It is so rare to walk in a place and feel like a regular on your first visit. I can't wait to be a regular after our first experience! We were welcomed and the lovely owner doted all over our son. The food was out of this world good. Everything is fresh and they actually care about what is being put on your plate. We had the Reuben, and the chicken salad sandwich. Included dessert is my kind of place. We upgraded to cheesecake and banana cake, and left no crumbs. read more

See all

This is one place you have to come to if you are in Marion. It is a gourmet diner... It has so many options. The Reuben sandwich is great. The burgers are fantastic. Everything is homemade here. Everything. And you must save room for desserts because the banana cake is literally out of this world. Be sure to talk to Barbara if you're there she's the owner and she is delightful.... My new favorite in the mountains. read more

I had high hopes for this adorable local restaurant, and they were nicely met by the hosting staff, all of whom hustle hard. The place was packed on this Monday lunch time and we had a 20 minute wait before we were seated. Understandable because it's great stuff. A cheeseburger for me and the quiche of the day for Mrs. K. My burger was cooked properly and presented well with a side of very creamy cole slaw. Delicious. The quiche was delicious and the cucumber salad with it was both tart and sweet. Perfection. Of course, cheesecake for dessert. Mrs. K. got to enjoy mine as I'm going a low carb so I got to watch her enjoy the Crème brûlée slice now and the New York went into a box for later. It didn't survive the day, getting eaten at home a few hours later. Service was busy and friendly. My only complaint is that the sweet tea was very weak. Sweet enough just not "tea" enough. A very minor problem. [Round number 24200 overall - 639 of 2025 - 4127 in North Carolina] read more

See all

Stopped on my way thru Marion NC for lunch on Main St. Good Yelp reviews brought me to Bruce's Fabulous Foods. A small town lunch cafe with everything "fabulous" you would hope to find. To start with you a greeted by Barb who treats locals and new visitors like long time friends. Table service or a bar counter you can sit out. Barb explains the menu and their customers favorites (including The Reuben and their homemade Pimento Cheese) a choice of 1 side from the daily specials and a complimentary brownie or cookie for dessert. They do not have a fryer so all menu items are prepared fresh. I had a Reuben Sandwich and pasta salad. (The sides are large!) We chose to split the Reuben since we have early dinner reservations and each got a side. Even at 1/2 the sandwich and side it was very filling. The sandwich was hot and delicious. The pasta salad was also very good. The desserts today was Banana Cake and Hawaiian Cake. I got a slice to go. Go for the good food and warm hospitality! read more

Bruce's Fabulous Foods - 1/2 Reuben Sandwich and pasta salad. - Southern Near Me - Marion, North Carolina

I decided to have lunch out on my own today. It is a flex day so I wanted to try something new. I found Bruce's Fabulous Food on the map, looked up the menu and drove down. Since I was alone I sat at the bar. I can't say I enjoyed that decision. You get to watch them make the food but after a few minutes I felt like I was spending too much time watching. Also you have your back to the dinning area, which I don't love, and the servers come from behind you. The servers look like they work as a team, which is great. I spent time with the menu and decided on the Philly hoagie with no mushrooms (don't judge me, I just don't like them) and some tangy baked beans. The selection comes with a dessert or you can upgrade your dessert to one of their famous cheesecakes. I had no idea they were famous for cheesecake. The lady told me to look up Halloween Hangover Cheesecake on YouTube. Sure enough there is Bruce on a food contest show! The food was great. The bun of the hoagie was nice and soft. The meat of the sandwich was cooked well and not too greasy, so the sandwich held its shape and the bread did not get soppy (which I hate). The tangy beans had some kick to them. I did wish I could have gotten two smaller portioned sides so I could balance the beans. It was a good size portion, I only ate half. Had to save room for dessert. I did feel like I waited a long time for someone to notice I was done and ask me about dessert, but that is probably just me feeling self conscious. They were very nice. She explained the dessert, a cookie comes with the meal and she presented me with the day's cheesecake flavors and dessert of the day was banana cake. I upgraded to the oatmeal cookie cheesecake. It was good! It was a small piece compared to what you would get at a chain restaurant, I thought it was the perfect size for one. I had just been saying the other day that I wanted to find a place where the desserts were not sharing size and I found it! I will be going back. I would like to sit at a table next. Maybe bring a friend. Try the hummus of the day and I did see some vegetarian friendly options. Maybe another cheesecake! read more

