Foragers Canteen

Super tasty, good service, nice employees. Their sodas can be a bit pricey but for imports they're…read moregood.

I thought the 2 beef tacos I bought were excellent. The bed…read morewas marinated just right. And adding their green salsa made them great. Very nice service! And the prices were very reasonable. Thanks you guys for the great meal and service.

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Taco regulares, chips and salsa, green burrito, and chicken quesadilla.

Fonda Cactus

5.0(35 reviews)

0.7 mi

Well those were some delicious lamb birria tacos!…read more Served with slightly sweet pickled red onion lime and two salsas on the side. I also try the beans and rice also very flavorful. They were out of the chicken soup so the owner brought me out a bowl of birria soup and chatted with me about how it is made. They are very proud of their food. Love the vibe.

I can see why every single review of this place is a 5/5. It was outstanding. Not only did we see…read moreand meet some locals who clearly come often, the proprietary was so lovely and helpful and very knowledgeable about his food. We had the lamb birria tacos and the Cuban sandwich and both were incredible. They were so good, I was giddy to have leftovers. I don't normally do salsa because I unfortunately have a very low spice tolerance, but the salsa that came with the Cuban was smokey and complex, without a bit of spiciness, highly recommend. Inside was small, incredible clean, a few pretty basic booths and tables. You order at the counter and then Bernardo brings it right to your table with lots of great details about how everything was prepared. The locals who were there come weekly and I can see why!!

Birria tacos

Omelet with Birria

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The Rivers And Rails Tavern

4.4(94 reviews)

1.3 mi

I went back again yesterday (Monday) for another of my favorite Smash Burgers. Every Monday they…read moreserve up the classic Smash burger alongside a completely new special creation. I truly enjoy Mondays at R&R!

I was there on a Friday and sat at the bar. They have a $3 PBR cans special on Fridays so I had…read moresome a couple of those. I ordered the pickle brined chicken sandwich. It normally comes with lettuce, tomato, pickle, and special sauce. I didn't want a mayonnaise based sauce....trying to cut some calories since I'm already having a deep fried sandwich! I instead got a smear of buffalo hot sauce which was a really good substitute. The sandwich was super crisp and spicy. Very good! My only gripe is that when I get a sandwich at a restaurant, I expect some type of side dish. It could be a small amount of fries or some potato chips but something. R&R has lots of good sides so they could offer some free fries but then encourage up charge sides for one of their delicious options like their truffle fries. Ive eaten there a few times and each time, very consistent, good food!! Bartender Chynna was very nice. Bar was getting busy but she handled everyone efficiently and friendly.

Apparently this is a river otter that's been taxidermy and is in the corner of the bar.

Chili Cheese Dog with Sweet Potato Fries

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The front entrance

El Patron Mexican restaurant

4.1(137 reviews)

0.7 mi

I have been coming to Sylva since 1970, and to be completely honest, I have never found a single…read morerestaurant here that I fell in love with or felt was worthy of a return visit--until now. Don't let the outside fool you; the exterior is deceiving and doesn't draw you in, but once you step inside, El Patron is absolutely amazing and incredibly clean. The food is the real star. I had the fried burrito, which was perfectly crisp and flavorful, smothered in cheese and mole and my husband ordered the Texas Steak. The chips were warm, fresh, and their incredible salsa bar is a massive bonus with so many great authentic flavors. I can't believe I haven't been here before today. After decades of searching for a go-to spot in town, we've finally found it. We will absolutely be back!

Dropped in for lunch and we were immediately seated. The waitress dropped off a bowl of salsa and a…read morebasket of chips. We chose meals from the lunch menu that were served fairly quickly. Everything was delicious and authentic tasting. The restaurant was fairly quiet and clean. We will definitely be making this our regular Mexican restaurant.

Dining area

Texas Steak

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Waiting area

Colima Mexican Restaurant

3.9(42 reviews)

0.9 mi

The food here is really good and nicely priced. The fajitas here taste great and are cheaper than…read moreother mexican restaurants around, even for them being 3 meat fajitas. Although we did not eat from it, there is a buffet that looks to have many delicious options for a really good price. At the table they serve your chips and salsa with a pitcher, which is great for refilling it yourself! The servers were friendly and quick. The inside was nicely decorated and the lights were not too bright. It was a little cold inside but other than that it was great.

