The North Carolina Mountains Restaurants

We’ve compiled the best of the best in The North Carolina Mountains - browse our top choices for Restaurants during your stay.

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  • 1. Artisanal Restaurant

    $$$$

    Artisanal is in a barn by a country stream, but don't let that fool you: this restaurant is elegantly designed, modern, and serious about first-rate food and service. The menu, which changes frequently, features only a few entrées, such as lamb tenderloin with charred eggplant and North Carolina flounder with morels, but they are prepared perfectly. This is easily the best restaurant in Banner Elk.

    1200 Dobbins Rd., Banner Elk, North Carolina, 28604, USA
    828-898–5395

    Known For

    • Sophisticated food and service in an upscale barnlike setting
    • Craft cocktails and good wine list
    • Chef's tasting menu

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: Closed Nov.–Mar. Closed Sun. and Mon.
  • 2. Ilda

    $$

    Don't tell anyone else, but Ilda may be North Carolina's best restaurant west of Asheville. Owners Santiago and Crystal defected from New York to Crystal's hometown during the COVID-19 pandemic, leaving behind Michelin stars to chase their dream of a community-driven Italian restaurant without pretension. House-made pastas are divine, and the cocktail program—highlighted by a series of infused limoncellos—is world-class. The team also owns the adjacent Santé wine bar and a quietly wonderful pizza joint across the street, Meatballs. 

    462 W. Main St., North Carolina, 28779, USA
    828-307–2036

    Known For

    • Pancetta with a slow-poached egg
    • Addictive pastas like squid ink spaghettoni
    • Cocktails built with care

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: Closed Mon. and Tues.
  • 3. Ristorante Paoletti

    $$$$

    A fixture on Main Street for more than three decades, Ristorante Paoletti serves sophisticated Italian cuisine with first-rate service, although this comes at a price. The menu includes a lengthy section of freshly made pastas, along with many excellent seafood dishes. The wine list, one of the largest in the area, includes more than 1,000 selections. Reservations are a must.

    440 Main St., Highlands, North Carolina, 28741, USA
    828-526–4906

    Known For

    • Extensive wine list
    • Upscale Italian food
    • Reputation as a longtime favorite with many repeat guests

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: Credit cards accepted, Closed Jan.--Mar., Reservations essential
  • 4. Singletree Heritage Kitchen

    $$$

    Singletree boldly proclaims their guiding principles, from integrity in sourcing to sustainability, and those values are conveyed in beautifully presented plates and, most importantly, in flavor. Seared duck breast and Parisian gnocchi with collards shine at dinner, but it's sandwiches like the Brasstown Melt—sliced steak on ciabatta with horseradish, provolone, arugula, and caramelized onions—that keep the midday shift bustling.

    136 Depot St., Waynesville, North Carolina, 28786, USA
    828-246–9760

    Known For

    • Thoughtful wine and cocktail lists
    • Photo-worthy sandwiches
    • Light-filled digs

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: Closed Sun. and Mon.
  • 5. The Bistro at the Everett Hotel

    $$

    The best place to eat in Bryson City, this wood-paneled bistro serves hearty dinner entrées like mountain trout with quinoa and brown rice or meatloaf made from four different locally sourced specialty meats. The dining room is a rustic yet elegant space in a 1908 building that formerly housed Bryson City Bank. If you're not staying at the hotel, make reservations at least a week in advance. 

    16 Everett St., Bryson City, North Carolina, 28713, USA
    828-488–1934

    Known For

    • A favorite for any type of celebration
    • Local twists on classic dishes
    • Craft cocktails and craft beers

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: Closed Mon. and Tues., Reservations essential
  • Recommended Fodor’s Video

  • 6. The Orchard

    $$$$

    Located in a century-old farmhouse in an old apple orchard, the Orchard is the best restaurant in Cashiers, putting a Southern twist on traditional American dishes. The decor is comfortable rather than fancy, with a few kitschy Southern touches.