Bruce's Fabulous Foods - Oatmeal Cookie cheesecake - Southern Near Me - Marion, North Carolina

Stopped for lunch on our way into the mountains and so glad we did. Great food, varied menu, personable service and great value. Items for meet lovers, vegetarians, vegan as well as gluten free. Great deserts. Worth the stop. read more

Amazing lunch with my Mom, brother and nephew today at Bruce's. Simple and clean ingredients. Perfect lunch spot for a hot, Summer day. Friendly Southern staff. The chicken salad wrap was wonderful- perfect serving size. My nephew had the philly steak wrap, and he devoured it along with 2 brownies. That says something! Truly enjoyed my family lunch today! 100 % recommend this lovely restaurant when you're in the area. read more

We were downtown shopping and stumbled across Bruce's - the sign said their special was a Roasted Kielbasa, Sauerkraut and German Potato Salad - all of my daughter's favorites, so of course we came in. My daughter used to manage a German Restaurant, the owners being German immigrants, so she's pretty discerning when it comes to German food - let me tell you, she was absolutely blown away! She said hands down, all 3 items were the very best she's ever had. I opted for the Rueben, which, I was equally impressed with - the corned beef was tender, hardly any fat, and the dressing was to die for. Desert was equally as delicious, their Cheese cakes are nothing less than phenomenal - and lets just say their pasta salad and pimento cheese found its way home with us to enjoy with dinner that evening - amazing! I'd give them 100 starts if I could, a must stop if you're nearby - or worth driving if you're not. Can't wait until next year to come back! read more

Great place for lunch not far off the interstate. Much better than a fast food and just as fast! Doesn't look like much on the outside, but a creative menu which will leave you satisfied read more

Awesome food and even better service. Everything my family ordered looked delicious and my cheesesteak was 10/10. Barb was so kind to visit with our table and explain a lot about the restaurant and Bruce. Look forward to a return trip! read more

Authentic small town vibe. Had the special; pita pizza with cheese, pesto and turkey. Awesome! The tangy beans were excellent. Staff as super friendly. Bruce has passed but his wife and team live the dream! read more

Stopped through on way through town. I had the Monty Brucesto which was incredible. They have a dozen sides. A few free deserts and a dozen types of cheesecake. read more

See all

Hostess/server was super rude. But noticeably only to me. Even the cook saw how I wasn't being served and ended up helping a bit before she stopped him. He also came back later and engaged with me and my son while she didn't check on us even once. Dropped the check with the food, and hasn't come back. As for the food, it's ok. Fills the tummy and tastes good enough. Nothing to write home about. I was hoping the potato chips side would be homemade, but it's just Ruffles. Pretty meh overall, mostly cuz the cook was obviously a good worker and friendly to customers. Otherwise it would be less stars. read more

Friendly staff, great homemade food with complimentary desserts. Baked beans and coleslaw are highly recommended. Nice stop on the way to blue ridge parkway. read more

This type of place is not really my cup of tea. Cheap, but not so cheerful. Seemed to be the only game in town on a Tuesday afternoon. I had a chicken salad. It was just OK. It came with a little lettuce and some not too ripe tomatoes. It also came with a terrible cookie for dessert. I would say if you do not mind high calorie basic diner food this place will do but for me, I would not go back. I don't really see the need to visit this town of Marion North Carolina again either. Not much to see or do. It is 40 minutes from Asheville. There is where I would go again for sure. read more

