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.

Farm/Restaurant is the cutest place ever. There is a cute shop and coffee bar in the front, the…read morerestaurant is decorated very cozy and cute. Only problem we had was extremely slow service with the bar service. It took 10 mins for them to figure out where to sit us even with reservation. Our first drinks took 35 mins, second drink took another 25 mins to get. They were tasty when they did finally arrive. Everyone was super nice though. I do feel they should have comped drinks after that very long delay on both rounds. We ordered fried green tomatoes and they were not my favorite, too much corn meal and they were dry and hard to eat. My shrimp and grits were delicious and my husband fried chicken and Mac and cheese were great too. We ordered the ice cream for dessert it was good but nothing special and I would opt to try one of the full desserts next time. Overall such an adorable place and most of the food was really good. They just needed help with the bar service and maybe some more experienced wait staff they all were pretty young and green, but again very sweet.

Pathetic Mahjong event 05-14-26. This so‑called "Mahjong Tournament" was nothing of the sort. The…read moreorganizer clearly hoped to cash in on the current Mahjong trend without offering one single element of an actual tournament. No table assignments. No scoring. No prizes. No auction items. Nothing. The only thing remotely "tournament‑like" was the fee they charged. And let's be clear: this wasn't even a fundraiser for a cause. It was "bring your own tiles, sit with your friends, play in our room, and we'll serve you a fair‑to‑mediocre lunch"--a lunch that, as the owner proudly announced, didn't even include a basic cookie for dessert. Stunning. Then came the final insult. My friend's mother, who couldn't attend, had spent two weeks calling and requesting a refund. Repeatedly denied and given the run around. Only after persistent pressure did they begrudgingly offer a food‑only gift certificate--not merchandise--though maybe, possibly, someday, at some undefined later date, they might let her use it in the store. Maybe. But not today. What on earth was this event. I genuinely felt like I had stepped into an alternate universe where professionalism, integrity, and basic hospitality had been outlawed.

202604241618…read more Parking's can be tricky. Maybe you'll luck out & be able to park in one of the coveted six spaces behind the restaurant. Otherwise park further behind or across street & short walk over. It's an old converted gas station on the corner. Majority of seating is outside. There's some inside seating & a bar inside. Old gas station style bathrooms outside & around the corner. There's a stage for events. Appears to be pet friendly. Nice view of Main Street with shops, desserts & boutiques. You can watch both people & vehicle traffic. Service is quick, quiet & friendly. Lots of specialty drinks to choose from. Food is really good. The Smokehouse Burger is prepared to order with bacon, fried onion rings, melted cheese, tender, juicy, delicious. When you're done, walk up one side & down the other to walk that food off & get yourself ready for dessert. Enjoy!

The good first. The burgers were very good. My wife and I enjoyed the burgers very much. Tasty,…read morehot. While we were greeted and seated quickly, the service was subpar. The establish was not busy. The tables were sticky and had visible signs of glass rings. For not being busy, it took a considerable amount of time for the food to come out. While my food was very good, the wife had fries that were cold. We were served food without any utensils or napkins. It took 8 minutes for utensils to arrive and one napkin each. We asked for more napkins, which never came. My wife mentioned the cold fries and she was brought another serving of equally cold fries. When we were finished, I asked the server for a couple to go boxes. We received one and had to ask for more; eventually getting one more box. It took an additional 10 minutes to get the check, and another 10 to have it retrieved with the credit card. The neighboring table was also dealing with cold fries.

Came again. We got the buffalo chicken wrap and okra. They were both good. We got pink starburst…read moreshot(soooooo good) and lemon drop and michelob ultra on draft. Service was excellent will be back!

UPDATE: After expressing my disappointment, I was kindly…read morereached out to by the owner of Friends. As we all are, when you get down to it, a real person. He offered his apology, a refund, and an appreciation for the feedback. It goes a long way when a person takes responsibility, especially business owners. Based on his explanations to me, which fit my experience, they were understaffed by 1 person, and also had double the traffic that they do on a usual Tuesday. I don't know if I'll ever be around this area enough to give them another shot, but I do appreciate reaching a real human, especially in this day and age. Old Review: "Yes, I'm reposting my Google review so Yelpers don't miss it: This was a total disapointment. What a terrible meal. Don't take them up on Tuesday's "BOGO" night for hamburgers. It was bread on a tray with a flavorles, overcooked bison burger hockey puck, a side caesar drowning in dressing, and water that came at the end of the meal. Stay away. Yuck. Oh yeah, and weak drinks, more sugar than anything else."

