Parton’s Deli, established in 1974, is the oldest continuously operating, family-owned deli in the greater Knoxville area, which extends eastward through Sevierville to the North Carolina border

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As you come into town, if you look closely between Hillbilly Golf and the Gatlinburg Mountain Coaster, you’ll see an old building that looks like a gabled breadbox. That’s Parton’s Deli. 

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Henry Parton opened the deli with his 18-year-old son, Dennis, in August of ’74, right after Dennis graduated high school. They ran the place together for 36 years, but for the last nine years, Dennis has worked alone — no employees, just Dennis.

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Amid the chaos of the holiday weekend, the quiet of Parton’s Deli at 4 p.m. feels like an oasis, if one was to find an oasis in a grandmother’s wood-paneled basement. A shelf along one wall holds an array of potato chips surrounded by vintage soda bottles, signed baseballs, signed Dolly Parton photos (no relation), antique bee smokers, Costco-sized barrels of mayo and pickles, decorative baskets, Hornets’ nests and gourd birdhouses, decorate the top of the Coke coolers. Hanging on the walls, there at least four clocks, three of which are working but read different times, and five ball caps, two of which are UT orange. Dennis is a huge UT fan and almost always wore UT orange shirts. 

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The secret to the great hoagies and subs at Parton's Deli is fresh meats, cheeses, bread, love and an old, but still working, Fresh-O-Matic steamer. This steamer is the secret to those delicious sandwiches. 

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Although the the deli has changed hands, it will always remain the same with its hometown feel, with all its original recipes.

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