While in Gatlinburg Tennessee with family we decided to visit a restaurant called The Brass Lantern. This restaurant is set in the middle of the strip in downtown Gatlinburg. The strip is on 441 and runs right threw down town. The strip is a big ‘tourist trap’, with hotels, restaurants, and shops. The restaurant is no different with the Christmas decorations out and the landscaping fitting in with the view of the strip.
When entering the restaurant, you enter threw the revolving door and into the very small waiting area. This area is enough for about 10 people after that you are very cramped. Also, there is only enough room for two people to sit down. We were told the waiting time would be 20 minutes. We decided to wait due to the fact that we were starving and every restaurant we went to would have the same waiting period. While waiting you have a great view of the mountains right outside the restaurant, all the people on the street, the stores, and interesting events taking place in the packed streets.
Once it was our turn to be seated we had been there almost 30 minutes, and the hostess then took the group of six (we were a group of 5) that had gotten there less then 5 minutes ago to the table and then tried to take another group of 6 to the table. We then spoke up and the hostess said she had called our name (no one in our party heard her and we were but 3 feet from her) and she said the other group jumped and followed and wouldn’t tell her their name. She then sat us in the next table which had a better view. This was no means the hostesses fault, but she took the blame and tried to make us happy before she moved on to the next group.
The view from the table looked out the front of the restaurant and was a spectacular view of the mountains, the strip of stores, and tourists. The setting of the restaurant was a little cramped, but other wise very well thought out. We were greeted promptly by our waitress and she always had a smile on her face and she was very friendly.
Food came out very hot, and in good time. The food was in huge portions. The salad I ordered was their lunch size and the size of most dinner portions in other restaurants. The side item portions were larger then the normal of most restaurants too.
The atmosphere was so lively and fun you felt like part of their family. Everybody was helpful and friendly, and their smiles we so contagious you couldn’t help but smile yourself.
This restaurant is one of the best in a tourist location I have been to in a long time, and would definitely recommend it to family and friends whether you are on vacation or not.
