Our favorite restaurant in Banner Elk!!!! Small town, with few restaurants, we weren't expecting to…read morefind great quality food. But we did. We ended up coming to eat dinner here twice, in two days (vacation was over after that). The name should probably say "bistro", instead of cafe and catering, to give the correct description of this restaurant. The ambiance inside (and the food) gives you a "bistro feel"- but we sat outside at a picnic table both nights because we brought our dog with us! The staff both nights was very friendly, with the entire team pitching in to bring you drinks and food, and checking on you. The cocktails at this place were unique, and well-constructed; my favorite was similar to a tart pisco sour!! They also have a wine and beer selection. For dinner, one night I ordered the steak of the day, which was ribeye, served with asparagus and potatoes. The steak was cooked perfectly, and was both juicy and tender. The second night I ordered the pasta of the day, which was casarecce pasta served with clams. The pasta was 10/10- the noodles were cooked al dente, the sauce was thick and flavorful, and nestled into each noodle really well. We also tried the snow crab and the NC oysters off the seafood menu, and the chocolate banana milkshake and the strawberry cloud/meringue off the dessert menu. All of those items were delicious (the strawberry dessert was my absolute favorite and I got it both nights). Really nothing but compliments to say about this restaurant! Every dish is flavorful, well-seasoned, and cooked nicely. Highly recommend and would definitely go again if I am ever back in Banner Elk!!

Overall, it could have been awesome but the server was on another planet. I was going to split a…read moresoup with my kid and it had chili oil so I asked for it without or on the side and she said it was so little and not spicy at all. I can take a 6 or 7 out of 10 on the spice level but I could not even eat it. This server was in la la land. It's too bad because all they need is good service and this could be 4 or 5 stars.

We stopped at Banner Elk Cafe & Tavern after being up on Beech Mountain. The location is perfect --…read moreright at the base of the mountain -- and the atmosphere is calm, cozy, and relaxed with a rustic mountain charm. I ordered the French dip with pasta salad, and it was genuinely excellent. The bread was real, fresh bread, and the sandwich tasted high quality and freshly made. My husband got the ham and cheese croissant with fries, and the fries were clearly made from real, fresh potatoes. On top of the great food, the staff were all incredibly friendly and welcoming. We'll definitely be back next time we're in the area and would highly recommend stopping here if you're visiting Beech Mountain.

Why not? They are open at 7 am right in town…read more Service was fast and food was good and moderately priced Coffee hot fresh and topped off 20 minutes later headed to Beech Mountain

Wonderful food, wonderful service, and great atmosphere surrounding us. The teriyaki chicken was to…read moredie for!

We got sat immediately despite there being no reservations online left. Our server quickly came…read moreover and filled our waters and took our drink order. My son's sprite came out quickly, and the bar drinks followed. I loved my holiday punch drink! The restaurant was still decorated for Christmas, but it made it more charming since we are in town to ski for the weekend. She brought out bread, but it wasn't warm, so that was odd. My son and husband still ate it; I did not. The escargot was ok ; not as good as other places we have had it. The fried deviled eggs were INSANE. We loved them so much. My son got the ribeye and a baked potato. He ordered it medium rare, and it was more on the rare side, but he still enjoyed it. As he kept eating, it cooked up a little bit. He ended the night with a cinnamon roll bread pudding with ice cream and caramel. The server lit a candle in it. Overall, we had a great time!

We had a reservation at got there about little early and we were sat immediately…read more Staff was very nice and the food was delicious. Complimentary garlic rolls were brought to the table - they were not as warm as I would have liked, but they were perfectly baked nice and soft. Mozzarella appetizer was none like we have seen served before. It was delicious and I give it a thumbs up. I had the tortellini entree that comes with ham in a cream sauce. The ham was overcooked and dry, but the overall dish was yummy. Shared with my Toddler and he approved! Husband had the shrimp parm - rarely seen this on a menu and it was perfectly cooked. He enjoyed it. I ordered the Lychee martini to have before my meal, which was ordered when we ordered the appetizer. Once my food arrived, I asked to cancel the martini since it still had not arrived and I personally preferred it prior to my meal instead of with. She immediately arrived after I asked to cancel it saying "just on time!". Not exactly ma'am.... Lol. Service was a little slow in some aspects and it took a while to get our check. The food was great and it's once of the few nicer places around town. If you're in the mood for a nice sit down Italian dinner, then I recommend!

