As temps rise, my family is on the hunt for ways to cool down while still making fun summer memories. We’ve found that Gatti’s Pizza in Maryville is just the place! My kids and I were recently treated to lunch and games at Gatti’s Pizza, 1616 W. Broadway Avenue, Maryville, and boy did it hit the spot! For moms in other parts of the Knoxville are, Gatti’s also has a location conveniently located in North Knoxville at 6903 Maynardville Pike (with an even bigger game room!)
Gatti’s is known for its extensive (and yummy) buffet, its casual family-friendly atmosphere, and its inexpensive but oh-so-fun game room. This particular Gatti’s also featured a separate enclosed “family room” with glass doors and windows, as well as several big screen TVs (playing Paw Patrol, of course!). I really appreciated having the option of corralling my kids and keeping their noise away from the other lunch guests.
When we first arrived, we were ushered over to their two Coca-Cola Freestyle machines, complete with kid-friendly, diet-friendly options…all with free refills. My kids were excited about the assortment of Hi-C flavors while I indulged in a Cherry Coke. We were then invited to select all we cared to eat from their surprisingly large buffet! It included pizza classics like cheese, pepperoni, and supreme, while also treating my wild side with Hawaiian, Barbeque Chicken, and more, all on their delicious hand-made crust! (I HIGHLY recommend the BBQ chicken pizza.) For my littles, the highlight fell in the “more” section where they ate their fill of pasta, bread sticks, fruit off the extensive salad bar, and the ever-coveted dessert pizzas. And just so you know, their macaroni and cheese was “Peppy-approved!” That, friends, is a distinguishing mark of excellence for any “establishment” mac and cheese.
Suffice it to say, we ate our fill and the kids were happy. The food was a win!
After our meal, we headed towards the back with our two $5 game cards. At this point, let me give Gatti’s some props for putting the games in a separate room, far away from the dining room! I was so happy to not have to fight for my kids’ attention during lunch (because they couldn’t see what was next), and I was equally as excited to not worry about annoying other guests with their squeals and screams of game-time excitement!
If you DO like easy access to the games while you’re eating, they do have a cozier dining room right next to the game room. I imagine this is also used for private parties or quiet meals for mom.
When we walked into the game room I was happy to not be overwhelmed by noise and lights, but I was also curious to see just how much game-time $5 would get us. To my surprise, the games were so reasonably priced (some as low as $0.30 per game) that we lasted an entire hour in there!
My children are three- and seven-years-old, so this game room gave them a wide variety of perfectly age-appropriate options: from ski-ball to racing games to our new family favorite — air hockey! They played and played and played until their cards were completely empty, then they got to exchange their tickets for prizes.
As we walked out my daughter exclaimed, “This was the best day ever! I love Mr. Gatti’s!”
I give Gatti’s in Maryville an official Moms Thumbs Up! This place is a great budget-friendly option for families looking to cool down, enjoy a meal everyone will love, and make some fun memories. Conveniently located on Broadway just down from Foothills Mall, this Gatti’s would be a great stop on your way to (or from) the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, an exclamation point to a morning at Sandy Springs Park, or a fun lunch before some afternoon crafts at the Blount County Library (that’s where we headed afterwards)!
Gatti’s Maryville also offers birthday party packages, group rates, and senior discounts. The only other area Gatti’s is located in Halls.
