Pepper Palace is a delightful store tucked away in Gatlinburg, a hidden gem for anyone who loves spicy food or is a hot sauce connoisseur. The shop offers hundreds of original flavors of delicious hot sauces, amazing BBQ sauces, rubs, salsas, and other products, many made locally. Visitors can enjoy free tastings, with staff handing out spoons to sample the different sauces. The employees are knowledgeable, helpful, and treat customers like family, often sharing fun history about hot sauce and explaining the different types and Scoville heat levels. For those seeking extreme heat, the store offers incredibly spicy options like the infamous Flat Line sauce, which requires a waiver to taste. The experience of trying these hottest sauces can lead to intense heat, sweating, and temporary stomach discomfort, creating a memorable, if challenging, event. On the more pleasant side, the shop boasts a wide range of fantastic and original flavors to explore. Highly recommended items include the Pineapple Serrano Hot Sauce, Rooster Reaper sauce, Mountain Q Select Bourbon BBQ Sauce, Key Lime BBQ, sweet bourbon glaze, honey chipotle rum BBQ, and Asian cooking dipping sauce. Some products, however, like the Death by Salsa or a watery Jalapeno Ketchup, may sacrifice flavor for heat or have a less appealing taste. Overall, Pepper Palace provides a fun time where tastebuds explode with flavor, making it a must-visit destination to support local and explore an extensive collection of spicy goods.
If you love hot sauce or anything spicy this is the place you should explore! Free tastings and you get to learn about the history of hot sauce and is a over all fun time!
July 2022
I can’t remember the name of the man who helped us, but he was knowledgeable, helped us with samples, and shared some history with us about Pepper Palace. The sauces were GREAT and we bought a few bottles to bring back home with us to Florida. You MUST go there, and support local!
December 2021
On vacation from Louisiana and the employees were great! Very attentive, and very helpful answering any questions we had. The ghostly garlic hot sauce is a must buy. 10/10 would recommend this location. Will be ordering from again!!!
