Stopped by Cottage House Restaurant in Cleveland and this place is exactly what you want if you're…read morelooking for a solid, no-frills Southern breakfast. First off, the setup is super easy. You walk in, grab a tray, and you've got options. You can go through the hot bar and get served right there, pay, and be on your way... or order off the menu, sit down, and they'll bring the food to you. Very simple and efficient. The inside is spacious with plenty of seating, and there's also outdoor seating if you want it. Parking is easy too, which is a big plus, especially compared to the chaos you'll run into closer to Helen. Food wise, I always judge breakfast spots by the chicken, egg, and cheese biscuit... and this one held up. The chicken was tender, the biscuit was soft and fresh, and overall it was a solid start. The surprise for me was the hashbrown casserole. It came out good, but once I added a little salt, the flavor really popped. Definitely worth getting. The pancakes were also done right... nice crispy edges with a soft, fluffy inside. That's exactly how pancakes should be. Menu wise, they've got everything you'd expect from a Southern breakfast spot... biscuits and gravy, eggs, bacon, sausage, country ham, pancakes, omelets, and even lunch style items like burgers and plate meals if you come later. They also have a Coca-Cola fountain, which is always a win. Service was friendly, especially for early morning, and the whole place just has that comfortable, old-school home cooking feel. There is also a drive thru if you don't feel like leaving your car. Overall, this is a great spot if you want a good breakfast without the crowds. Simple, tasty, and easy.

I ate there 2 times and both times I got sick both times. My wife did not get sick ether time…read more I thought the food was too greasy.

This place blew me away. The food was absolutely tasty and the offerings were amazing. If I had…read moremore time in Clayton, GA, I probably would have had all my remaining meals here. This diner is located in a back street, next to a market and close enough to a strip mall with restaurants. It's a quiet place although lots of people come in and out. We sat down, got our coffee, ate our meals, and wondered if we could eat more. The food was so tasty that we really wanted to take more food with us. I had a chicken fried steak and my gf had an omelette. Every table around us was busy eating, we were not the only ones who appreciated this food. For a humble place with delicious food, the prices were average. The coffee could use a little help, as well as the A/C, but all in all, it was a win for us hungry bears.

Local home grown people and food,great pancakes breakfasts are their speciality…read more Would recommend

All the food is prepared fresh and hot,the salad bar is always fresh. The service is good.read more

We went for dinner and the burger was phenomenal. Staff was attentive. I would definitely recommend.read more

We booked the Chef's Table for our anniversary, and everything was absolutely amazing. We have…read moredined at many high-end establishments, and The Appalachian does such a great job of delivering exceptional food and service without the pretentiousness that can sometimes come with it. Our chef for the evening, Derek, was a wealth of information. He could tell us where everything on our plates came from, from memory. The chefs at this restaurant are THAT attuned to the ingredients they're working with. He even described what made the wines work with the food and admitted he wasn't always a wine pairing believer, but has quickly become one. Our server, Amanda, was sweet, pleasant, and incredibly accommodating. This girl noticed me lifting my hair off my neck (those open woodfire grills add an extra level of heat to the kitchen) and brought me a hand fan FROM HER PURSE. That caused one of the kitchen team to notice and bring me an electric fan. Like I said, stellar service. Even the general manager, Dan, was involved in our service that evening. It truly felt like the entire team was paying attention and genuinely wanted us to have a wonderful experience. Would I recommend the restaurant? 100%. Would I recommend the Chef's Table experience? 1,000%. Being in the kitchen, watching the team operate like a well-oiled machine, and getting dishes that aren't on the menu (I'm looking at you, tuna tartare), made it well worth it. We will probably do it again in a different season to see how the menu changes. @serenity_now_travel_concierge

Of the 5 night we were in town, we visited The Appalachian 3 times - not just for the quality of…read morethe food, but also for the quality of the people. From ensuring they source fresh, seasonal ingredients to creating a welcoming atmosphere, it's obvious that everything is done with passion and attention to detail. The night we came in for dinner, we had the joy of having Mariah as our server. We had the fried chicken skins, the à la carte ribeye and sirloin, mashed potatoes, broccolini, and summer squash, and then the cobbler for dessert. The drinks were strong pours, everything was seasoned perfectly, and the service was impeccable. Another night, we came in for drinks and dessert and had the goat cheese cheesecake and Pots de Crème. If you're looking for a restaurant that's the perfect combination of great food and great vibes, this is absolutely it.

Made reservations the day before for 5:15 & arrived @ 5 & was seated…read more The place looks amazing The server did a good job The Pecan Crusted Trout was cooked to perfection - would recommend it for sure Will be back.