    905 NC 107 S, Cashiers, North Carolina, 28717, USA
    828-743–7614

    Known For

    • Catering to upscale visitors and second-home owners
    • Location in an old house, with outdoor seating in warm weather
    • Mountain trout prepared four different ways

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: Credit cards accepted, Reservations essential
  • 7. The Restaurant at Gideon Ridge

    $$$$

    Attached to the Gideon Ridge Inn, this intimate 10-table restaurant is your top choice in Blowing Rock. It sticks with dishes it carries off perfectly, such as lamb sirloin, pork loin chop, or duck breast, and most items are sourced from local suppliers.

    202 Gideon Ridge Rd., Blowing Rock, North Carolina, 28605, USA
    828-295–3644

    Known For

    • Reputation as the best restaurant in Blowing Rock and a top spot in the region
    • Locally sourced meats and vegetables
    • Often being fully booked well in advance

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: Closed Sun. and Mon.
  • 8. Vescovo

    $$$

    Homemade gnocchi, divine seared scallops, and a brief but excellent wine list are among the highlights at this chef-owned Italian trattoria in Brevard's tidy Lumberyard Arts District. Live edge and sleek wood tables and chairs set a rustic homey tone.

    175 King St., Brevard, North Carolina, 28712, USA
    828-885–7630

    Known For

    • Barrel-aged Madeira wine
    • Inspired craft cocktails
    • Addictive focaccia bread

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: Closed Sun. and Mon., Reservations recommended
  • 9. West First

    $

    Wood-fired, thin-crust pizzas made from organic flour are the specialty at this lively eatery. Besides the standard toppings are more unusual ones like roasted salmon and barbecued chicken. The open-air patio is especially popular.

    101B 1st Ave. W, Hendersonville, North Carolina, 28792, USA
    828-693–1080

    Known For

    • Sit in the dining room, the loft, or on the patio
    • Industrial-chic decor
    • Eye-catching oven

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: Closed Sun.
  • 10. Cup & Saucer

    $

    Coffee shop in the front, grab-and-go sandwich-and-salad counter in the back, this downtown staple serves vegetarian-friendly grub and is a popular community hub.

    36 E. Main St. A, Brevard, North Carolina, 28712, USA
    828-884–2877

    Known For

    • Smoothies and specialty coffee drinks
    • Mercantile shop with local gifts
    • Stone-ground grits

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: Closed Sun.
  • 11. Daddy D's Suber Soulfood

    $

    Family owned and friendly, this no-frills storefront is the place for soul food in the Asheville area. Fried chicken plates are the specialty; catfish or pork chops are a close second. For sides, expect the classics, like collards and mac and cheese, done well.

    411 7th Ave., Hendersonville, North Carolina, 28792, USA
    828-698–7408

    Known For

    • Generous portions
    • Black-owned business
    • Served with love

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: Closed Mon.
  • 12. Dan'l Boone Inn

    $$$

    Near Appalachian State University, in a former hospital surrounded by a picket fence and flowers, Dan'l Boone serves old-fashioned Southern food family style. You can have any or all of the items on the menu, and seconds and thirds if you want them, for the same price—and the portions of fried chicken, country-style steak, ham biscuits, mashed potatoes, and green beans (to name a few) are generous. There's usually a line waiting to get in.

    130 Hardin St., Boone, North Carolina, 28607, USA
    828-264–8657

    Known For

    • Large portions
    • Simple Southern dishes
    • Friendly staff

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: No breakfast weekdays. No lunch weekdays Jan.–late May, No reservations except for large groups; cash or check only, No credit cards, Reservations not accepted
  • 13. Dandelion Eatery

    $

    This downtown destination is more than a restaurant; it's a nonprofit organization that provides job training and other resources to those at risk of domestic abuse. Open for breakfast and lunch only, the ingredients are local, fresh, and delicious, with the emphasis on comfort food like chicken potpie and, in season, tomato pie.

    127 5th Ave. W, Hendersonville, North Carolina, 28792, USA
    828-595–9365

    Known For

    • Freshly made local dishes
    • Very friendly service
    • Sidewalk tables

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: Closed weekends. No dinner
  • 14. Frogs Leap Public House

    $$$

    This popular eatery partners with more than a dozen natural and organic producers to find the ingredients needed to create its rigorous "farm-to-fork" modern Southern menu, which changes frequently. The atmosphere is charming, with high pressed-tin ceilings and reclaimed barn wood accents, and the service is friendly.