Fantastic food and staff. Very attentive and all the food was great. Meatball as big as my fist and…read moreone of the best I've had. The veal was amazing and they do a show with bananas foster that is a table favorite.

Service was good. Good portions were generous and the food…read morewas good. We order loaded fries. Two trays (one 2 meat, one ribs). And the BBQ tacos. All good. My mom is celiac, and they were very accommodating. We were told the general manager is also celiac, and they are very attentive to GF customers.

Simply worth the wait! First of all the host was amazing!…read moreThank you. It was very busy, large parties coming in, however the vibe was stress free and friendly! Bree, grateful for your kind and attentive service with a table of 16! You rock! Grateful to the food runners who were gracious & accurate The food was amazeballs! Ribs were fire! Collard Greens, off the chain! Baked beans, yumminess! Just a friendly suggestion, please consider portion size for your 2-meat combos. Portions were a little light, however very tasty Gratitude & Happy New Year!

Night time ambiance is definitely a bar vibe. Nothing wrong with that, just don't come here…read moreexpecting a relaxing or intimate date night setting. The food was excellent, fried pickled okra was very good, not too sour but perfectly breaded. I had the salad Evangeline and it was just right, a little cajun sampler of crawfish blackened shrimp and fried green tomato's, all sitting atop their house salad. Only complaint was my daughter's green beans were complete mush, as you can see in the picture. Would like to come back for lunch when it's warmer outside, they have a nice looking patio.

The Bayou has been one of our favorite spots for several years now. It's changed quite a bit after…read morea shift in ownership, but they've kept a few of the original items around that we love. The Cajun flare in the food is the closest we've found to what we've eaten in New Orleans! The staff have always been friendly and we had a great server on this specific visit. We were there midday on a Sunday were sat immediately. I ordered my usual, the Salad Evangeline, and my husband had the Fried Seafood Platter with shrimp, cowboy beans, and a side salad. Both were great!

Definitely not a great restaurant like we hoped for…read more My hubby had a pho soup which smelled disgusting, they said it smells funny because it is intestine, but if it were cleaned properly it would not smell like this... They took it of the bill for us at least. Pad thai was editable but not very tasty, def not thai style. My curry dish was blend not too flavorful. I would not return here, not a great experience. Service was not the greatest either.. I would rather eat at home at this point.

Really awesome find. I've seen many restaurants and cafes come and go from this location, seems…read morelike this place is here to stay. Everything was tasty and the staff were very friendly with us. It might not be a place for the less traveled (attached to a gas station), or snobby Floridian crowd. That being said it's a welcome addition to the area that isn't trying to price gouge the transplants and seasonal tourists like you might find in downtown banner elk.

Pizza and meatballs were excellent. Quick service also. I had take out, but would also enjoy eating…read morein the. Very nice atmosphere.

This place holds a special place in my heart but the food, atmosphere is amazing. Best Alfredo I've…read moreever had. Definitely recommend

Good local place for solid drinks at a reasonable price. We had some tasty beverages and one of the…read morebest espresso martinis I've had. Paige is a rockstar behind the bar! The adult grilled cheese hit the spot and the chips were tasty. They have karaoke on Saturdays which was entertaining.

We LOVE this spot. We own in sugar but rent it out and every time we come up here to visit from…read moreLKN, we always get this place!! The quality is really good, especially for a tavern. Best French Dip/Steak sandwhich eeverrrrr. & the pretzel with the cheese dip is SO bomb. All their food is real good.