We came here while visiting Waynesville, NC. We had reservations for 7:30 PM on Saturday, 11/01. We arrived a bit early but were seated right around our reservation time. They have an impressive variety of drinks -- their drink menu is actually a full binder, with each page in a sheet protector. For our appetizer, we ordered the Chef's Table Signature Goat Cheese Risotto Balls -- absolutely amazing! The flavor was spot-on, and the portion was generous (three pieces, each just a bit smaller than a tennis ball). For entrées, my boyfriend ordered the Veal Schnitzel -- two tender pieces with a flavorful sauce that really tied the dish together. I had the Prime Delmonico Ribeye (12 oz) cooked medium-rare, and it was perfect: tender, juicy, and not too fatty. I asked to substitute the potatoes and vegetables with pasta, and they were happy to accommodate. We finished with the strawberry gelato, which was light, refreshing, and came with three scoops for $8 -- a great way to end the meal. Our server, Shane, was excellent -- friendly, attentive, and very knowledgeable about the menu. He checked in regularly without being intrusive and made the experience even better. Prices are very reasonable, especially given the quality and portion sizes. Ambiance: Cozy and intimate, so reservations are definitely recommended. Since the restaurant is small and fills up quickly, it can get a little loud when it is packed. There's limited space to wait inside, so I'd suggest adding a patio heater for guests waiting outdoors -- especially on cooler nights. Once inside, the temperature is comfortable and well controlled. We parked in the nearby public lot and took a short walk over. Overall, a wonderful dining experience. We're giving this place a solid 5 stars and will definitely be back the next time we're in Waynesville! read more

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I rarely feel compelled to leave a review, but after reading the mixed reviews first and then dining here last night, I just have to explain my experience. For starters, I had a reservation at 7:30pm and stood inside this tiny restaurant for over 20 minutes before anyone even acknowledged my presence. We were only a party of two and were seated 30 minutes late without an apology. The waiter was proficient, but rushed the entire time and seemed to be constantly running back and forth. The bread we were served (after the appetizers had already come out) was stale and rock hard. It was indedible and never should have made it's way to a table. The risotto balls were good, but the romaine salad was wilted and soggy, and I couldn't take more than two bites. The entrees were good, but nothing special compared to a true fine dining experience (I've had several and this wasn't even close). I can appreciate the concept behind the restaurant, but perhaps limit the menu options.and hire a hostess. I just had an exquisite dinner at a nice restaurant in Atlanta last week and it was over $200. Guess what? The cost of this dinner with tip was almost as much, but in comparison, the service was a joke and the food was subpar. I was not impressed and I won't return. If anyone thinks this restaurant is special, that tells me a lot about how many great places they have never eaten at before. Spend your money elsewhere and for the attitude here, the food better be phenomenal and it definitely was not. read more

Never a bad meal here. But don't expect to just drop in, make a reservation. My bacon brie chicken was amazing, as was the goat cheese risotto balls appetizer! read more

Chef's Table - Bacon Brie Chicken - New American Near Me - Waynesville, North Carolina

We found Chef's Table on Yelp and had a wonderful experience. You'll probably need a reservation. It seemed that many of the patrons were locals who knew this was a great place. My wife ordered the Grouper and I ordered the Halibut special. The flavors were great. We were just passing through Waynesville, but if we pass through again, this will be our place to eat. read more

We are from Florida, and chef's Table is on our monthly rotation! Best high end restaurant in Maggie!

If you are thinking of having a special event at Chefs Table, be careful. We made reservations for an 89-year birthday dinner with my wife's sisters traveling here from Idaho and California for the event. I made the Chefs Table reservations two months in advance which I confirmed with a telephone call. On the day of the event I received a reminder for the reservation from Chefs Table. We arrived at "The Chefs Table" several minutes before 1800-hours, the scheduled time where were told that unfortunately another group had come in and demanded our table. It was then suggested that "We leave a phone number and go to the 'The Scotsman' for about 40-minutes where we would be called when a table was ready". We were told that no matter what we wanted, we would not have a table for 40-minutes during which time we would have to wait outside. read more

A very ,very disappointing dinner ! Nearly all dishes swim in balsamic glaze to different degrees ! Nothing that I want to ever eat again !! We sat 1 hour after finishing our food and drinks waiting for our ticket. . Hire someone else to help with all these tables .Ridiculous !!! read more

