After a late morning start, we were looking for a late lunch, when we spied Legends by Max on the Parkway in the middle of Gatlinburg. First thought was it was an apparel shop. A large brick front held two massive windows and Legends was scribbled diagonally above the entrance. I peeked through the door and saw no clothing displays, but instead an inviting bar and restaurant.
Creeping into a deserted restaurant felt strange, and then we noticed the collection of waiters and waitresses in back. Well, it was way past the lunch hour. We seated ourselves at the long oval bar that dominated the center and a trim miniature waitress peeled away from the group. Michelle barely came to the rail of the bar as she served the beer and took our order for Reuben sandwiches ($6.95) with a side of coleslaw on one and potato salad on the other. She said that she thought the kitchen was still staffed and scurried off to check.
We admired the polished glass and brass bar and promised we would come back when the place was alive to maybe make new friends. Behind us the bar area was sprinkled with tall, round wooden tables with oak chairs to match. Dark green walls held numerous shuttered windows, now open, and across the bar, the restaurant portion was furnished with square tables, green cloths surrounded by two walls of green booths. We imagined a bustling crowd in a couple of hours.
Our sandwiches arrived before we could finish one beer and the smell was almost good enough to eat. They were crisp rye on the outside and warm and tangy on the inside with the cold of the slaw and salad to contrast. The menu had a collection of these tempting sandwiches along with a daily special for the sum of $6.95. Drink prices were in the acceptable range of $2.75 and the beer was nice and cool with head. Service was quick and bright with a smile. We spent all of $23 with tip. We will be back.