Not My First Time Here…read more.. Would have liked to write a better review but hoping this one at least stirs some conversation. First the Good! Excellent Server - Made great recommendations and knew the menu well. Very attentive. Food? Well both good and bad. Kids selection - minimal. Sliders or pasta. The sliders came out like hockey pucks. Pasta sauce was bland. Cocktails - Drinks here are VERY over-priced and how they have them structured and priced in the menu is just bizarre. Main meals were just OK. With exception was the trout dishes. These were delicious. Wait times - It took near 90 minutes to get our food from time of order. And the place was not that busy while we were there. Because of this, there was no apology or recovery in any way. Finally, wobbly tables and chairs ready to collapse. Will we be back after this last visit? Not sure. Many other restaurants popping up.

We were driving through town and saw the sign for this restaurant, it was past lunch time so we…read moredecided to stop in. We were not expecting it to be a buffet, but we went with it. They have a large parking lot and inside they have plenty of seating. By observing other patrons, it appears that a lot of locals eat here. Staff was super friendly and very helpful. As the individual was refilling items on the buffet, people were asking numerous questions and he answered every one of them. There appeared to be one server for the entire restaurant and she was very efficient. The salad bar portion of the buffet had plenty of great options & choices. I don't eat a lot so I chose not to take up stomach space with these selections. The "hot" section also had numerous options. I chose the turkey, dressing, mashed potatoes, gravy, creamed corn, sausage, sauerkraut, and cornbread. The turkey was tender and moist. The cornbread was very dry. Everything else was really delicious and good. Definitely made a good decision stopping here!

Buffet bar was tremendously disappointing. I paid $13.95 for my 9 year-old grand daughter to eat a…read morecup of salad. The restaurant also had a very poor smell - like water damage residue which doesn't fair well with a buffet. $63 for lunch - not worth it!!! This restaurant is located in Cherokee, NC.

absolutely amazing service, our server ERIN( by all means I couldn't have asked for a better…read moreserver) her service was on point and was consistently at the table if we needed something, she had it ready. 100/10 experience we enjoyed our food and loved the service. The ambiance was nice because they're wasn't many people at night.

Go before 4:30 to secure a table with no wait time…read more Service was fast and friendly. Food was generously portioned, and came out hot and fast. Parking available in immediate area.

Great food and Marvelous service. Love the Apple fritters,…read moreApple Butter and julep. Sampler is delicious.

Everything was delicious! From the apple fritters to the grilled chicken and sides. You will most…read moredefinitely leave with a full belly.

Great home cooked breakfast and a nice Christian atmosphere. The service was fantastic and the…read moremanager was attentive

Well, it's down a couple of stars. I'm not from Clayton, but…read morewe love this little town and visit it often, last trip in January 2026. I noticed the window sign said "Angie's Clayton Cafe" and whilst being seated at 11:45AM on Tuesday June 2, 2026, noted the wall art had changed, no more local memorabilia, and the menu is now a well worn, two sheet pieces of copy paper. No problem, the place was nearing capacity per usual and we did get a window seated table. But, then I noticed, no collard greens on the menu. So, if you read my earlier reviews, you will note that I have eaten at quite a few "meat and three" style country diners and that I also know how to cook this food at home. That's a big qualifier, because Clayton Cafe had become a part of our destination trip to Clayton from Greenville, SC. It was just that good, a notch above the crowd. I didn't find this experience to be the same. The decor, service, ambiance was the same. Even the same crowd starting a 15 minute table wait shortly after noon. Business has not suffered, but the food is not the same. Overall, everything was less flavorful, more bland. The highlight, the white sawmill gravy was piping hot and flowed well, not a gloopy mess and I like that it was served on the side. The country fried steak was tender, but it had less crunch on the crust and was significantly bland - pepper and salt please. The green beans had a small chunk of meat involved, but they too were very bland and lacked a depth of flavor expected from the hamhock, the biscuit was good, but not the buttery crusty biscuit if yore. The okra was straight up flour breading with no cornmeal in the mixture and that's a game changer on this dish. Fried chicken was good. Squash, or squash casserole was a bland mess and left uneaten. Don't get me wrong. This three star rating means "OK". It's still a good meat and three. It's just not an exceptional meat and three as experiences my multiple prior visits. So that's when I asked the server if the restaurant had changed owners and yes, in April 2026. Well, there ya go, but Bon Chance to the new owners and Godspeed towards the hard work and keeping it going. Obviously, a full house lunch crowd on a Tuesday in June shows positive momentum. I'm just saying, pay attention to flavor, both in depth and complexity, to make these Southern standards stand out from the meat and three crowd.