Went for a last meal before we went home and my husband asked again for the "chef's table" which faces the kitchen to watch them work their magic. The chef and staff are aware of this seating arrangement and can see the patrons. Nonetheless, we watched the chef take a sauté pan full of food be placed on top of another sauté oan full of yellow squash and zucchini, where the bottom of the pan placed on top of the full pan of squash got squash stuck to it when he picked up the top pan. He then proceeded to flick them with bare fingers back into the pan of squash that we watched served to customers. read more

The food was amazing, service was excellent. The waiter did it all from sitting, to waiting to exchanging out silverware for the next course. Wine list was exquisite. Highly recommend this place! read more

Absolutely delicious. Food was great, service impeccable. Wine selection is abundant. Caesar delish Best filet ever Deconstructed lasagna was good but not totally my husbands cup of tea Risotto balls yummm We will be back - a lot! read more

Excellent food. A gem in the mountains of NC. Reserving a table requires a few too many steps, but it's understandable considering the size of the restaurant. Service was good. Would highly recommend. read more

Delicious! Cozy spot with excellent service. Great for special occasions. We can't wait to go back soon.

Everything was wonderful from start to finish. We had the grouper, the vegetarian eggplant and the Ahi Tuna. All were delicious! The service had a few periods of being slow, but that was to be expected because all tables were full and there seemed to be only. 2 servers but they knew what they were doing. read more

Best of Waynesville hands down We've been twice now so consistent as well. Worst thing about it is both times I ate too much

The food, the service, cosy atmosphere, everything was wonderful! We made reservations for Aug. 12th and the meal was so amazing we cancelled plans for the next night's dinner and made reservations to eat here again. We had the shrimp tempura followed by the deconstructed lasagna and every bite was a party in the mouth! The next night we had the braised short ribs over house-made pasta, also amazing. Neville was the most professional waiter ever, very attentive to details. The only disappointment was the chocolate cake dessert. It was dry very dry. We would still highly recommend this restaurant to anyone and would actually consider coming back to Waynesville just to eat here! Deconstructed lasagna, best meal ever!! read more

Got a Ruben to go and when I got home the bread was burnt. Have enjoyed this place I. The past but not sure I will be back . My sandwich never should have left the kitchen! read more

Excellent! Atmosphere, menu, food choices, quality and staff were all top notch! We'll definitely be going back!

What a Thanksgiving experience. After making a reservation over a month ago at another restaurant (they even made us do a credit card hold) in Waynesville NC, we showed up 15 minutes early only to find a sign in the window that they were closed for the winter. We no other plans or food in our cabin, we were desperate to find a place that would be open. A few doors down we found hope and help from The Chef's Table. Even though they were booked solid, they were happy to provide us takeout for 4 (including one vegetarian plate) and made us thankful for good people in the world. The food was amazing too! read more

Chef's Table - Thanksgiving miracle! - New American Near Me - Waynesville, North Carolina

Have been to the Chefs Table many times with good experiences. Made a reservation using the link posted on their website a month in advance for May 10th 2025 and received a confirmation number. Arrived and was told they could not seat our party of 4 despite me showing them the email. Stated we should have gotten a call from them to acknowledge the reservation was confirmed. Not a pleasant exchange and received no apology. read more

Wow! What a gem! Such a beautiful experience dining at The Chef's Table. We loved our meals. The deconstructed lasagna was out of this world!!! (Would love a vegetarian option in the future!). The building is full of character and the ambiance is lovely. Meals paired with great wine and great service made for a perfect evening. We will be back! read more

Based on my single experience, on Saturday evening with my wife, The Chef's Table presents this reviewer with a conundrum: Highlight the considerable excellence in food and service but also do justice in detailing significant operational shortcomings. The latter impinge on the former. The wine selection is solid and we enjoyed a half bottle each, one red one white, presented and served with more panache than is typical in this part of the world. Which brings us to Service. I can address only our server, who captained the seven tables in the front of the restaurant. His task was complicated by a large group for whom a four-top and a two-top had been joined; there was precious little room to navigate while serving eight diners. We have eaten in fine-dining restaurants, the category to which this establishment aspires, in every major U.S. city and several abroad. We have not observed any single front-of-house professional who was more adept and multitalented than this gentleman. He had no busboy. He had no table setter, food runner or beverage server. He did it all as efficiently as one person could possibly do given the extraordinary workload. And he still wished happy birthday or anniversary to those celebrants, and there were several. And he refilled water glasses like clockwork before they emptied. The extensive menu , with nightly specials on the entrance blackboard, resulted for us in Deconstructed Lasagna and All-Lamb Meatballs, both with pasta we watched in the open kitchen be freshly made. The two styles of noodles were both super tender and mouthfeel delicious. Both dishes were complex in flavors, texture and ingredients. For example, fresh mushrooms popped in the mouth with balsamic glaze, pappardelle, cream and dense flavorful lamb--half a pound precooked. Overall the food we had was terrific. What doesn't work: reservations and greetings. People bunch up at the door with random processing when waitstaff have a moment. Reservations are not booked and recorded properly, and we watched multiple parties wait 45 minutes or more past their reservation time. Service for those seated is very slow by necessity of staffing and organizational limitations. It's an ambitious and talented restaurant needing only a few operational tweaks to be as great as it aspires. That's my out-of-towner summary based on one dinner on a Saturday in August. read more

