Great service and very tasty breakfast! My husband and I split the eggs Benedict and it was more…read morethan enough!

I had such high hopes for this place, but I should've listened to the negative reviewers. My wife…read moreand I stopped in today ( 8/30/26) for brunch at around 11:30. The patio is about half full and the dining room inside was less than a third full we were seated quickly. It took 10 minutes for somebody to come by with the menu another 10 minutes to get our water and coffee, and our food, which was an omelette and a breakfast bowl, took another 45 minutes, which as I read on yelp was the chief complaint. My wife's breakfast bowl was very good, but my omelette was definitely overcooked. The waitress literally stopped by our table for the first time at the 45 minute mark, other than that, we sat there for what felt like an eternity. We asked twice about the food. One time got no answer. The other time got "We are short staffed today." This seems to be a running theme with this place, if you read on Yelp, probably 2/3 of the reviews are very positive about the food which my wife's food was very good, and the other third is about the absolutely horrible wait times and the general unfriendliness/indifference of the weight staff specifically the only female who acts as a waitress. There are two other gentlemen who see you and get you, water, menus, etc., and help where they can, but I was so beyond frustrated with the amount of time it took to get our food on what should've been a relaxing Sunday that the wait time completely killed the whole experience. I will say that the waitress got really really interested in service right around the time it came to pay. To the ownership I'll say this much, while the food was overall pretty good, you can't make people wait for an hour and a half for an omelette and a breakfast bowl especially while your restaurant is not even half-full. I think if you figure this out the place will be a success.

The perfect stop for a Bachelorette Mountain Weekend adventure - The Ruffed Grouse was the perfect…read morefirst spot for my Bachelorette weekend. We all started with Espresso Martinis and Spritz (Apreol and Hugo) all of which were served surprisingly quickly for craft cocktails and were delicious! We shared the Whipped Pimento Cheese started which you DO NOT wan to miss and then all enjoyed an array of dishes including the fish & chips, the vegetable bowl, and the burger. Highly recommend The Ruffed Grouse for both indoor seating by the cozy fireplace and outdoor in the sun with music. Can't wait to come back!

I always love this restaurant when in highlands. It's super…read morecozy. Eclectic decor. Always busy!! Sit in the bar if you can. The food is top notch and delicious!!

Stopped here for lunch and it was very good. She had the chicken tacos which she really liked. I…read morehad the sliced beef sandwich and it was excellent. We both had beans on the side which had nice chunks of pork in there. Very tasty. It wasn't really crowded so we got in and out quickly. The decor of the place is upscale bbq, very comfy and clean. Prices are very reasonable for the area. Give them a shot you'll be glad you did. They also have a nice selection of craft beers!

LEGIT SMOKEHOUSE !!!…read more About as mountainesque of a restaurant as you are going to find in the Smoky Mountains. Big gravel parking lot (do not spin out your tires). Two ways to enter - straight up stairs or multi level stairs, each depending on your knee strength - optional wheel chair accessible entrance at the front with a single handicap parking space. Upon entry, the scent of bbq smacked me right in the face. Greeted by two staff members and the bbq pit master. Not expecting a craft beer bar inside but it had a big brew selection on tap with cocktails and wine too. Ordered three full slab of bbq ribs with cole slaw and shoe string onions for $34.00, thought it was pricey until I saw the plate coming toward me by the server with two half slabs (see pic). The sheer girth and weight of the ribs were worthy of the price point. Bit into the first half slab and at the same time got a whiff of the sticky charred meat. Holy S*** it was fall off the bone moist with a nice smoky sauce, which brought an immeditate tear of joy to my left eye. I put some sweet sauce on my slab and onto my onions for added bliss. I have to commend them for the flavorful coleslaw with a light tang of vinegar. Lately, I have been getting bland coleslaw at restaurants but took a leap of faith here and was rewarded handsomely. The gender neutral ADA compliant bathroom was clean with a rustic theme. Dark wood walls with an oval mirror hovering above the wall mounted modern sink. Little gift shop at the entry door slinging Highlands Smokehouse items. Wonderful experience here and would recommend it highly to anyone that loves bbq in North Carolina.