My daughter lives in Cullowhee and this is her favorite Mexican restaurant in Sylva. We visited…read morearound 3:30 on a Sunday, unfortunately too late for the buffet and too early for the salsa bar which my daughter says is very good. However the salsa they brought to the table was delicious, not spicy, and I loved that they brought a big amount of it in a syrup dispenser. My daughter ordered a combo and I ordered the Veggie P which was essentially an ACP with veggies instead of chicken, so not sure why it wasn't called the ACV. Food came out promptly and was hot. Service as far as drinks, bringing checks, etc. was a tad slow. Prices were on par with other places. I was super hungry so forgot to take a pic of my plate!

Chips & salsa

Food was ass

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Texas fajitas

Cosmic Carry Out

4.3(55 reviews)

1.2 mi

Cosmic, indeed! From the owner's facial hair to the burger itself to the couple next to us…read moreperforming too much PDA, what an experience. Cool little spot high above Scott Creek with average burger truck prices, but greatly above average burgers and fries. We tried to find a good burger in Bryson city but nothing seemed awesome. This one did just the trick. Will return and would recommend.

The food is always great and have been here many times. I love the veggie burger, which is not…read moretypical - made of all fresh ingredients like black beans and sweet potatoes. French fries are hand cut and burgers are super juicy and big with lots of ooey-gooey cheese. Sweet potato quesadillas are also good. Small menu with about 10 items. You really can't go wrong. Picnic tables outside and you can bring your dog. Innovation brewery right there where you can grab a beer and bring it to your table. You can also sit at innovation and cosmic will bring your food to you there.

Spudniciks Fries

Burger and fries overlooking Scott Creek

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Breadheads Tiki Shak

4.6(21 reviews)

0.1 mi

What a great spot! The vibes, the music, the decor, the food, the energy...they were all amazing…read more My wife and I were in town to visit our kiddo at WCU and we thought we would stop in for lunch. Our first visit there was 34 years ago for our first date when it was the old Hooper's Drug Store and Lunch Counter. We told the owner our "story" and she gave us a memento to remember our visit. We will definitely be back. Thanks so much for treating us well.

Friendly, timely servers. Inside is fabulously decorated. The interior is the aesthetic of a tiki…read moreshack and is very cute. They have a nice bar with a good selection. The food was pretty good. I tried the american burger, which was very tasty. The steak fries are good. The Korean corn dogs are very sauced up. They are decent but nothing too special. The mac and cheese bites were okay.

Truckin up to Buffalo

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Restrooms

Innovation Brewing

4.6(155 reviews)

0.3 mi

One of my new favorites! I love that this place is on the water and the beer is delicious. They…read morehave a lot of unique options that are not too much or trying too hard. Super friendly bartenders. They had a food truck outside though we didn't get anything. Great seating, dog friendly. Right downtown, but pretty easy to find parking. Stellar spot.

Bartenders nice and helpful. Lots of beers that change throughout the year. Best part is one of the…read morefew bars in Sylva that stay open until midnight! Dog friendly. No food but permanent food truck (Cosmic Take Out) next door and they'll bring your food to Innovation for you.

View of the river from the patio

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Inside

Big Nick's BBQ

4.3(105 reviews)

0.9 mi

Best brisket I've had since leaving Texas, great sides, super friendly operators. The place is…read moresimple, unpretentious, great bbq that is tasty but not overly smokey, sides like mamma made. Definitely a return to place, about one hour from Asheville.

We came here because 1) it was later in the day and, 2) it was the weekend and most places were…read moreclosed. It was all good because this place was really tasty. It is a type of BBQ that is somewhat smoky but it's very clean, meaning not much fat or skin on the ribs, not rustic. The onion rings we ordered, along with the ribs, were good. We also had a pulled pork sandwich which was good also. Since everything was tasty, we ordered a brisket egg roll, and it was the best we had, along with the in-house ranch sauce. A great place to eat.

Nachos with pork

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Sauces

The Cats Table

4.5(12 reviews)

5.1 mi

We had a birthday party for my husband today after church ! 12 people! Our waiter was great , the…read morecooks got our meals out on time ! Food was very good! We are local and love eating here ! 5 stars for sure ! We recommend this restaurant to all our friends!

they're mediocre. service was good, ambiance was alright, the food just was nothing special.read more

Cute decor

Side salad and loaded potato

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Cute decor

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16 reviews that are not currently recommended

The reviews below are not factored into the business's overall star rating.

