When I was a young man, I went to the Smith House in Dahlonega. Food was great; there would be large tables - eight folks to a table. There could be a large family at each table, or folks unknown to you might join you for the meal. It was one of my favorites in north Georgia. Forty (plus) years and the layout has changed - two-tops and four -tops are the table sizes now - but the food is still good. I do miss the big tables; kinda reminded me of relaxed church dinners. read more

I've heard about this place. Had good reviews from the past. We were in Dahlonega but didn't choose this as the destination eatery- Hungry and we were walking by. You pay upfront to a cashier. That should have been the tipoff. They get the money upfront before you've had a bite. Food is served family style. It's a set menu. Fried chicken was ok. We had light and dark. The chicken breast was tough. Unable to finish. Better fried chicken @ Publix for a fraction of the price. Fried steak looked unappetizing- we didn't touch it. All the sides, fried okra, mashed potatoes that were suspiciously bland ( possibly instant but no flavor) Green beans were canned. Not fresh. Creamed corn, could be canned tasted like a sweet mess of porridge. Tea was included in the price. The atmosphere was dark and bleak. Institutional green on the walls, dark green curtains.You go down a flight of stairs and enter a large room that reminded me of my Aunts senior residence home. It also had a very unpleasant odor. They offered dessert. I declined. My friend had strawberry shortcake. She didn't finish. I paid 25.00 with tax for the unappetizing meal. It's definitely a tourist trap and caters to visitors that don't know any better. For reference I live in the South for 37 years so I definitely know the difference between mediocre food and the real thing ( ingredients made from scratch) I'm comparing it to the OK Cafe which actually has good Southern food if that what's your after. I'd never recommend and never return - A waste of 25.00! read more

Absolutely amazing. The fried chicken was amazing with plenty of it to pass around. The vegetables were extremely good. I was filled up after the meal. Don't forget to mention the amazing strawberry shortcake cake. The service was fast. The ambiance is very relaxed. read more

The Smith House Restaurant - The amazing decor. - American Near Me - Dahlonega, Georgia

Haven't been here in years. No longer large tables with multiple families but , it's still got the same charm. Food's good and the staff couldn't be nicer. Hope it doesn't take long to return. read more

The Smith House Restaurant - Same good old country food - American Near Me - Dahlonega, Georgia

Classic...just as good through the decades. Service getting bread/rolls took forever or just getting them to come back after initial food drop off. Dessert could have been better, but all the other southern fixings were really good as usual. read more

I can't believe I haven't reviewed the Smith House yet! I haven't been in over a year, but from what I remember, the Smith House was excellent and a great place to come for warm Southern Hospitality and home cooked Southern food. They have stopped giving refills for food which is somewhat of a downer, but they give you plenty of food to begin with, so I guess they are trying to prevent waste and such. The service was always friendly from what I remember, and the experience of going to the Smith House is always a fun one. 4.4 stars rounded up, makes the Smith House a bonafide 5 star review for me! read more

We made a day trip to Dahlonega Ga. to eat here. It's a family style dinning place. It also has a lodge. It has a neat history being on top of a gold vein that ran underneath it. We just got basic "daily menu" which was fried chicken. I enjoyed the food and the history of the place. Also a nice drive through Georgia to get there read more

This was my first time visiting Dahlonega . The service was great and the food was seasoned very well. Very tasty.

The smith house, for us, has lost its special charm and good food. For the price (23 w tax) per person it's on the high side for very small portions with zero refills. Food tasted like it was from a cafeteria and was very bland. The chicken tasted like it was cooked in old oil despite the fact we got there 15 minutes after opening. The country fried steak was ok. The sides where tiny Summer salad was very good, creamed corn very good, mashed potatoes not good at all and collard greens blah. Service was very good. Ambiance is as expected when eating on a lower level, dark and drab. Unfortunately it will be our last visit. read more

Smith House is a favorite of Dahlonega. Family Dining Restaurants used to be more common. Smith House maintains this form of dining. So it reminds me of my childhood. Food is always good. And it is plentiful. read more

