10/17/2026
Della Santina is our recommendation and in our neighborhood Historic Seaton Springs Farm
🍝🇮🇹 WHO HAS THE BEST ITALIAN FOOD IN THE SMOKIES? THIS LIST MIGHT START AN ARGUMENT! 😂🔥
We've covered Mexican food, steaks, breakfast spots and burgers around the Smokies.
But now it's time to talk about something that can start a whole different argument...
ITALIAN FOOD! 🍝🍕
We're talking delicious pasta, lasagna, chicken parmesan, fresh seafood, garlic bread and those restaurants where you leave so full you swear you're not eating again until tomorrow. 😂
Whether you're visiting Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge or Sevierville, there are some great places to satisfy that Italian food craving.
And we're putting a locally owned Sevierville restaurant at the VERY TOP of our list!
HERE ARE OUR PICKS FOR THE BEST ITALIAN RESTAURANTS IN THE SMOKIES!
🥇 #1 — RISTORANTE DELLASANTINA— SEVIERVILLE 🇮🇹
This one takes our number one spot, and for good reason! You should have guessed from last week. LOL
Located on Red Bank Road in Sevierville, Ristorante DellaSantina offers something different from the typical tourist-area restaurant.
It's family-owned, with a focus on Italian cooking, fresh ingredients and a dining experience that feels a little more personal.
From pasta and lasagna to fresh seafood and beautifully prepared entrées, this is the kind of place you visit when you want more than just another ordinary dinner.
And here's something that makes our number one choice even more special...
TASTING TABLE INCLUDED RISTORANTE DELLASANTINA AMONG THE 16 BEST FAMILY-OWNED ITALIAN RESTAURANTS IN AMERICA! 👏🇺🇸
That's NATIONAL recognition for a restaurant right here in Sevierville!
We've also gotten to know Lexus, the restaurant manager, and it's been great seeing the restaurant and its team receive this kind of attention.
If you're looking for a nice dinner, celebrating a special occasion or just want some really good Italian food, DellaSantina would be our first recommendation.
OUR PICK FOR #1! 🏆
🥈 #2 — ROMA TABLE — SEVIERVILLE 🍝
Now here's another restaurant that deserves some serious attention!
Roma Table offers a modern take on Italian-American dining, with a comfortable atmosphere that works well for couples, families and groups.
From pasta and pizza to other Italian favorites, there's plenty to choose from.
It's also a convenient option if you're staying around Pigeon Forge or Sevierville and don't want to head all the way into downtown Gatlinburg for dinner.
Sometimes you want a nice Italian meal without making the evening complicated.
For us, Roma Table takes the #2 spot!
🥉 #3 — JOHNNY CARINO'S — PIGEON FORGE 🍝
Johnny Carino's takes our number three spot!
Sometimes you just want a good, hearty Italian-American meal without all the fuss.
Johnny Carino's is known for its pasta dishes, chicken parmesan, lasagna, Italian nachos and other comfort-food favorites.
It's a chain rather than a locally owned restaurant, but that doesn't mean it can't earn a place on the list.
It's a good option for families, couples and anyone craving a big Italian dinner after spending the day exploring Pigeon Forge.
And if you've never tried Italian nachos, that's one of the dishes worth looking into! 😂
Johnny Carino's gets our #3 spot!
🌟 #4 — BEST ITALIAN CAFÉ & PIZZERIA — GATLINBURG 🍕
This is one of those Gatlinburg restaurants that has been around for years and has developed a loyal following.
Best Italian is known for its pizza, pasta, garlic rolls and generous portions.
And let's talk about those garlic rolls for a minute...
If you know, you know. 😂
Sometimes you want a more upscale Italian dinner.
Other times you just want a big plate of pasta, pizza and enough garlic bread to make you question your decisions.
Best Italian has long been a favorite for that kind of meal.
🌟 #5 — MY LITTLE ITALY — SEVIERVILLE 🇮🇹
Now here's one that some visitors might drive right past without realizing what they're missing!
Located on Winfield Dunn Parkway, My Little Italy is a small, family-owned restaurant serving traditional Italian comfort food.
We're talking lasagna, baked ziti, chicken parmesan, fettuccine Alfredo and other dishes that make you feel like somebody's Italian grandmother is back in the kitchen.
And unlike some of the bigger restaurants around the tourist areas, this place has a much smaller, more intimate dining room.
One interesting thing? They don't serve pizza!
Their focus is on pasta, chicken, veal, seafood and other Italian entrées.
If you enjoy finding smaller, family-run restaurants rather than eating at the same chains everywhere you travel, this one deserves some attention.
Definitely one to keep on your radar!
🌟 #6 — GONDOLIER ITALIAN RESTAURANT — SEVIERVILLE 🍝
Located on Dolly Parton Parkway, Gondolier is another option that sometimes gets overlooked by visitors heading straight toward the main tourist areas.
This is more of a casual, family-style Italian restaurant.
You'll find familiar favorites such as spaghetti, lasagna, baked pasta, pizza and calzones.
It's the kind of place where you can bring the family, sit down for a comfortable meal and enjoy traditional Italian-American favorites.
And we like including restaurants outside the busiest tourist corridors because there are plenty of places in Sevierville worth discovering.
Gondolier earns our #6 spot!
🌟 #7 — NINO'S PIZZERIA & EATERY — SEVIERVILLE 🍕
We're finishing our list with another locally owned option!
Located on Long Springs Road, Nino's offers a combination of Italian-American dishes and pizza.
You'll find hand-tossed pizzas, calzones, stromboli, garlic knots and pasta entrées.
It's more casual than our top-ranked restaurants, but it's a good choice for people who want Italian comfort food without heading into the busiest sections of the Parkway.
And that's something worth remembering when visiting the Smokies.
SOME OF THE BEST FOOD ISN'T ALWAYS ON THE MAIN TOURIST STRIP!
You just have to know where to look.
🍝 SO HERE'S OUR TOP 7!
🥇 1. Ristorante DellaSantina — Sevierville
🥈 2. Roma Table — Sevierville
🥉 3. Johnny Carino's — Pigeon Forge
🇮🇹 4. Best Italian Café & Pizzeria — Gatlinburg
🇮🇹 5. My Little Italy — Sevierville
🇮🇹 6. Gondolier Italian Restaurant — Sevierville
🇮🇹 7. Nino's Pizzeria & Eatery — Sevierville
Now, we already know some of you are going to disagree with this list. 😂
And that's perfectly fine!
Food is one of those things where everybody has their favorites.
Some people love traditional Italian cooking.
Some want a huge plate of spaghetti and meatballs.
Others are looking for the best chicken parmesan or lasagna in town.
And some of you are just here for the garlic bread! 😂
🔥 NOW IT'S YOUR TURN!
WHO REALLY HAS THE BEST ITALIAN FOOD IN THE SMOKIES? 👇
🍝 Are you Team DellaSantina?
🇮🇹 Team Roma Table?
🍽️ Team Johnny Carino's?
Or is there a smaller Italian restaurant that deserves to be ranked even higher?
AND DON'T JUST TELL US WHERE YOU EAT… TELL US WHAT YOU ORDER!
If you've found an amazing lasagna, chicken parmesan, pasta dish or Italian dessert around the Smokies, we want to hear about it.
Your recommendation might help somebody discover their new favorite restaurant!
📲 SAVE & SHARE this post with someone planning a Smoky Mountain vacation or somebody who believes there's no such thing as too much pasta! 😂
Follow It's Your Smoky Mountains for more restaurant recommendations, hidden gems, vacation tips and local favorites around Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge and Sevierville! 🏔️❤️