    44 Church St., Waynesville, North Carolina, 28786, USA
    828-456–1930

    Known For

    • Charmingly rustic atmosphere
    • Informed servers and sophisticated meals
    • Five-course chef's menu on weekends

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: Closed Sun., Mon., and periodically during winter. No lunch.
  • 15. Gamekeeper

    $$$$

    This stone cottage in the woods, off a winding country road between Boone and Blowing Rock, surprises newcomers with a rotating menu of unusual, sophisticated dishes like grilled elk, antelope Bolognese, bison steak, and other game. In cool weather, there's a roaring fire in the fireplace; when weather permits, eat on the deck with woodsy views.

    3005 Shull's Mill Rd., Boone, North Carolina, 28607, USA
    828-963–7400

    Known For

    • Wild game on the menu
    • Rustic setting
    • Views from deck

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: Closed Sun.–Wed., Credit cards accepted
  • 16. Lulu's on Main

    $$

    Lulu's feels old-school—there are old-timey quilts hanging from the walls—but the food is decidedly forward-thinking, from the Thai chicken soup to the savory meatloaf Manhattan. Vegetarians also feel right at home, thanks to options like a marinated tempeh sandwich with kimchi and Szechuan sauce at lunchtime. 

    678 W. Main St., Sylva, North Carolina, 28779, USA
    828-586–8989

    Known For

    • Friendly Southern service
    • Community gathering place
    • Healthy options that don't skimp on flavor

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: Closed Sun.
  • 17. Madison's

    $$$$

    In the Old Edwards Inn, Madison's is Highlands' most upscale restaurant. The dining room is gorgeous, light, and sunny, with stone floors and windows overlooking Highlands' Main Street. The restaurant adheres to a farm-to-table philosophy as much as possible, with pork, trout, quail, beef, and other dishes from area providers. The inn's Wine Garden adjoining Madison's is the spot for a more casual alfresco lunch.

    445 Main St., Highlands, North Carolina, 28741, USA
    828-787--2525

    Known For

    • Beautiful upscale setting
    • Extensive dinner menu and wine list
    • Impeccable tableside service

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: Credit cards accepted
  • 18. Native Brews Tap & Grill

    $$

    This newcomer to Cherokee's dining options was an immediate hit, with entrées like roasted blackberry chicken and peanut-crusted trout with shrimp Florentine sauce that go beyond much of the basic fare available in town. They outsource their Native Brews label, but it's the place to find a craft IPA or stout in a place that only legalized alcohol sales in 2021. 

    1897 Tsali Blvd., Cherokee, North Carolina, 28719, USA
    828-497–2739

    Known For

    • Lively local bar scene
    • Outdoor hangout space with games
    • Hearty steak entrées
  • 19. Over Yonder

    $$

    Founded by the former chef of Simplicity restaurant at Mast Farm Inn—the two businesses still have a friendly, reciprocal relationship—Over Yonder serves an updated style of Appalachian food, with dishes such as tomato cobbler, grilled meat loaf with grits, and panfried rainbow trout with almonds. Over Yonder is in a charming 1861 farmhouse near the Mast Farm Inn.

    3608 NC 194, Valle Crucis, North Carolina, 28691, USA
    828-963–6301

    Known For

    • Updated, delicious versions of Southern mountain food
    • 1861 farmhouse with a fireplace in one dining room
    • Reasonably priced cocktails, some made with moonshine

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: Closed Mon. and Tues. Closed Mon.--Wed. Dec.–Mar.
  • 20. Peter's Pancakes and Waffles

    $

    Pancake houses are big in Cherokee, and Peter's is at the top of the stack. Many locals are regulars here, and you'll see why when you try the blueberry pancakes with country ham in the dining room with wide windows overlooking the Oconaluftee River.

    1384 Tsali Blvd., Cherokee, North Carolina, 28719, USA
    828-497–5116

    Known For

    • Breakfast served until the afternoon
    • Old-fashioned diner feel
    • Perky service

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: No dinner

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