The restaurant is amazing and the accommodations even better. We rented the Welch house for our whole family for a wedding and it was so nice! read more

We came to explore Dahlonega New Year's Day & tried The Smith House for lunch. The wait was about an hour which told us the food was probably going to be great. I'm not a huge southern food kind of person but everything was great. I do not like collard greens but ate theirs and liked them. Definitely a good spot & fun time. They know how to cook! read more

The Smith House Restaurant - Lunch! - American Near Me - Dahlonega, Georgia

We had our family wedding rehearsal dinner here and they accommodated our 16 people well. The food was very good - everyone raved about the fried chicken - and everyone loved the family-style servings from communal bowls. It was good, down-home Southern food, and we had more than enough for everyone. Service was attentive and not obtrusive. Everyone in our party enjoyed the whole experience. read more

Good service, nice clean design and good location. Food is not great out of a can, or from frozen. Not a great value for the money.

I have eaten at this restaurant many, many times under "old" ownership. I brought my out of town daughter in for lunch on October 15, 2024 and had EXTREMELY poor service and the small (individual size) bowls they brought out were only half full. After examining other party of 2 tables and their portions, the small bowls were filled to the top. Our server took our order and brought out our sweet teas...she NEVER returned! Someone else brought out our food and no one EVER returned to our table! My daughter asked if our server left for the day and they said "No". Still, our server never came back. We asked for the manager and was told she had left for the day. I have been a General Manager over a large restaurant and a manager should NEVER leave before the customers! I was told to call back the following day, in which I did. I was told she was busy and to leave a message, in which I did. She NEVER returned my call. I proceeded to leave her another message 2 days later, still no response and again 5 days after my visit. Still no response. So today, 11 days after my visit I tried calling at an off hour and the manager was told but again I was informed she was too busy. I was asked what I was expecting, I said that I would like to be compensated after spending $46.00 for lunch for me and my daughter. Either as a refund or to be able to come back and let them make it right as I am somewhat of a local. I was told that they "NEVER give refunds or replace meals". I was also told I shouldn't have waited so long!!! So trying to contact them before I left that day and calling the very next day!?!? Save your money and DO NOT WASTE YOUR OWN TIME and MONEY!!! The food was just okay. If you are truly looking for this kind of dining experience, take a drive to the Dillard House! Much Better food, much better experience and much, much better beautiful atmosphere! read more

I downloaded yelp just to give this place a 1 star review, and when I tried to type in yelp it auto corrected to help... which is what I think I need after eating here, if you are planning on eating here for your own well being PLEASE DONT! This place felt like a prison, every 5 minutes there was a waiter coming to disturb and harass me. And I recommend if you like flavor DO NOT GO HERE! I'm genuinely trying to help you, the chicken, no seasoning at all, the collared greens, tasted like they were put in a vat of cleaning alcohol, and the Mac & cheese, well it was okay and as for the strawberry shortcake, it was dryer than the Sahara same with the bread. And the mashed potatoes!? I'm 90% sure they were those instant mashed potatoes that you get from Walmart. Now I leave you with this, if you love yourself or anyone that you may be going with... PLEASE DO NOT EAT HERE!!! read more

Great food and service! Will definitely come back. The fried chicken and pot roast was awesome.

Great food and wonderful atmosphere. I wold highly recommend to disregard the one star review. As you can see by the picture that is all the food that comes to the table a wonderful mix for sure. It was more than we could eat sad to say. My wife loved the Okra, collards, and corn. I loved the smashed potatoes with the gravy from the pot roast, Mac and cheese and the beans. Basket of very warm mini corn muffins were great and also the butter was soft and easy to spread over the rolls and muffins. Outstanding do not miss an opportunity to eat there. read more

The Smith House Restaurant - Bread - American Near Me - Dahlonega, Georgia

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Sorry folks. This place has been around since Jesus and is a staple of Dahlonega. But.....there are numerous places to go for true country cooking that are waaaaay better. Don't waste your funds to eat here. However, some great lodging options via the Smith House. read more

