Anyone familiar with down home cuisine is acquainted with both the persona and recipes of celebrity chef Paula Deen, also known as the “First Lady of Southern Cooking”. Though healthfully tempered in recent years, her rich ingredients are enhanced with farm-grown flavors and sometimes surprising seasonings. Recently opened, Paula Deen’s the Bag Lady Cafe at the Island in Pigeon Forge takes Paula’s cooking back to its origins.

Paula and her two sons began her home-based commercial business in the late 80’s, with an express lunch delivery service to Savannah, Georgia area office workers. What became Paula’s food dynasty began as simple, delicious catering to fill a local market need. There is still a similar need in today’s market for convenient food that is created homemade fresh. Those same sandwiches, salads and sweets that made Paula famous are now delightfully available in a cafe environment, to be purchased as grab and go, or enjoyed on site at your leisure. If you have ever lived in the business box lunch catering world, this is cuisine that you already understand.

All menu items at The Bag Lady are created from Paula’s recipes, are freshly made inhouse, and include seasonal items to keep things interesting. A variety of sandwiches include standard meat and cheese offerings, along with tuna melts, chicken and egg salads, and homemade pimiento cheese. There are also healthy salad options and a kids menu.

Whether on your diet plan or not, strongly consider the Ooey Gooey Butter Cake dessert, which is an original signature Paula item that helped to drive business volume all those years ago. You really must taste it for yourself!