WORST CUSTOMER SERVICE just awful!! She said her name was Barbara and she was the owner but I'm totally baffled at how the "owner" could possibly act that way. She was rude to multiple people!!! As for fabulous foods. It was fabulous in the trash can. Food is not good at all. It would seem with the food being badd at least the customer service would be better but nope!!! read more

Food is always good and the service is just as you expect from a local home town place

The Greek chicken salad was fresh and tasty. All entrees comes with a dessert. They only had one cheesecake option due to the cream cheese shortage but they had tons of cake flavors. I wasn't sure what to get, so the owner (?) recommended the Cinnamon Oatmeal Cake. She definitely did not steer me wrong. It was fabulous indeed. read more

Bruce's Fabulous Foods - Greek chicken salad - Southern Near Me - Marion, North Carolina

Stopped for lunch after an appointment in Marion today, and darned glad we did. Hope you get Barbara (the owner) to wait on you, more fun than a barrel of monkees!! :) We started with a sample of the pimento cheese she offered us. I am NOT a fan of Pimento cheese, but this was certainly the BEST I've had, and my partner, (a former cheese monger) loved it too. Then the Hummus appetizer. Came out with a regular beige colored portion and another that was a milk chocolate color. They were both delish, and we couldn't figure out what was in the other - turned out to be roasted beet and was a little on the spicy side and darned good too!! Plus they warm the pita bread points just before serving - yum! My partner had the classic BLT and a side salad. Barbara proudly informed us that they do not use iceberg lettuce, just romaine. Partner said the salad was good and the sandwich better. I had the Boursin Club on rye. Well prepared and the Bourin cheese spread added a lovely flavor. The Pasta salad was my side, and again, just lovely. Highly recommend if you're in Marion looking for lunch. We'll certainly be back! read more

The amazing Bruce's, complexly and subtly fabulous, as the name states. We try to coordinate our trips to, or through Marion, so we an lunch @ Bruce's. The specials are original and so creative! Today's specials include Hamaiian Melt and a Porkapalioza quiche (see photo). 166+ cheesecakes, usually 2 or three to try, plus cake or cookies. They also have their own special blend of coffee, from the ingenious coffee roaster, a block away. There's a great story behind that. read more

See all

The burgers were good but the pasta salad had a weird taste to it. It was a little odd how they don't have fries at all to go with their burgers but they have Doritos or plain chips. The chips you get is just a small handful. I will say the service was great! I saw other reviews about the owners being rude so I was a little nervous picking the restaurant, but when we went we heard the owners weren't there. It's a nice little restaurant, I'm not a fan of carpet in eating areas but other than that it is nice. read more

This has been my absolute favorite place my wife and I have been all week. We have been hiking all through the blue ridge mountains all week and this is the most beautiful spot we have been in. That's not taking away from the mountains, it is just a true testament of how amazing this restaurant is. Barbra Jean and the staff were incredible, they were friendly and fast. They were genuine in their kindness and spot on with their recommendations. The food was incredible, I had the Hawaiian turkey melt with a side of tangy baked beans (best baked beans I ever had) which was amazing! Then there is the cheesecake...(I like to think of myself as an amateur cheesecake connoisseur) I like cheesecake a lot! I had the sweet potato walnut cheesecake (because where else would you be able to get something like that?). I thought it was going to be a good but "gimmicky" kind of taste. Good enough that you're not disappointed but wacky enough to want to order it. It was THE BEST cheesecake I have ever had!! You will not be disappointed with anything you order here! It is all the fantastic! Save yourself the time of finding somewhere to eat at. If you are with in an hour and a half drive (I would drive that far to eat here) of Bruce's Fabulous Foods, go here to eat. I give it my exceptional seal of approval lol. read more

Bruce's Fabulous Foods - Sweet potato walnut cheesecake!!! Literally the best cheesecake I have ever had. - Southern Near Me - Marion, North Carolina