We flew in for a family wedding, and we all headed here for a big family dinner after the wedding. The food is served family style with food heaped on plates and in bowls for passing around. And we did all this during a pandemic. Thank God it all went well and no one got sick. The food here is just your basic home cooking. I think you just pick a few vegetables and a couple of meats. I actually did not see a menu. Kind of like eating at home. You eat what's served to you. The food was hot and plain, just like home. Very comforting. read more

We ate at the Smith house Saturday after tubing. It was a big let down. For $23/ person we got single serving bowls for 3 of us. Waitress asked what pieces of chicken did we prefer so we responded with different pieces. She brought back 2 thighs and 3 wing style fried chicken. It is was good but just not enough 3 adults. After eating the bite size serving dishes we left hungry and planned on eating again somewhere else later. They are obviously a tourist trap not expecting repeat business. read more

Came in for lunch great family style eating experience. Friendly staff. Attentive servers who work as a team. The food came out quickly tasted good but could of been a little hotter. (Why it gets the 4). All out fun experience. We would do it again. Like eating at grandma's in the old days. read more

The Smith House Restaurant - Lunch - American Near Me - Dahlonega, Georgia

This is my second time diving at this restaurant. The food is served family style and we had chicken roast beef with vegetables, creamed corn, squash casserole, fried okra, black eyed peas, mashed Potatoes and gravy, green beans, rolls and then dessert. Lots of food and plenty to take home. read more

The Smith House Restaurant - a table full of food - American Near Me - Dahlonega, Georgia

If I wanted canned food for Thanksgiving I would have went to my Mother-n-laws. Instant mashed potatoes had so much water in them they were translucent. Each person got 1 piece of fried chicken that was okay, 5 little pieces of ham for 3 people and some turkey that tasted boiled. I have never had turkey that tasted like that. For what they charge ($26 pp) I sure hope they pay their employees well because the money dang sure isn't being spent on food! We won't be back. read more

Used to be a good place to go. When they stopped the "all you can eat" aspect it really changed things for the worse. That was part of the draw. Now it's no different than any other restaurant. I realize the pandemic has changed things but at least they could refill one of the proteins, like the chicken. Sides were never great, but good. Still charge the same prices, so it's more expensive than before, because of no refills. Too many other GOOD choices in Dahlonega to go back. read more

Staff and service is amazing. Food is unremarkable and very bland...tasted like yesterdays leftovers. There are some great restaurants on the square in Dahlonega and an easy walk from the Smith House. You'll spend less and enjoy much better food. read more

Service amazing. Disappointed in the food. No flavor. So bland. Pricy. Did enjoy the squash relish and cinnamon roll.

Excellent atmosphere, great Quality and a delicious country Meal. Very Generous portions. Plenty to take home. Great Value for the price. read more

The food was very good. The portions are enough for everyone at the table. They bring you out all the portions for the table at once and you can not ask for seconds, but you don't need to. The cost of the meal comes with the drink, bread and dessert. read more

Have eaten here periodically for over 50 years and, understanding the pandemic, was disappointed that they have stopped their "all you can eat" policy. Very disappointed. Traditions like that for so long should not change especially given the price point per person. The food was good as usual even though they need to improve the cornbread and dispense with packaged dinner rolls. Keep the good traditions going!! read more

Very disappointed with our experience at the Smith House on Thanksgiving. Paid over 100 dollars for 3 people and barely got any food. You are not able to get refills any longer. They decide how much they think your family will eat! Food was luke warm and didn't have very good flavor!Then dessert was a joke. Two tiny slices of pecan and pumpkin pie. They were slivers not actual slices. Two and half hours wait when we were told 40 minutes. It was a horrible experience and will not return read more

This restaurant changed their serving style from all you can eat, to one single serving of a variety of foods. When they told us this, they said not to worry, that there is plenty of food to fill you up. Unfortunately, this was not at all the case at all. Because we most definitely did not get our money's worth by the serving and portion size, we will not return. One positive note about this place is the staff was very friendly and responsive. read more

