The Old Mill: A New Favorite

I didn't believe Brad's sister, Ali, when she said, "It's Cracker Barrel, but better." Ali was talking about this restaurant in Pigeon Forge called The Old Mill. I figured it was good, but I was skeptical about the Cracker Barrel comment.

How can you get better than Cracker Barrel? The tea, the biscuits, the cone-bread, the dumplins, the mashed taters. Then there's the service. The stars mean something. I can't count the number of times that I have eaten at Cracker Barrel, but I can count the number of times that I've had bad service. Can count those times on one finger. Yes, I said finger.

Well worth the twenty minute wait for a table, The Old Mill is now a new favorite. Ali nailed it. It's Cracker Barrel, but better. Cracker Barrel may have the golf tee game, which does keep me entertained for a while, but what Cracker Barrel doesn't have are black bear salt and pepper shakers.

On the menu that day (or at least the menu I made for myself) was...

• Sweet tea, our waitress ended up leaving us a pitcher to save herself several refill trips
• Corn chowder
• Hushpuppies with honey butter
• Fried porkchops and gravy 
• Mashed potatoes
• Fried okra
• And a biscuit that melted in my mouth 

I consumed more calories in that meal than I typically do in three days. But the food baby I carried around for hours after was totally worth it. And so was all the hiking I had to do to shed those extra pounds.