See all

Just the very best homemade food in downtown Marion, hands down. Everything is fresh, the choices vary from day to day, and save room for dessert!! The cheesecake variety is unbelievable and incredibly delicious. Bruce just very recently passed away, but they plan to carry on with the same good food & wonderful, friendly service to devoted customers! Support Bruce's family!! read more

What a fabulous welcome! Hometown diner. Not just a feel, it was the hometown diner. With incredible food and better hospitality! My wife and I were bought in immediately. Lunches come with a side and dessert and incredibly reasonable pricing. My wife is not a dessert person - she generally avoids - but when she heard German Chocolate Cheesecake she ordered immediately. We hadn't even ordered lunch yet. It's no joke. That cheesecake was the best damn cheesecake I've ever eaten. It was dead sexy. I mean when you eat it and moan like that special moment? I'll have what she's having. If I smoked, I would have had to have a post-coital cigarette. Can't just show up anytime. Limited hours and cheesecakes go quick, so order your option first. read more

Great food and fab owner! A very warm and welcoming atmosphere. A must when you happen to be in Marion NC

Grilled Reuben One of the best Reuben sandwiches I have eaten. I love the combo option of the sandwich and some pumpkin bisque! The hosts are most pleasant and the little restaurant was clean and homey. Recently I stumbled onto this little gem but I know this won't be my last visit. read more

Bruce's food is just the best, freshly made, delicious, inventive menu. The staff are so caring, dedicated, and do their best to take care of customers. So many of the locals go there, because of that. People are treated like family, and I love to hear the all in fun banter between Barbara and customers. This is some information to Jennifer D who wrote a review. She was at Bruce's for a family reunion that Bruce and Barbara held at the restaurant, she was not just there for lunch, it was done on the weekend. Bruce and Barb have been doing it for them for I think 19 years- long story short Barbara gave a compliment to a lady, she misunderstood it, took it wrong. This person cursed, was rude to Barbara, even some people there tried taking up for Barb. There is much more to this, but anyone who knows Barbara knows she would not do that to someone. I am not an employee, but a frequent customer for many years. I know all the kindnesses Barb and Bruce have done for others and the community as a whole anonymously, they aren't braggarts, they just do things to help quietly. read more

I've been poking around the Marion area lately exploring some semi-remote hiking trails that are still open. When lunch time arrived, I chose Bruce's because of their excellent ratings. I had a Reuben, tomato soup, sweet tea, and a side of chicken salad. They included a brownie with the meal. The Reuben was good, but it had one oddity. One half of the sandwich was perfectly normal, but the other half had a bunch of quarter-size pieces of corned beef thrown on top of it. I guess it was just extra, so the cook threw it on top. It was strange. The taste was good but nothing remarkable. The chicken salad had a good taste but was a little wet for my liking. Be aware that it also has walnuts in it if you are not into that sort of thing. Brownie; I admit I am not the biggest brownie fan, but it was dry and tasteless. It reminded me of those awful Snack-wells brownies that made the rounds back in the 90s. Sweet tea: it wasn't. I read another reviewer who said that Bruce's describes it as "Ohio Sweet Tea". Ohio nation, don't come after me--you are on a stay-home order. After that expires, still don't come after me. But if this is what Ohio sweet tea is, then Ohio don't know sweet tea! It's as simple as that. It is more like "half sweet".  Tomato soup: The soup was cold. It was so cold that I began to wonder if it was supposed to be a cold soup. But, no, it was warm on the edges. It was microwaved. Microwaved. And not for long enough. This soup was put in this container and stuck in the refrigerator at some point, then taken out and (insufficiently) microwaved. This is a no-no in my book. The workers were so nice and cheerful and kind. Nevertheless, I have to say that all things considered, I would pass on Bruce's if I was in Marion again. Everyone makes mistakes, but serving stone cold soup can't be one of them. read more

Bruce's Fabulous Foods - Secret Wall Falls in the Pisgah National Forest not far from Marion, NC. I worked up an appetite hiking here and back! - Southern Near Me - Marion, North Carolina

