We found ourselves in Saluda, NC exploring some their historical landmarks and businesses and decided to stop in at Ward's Grill hoping they were still serving breakfast, fortunately for us it wasn't past the 10:30 AM cutoff and the grill hadn't transitioned over to lunch yet. I absolutely love these small town restaurants and couldn't wait to see what unique local favorites were on the menu - they certainly have all the traditional breakfast offerings along with Coca-Cola products, fresh coffee and plenty of sweet tea. The biscuits and gravy caught my eye as I scanned the laminated menu and after our drinks arrived it was decision time and I hadn't fully committed so our wonderful server gave us an additional few minutes. Okay there's no better way to experience the local flavor than ordering the homemade fare - 1/2 order of the homemade biscuits and gravy with a side of "Charlie's Spicy Sage Sausage" and a giant pancake with a side of crispy bacon. When my plate arrived I immediately knew I made the right choice, the light biscuit was fluffy with a crunchy bottom smothered in a delicious sausage gravy and the sage sausage was to die for it was definitely spicy but the hand formed patties is like nothing I've experienced before. Whoever the hell Charlie is he should be extremely proud of his creation it's exceptional and of very high quality. The pancake was perfectly executed as well and one pancake is a large portion so if you order more than one you better be extremely hungry - it light and fluffy and stands tall on the plate, add lots of syrup and real butter and it's something worth bragging about. The staff here are happy people and it shows they take pride in what they do, besides the food being absolutely delicious it's very reasonably priced. This little diner like atmosphere is beautiful and I feel lucky to have found it, it certainly could be a destination... read more

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First time here and we're very happy. Excellent tasting burger, and fries were super good. Service was very good too. Of course the dinning room was old fashioned just like it was back then. It's a little more expensive than I was expecting but worth the cost. read more

Ward's Grill - Blue cheese burger. - Sandwiches Near Me - Saluda, North Carolina

The omelets are the best I have ever had in this area. Josh and his staff make sure your dining experience is one of the best. Service is great and the food is excellent. Don't miss the breakfast buffet on Saturdays! read more

AWESOME FOOD AND GREAT PEOPLE. The owner is amazing. We love seeing Josh and all of the employees. They treat everyone like family and the food is always spot on. Thanks Josh!! read more

This place is soooo good! Something to note if you read other reviews...new owners took over in 2022. I got a cheeseburger with bacon and a side of their bacon jelly and lemme tell ya, 10/10 would recommend. The bacon jelly was so dang good!!! Everything was super fresh and the staff is really nice. This restaurant has been here since the 60s and new owners bought it and it is really a must visit if you're in the area - plus its connected to an adorable local store (which I of course went in an got some local honey and berry syrup). Check out the article picture I posted to read the history of the place. They serve breakfast and lunch you won't want to miss. read more

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Excellent place. The people are kind, hardworking, give back to their local community and the food is fantastic. My only complaint is I wish I could go there for dinner. Can't find better burger around. read more

Food was outstanding, best patty melt I have had in awhile. Gives you that small town old dinner... service was on spot. Will come again! read more

Ward's Grill - Love this! - Sandwiches Near Me - Saluda, North Carolina

Grill has been part of Saluda for many years. Had lunch there. We had the Ward's 50/50 Burger, nice flavor, not greasy comes with a side, lettuce, tomato & pickle slices. Hours- open until 3pm. Serves breakfast too. It is adjacent to the Thompson's grocery store. Worth checking out. read more

Ward's Grill - Menu page 2 - Sandwiches Near Me - Saluda, North Carolina

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Food and service were both great! Loved the small town, homey feel of this open kitchen diner.

My wife and I were pulling weeds on the front hill when she called out to me, "Let's go to Wards Grill for lunch!" "Great," I hollered back. I took a peek at the clock -- 1:20 pm. "Honey ... too late. Wards closes at two :-( What. A. Let. Down! Just for ducks, I went online to check. Low -- and behold -- Ward's was open 'til three!!! And here we are now, munching on two incredible burgers at Ward's in downtown Saluda! Doesn't get any better than that! #WardsRocks read more

Great old school local diner. Pimento burger with bacon jam and Philly Steak Michael's Way hit the spot on a Wednesday afternoon. Corn nuggets are a must try and fried green tomatoes let you know you were in the south. One server who hustled among all the tables. Loved the vibe and the food. read more

Local diner with great staff. The breakfast Buffett in Saturdays is fantastic and you have to try to burgers - they are the tasty, delicious type you would expect from a small town diner... only way better read more

Amazing burgers! Owners are fantastic! Can't miss with this place!!!! Don't forget to check out their back alley bar!!!!