Wonderful place with a very attentive staff. Watching the Chef work is truly inspiring! Delicious food from a great selection! Highly recommend this restaurant. Thanks, Ashley! read more

Chef's Table - three plates of food on a counter - New American Near Me - Waynesville, North Carolina

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I was here a few months ago visiting family in the area. The building is nice although seating is a little cramped. Service is excellent. The menu has a lot of variety. The arancini risotto balls appetizer is probably the best dish we had. Our salads did not arrive, but portions are huge, and honestly we were a little relieved. The flavors here are good, but the sauces are overly rich- on every dish we tried. I will say my pasta dish was interesting - I wouldn't have thought to put fried oysters and shrimp with a lobster cream sauce, but it made for a nice contrast. I enjoyed the experience, but it wasn't my favorite so far in Waynesville. read more

We started with Caesar salad, unique because of the crispy phylo dough instead of croutons. My dinner was braised short ribs with spinach and mushrooms served over pappardelle in a cream parmesan sauce. The dish on the menu is served with a blue cheese sauce. I don't eat blue cheese. Our waiter suggested the cream parmesan instead, which was outstanding. The pasta was freshly made (I know this because i watched). The restaurant has an extensive wine list, and corks from all the bottles are part of the decor along with the wooden crate tops that line the walls as wallpaper. The only issue I have is the location, which is in Waynesville, NC. I love in Miami, FL. That's a problem read more

Chef's Table - a plate of food on a table - New American Near Me - Waynesville, North Carolina

Impeccable service and excellent food. I am so thrilled that I was able to take my family here tonight! We had a lovely dinner. Our server was friendly, prompt, professional, genuine, knowledgeable and helpful. He handled several tables easily and coursed our orders out nicely. I liked the ambiance. It's small and intimate with warm inviting design choices. On to the food! I should have taken pictures but it wouldn't have done the flavors justice. Everything came out looking beautiful and piping hot! The risotto balls are huge and creamy savory goodness. The fried oysters were perfectly done with great sauces. My dad got the pork shank and was so happy with it. It literally fell off the bone and had such a flavorful deep sauce. My bacon wrapped wahoo was cooked well and the risotto added a good balance. My mom loved her brie fig chicken and finished it all (which is rare for her) My sisters eggplant parm was well seasoned and cooked nicely. All the portions were generous! We topped dinner off with a slice of key lime pie which was such a nice tart palate cleanser. I would happily eat here again and again! It's the kind of meal we don't often splurge on because we had wine and beer too but it was so worth it! We were all thrilled with this experience! read more

Fabulous food... Great service, white linen tablecloths, and an atmosphere that is cozy and welcoming. We love this place and have had four wonderful meals. We highly recommend this restaurant if you are seeking an elegant experience. This is not a r-shirt and ball cap restaurant. read more

Chef's Table - Pecan crusted, trout, and the top dish is a grouper piccata. - New American Near Me - Waynesville, North Carolina

Lovely service, delicious food! I had the short ribs over fresh pasta, the others at the table had various fish dishes . Everyone was thrilled with their dinner. read more

The Chef's Table is probably one of the best restaurants in NC, maybe even in the southeast. I have dined in once (pre COVID) and have gotten food to go three times during the COVID era. Every time, the service was excellent, not a thing could have been done to make it better. My two favorite dishes are the arancini balls and the chicken marsala. Ok, so I am a sucker for arancini anyway but these are some of the best I have had. perfect crunch on the outside and a sauce that sends it over the top for flavors. The house made pasta that is featured in the chicken marsala is some of the best pasta I have ever had. We had this dish twice...not once but TWICE during our week stay in Waynesville because it was the best food we have had in quite some time. Get that dish! If you are looking for a special place to dine or even just a good dinner, Chef's Table is the place to go. I could not recommend it higher! read more

Absolutely amazing dinner and wine. It was well worth the wait. Only improvement I would look for is some type of sound absorption in the ceiling or walls. It was really loud and hard to have a conversation until almost everyone left. read more

If you want fancy & tight quarters here is your place. The food was average for any fine dining establishment. The service was a lil slow to be a small place. Kinda of a hodgepodge of tables etc. definitely some snooty locals stare @ you while you eat. Overall it was ok with a uncomfortable feel. read more

Chef's Table - a woman taking a picture of her meal - New American Near Me - Waynesville, North Carolina

Wondering place to eat! One of the best restaurants in Waynesville. Great food, service and atmosphere.