Yummy + healthy food at a GREAT price! They literally own NO fryers - how refreshing! Every sandwich comes with a side + cookie or brownie. Very sweet people - what a find! read more

Great sandwiches and service! The poor man's Rueben was made with roasted turkey- very good. Lunch included a homemade dessert- we had banana cake and coconut chocolate chip cookies! read more

I stopped into Bruce's today for a bite of lunch. It was 2:00 so much of the lunch crowd had already cleared out but I was by no means the only one grabbing a late lunch. Since I was dining alone I decided to sit at the counter. I made a quick stop by the restroom to wash my hands first and it was very clean...always a good thing. I decided to order a chicken quesadilla with a side of sweet potato veggie soup. Both were very good! I am very picky about salsa and they make their own salsa in house. It was "tomatoey" and had a good flavor. Not too much onion which I appreciate. I could use a little more heat personally but not everyone can handle the heat, so I understand why they do it mild. Regardless, the flavor profile was very pleasant. I decided to try one of Bruce's famous cheesecakes foe dessert and it did not disappoint! It was peanut butter & jelly cheesecake...how can any good American kid raised on PB &J sandwiches pass that up? YUM! The only thing better would be peanut butter & chocolate, lol! But still, the PB&J cheesecake was AWESOME! No complaints! The only thing I had that disappointed was the sweet tea. This was not my grandma's sweet tea...it was rather "not quite sweet enough". But honestly, everything else was excellent, so overall, it cancelled out the tea. I will definitely be going back to try some other yummies here! Service was super nice too. I am definitely a fan!! read more

Bruce's Fabulous Foods - Southern Near Me - Marion, North Carolina

See all

Amazing food and Barbara Jean makes you feel right at home. It's good enough to drive out of the way to go to!

I live an hour away but come come 4 times a year for work and rarely go anywhere else but Bruce's for lunch. Always a highlight of my trips to Marion. This afternoon I had one of the best Quesadillas I've ever had anywhere. But the Bousin burger is a regular favorite. Today's trifecta of amazing Hummus (made in house) were Lemon Pepper, Fire roasted beet, and cilantro lime. And then there's the Board of Happiness. Peppermint Pattie cheesecake was light creamy with lots of mint. read more

Lunch time meal and it was great, service was great and nothing like that old time cafe feeling. Enjoyed the desserts.

Great local spot. Fantastic food and the cheesecake is fabulous! The staff are all very friendly!

Delicious food and excellent, friendly service! Kids menu options made the littlest in our crew happy, juicy burgers and a super fresh salad for the big kids and adults. Would absolutely come back! read more

Pizza quesadilla, Ruben sandwich, hot dog were excellent! Small town feel, great service, and clean! Banana cream cake is to die for!!

This is as good as it gets for a hometown diner. Wonderful service, and owner the personally visits your table, gives you a big hug and tells a story or two. The food is wonderful and tasty. Not straight diner fair. With every order you get a dessert, or better yet, bump it up to a slice of cheese cake. Get Guy here #Dinersdriveninsanddives. BTW Bruce wants to put his stamp on the Webster Dictionary by having them publish one of his famous new words like Caulicrocolli. read more

Bruce and Barbara Brown have truly created a hometown treasure in Bruce's Fabulous Foods. The food is outstanding, the service is impeccable, the atmosphere is homey and every time I leave I look forward to coming back. I've enjoyed turning these beloved business owners into treasured friends. I cannot say enough good things about the food and people that are Bruce's Fabulous Foods. read more

Bruce's Fabulous Foods - Ranch Chicken Wrap - Southern Near Me - Marion, North Carolina

Love Love Love this place! The food and customer service are amazing. Anytime we go through Marion it is a definite stop! Can't say enough about the cheesecake..always have trouble trying to decide which flavor to get. If you are ever in the area make it a stop! read more