Love it here - been a handful of times for lunch. The most…read morebeautiful views ! Fresh and yummy menu, somewhat small, but enough. Staff is very nice. Had the avocado salad with arugula, burger looked awesome!

I love all the careful details that go into this beautiful inn! You can tell it is well loved. The…read moremain manor house has thoughtfully curated rooms with puzzles and books. The plants in the rooms are INCREDIBLE and elevate the experience. The rooms evoke days of past on a western frontier, and the comforts of elegant lodges. The manor house is sophisticated but oh so cozy. You could, and we did, spend hours next to the crackling fire; reading, playing games, cards, or puzzles. We had thanksgiving dinner here and the food was delicious but plated and seated didn't seem to work for them. The timing and temperature was off and the vegetarian options were not good. I usually hate buffet, but maybe that's a better format next year? We ate breakfast, lunch, and dinner here and all were excellent. The staff here are genuinely kind and interested in your experience. The restaurant staff and those who work in the Inn have fabulous knowledge of the area. I enjoyed learning. The rooms are huge and comfortable. Make sure to book any room with a view of the lake. Watching the lake change colors throughout the day is magical. The proximity of Cashiers and Highlands to the Greystone is also amazing for shopping and restaurants. Hiking trails and waterfalls -- there are too many to name! The room we were in had a hot water problem which was addressed immediately. This is an older hotel in the middle of nowhere so expectations should be on par with location. That said the beds are comfortable, views otherworldly, and such a beautiful place to visit! My only regret is that we didn't stay longer.

Stumbled upon Fresser's Eatery in Helen's Barn. Loved the decor and was greeted by a friendly…read morehostess. We were just checking out the menu but decided to stay and have a burger. The server was great, answering our questions clearly and almost before we could ask! There were just one or two tiny downers. Both of our burgers were delicious but over-cooked. We ordered medium well and medium. We got well done. Come tell well done and dried out. Fortunately some of the flavor remained and the bun, tomatoes, etc. we're excellent. The house-made chips were like flat French fries. Tasty and warm! The other thing was that the server was also the hostess, so getting her attention was a challenge. Not her fault! She was too busy! The acoustics of the barn were very live and boomy, that could be dampened. Also... no pictures on the tv which was playing music? We had the words "audio program" bouncing around for an hour. Why not turn the picture off then? Next year...we'll be back! Hoping for an even better evening!

I would have rather had a picnic with food from the local grocery store than had lunch here. Don't…read moreget me wrong, the wait staff was nice but the ambience of the place was old, dirty and just not welcoming. The food? Just okay and that's probably giving it too much credit. My advice? Order take-out at Sweet Treats Café in town and find a nice area to picnic in this beautiful area of NC.

Nothin better than a sandwich and drink on the porch in one of NC's last, best secrets…read more It's one of those places that never changes and always hits the spot, rustic and mountainous atmosphere Servers are knowledgeable and Jamaican Have a rum and coke, mon

This restaurant has changed hands, and every time I have visited since the change, I've been…read moredisappointed in the food. We do not plan to return. I do notice that people seem to enjoy hanging out at the bar, so if that's your thing, maybe try it.

Amazing food great service and the food comes out really quick fries were incredible and so was the…read moresmash burger and buffalo chicken salad. Lots of friendly murals with encouraging sayings. Five stars!

We loved 828 cafe so much that we went twice throughout our time in Franklin. The Guava French…read moretoast was the best French toast I've ever had! It's insane and you must order it. The service is friendly and orders come out quickly. Everything we had was fresh and delicious. I love 828 cafe. It's my favorite breakfast spot in town.

I've mostly ordered delivery from Gazebo Creekside Cafe, and I have to point this out--their…read moredelivery driver is an absolute ROCKSTAR! My food is always fresh, delivered on time, and comes with the BEST smile you could imagine. And the food is fantastic! Their soup of the day is always delicious, especially the lobster bisque--it's AMAZING. The sandwiches are incredibly fresh, and they definitely don't skimp on the portions. Everything I've ordered has been delicious. Great food, great service, and consistently a wonderful experience. HIGHLY recommend Gazebo Creekside Cafe!

Lovely setting by the river. Nice menu. Best Reuben sandwich ever. Soups are all homemade …read more Wonderful service. All round great place for lunch in town