Dollywood’s Aunt Granny’s Restaurant gets new look, new menu items

One of Dollywood’s best-known restaurants has been recast this year with help from Tennessee brand, Lodge Manufacturing Company. Aunt Granny’s All-You-Care-To-Eat Buffet received a fresh, new look this season, along with new menu items for guests to enjoy.

Now called Aunt Granny’s Restaurant presented by Lodge, this dining location features a variety of changes to create an airy space to allow guests to slow down and enjoy their meal together.

“Dollywood is known for its quality southern food offerings, and a visit to the buffet at Aunt Granny’s certainly should be on the list for any foodie,” said Phil Bernard, vice president of Dollywood. “With our continuing focus on great food, we felt the time was right to recast the restaurant and add new menu items, while also keeping many of the old favorites.”

“The opportunity to partner with Lodge, which is another iconic Tennessee brand, also made perfect sense,” continued Bernard. “When you think of traditional southern foods like fried chicken, cornbread, or apple cobbler, you think of cast iron cookware. And when you think of cast iron cookware, there’s only one company that comes to mind – Lodge.”

This partnership with Lodge brings a selection of the company’s famous cast iron cookware in to the dining experience at Aunt Granny’s. The cookware can be seen displayed throughout the restaurant, while food on the buffet line will be served from Lodge products.

“We are extremely excited about the collaboration between these two great Tennessee companies,” said Mike Otterman, president of Lodge Manufacturing Company. “We share company values, consumers, location and brand similarities that should allow us to grow together for many years.”

Located in Dollywood’s Rivertown Junction, Aunt Granny’s was built in 1986 and open during the park’s inaugural season. It has been a guest-favorite for years, and its foods team won Amusement Today’s 2017 Golden Ticket Award for Best Theme Park Food.

Some of the new offerings on the refreshed menu include Southwest herb baked chicken, country chicken and dunplings, corn puddin’, roasted red-skinned potatoes with cheddar cheese and bacon, and more. Stone Soup, inspired by Dolly Parton’s story about how her mother would use the fable to encourage her children, is also on the buffet. For dessert, guests can enjoy selections like apple cobbler, brownies, various cupcakes and more.

To learn more about Dollywood’s other dining offerings, visit Dollywood.com.