I am not a big sandwich guy, but I ordered the Roxanne sandwich.....I died and went to sandwich heaven! Out waitress, April, was awesome and so was the rest of the staff! read more

Old school Burger Joint With Top Notch Taste JOSH and His Team make for a Welcoming Bunch Wether your a Local or just passing thru You won't want to pass " WARDS" up Stop by You'll be back ... *** Been coming SALUDA since 58" And never missed a visit to " WARDS" Let me add " JOSH" wards cook has the passion to carry the torch for tge next generation!! read more

I loved the vibe and old world charm of the place. My kids both had regular cheeseburgers and I had a bacon cheeseburger with hot pimento. It was huge! My only complaint is that all 3 of our burgers were pretty pink and cool in the middle. I like my burgers to be DONE. It would have been nice to have been asked ahead of time how we'd like them cooked. The ranch seemed like it was made in house and had a lot of dill, it was different but tasty. Fries were incredibly greasy and not done enough for us either. Overall though, was a good experience even though the food wasn't cooked to our preference. read more

Ward's Grill - Sandwiches Near Me - Saluda, North Carolina

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I had one of the best Reuben sandwiches that I have ever eaten. The onion rings had a lot of onion flavor flavor and also very good - no ketchup required! My wife had the cheeseburger and tater tots; she was not impressed. read more

Food wasn't great. Owner chased me out of the store to tell me I didn't tip. Poor service after spending $93. Owner had a very confrontational attitude. I will never be back. I'd rather drive to Hendersonville or eat the BP truck stop food. read more

I don't give many 5's, but this is great little diner and soda fountain. We had the CJ burger and it was excellent. (You can buy the ground hamburg used in the burger in the attached Mercantile.) Clean, efficient and ti's fun to watch the cook do his thing. Don't miss this one in downtown Saluda. read more

Ward's Grill - Diners like they should be! - Sandwiches Near Me - Saluda, North Carolina

This was my favorite place to eat in Saluda! I first saw it while we were grocery shopping at Thompson's but they were already closed for the day. I made it a point to tell my hubs I'd like to come back. I then got it confused with the other cafe in town :( Finally we made it back once I figured out it was beside the grocery and NOT the general store! Ward's has great fresh brewed tea which is always important to me. Simple, good country cooking. I had grits and liver mush (a favorite NC offering and something they don't even sell in FL.!) I was surprised at the great price! We both had full breakfasts and were out with good tip for under $20! The service was great and all the staff nice. I also learned what a "rattler/ rattlerette" were when I visited the facilities! We will definitely return the next visit! read more

Ward's Grill - Yummy home cooked breakfast! - Sandwiches Near Me - Saluda, North Carolina

CJ burger was amazing. Service was great and atmosphere was wonderful. If back in Saluda again, will definitely come back here to eat.

Had a great lunch today. Food and service was awesome. I had a hamburger with a hamburger sausage mixed patty. Great flavor. Wife unit have chicken salad sandwich and said it was flavorful. Great seasoned fries. Love the little town of Saluda. read more

Everything you could want in a downtown greasy spoon. Food was really good, service was down home nice and the atmosphere is relaxed and small town friendly. Comfortable mix of locals and tourists. Don't miss the connected store for even more added charm. read more

This place is like a step back in time in a good way. Decked out with a counter, booths and tables, it's reminiscent of the drug store fountain service. In fact, it connects to the oldest general store in NC (Thompsons). The food is great, with lots of locals who know where to find a good bite to eat. I had a killer double burger with fries and cornbread salad. Excellent food and service. Lots of cool retail, antiques, Amish goods, and an ice cream parlor. It's only 5 minutes off I-26; a nice place to have a quick lunch, and walk it it off in a picturesque town. read more

Ward's Grill - Ward's Grill, an old fashioned diner from way back that's not to be missed. - Sandwiches Near Me - Saluda, North Carolina

After a great night sleep at the Saluda Mountain Lodge we headed to downtown Saluda, NC for breakfast. Having numerous choices we picked Ward's Grill expecting small town charm, service and great country food. We were right on all three counts. We sat in a booth, my seat had been repaired more that once with duct tape, so classic! With coffee and ice water being a must our server had it on the table in minutes. The menu was a sight to behold with all the country foods that a city boy could long for. My wife had fried eggs with country ham and grits and toast and I went for the fried steak and eggs, grits and toast. We shared an order of sausage gravy and biscuits. What a way to start the day. It was all delicious and we declared ourselves members of the clean plate club. We were out of there for $30 with tip. Again we struck gold in our never ending quest to stay off the highway as much as we can when we travel, in order that we might be able to experience the best that small town America has to offer. We would definitely eat here again if we ever pass through Saluda, NC in the future, or would we pass up a sure bet for good food in order to try one of the other eateries that Saluda has to offer? Stay tuned. As retirement grows closer for one of us, travel through small town America and eating some really good food is sure to become more frequent. You gotta check this place out if you get the chance. read more