Great authentic cuban food Great prices…read moreWe ate very well Had palomilla steak and vaca frita Croquettes, tostones and maduros were very authentic They put a lot of cilantro on everything( not my favorite herb) Would definetely recomend and will go back when in the area

We had an exceptional lunch at The Hush Cuban kitchen & bar today, and honestly, it was some of the…read morebest Cuban food we've ever had. We started with the beef empanadas, which were traditional, flavorful, and perfectly done. Then came the Cubano, and wow, absolutely outstanding. The pork was cooked perfectly, juicy and tender with just the right amount of crispy pieces that gave it incredible texture and flavor. We also ordered the Cajun Arroz con Pollo, and it completely blew us away. It was packed with flavor, the crispy chicken was truly perfect, and the Cajun seasoning was spot on, bold and delicious without being spicy. From start to finish, every bite was memorable. Add in the cool downtown Clayton vibe, and this place is a must visit. We'll absolutely be back.

Hidden Gem Alert…read more Some places spend millions trying to manufacture "authentic." The Open Door at Alley's Ol' Store apparently skipped that meeting and just kept being authentic. The building looks exactly like what you'd hope to stumble across while wandering the North Georgia mountains. Rustic. Colorful. Cozy. The kind of place that makes you instinctively slow down because you know there's probably something interesting inside. Parking is a bit of a scavenger hunt, but that's part of the adventure. If you're expecting a six-level parking garage with valet service, you've made several wrong turns. The staff immediately made us feel like we'd wandered into Papaw's store and the grandkids were helping out for the afternoon. Two young ladies were running the place, one at the register and one making sandwiches. They weren't reciting a corporate script or trying to upsell me a rewards program. They were just genuinely friendly people who actually seemed happy we stopped in. Imagine that. This isn't a restaurant pretending to be a country store. It is a country store. There's no fancy dining room either. You can eat on the little front porch if it's available, but we grabbed our sandwiches and walked across the street to the riverside park. Honestly, I can't think of many lunches that end with eating beside a mountain river and making a few casts with a fishing rod before heading down the road. That's hard to beat. Now let's talk sandwiches. Three of us ordered the Harvest. Presentation? Maybe a 7 out of 10. Nobody is arranging edible flowers with tweezers back there. It's toasted store-bought bread filled with ingredients that simply belong together. Sometimes food doesn't need to perform gymnastics. It just needs to taste good. And it did. Every bite reminded me that somewhere along the way we've confused "artisan presentation" with "good cooking." The Harvest isn't trying to become internet famous. It's just quietly being delicious. My brother ordered the meatloaf sandwich, and if he wasn't already family, I probably would've stolen half of it. He declared it fantastic with exactly the right amount of condiments. The grandkids inhaled their grilled cheese and ham & cheese without a single negotiation, which every parent knows is basically a Michelin star. One thing that really caught my attention was the steady parade of locals coming in for takeout. That's the kind of review you can't fake. Locals vote with their wallets every day, and this place clearly keeps getting elected. Here's another tip: don't skip the neighboring art gallery. My daughter wandered in and came back smiling. The manager wasn't just selling artwork. She was telling stories. She explained the history of the area, how it shaped the artists, and why certain pieces existed. You could tell she genuinely loved what she was talking about. That's becoming a rare commodity these days. By the time we left, I realized something. The Open Door doesn't have the polish of a big destination restaurant. It doesn't need dramatic plating, twelve-word menu descriptions, or foam strategically placed with tweezers. It has something much harder to create. Character. If you're driving through Lakemont, call ahead if you're in a hurry. If you're not, browse the store, visit the gallery, grab a sandwich, walk across to the river, and stay awhile. Some places feed your stomach. Places like this feed your trip. That's the definition of a hidden gem.

Ambiance is awesome. Love ol south roads and the shops that dot them. Food ok, bread dry like it…read morehad sitting out. Wait was longer than should be for 2 sandwiches. I'll give them another try, maybe it'll be a better experience.

Stumbled into Veronicas on Thanksgiving day of all times, but we are so grateful we did! The staff…read morewas attentive and frankly in the best mood as they were leaving on a 15 day break the next day - made for a fun vibe. They were serving a traditional thanksgiving meal with all the trimmings. The only thing not spot on was the turkey gravy - the flavor was good but it was clear it was made with corn starch and that's a no-no to me. I ate it anyway. Lol! I'll def be back.

Veronica's is an amazing restaurant. Ate here with my family several times on my last visit to GA…read more Staff is warm and friendly, food is delicious. Rabun is lucky to have a place like this, can't wait to go back!

Awesome food! Sushi in the mountains??? Yes, at least here! Great shareables as well…read more Smashburger and a couple of other sandwiches for non-sushi/Asian food people We might need it up and had sushi as a starter and then a turkey club. Service was great and owner is very personable.

Go to spot for a smash burger but recently had the bulgogi burger and it was excellent. Always…read moreenjoy when we can visit.