Top 4 Coffee Shops in and Around Gatlinburg

Gatlinburg's coffee scene runs from a bakery-café tucked into the Arts & Crafts Community to a walk-up espresso counter inside Ober Gatlinburg's tramway mall. Here are four worth knowing about before your visit.

Gatlinburg Grind

Gatlinburg Grind is a full-service café and bakery located in the Great Smoky Arts & Crafts Community — which puts it well removed from the downtown Parkway in the quieter studio-and-gallery loop along Glades Road. The coffee program is built around beans sourced and roasted fresh, with the full espresso menu alongside a signature line of non-coffee drinks called Fizzers. The Shark Bite is the most-ordered of these — a flavored fizzy drink that's become a social media staple for visitors photographing in the Arts & Crafts Community. The bakery side covers fresh pastries, cookies, hand pies, croissants, and bagels made daily. Seasonal flavors rotate through the menu, particularly around fall and summer peaks. For visitors spending a morning at the Arts & Crafts Community, Gatlinburg Grind is the obvious coffee stop — it's in the loop and worth a 20-minute visit on its own.

Ski Mountain Grind Haus

Ski Mountain Grind Haus operates inside the Tramway Mall at Ober Gatlinburg — making it the only coffee option at mountain elevation in the Gatlinburg area. The format is a walk-up counter rather than a full café: order your drink, grab a pastry, and move on to the tram queue or the ice rink. The menu covers espresso drinks, chai tea lattes, flavored coffees, and hot chocolate, with a selection of cookies, danish, and muffins available on the pastry side. The mountain setting and the ski-lodge aesthetic make it a natural match for a morning arrival at Ober, particularly in winter when a hot coffee before hitting the slopes is more than just nice. For visitors making the tram trip primarily for the summit views, the Grind Haus is a practical stop before or after the ascent.

The Donut Friar

The Donut Friar is Gatlinburg's earliest-opening coffee and pastry stop — open at 5 AM daily, which puts it ahead of every other breakfast option in town. Located inside The Village shopping center at 634 Parkway, it's been a Gatlinburg institution for decades. The format is counter service: fresh-made donuts in a rotating daily selection, cinnamon rolls, and specialty coffee drinks made to order. The cinnamon bread is a perennial sell-out by mid-morning. For hikers who need to be at a national park trailhead by 7 or 8 AM, the Donut Friar is the only sit-down option that will have them fueled and moving in time. It's also worth a stop as an afternoon treat while exploring The Village — the coffee program holds up well into the day.

Coffee & Company

Coffee & Company is also located in The Village at 634 Parkway — a specialty coffee shop with a more focused, serious coffee program than the other options on this list. The beans are roasted in Maryville, Tennessee, and ground fresh for each order. The menu is espresso-forward — cappuccinos, lattes, pour-overs, and drip coffee, all built from locally roasted beans available for purchase by the bag as a souvenir. If you're a coffee-first visitor who wants the best cup available rather than the most creative menu, Coffee & Company is the right stop. The Village location means you can combine the coffee with a browse of the shops and galleries that surround it. A solid cappuccino before an afternoon on the Parkway is exactly what it's designed for.

Frequently asked questions

Is there a Starbucks in Gatlinburg?

Yes — there is a Starbucks on the Gatlinburg Parkway. It draws long lines during peak season, particularly in the morning. If you're after something faster or locally owned, any of the four shops on this list will serve you better and with a shorter wait.

Which Gatlinburg coffee shop is best for early hikers?

The Donut Friar — it opens at 5 AM, well ahead of everything else in Gatlinburg, and is the only coffee option available before the national park trailheads start filling. For hikers targeting Laurel Falls, Rainbow Falls, or any of the popular Smokies trailheads on a summer or fall morning, the Donut Friar is the practical pre-hike stop.