Mel T.

165

5 years ago

Courtesy and Service are non existent. I stopped by today to have lunch. The restaurant was busy but there were 5 employees standing at the front host stand. I was greeted by a young boy who asked how he could help me. I said "I'd like to have lunch please." He asked "how many". I said "One". He tells me with regret, that unless I want to sit at the bar the only place available is a corner table. A corner table facing the window sounded fine so I took it. It was sticky and swarming with at least 6 flies. Not ideal but it's summer and hot out and there are flies in the mountains right now so....okay. I sat for almost 10 minutes dodging flies, and still no one had greeted me. I decided to try the bar. There were 3 customers and no bartender. I waited for a few more minutes and when no bar tender appeared I made my way out. On the way out I stopped to tell the young man that seated me and another girl standing with him "thank you anyway but no one ever greeted me". No response or acknowledgement whatsoever. I've been in the restaurant business for 25 years. I understand being busy. And I know at times no one wants to wait on a single. But I have money and I tip 20% or more. Here's my pro tip- Train your employees to be hospitable and hire some people that give a Sh$t! I'm a local and I'll never be back. read more

Cindy A.

4 years ago

Our day was busy with shopping and we were so hungry. We came to Dillsboro looking for food and settled on Foragers Canteen. To our delight, this experience made our already good day, an exceptionally great day. We tried the roasted Brussel sprouts as an appetizer...., it was superb. The size of the portion and the size of the sprouts made sharing a delight. All of our dishes were wonderful. The service was wonderful as well. Jessie was our waitress. She has impeccable timing and we never waited for refills or her attention. They debut their spring menu on May 1st. I'm going back to get more myself..... read more

Tony M.

4 months ago

This is one of our "go-to" spots for something consistently good and unique. We love the street shrimp tacos! But honestly, we haven't had a disappointing experience here and the service is always really good too! And it's got a lovely view of the river in the outside dining area. A good place to hop off from a bike ride! read more

David W.

8 years ago

Had a great experience! The food was delicious and very fresh, and they even tell you the farm where ingredient came from, very cool! The staff was very friendly and welcoming. It took a little while for the food to come out, but nobody is perfect. Would recommend. read more

Amber W.

7 years ago

Excellent "Farm to Fork" food! Whatever you do ... order the Cronuts! You can thank me later. I had the Boxcar Willy breakfast bowl and it was delicious - very flavorful - and a generous portion size. Our server was very friendly. We enjoyed our meal (breakfast)! read more

Kelly F.

8 years ago

So glad to have Foragers Canteen in Sylva! I've been twice so far and intend to make it a regular dinner spot. The Back Porch Burger was great as was the Iron It Out salad. I love the variety of dishes and ingredients used. Great service and beer selection. read more

Steve B.

7 years ago

Dillsboro is becoming a dining destination and this is one of my favorite restaurants in town. Breakfast, lunch and dinner, 7 days a week and it is always good food, good service and a nice small town feel. I recommend the Eggs Benedict and Sidecar Swine. read more

Morgan K.

5 years ago

Made me regain faith in god. No mere mortal could make food like this. Truly a transcendent, borderline religious experience, the finest restaurant in all of Appalachia read more

Peggy D.

5 years ago

The food and service is absolutely the best! I would recommend the Blueberry Pecan Trout, outstanding! Caroline was friendly and attentive. Ask for her when you go in! read more

Chris H.

7 months ago

Good food and good service ! Sat at the bar and had Blackened Shrimp Tacos!! Will be back! read more

Jake J.

6 years ago

First time here and the food and service was great! If I lived in this town I would eat here all the time.

Betty B.

5 years ago

Great food and service. The menu offers something for everyone. It's our go-to when we are in the area.

j f.

6 years ago

Check this place out. We stopped in on our way through for lunch. Would love to try it for dinner.

Ricky T.

4 years ago

You'll be pleasantly surprised great food Nice staff too you'll be glad you visited this place read more

Karin P.

4 years ago

Excellent food and friendly staff. Huge menu with all lots of options. Will be back!!

Sheila G.

4 years ago

A great eatery next to innovation brewery. Great selections and good food

Foragers Canteen - tacos - Updated October 2026

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