Italian Archives - Inside Pigeon Forge TN

The Mafia House

For all of you out there who are fans of such movies like the Godfather series, Goodfellas, and other gangster movies, The Mafia House in Pigeon Forge may be a place you should visit for a big slice of pizza. That is, if you haven’t already.

The Mafia House is the only Mafia-themed restaurant in East Tennessee according to their menu and guests can come in and experience the last century in mob history while they chow down on their choice of a large selection of Italian pizza pies.

Glancing at the menu, you can’t help but notice the mob-themed fare, starting with appetizers. Choose from such appropriate starters as Black Book Brushcetta, U Got Whacked Wings, and Godfather Garlic Knots among others. Sicily salads follow the appetizers before you get to the real meat of The Mafia House menu – the pizzas. Choose from small (14″) medium (16″) and large (18″) New York traditional hand-tossed pizzas. Toppings include everything from Italian sausage to pepperoni to black olives and everything in between.

They also offer a number of specialty pizzas in the same sizes including the “Palermo”, which is perfect for pepperoni lovers, the “Meat Eater”, the “Hoffa” which is like a Hawaiian pizza with pineapple and ham, the “Stakeout” Supreme, the “Milanese” which has no sauce but does have mushrooms, onions, green peppers, olives, and mozzarella, and the “Velachi” which is grilled chicken, red onions, mozzarella, BBQ sauce.

Calzones and pastas are next up on the menu and are highlighted by “The Don” – a Mafia-style tour of Sicily. Further, it’s the house marinara atop a bed of spaghetti, topped with breaded Parmesan, rope sausage link, and Italian meatballs.

A number of cold cut bus, as well as hot subs, fall next on the menu with cold cut subs including the Italian, Ultimate Italian, Genoa Salami and Provolone, and Black Forest Ham & Cheese. “Machine Gun Subs”, or hot subs, include the Chicago Italian Beef, Italian Beef Marinara, Sausage and Peppers, Italian Beef and Sausage, Meatball Parmesan, Chicken Parmesan, and Sausage Parmesan.

Hey, there’s even a kid’s menu. The little ones can choose from spaghetti and marinara, spaghetti and meatballs, and fettuccine alfredo. And of course, they serve cheesecake at The Mafia House.

The Mafia House
1440 Upper Middle Creek
Sevierville, TN 37863
(865) 365-1615

Mellow Mushroom

As far as pizza places go in Pigeon Forge, the Mellow Mushroom is at the top of the list. From pizzas to calzones to buffalo wings, there’s something to calm the appetite in all of us.

But what about before you bite into that huge slice of pepperoni or sausage pizza? Mellow Mushroom’s appetizer list is a meal in and of itself for some people. Just looking through the starters, oven baked chicken wings, pretzels, meatballs, spinach artichoke dip, muffuletta cheese bread, and bruschetta all stand out. Personally, you can’t go wrong with either the bruschetta or pretzels.

If a healthier lunch is more to your liking, Mellow Mushroom’s various salads are your ticket to ride. They’re big and you can even build your own if you’d like.

On to the meat of the menu, literally. The pizza section is realistically where everyone’s eyes go once they’ve positioned themselves accordingly inside Mellow Mushroom. These aren’t your everyday Pizza Hut pizzas either, they take a bit getting used to. The Holy Shiitake Pie jumps off the menu immediately if not for name alone. It’s blend of Shiitake, Button, and Portobello mushrooms on an olive oil and garlic base tells you you’re that much closer to Italy if not minutes away. Others like the Buffalo Chicken pizza and the Kosmic Marma, which is a red suace based pizza with fresh tomatoes with spinach and feta. The Funky Q Chicken includes BBQ chicken, BBQ sauce, Applewood smoked bacon, mozzarella, and cheddar cheeses. They’re all mouth-watering and will leave you craving for lunch or dinner.

Now, we know how good those pizzas are, but don’t make your final decision before taking a glance at the the calzones and hoagies. Choose from cheese, house, chicken and cheese calzones. On the deli hoagies side, Mellow Mushroom offers turkey and cheese, avocado, Italian, mushroom club. On the grilled hoagies side, steak and cheese, portobello and cheese, meatball, and tofu are among the many grilled subs on the menu.

And if you’ll be by the bar that night, Mellow Mushroom has a great selection of draft and bottled beers. Next time you’re in Pigeon Forge, stop by and pick up a pie or stay awhile for a drink, a calzone and some wings. You won’t leave hungry from the Mellow Mushroom, but you will leave mighty happy.

Mellow Mushroom
2485 Parkway
Pigeon Forge, TN 37863
865-286-2229
Monday-Sunday 11am – Midnight

Johnny Carino’s Pigeon Forge Italian Grill

A Pigeon Forge Insider’s review of Johnny Carino’s Italian Restaurant in Pigeon Forge, TN. Get tips on how to save money and what to eat!

If you’re in the mood for a little Italian cuisine during your trip to Pigeon Forge, there’s good news! Johnny Carino’s Italian Grill is located on the north end of Pigeon Forge.

Carino’s Italian is known for their “country Italian” cuisine. Instead of white, fancy tablecloths, you’ll find wooden tables. People aren’t going to wear ties and you don’t have to worry about which fork to use. This way, Carino’s is a great fit for anyone! The dress is casual, so you don’t have to worry about dressing up!

Italian Cuisine

First up is the bread! When the waiter or waitress starts to pour the oil & herbs for dipping, you’re going to fall in love with the first course!

As for the meal, they are amazing portion sizes! You should definitely go when you’re really hungry, so you can enjoy your entire plate! Or, of course, you can always take your leftovers with you! Plus, the entrees are reasonably priced, especially for the portion sizes.

To see the menu, click here.

After the meal, you can’t go wrong with some of their signature desserts! They have a selection of personal sized sweets and desserts to share as well. To finish off your perfect Italian meal, try the Tiramisu or their Italian Chocolate Cake.

Johnny Carino’s Pigeon Forge is a great place for families, couples or large groups. We suggest giving them a call if you plan to visit with a large group, so they can reserve your tables before you arrive.

If you need your Italian fix while visiting Pigeon Forge, TN then we highly suggest Johnny Carino’s. It’s arguably the best option of Italian restaurants in Pigeon Forge.

Johnny Carino’s Italian Grill
2425 Parkway, Pigeon Forge
865-868-0790