I’ve been going to Wooden’s Apple House every fall for the last seven years religiously. Because nothing says fall like this place. Freshly picked apples, home-baked apple sweets, local apple cider, southern food, and even pumpkins make this the perfect fall destination. So, get ready to see why you need to add Wooden’s Apple House to your family fall itinerary every year.
Oren Wooden’s Apple House
If I can only make it to one Tennessee apple orchard during the fall season, this is the one I’d pick. They offer various produce including a variety of different apples. And not to Wooden’s Apple House was started by Oren Wooden many years ago. The place started as just an apple orchard for many decades before opening the Apple House in 1995. Since then, Oren Wooden has passed away, but his apple legacy lives on through his loving family. Many generations are very involved in operating the farm and apple house. From cooking food to packing apple bags, everyone has a role to play. The family members all enjoy working here and contributing to the business in ways that only they can.
Wooden’s Apple House offers various produce including a variety of different apples. And not to mention all the apple products from ciders and butters to pies and fritters (my favorite). One thing that really makes this stop complete is their cafe. You can make this a lunch or dinner destination while getting your apple goodies in too!
The Cafe
One of my favorite things to do is visit here around lunch or dinner time so I can enjoy their cafe. This was the first place I ever saw the southern menu staple of “meat and two.” I didn’t understand it at first but now I fully understand the simplicity of this menu option. Basically, you get to choose your entree (one meat) and two sides. This meal also comes with either a dinner roll or cornbread, your choice.
Every day of the week there’s a different special. For example, last year we went on a Monday and got Chicken Pot Pie. It was delicious, as all their food is. You’ll have to check out their specials menu to see which day of the week you want to visit most. Of course, they have other entrees that are available all the time like fried chicken and Salisbury steak. There’s seating inside if it’s still warm out, but as the fall weather rolls in, there’s a covered patio with picnic table seating outside to enjoy.
The Pie Shop
After your meal, be sure to save some room (or don’t, because you can take them home) for dessert. I always get apple fritters. If I could only pick one donut for life, the apple fritter would be it. And Wooden’s apple fritters are the best. Every bite is full of apple flavor and every once in a while a big chunk of apple as well. This year I tried the apple cake and will definitely be getting that again. It’s a spice cake filled with apple pieces and topped with cream cheese icing and pecans. I believe their most popular desserts though are the fried apple pies and the apple dumplings with ice cream. Of course, they have other specialty apple-focused dessert options too. With so many to choose from, you’ll have to be sure to buy some to take home.
The Apple Shop
The main reason you would visit Wooden’s Apple House would be to purchase some apples and/or some apple products, right? Wooden’s has so much to offer here. I always get half a peck, or a peck of apples. They come in clear, plastic bags and are displayed in one corner of the store so they’re easy to navigate. Each variety is labeled as well as a mini description to tell you what sets them apart from their siblings. Different types of apples are ripe for picking at different times in the season. If you’re looking for a particular type, I suggest calling them ahead of time to see what’s available to purchase. Their phone number is 423-447-6376.
There’s a cooler in that same corner as the apples that houses the apple ciders. The other corner nearest the front is home to whatever other produce is available at the time. The other side of the store displays various local honeys, jams, jellies, and of course, apple butters. I always grab a jar of apple butter because I love it. They also have sugar free available if you prefer.
The Craft Shop
Something unique about Wooden’s Apple House is that there’s a craft shop upstairs. Here they share everything from woodwork to quilts and everything in between. All of which are made by local artisans. I like to go up and look around sometimes when I visit from year to year.
When You Should Visit
Apple season is very interesting. One variety of apples may last a while longer than another. Generally there’s only few weeks available per variety. Since Wooden’s offers so many different varieties of apples, they are open from August to Thanksgiving. They are open seven days a week, but the hours may differ depending on the day and time of year you go. As you would expect, weekends are the busiest days. But Saturdays are when I’ve always gone in the past and it was never too crowded to prevent me from making the purchases I wanted to and enjoy my time there.
In the past, I’ve been late. For whatever reason, most years I find myself showing up around early November. By then, apple season is closing out and there’s only a few apple options left. I’m never disappointed by these options, but I always say that I’ll try to make it earlier the next year. This year, I managed to go late August. And honestly, there weren’t a lot of options at this time because it’s so early in the season still. I think the sweet spot to visit is between late September and early October. This is when the majority of different apple types are available.
That being said, I plan to visit again in a couple weeks to grab some Fuji apples. I was able to get some Gala apples (my favorite) because they are an early season apple. Honeycrisp are also an early season apple and just so happen to be the number one seller. So, if you want the early season apples, get there in late August or early September. As I said earlier, if you prefer a particular apple, don’t hesitate to call ahead and find out what apples they currently have for sale.
Tips for Visiting Wooden’s Apple House
First thing to note, Wooden’s Apple House sits in the Central Time Zone. However they operate on Eastern Time. So, when planning your visit, please keep this in mind.
Also, they only take cash or check. So be sure to bring plenty of money to stock up on all the apple goods. They do have an ATM on site though in case you need it.
Please note that you cannot pick your own apples at this orchard.
Final Thoughts
That pretty much sums up Wooden’s Apple House. I highly recommend you visit this fall and every year. Who knows, maybe I’ll see you there in a couple weeks when I go pick up some Fujis! Here’s the exact location of Wooden’s Apple Orchard.
Check out my video of Wooden’s for a tour of the place.
Check out this blog post all about my favorite apple recipes that I make every year when I get these apples in the fall.
And a big thank you to Mark and Kate for sitting down with me and doing a “Behind the Business Chatt”! I greatly appreciate these opportunities and thoroughly enjoyed learning more about Wooden’s Apple House. You can watch the video version or listen to the podcast version.
Until next time, enjoy exploring Chatt!
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