We celebrated our 40th Anniversary at this restaurant. Our server was attentive with excellent manners and made us feel like we were important folks. We sat outside next to a row of blooming flowers (a perfect background for our Anniversary pictures). The food was outstanding!! For appetizers , we had a Brie Salad, and Shrimp with Fried Green Tomatoes. While both were excellent, the salad with lightly breaded Brie and apple, pear with greens stood out. Our main course was Nut Encrusted Trout with to die for mashed potatoes with green beans, Short Ribs with pasta and the House Special of a Deconstructed Lasagna. We have never had a more luscious meal!! The Lasagna was so good that it alone is worth a trip to Downtown Waynesville!! read more

If the service is the restaurant is anything like the person that answers the phone, this is going to be awful. As they say, you only have one chance to make a first impression, and this place failed. read more

We absolutely loved the food here. The service was excellent and the food delicious. The wine was also great. We ate outside and it was very romantic. read more

Second visit. Service stellar again (Destiny repeat). Really good and reasonably priced wine list. Fried green tomatoes were crispy with a bit too much balsamic glaze for me--but very tasty. Pecan crusted trout is served with mashed potatoes and a few crispy asparagus. The sauce was a bit sweeter than expected and really would be excellent if it had a touch of heat (some habanero perhaps). Chef Adam--since it appears to be a finishing sauce, you may want to offer it as an option. But I get it, your staple clientele might not approve. Nice place in the mountains. read more

Normally, I would give Chef Table a five star review but last week, I left a phone message 3 or 4 days ahead for a reservation, they returned my call and said to call, which I did, the day before my (I thought) my reservation confirming that I would bring two guests with me. They never returned my call, so when I called when they opened the night of my reservation, Neville, who answered the phone, said I did not have a reservation, this was 30 minutes before I was to show with two guests. I was embarrassed and mad by their lack of courtesy and concern. Mind you I have been going to this restaurant for over 20 years and two different owners, the current chef and owner Josh. I asked Neville to share my anger with the chef. I have not heard from them since. No, I cannot give them a recommendation, the only reason I selected poor was I had to make a selection. Carroll Heyward read more

Outstanding food: pheasant tenders so crispy and juicy and a yummy blue cheese dipping sauce. Two large pieces of flounder stuffed with crab meat on a bed of puréed sweet potatoes. Thinly sliced eggplant rounds, fried crispy on house made pasta with a sweet tomatoey creamy sauce. The portions were so large, I took more than half of the eggplant home. Finished with a slice of key lime pie which was way too much after such a scrumptious meal. Ashley was such a pleasant server who did not get flustered with the busy place and was a delight to be served by. read more

Chef's Table - Flounder stuffed with crabmeat on sweet potatoes and green beans. - New American Near Me - Waynesville, North Carolina

Starting with the greeting as we walked in the door we were treated like royalty and seated promptly even though we were early for our reservation. The place is small and quaint with and adorable wine themed atmosphere. Thoughtful use of wine crates and corks! The wine list was stellar and we had a bottle of Cakebread Cellars Chardonnay. The menu has options for all tastes and is designed with options made from the chefs local farm which is such a treat! Started with calamari which came with a delicious aioli sauce and homemade rosemary bread fresh from the oven The crispy duck was cooked perfectly and the shrimp scampi was to die for. Desert was a real treat as we had the chocolate pot de creme that had farm fresh peaches and blueberries, along with an amazing glass of port. Our waitress Destiny was attentive and sweet. She actually was stellar. I highly recommend if you can have dinner here. Be prepared to be spoiled and leave feeling like a special guest, and full! Definitely recommend!! read more

Great food great service great ambiance. Was recommended by another business while we were in town. Excellent choice!

Our go to place for NYE dinner. Small quaint restaurant with excellent food. It's taken me this long to write about this year's COVID-19 dinner. 1/2 the amount of tables/people. Our table had the roasted chicken as well as the special, duck. We loved our food. The service is, as always, excellent. Our waiter suggested a stellar bottle of wine which complemented our meal. All in all, a spectacular night out. Looking forward to our next visit there. Might not even wait until New Years. read more