the syrup to use for these and not just the bottled type. Our Banana Splits, Brownie Delights and Boston Shakes are favorites for the hearty.
Location Location Location
All of this is located in The Great Smoky Arts & Crafts Community – worth a visit even without ice cream. Located 3 miles from downtown Gatlinburg, the Arts & Crafts Community is where visitors can find a diversity of crafts and a wide assortment of items from dulcimers to stuffed bears to ceramics and glass blown right there in front of them. The artists often will talk with visitors and discuss the history of their craft.
The 8-mile Arts and Crafts Community is the largest independent organization of artisans in the United States. Each shop offers plenty of free parking, however visitors also can use the Yellow Trolley from downtown Gatlinburg to get to the Community. Read more on our blog.
Find the Community at 668 Glades Rd, Gatlinburg, (865) 412-1012. Find Glades Soda fountain at 601 Glades Road, Suite 20, (614) 719-9108
Ready to get to the Mountains? You’ll need a place to stay!
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Book a cabin close to the Parkway and you won’t miss any Gatlinburg fun.
Book online using our website, or give our friendly Reservation staff a call at (800) 204-5169 to get started planning your trip to Anakeesta and the Great Smoky Mountains.
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Published on Wednesday, July 28, 2021