I have wanted to eat at this restaurant for a very long time. We visit Dahlonega once in awhile. I've heard raving reviews about the restaurant, especially their fried chicken. I must admit, I was underwhelmed. The timing of our visit was between lunchtime and dinner time. Maybe that had something to do with our lackluster visit. The chicken was not, hot and crispy. It had been resting quite awhile. the sides, although plentiful were just above lukewarm temperature. The were all...well...average at best, teetering on a "meh" rating. The mac-and-cheese was absolutely horrible. The box brand with the powdered cheese is better. Our waitress was excellent and the place is definitely clean. The fact that's it's not ALL-YOU-CAN-EAT anymore is probably a godsend. Perhaps they should rebrand it as ALL-YOU-CARE-TO-EAT, which I hit my limit after my first bite. read more

Great experience and great service. Deducted one star as some of the sides felt prepackaged / mass purchased but isn't completely unheard of for this type of format. read more

Start with the positives, the service was very good and the ladies were very attentive. The food on the other hand was not as great. The green beans,collard greens and creamed corn had no flavor. The macaroni and cheese was just a bowl of elbow macaroni noodles with NO cheese. The only saving grace was the Fried chicken and fried okra. Quaint place but the food is a No Show read more

Not all-you-can-eat anymore! I've been to the basement dining hall several times. In the past, the food was tasty in general although expensive. It had been a tradition that you could ask for a bit more chickens. But today the three of us got these for over 60 dollars: a plate of chicken (2 legs, 2 breasts, and 1 thigh), 1 small bowl of pot roast, 7 small bowls of veggies and gravy, 3 lemonade, 3 shortcakes, and a to-go box. When asked to bring more chickens, the waiting staff all said no more chickens ("re-fills") would be brought out of the kitchen due to COVID-19. What kind of excuse was that? (They did refill the drinks and many wore masks with nostrils exposed.) I thought I should share this with others who expect the all-you-can-eat tradition to be honored. read more

The Smith House Restaurant - various dishes of food - American Near Me - Dahlonega, Georgia

Arrived 15 minutes before closing; no one ever said a word. Food was hot, plentiful and delicious! Loved it!

Its a family style sit down restaurant where they bring bowls of food to the table and everyone shares. The food is plentiful but needs a little help flavor wise. They said they couldn't do refills on the food because of covid but I dont understand why because you had to bring us the food to begin with. Beware of the crust on the chicken, it's very sharp and literally got stuck in my throat and it felt like it stabbed me, the pot roast with potatoes and carrots was by far the best thing on the table. The tea needs to steep a while longer because it tasted like brown sugar water. The veggies were good I didn't taste the squash casserole because Im not a squash eater. We finished up with strawberry shortcake, strawberries and whipped cream, it was good. Now here is the kicker, for two people our total was almost $42.00. To me for that price it should be all you can eat so I feel their price point is a about 8.00$ higher than it should be, but what do you expect for a restaurant right off the square of the City of Dalongea. All in all will I go back, NO. Why, because there are way to many places I can go eat and not spend as much. 5 people was over 100.00$ read more

The Smith House Restaurant - Mashed potatoes with gravy, green beans, mac-n-cheese & their over breaded fried chicken. - American Near Me - Dahlonega, Georgia

This place was disappointing. The fried chicken was dry and the country fried steak was cold. The sides were just ok. The best thing was the creamed corn. The price was high for what you got, and the sweet tea wasn't very sweet. You're much better off getting fried chicken at a fast food place or grocery store. read more

Somethings never change and this is one of them. How could anyone give this iconic dining institution a negative review? The service remains friendly and up to standard. The food is plentiful and yummy. The fried chicken batter is the best you will ever taste. The potatoes and assorted southern veggies are delicious. A first for me was okra, it was lightly fried and a total surprise. The pole beans were perfectly cooked, as well as the creamed corn. The gravy for the mashed potatoes was too good for a non holiday. We left fully satiated and with cartons of leftovers. Do go, it is well worth it. read more