Miss Lily’s Café

Guests at one of Townsend, Tennessee’s most popular eateries might be surprised to know of its serendipitous beginnings.

Miss Lily’s Café isn’t named for a woman named Lily but rather for “the lily lady,” as the owner came to be known because of the glorious array of daylilies she raises on her farm. The café’s genesis was a retirement plan that became a family venture.

“We’re a very small family-owned operation that tries very hard to maintain food quality and atmosphere,” said owner Janice Fillmore, whose daughter Sarah Greenway is the manager. 

Now entering its fourth year, the restaurant’s popularity grows with locals and visitors alike. Located on Depot Street off U.S. 321 just a few miles from the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, the café features polished hardwood floors and an elegant but homey atmosphere for meals and desserts that are all made from scratch. Sandwiches are served on homemade Amish bread while entrees range from Little River trout to pot roast. Lunch dishes include names that reference sites found in the nearby Park — the Gregory Bald burger, LeConte quesadillas, and the Cades Cove Caesar salad. The “hiker’s special” features blackened talapia with greens.

The café’s tea room, which is separate from the main dining area, offers an intimate setting for both business meetings and romantic interludes. Its Sunday brunch reputation continues to grow as guests make a special trip into Townsend for omelets, fresh pastries, entrees, a salad bar, fresh fruits, and desserts cut into sampling sizes. Fillmore, who did all the baking for two years, still makes homemade cinnamon French toast. One Florida couple planning to be in Townsend called to make sure it was still available.

“One thing we’re not known for and should be is barbecue,” Fillmore said. Her husband, Steve, uses his own recipes for the rubs and sauces and smokes the meat onsite. 

The Fillmores didn’t start out to open a restaurant. Janice still works 60 hours a week as an anesthesiologist at a Knoxville hospital. 

“I bought the farm in 1996, and I really thought I was going to retire,” she said, referring to what is known as the Lily Barn.

Her mother gave her $10,000 to buy daylily stock. The farm offers 160 different varieties — descended from the original purchase — that stretch out in a spectacular flash of color in the early summer months.

Later, she built a pavilion and added other amenities. The first wedding was held at a friend’s request, which led to the purchase of the Heartland Little River Wedding Chapel. Brides asked about catering services, so Fillmore hired two caterers. Her employees suggested that she open a café, and thus the tea room was born.

When searching for a name, Fillmore wanted it tied to the Lily Barn. Locals thought she was a little crazy for buying a farm on Carr’s Creek Road where an infamous moonshine still had once operated.

“Overall I think we’ve been an asset to Townsend in that there’s not any other place like us,” Fillmore said. “I thought this was a retirement farm, but it’s anything but a retirement farm.”

Miss Lily’s Café. 122 Depot Street, Townsend, Tenn. 865-448-9895 or www.misslilysflorals.com. Tues.-Sat., 11 a.m.-9 p.m. y Sun. brunch, 10 a.m.-2 p.m.