Top 4 Rooftop Bars in Gatlinburg

Published Apr 2, 2025 Top 4 Rooftop Bars in Gatlinburg

Gatlinburg has a rooftop bar for every mood — a locally owned Irish pub with nightly karaoke, an intimate lounge with firepits and mountain views, a celebrity country music bar with live music from open to close, and the original Tex-Mex rooftop with the Smoky Mountains ridgeline as the backdrop. Here are four worth knowing about.

1. Shamrock Pub

Shamrock Pub is Gatlinburg's locally owned Irish pub — two bars in one, with a downstairs pub floor running live music from 5 PM and karaoke from 8 PM, and a rooftop bar upstairs with both indoor and outdoor seating and a bird's-eye view of downtown Gatlinburg. The SkyLift is visible from the top floor. The rooftop bar runs its own entertainment on weekend evenings, and the full bar operates on both floors simultaneously.

The bar program covers Guinness on draft, domestic and imported beers, cocktails, shots, and Irish coffee alongside creative house specialties — The Incredible Hulk and the King Kong Bomb are among the crowd favorites. The food menu runs pub staples: burgers (nominated Best Burger 2025), Reubens, fish and chips, fried shrimp, wings, fried pickles, and Bavarian pretzels with beer cheese. Family friendly until 8 PM makes it a viable early evening stop; 21+ after 8 PM when the energy shifts to a dedicated bar crowd. Rooftop can be reserved for private events.

2. Altitude Rooftop Bar & Lounge

Altitude is the quieter, more intimate end of the Gatlinburg rooftop scene — a lounge-style bar with firepits for cooler evenings, live music on select nights, and a view over downtown Gatlinburg and the surrounding mountains that earns the name. The elevated setting on East Parkway gives it a clear sightline that puts the Smokies ridgeline in full view from the rooftop.

The cocktail program is the draw — creative, seasonally rotating drinks that go well beyond standard bar fare. Steaks and pork chops from the dinner menu make it a full evening destination rather than just a drink stop. The combination of elevated mountain views, firepits, and a more relaxed atmosphere than the Parkway's louder venues makes Altitude the right choice for couples or groups who want the rooftop experience at a lower intensity. Arrive before the dinner rush on busy Parkway evenings for the best seat selection.

3. Jason Aldean's Kitchen + Rooftop Bar

Jason Aldean's Kitchen + Rooftop Bar is the highest-profile rooftop in Gatlinburg — a celebrity country music concept with the Smoky Mountains ridgeline visible directly from the rooftop tables and live music running on both floors from opening to close. The farmhouse-style wood tables and country rustic atmosphere match the Aldean brand, and the music program delivers artists performing country and Southern rock throughout the day and evening.

The cocktail menu pays tribute to Aldean's catalog — Bear Proof blends rum, Frangelico, and orangecello; Rusted Plows marries vodka with ginger beer; Small Town runs whiskey and limoncello. Eleven specialty cocktails alongside beers, wines, and mocktails cover the full range. The kitchen produces Southern comfort food: Redneck Egg Rolls with bourbon BBQ pork, meatloaf, Nashville hot chicken, steaks, pot roast, salmon. Consistently one of the most popular venues on the Gatlinburg Parkway — arrive early on weekend evenings.

4. Loco Burro Fresh Mex Cantina

Loco Burro is home to Gatlinburg's original rooftop bar — a colorful Tex-Mex cantina on the Parkway with mountain views in multiple directions and a tequila program that takes itself seriously. Nearly 100 tequilas are on the menu, alongside eight different margaritas, beers, sangria, wines, and cocktails. The Spicy Mamacita — habanero pepper and guava — and the Orange & White — blood orange juice — are the standouts from the margarita list. The Mechanical Donkey is the rooftop's signature entertainment feature.

Live music runs Wednesday through Sunday evenings, and the rooftop fills up on busy Parkway nights when the combination of food, drinks, music, and mountain views makes Loco Burro the natural gathering point for groups looking for a lively evening. The full Tex-Mex menu — birria tacos, fajitas, chimichangas, Mexican street corn, and a five-pound burrito challenge — runs on the rooftop as well as the main floor. Walk-ins welcome; rooftop seating is first-come and fills quickly on weekend evenings.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best rooftop bar in Gatlinburg?

It depends what you're after. For live music and a high-energy celebrity bar experience, Jason Aldean's Kitchen + Rooftop Bar is the top choice. For the original Gatlinburg rooftop bar with the best tequila selection and Tex-Mex food, Loco Burro. For the most relaxed and intimate rooftop atmosphere with firepits and mountain views, Altitude. For a locally owned Irish pub with nightly karaoke and live music, Shamrock Pub.

Are Gatlinburg's rooftop bars family friendly?

Shamrock Pub is family friendly until 8 PM (21+ after 8 PM). Jason Aldean's and Loco Burro welcome families during dining hours; the atmosphere becomes a more dedicated bar scene later in the evening. Altitude's lounge format is more consistently relaxed. Check each venue's current policy before visiting with young children on evening visits.

Where should I stay to be close to Gatlinburg's rooftop bars?

All four rooftop bars are on or just off the Gatlinburg Parkway — a Gatlinburg cabin puts you 10–20 minutes from all of them. Cabins close to downtown Gatlinburg make it easy to drive in for the evening and be back at the cabin without a long return trip.

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