For one week each year, restaurants across Gatlinburg create special burgers for GatlinBURGER Week.
These are not always ordinary cheeseburgers. Some restaurants pile on everything from bacon and barbecue to pierogies, mashed potatoes, sausage and fried eggs. Visitors can try the burgers, vote for their favorite and help choose the GatlinBURGER Meister.
This year, 23 Gatlinburg restaurants joined the competition. That is far more than I could visit in one week. To try every burger, I would have needed to eat more than three burgers a day!
However, while running around Gatlinburg, I did manage to eat a different competition burger three days in a row. My stops included Boudicca’s Celtic Pub, Josef’s Deli and Smoky Mountain Smash at Gatlinburg SkyPark.
It was a tough assignment, but somebody had to do it.
Day One: The Irish Jacket Burger at Boudicca’s Celtic Pub
My first stop was Boudicca’s Celtic Pub, located in The Village in downtown Gatlinburg.
Boudicca’s has a strong history in this competition. In fact, the restaurant has already won GatlinBURGER Week three times. After trying this year’s entry, I can understand why.
Their 2026 creation was called the Irish Jacket Burger. It featured two Angus beef patties topped with creamy mashed potatoes made with Irish butter, sharp cheddar cheese, thick-cut applewood bacon, chives and spicy sour cream. Everything was served on a toasted brioche bun.
Yes, it was a lot of food. It was also delicious.
The mashed potatoes may sound like an unusual burger topping, but they worked perfectly with the beef, bacon and cheese. The different flavors came together without one ingredient overpowering everything else.
It was rich, hearty and very filling. Of the three GatlinBURGER Week entries I tried, this was easily my favorite.
Boudicca’s reputation as a three-time winner is well deserved.
Day Two: The Pierogi Burger at Josef’s Deli
The next day, I headed to Josef’s Deli to try the Pierogi Burger.
This one started with a half-pound of seasoned, hand-packed beef on a brioche bun. It was topped with cheddar cheese, a golden pierogi, sauerkraut, pickles and sour cream.
A pierogi is a filled dumpling commonly associated with Polish cooking. Putting one on top of a hamburger was certainly an interesting idea.
The Pierogi Burger was filling and had a good mix of flavors. The sauerkraut and pickles added some tang, while the sour cream helped balance everything out.
I thought it was a fair burger and I am glad I tried it. It just did not come together quite as well for me as the Irish Jacket Burger at Boudicca’s.
Still, that is part of the fun of GatlinBURGER Week. Every restaurant takes a different approach, and you never know what you are going to find between the buns.
Day Three: The Moonshiner Burger at Gatlinburg SkyPark
My third burger required a little more effort.
Smoky Mountain Smash is located high above downtown Gatlinburg inside Gatlinburg SkyPark. The only way to reach it is by purchasing a SkyPark ticket and riding the SkyLift up Crockett Mountain.
That makes the trip much more than a simple lunch stop.
The ride provides a beautiful view of Gatlinburg and the surrounding mountains. Once at the top, visitors can enjoy the park, take in the scenery and walk across the famous SkyBridge.
The competition entry at Smoky Mountain Smash was the Moonshiner Burger. It included a fresh beef patty, sausage patty, onion ring, arugula, cheddar cheese and house-made sauce.
This one was not my favorite of the three burgers. However, eating lunch high above Gatlinburg after riding the SkyLift made it a memorable outing. Sometimes the setting is just as much a part of the experience as the meal itself, and it is hard to beat those mountain views.
My GatlinBURGER Week Winner
I only sampled three of the 23 entries, so I certainly cannot choose the official winner.
But among the three I tried, my vote went to the Irish Jacket Burger at Boudicca’s Celtic Pub.
It was creative without being strange just for the sake of being strange. The burger was cooked well, the toppings worked together and the mashed potatoes gave it something special. I would gladly order it again.
GatlinBURGER Week is a fun way to explore the city and discover restaurants you might not normally visit. Even if you cannot try every entry, you can choose a few that sound interesting and create your own little burger tour.
Three burgers in three days was plenty for me, but I am already curious to see what Gatlinburg’s restaurants create next year.
When you visit Gatlinburg, the Historic Gatlinburg Inn puts you within easy reach of downtown restaurants, attractions and special events like GatlinBURGER Week. Stay with us and enjoy the flavors, sights and sounds that make Gatlinburg such a fun place to explore.
