These Are The Must-Try Dollywood Foods That Dolly Herself Loves

Eating your way through Dollywood isn't just a 101 in Southern food. It's an edible biopic of Dolly Parton's life, her East Tennessee roots and her favorite family recipes. And, no, the famous cinnamon bread isn’t part of this story. Dolly prefers a different sweet treat, and it’s one you’ve likely overlooked.

During the recent grand opening of The Dolly Parton Experience, a new campus of mini museums and interactive exhibits at Dollywood, we sat down with two park executives to talk about the must-try eats, fixin’s and sips. Here’s the ultimate menu for a Dolly-inspired food crawl at Dollywood. 

Granny Ogle's Pinto Beans

Family is close to the heart in East Tennessee. And while Dolly doesn’t have children of her own, she’s known to her nieces and nephews as Aunt Granny. And her best friend of 60-plus years, Judy Ogle, is known as Granny Ogle. That’s where the names of Dollywood’s most popular restaurants, Aunt Granny’s and Granny Ogle’s Ham ‘n’ Beans, came from. And at both restaurants, you try Granny Ogle’s Pinto Beans—a hearty side slow-cooked with ham.

Dolly's Pink Lemonade 

Guests at Dollywood's DreamMore Resort & Spa are treated to free pink lemonade each day from 4-6 p.m., which aligns perfectly with folks checking in. Pink lemonade is the signature drink of DreamMore, and it’s not just any pink lemonade. It’s Dolly’s Pink Lemonade. And it is sweet! Take your cup to the back porch overlooking the resort pool and grounds and sip-n-rock in one of the large white rocking chairs. It doesn’t get more Southern than that. 

Stone Soup 

The story of Stone Soup is just as iconic as Dolly’s “Coat of Many Colors,” and it tells a lot about her childhood, the inequities her family faced and the love her mother had for her. Of course, we have the recipe and you can make it at home, but there’s something about having a bowl of Stone Soup at Dollywood in the Smokies that brings the story to life. You’ll find it in DreamMore at Song & Hearth: A Southern Eatery and you can read about the soup and the story on the menu.

Fried Green Tomatoes 

We know Dolly loves fried green tomatoes because she’s included them in several of her cookbooks over the years, and Chef Matthew Poorman, Dollywood’s Director of Culinary Operations, told Southern Living that fried green tomatoes are, in fact, one of Dolly’s favorite foods. And it’s one of his, too.

He’s incredibly proud of the variation Dollywood takes on this Southern classic over at Front Porch Cafe. “My favorite item is the fried green tomatoes,” said Chef Poorman. “There’s fried green tomatoes. There's fried mozzarella. There’s tomato and balsamic. It’s just a ton of flavor. And it’s just a fantastic thing to eat.”

Banana Pudding 

“Dolly loves banana pudding,” said Cyndi McCormack, Dollywood’s Vice President of Guest Experience and creative director of The Dolly Parton Experience. “So, we definitely serve that up every day at [Front Porch Café]!” This house-made version is always served in a Mason jar and topped with chantilly cream. And sorry if you’re on Team Hot, but Dolly banana pudding is Team Cold. The chilled glass jars keep the pudding perfectly cold even in the summer.

Smoked Ribs 

Dolly loves take-out just like us, and what’s in her doggy bag may surprise you. “She likes to get ribs to go when she’s here,” said McCormack. “If she’s headed back home, many times she’ll ask for some ribs.” There are a couple of spots in the park that serve ribs right now, but the soon-to-reopen-as-a-new restaurant, Miss Lillian's Mill House, will feature the smoked ribs that Dolly loves.

Kettle Corn 

While The Dolly Parton Experience doesn’t feature a new restaurant, there are two brand-new exclusive eats in the area. And one is a riff on the two colors most associated with Dolly: pink and purple.

If you’ve never had Dollywood homemade kettle corn, it’s a whole scene. But at The Dolly Parton Experience, you’ll find The Dolly Parton Experience Kettle Corn, which is a bold combo of cherry and grape popcorn. Chef Poorman said he’s incredibly proud of the custom-flavored kettle corn that’s specific to the new area. "It’s just so colorful with big cherry and grape flavors,” he said. "It’s a great balance of color and flavor."

Dippin’ Dots 

The other exclusive eat found in The Dolly Parton Experience is a riff on a Dollywood staple: Dippin’ Dots. There are Dippin’ Dots everywhere in the park, and this new flavor is all about Dolly herself. "We’re doing a play on Dolly’s Pink Lemonade," said Chef Poorman. “It’s called Soft Melodies, and it’s exclusively in The Dolly Parton Experience area.”

The new flavor is a mixture of lemonade Dippin’ Dots and proprietary “pink-flavored” Dippin’ Dots. “It’s light and refreshing and a lot of fun,” Chef Poorman added.

Funnel Cake 

Our friends at Allrecipes recently spoke with Dollywood executives and learned that Dolly’s favorite theme park treat isn’t the famous cinnamon bread. It’s funnel cake. Yes, funnel cake. You can add tons of over-the-top toppings to Dollywood funnel cake at both Crossroads and Splinter’s, but Dolly keeps it plain. And now we regret walking past the funnel cake on the way to cinnamon bread all those times we’ve been in the park. If you want to eat like Dolly, stick to the classics.