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Stopped in on our way from Asheville, NC to Greenville, SC. Got in just in time for a late lunch. Fast, friendly service and really solid food. I had the pimento cheese sandwich with bacon and the fella ordered the special burger that's ground beef mixed with sausage. Both were really good, but that burger won lunch hands down. He had onion rings on the side (thumbs up, says he) and I went for classic Lay's (sometimes, they're just the right thing). Since I can never pass up a peanut butter milk shake when I see one on a menu, I had a pb shake as well-- it was perfect, but I always wish I could get a shake in a less-than-16oz-size. Sixteen ounces is a lot of dairy to take down. I know, I don't have to finish it, but... Anyway. Great atmosphere. Good food. Friendly service. Worth stopping for-- be sure to make time to walk around the adjacent grocery store (and bring a cooler so you can take home some of that delicious pimento cheese and their signature sausage). read more

Just happened through Saluda and smelled the grill from across the street. That's what drew my wife and I in. Kind of a greedy spoon type diner appeal. Our waitress could not have been friendlier. Would have been a solid 3 star if it wasn't for the CJ burger, which was a mix of beef and sage sausage. I dare say one of the best burgers I have ever had, made to order and cooked perfectly. I will be back for that burger alone. read more

Nice little place in a small town creates a very pleasant atmosphere to get a decent breakfast. read more

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Well there's nothing special about this place which is what makes it kinda special. it's a good ole fashioned small town diner like you would imagine in Mayberry. But, it's even better cause it's in Saluda which is a great little town. Had the ham and bacon club. It was good....the best part was the fresh tomatoes. Came with some chips. Again, nothing fancy. But, for some quick grill food, this was pretty good. read more

One of the best little places I've ever eaten at! I absolutely loved the small town vibe of this place. Our waitress was very friendly and attentive. The food was so good. I had a cheeseburger and onion rings and it was delicious! Good serving size too. If I happen to make my way back to Saluda this place will be a must for me to revisit. Also, nothing to do with the restaurant necessarily, but an unknown person paid for our meal there. They relayed a message through the waitress that "God is always good." I say that just to show you what kind of atmosphere it was. Definitely check it out! read more

Ward's Grill - Exterior - Sandwiches Near Me - Saluda, North Carolina

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the breakfast here is the best i have ever had in my life and i am an old man. get the omlette!!!!!! i dont even like biscuits and i come here to eat their fluffy warm lovely biscuits. the old school atmosphere is the real deal not a simulation. read more

Visited for breakfast on Black Friday. Classic breakfast setting with good breakfast food. It was a busy morning so service was slower than desired (thus 4 vs. 5 rating). With just one cook, not recommended if time is important. Nonetheless tasty food and would return a slower time. Recommend. read more

Went to Wards while on vacation today. Couldn't find where to enter restaurant. Man sitting on back steps(employee) rudely said that the sign to the back was for information only, not entrance. Finally was seated, drinks ordered and received. Menus on the table. No one ever came to take the order, 20 minutes! We went back to hostess and politely told her saying we would move on to somewhere else. She insisted we pay for our ice teas..(costs probably 15 cents each?), we paid $5 and left. Confused and unprofessional ! read more

What a great place for a bowl of homemade soup and a grilled cheese on a rainy afternoon. Warm homey atmosphere and welcoming staff - finish up with a cup of coffee and warm homemade pie! read more

We ordered a grill cheese and took my order at 1:05 pm. Didn't get my grilled cheese until 2:00pm. Lady taking said those don't take too long to come out. Didn't seem too interested in making sure we had a good experience . read more

Thompson's is advertised as the oldest grocery store in NC. Very popular with locals and tourists. Ward's grill is operated next door. I had a wonderful juicy hamburger and fries with sweet tea for lunch. They also had deli sandwiches, salads, BBQ sandwiches and hot dogs on the menu. This place is filled with down home charm and goodness. Be sure and try one of their home made desserts! read more

Hide gem in Saluda! A throw back to yester-year. Don't get me wrong the place is not fancy, not one bit. It's like stepping back to 1950. Just good Food, good service in an historic setting. For something different try the JC Burger! read more

Stopped in for lunch on a Friday. It was packed so the service was slow, but didn't mind it. This place takes you back in time. I ate at the counter and ordered the CJ's steak platter a mixture of beef and local sausage. Got the grilled onions as a topper. Cole slaw and potato salad as my sides. The food was fresh and made to order. I would go back again when passing through this small mountain town. The connecting old fashion store sells the sausage and many other locally sourced items. Cool store. read more

Best breakfast. Best hamburger. Great hotdog. Its where all the locals congregate, you can frequently find me there too.

This is a great place with friendly service in Saluda. If you are looking for good food for a good price, look no further. We got 3 hand patted cheeseburgers and drinks for about $18. It's attached to a great little store with local jams and jellies. read more