This place is a true deli and the perfect hidden gem. We ordered the Rachel and the stuffed tomato…read moreand we were blown away of how fresh and delicious every bite was. The portions were amazing for the price. The customer service is a winner as well. We will definitely be back!

I have not eaten the food yet. I wish I had. it is in a nice area and the decorations are nice. We…read moreordered about an hour ago and our food has not come out yet. We had to change our order to a to go order because it was taking ridiculously long. Service is not good and the staff were not very helpful and said sorry we only have one chef. Apparently, there is nothing they can do to make the experience better.

If someone had told me I'd find one of the best Cuban sandwiches I've had outside of Florida in…read moreBryson City, North Carolina, I probably wouldn't have believed them--but High Test Deli & Sweet Shop proved me wrong. We stopped in on the recommendation of a local shop owner while we were visiting Bryson City, and I'm so glad we did. Being from the Tampa area, we're pretty picky about Cuban sandwiches. They're a staple back home, so our expectations were high. The owner happened to be there and confidently recommended the Cuban, and it absolutely lived up to the hype. There was a short wait while it was made fresh, but it was well worth it. The sandwich was perfectly balanced, flavorful, and honestly tasted like a little piece of home. We packed it up and enjoyed it before heading out for an afternoon of tubing, and it ended up being one of the highlights of our trip. The shop itself is charming, clean, and has a welcoming atmosphere where you can sit down and enjoy your meal. We didn't try the sweets this time, but they looked delicious and give us another reason to come back. Meeting the owner made the experience even better. He was friendly, welcoming, and clearly takes pride in what he serves. Whether you're a fellow Floridian missing a great Cuban or you've never had one before, do yourself a favor and stop by High Test Deli & Sweet Shop. It's absolutely worth it. This is an easy 5-star recommendation, and we'll be back the next time we're in Bryson City.

We stopped by High Test Deli and had a fantastic experience. Our group tried the Cuban sandwich,…read moreFrench dip, Italian sandwich, chicken nuggets, and pickles, and everything was delicious. The portions were generous, the ingredients tasted fresh, and the prices were surprisingly affordable. The service was great--friendly, attentive, and efficient. The restaurant was clean, the atmosphere was welcoming, and it was a comfortable place to enjoy a meal. It's not always easy to find a place that delivers good food, good service, and good value, but High Test Deli did all three. We would definitely stop by again the next time we're in the area.

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.

We stopped in with our grandkids to get desserts after picnicking at the park across the road. I…read morehave a small service dog for a serious medical condition. My daughter was carrying her due to my grabbing some meds out of the car & she was told to leave - dogs not allowed. I stepped in and explained she was a service dog. The woman behind the register needs some training on how to handle service dogs because her response was embarrassing and uncalled for. She rolled her eyes and nodded her head and said "ohhhhkayyyyyy" and walked back behind the counter. We left without patronizing this establishment. Please read up on ADA guidelines for service animals so that this is not repeated for future customers.

Great place to stop for lunch (or breakfast) and enjoy the Mountain View! Delicious sandwiches,…read morekind staff and even a swing to relax and enjoy your meal.

Finally a great deli sandwich place and so good. Cute country cabin looking place. Great prices &…read morenice people.

Went here on a recommendation. I can see how the sandwiches are liked and this seems to be a great…read morelocal place. My only minor complaint was there were a TON of live flies in the front window and flying around the establishment. A little kid even freaked out about a fly buzzing around her and the employee said, "They just like to come in for the food." Eeek. I the sandwich was fine, a little messy, but fine. I'm not sure I'd go return.

The sandwiches here are great. I got the Ruben on honey oat and it was very good…read more Customers were all very nice too. Some people were chatting with each other after church and came up and spoke with us. Seems like a nice town and a nice place to eat in it.

We popped into this deli for lunch today which I have been wanting to try. The inside is large and…read moreroomie with plenty of seating space. The server came right over to take a drink order and answer some questions we had. They bake their own huge loaves of breads onsite which are available for pre-order take out. We enjoyed very large sandwiches: a classic Rueben and "Cali club" which was turkey, Swiss, bacon, l, T, honey mustard on honey wheat. I opted to tried the pepperoni provolone in place of the wheat bread. Each sandwich comes with a side - we got the pasta salad and blue cheese cole slaw. Everything was super tasty and very large. They also had a selection of desserts which looked good. It was $35 for food and two drinks. I recommend it and will be back!

This place was amazing, they had the best meatball sandwiches and probably more importantly the…read morestaff was just the best. Always super pleasant and did a great job. Unfortunately the location closed when the owner found a better opportunity. I can't blame him, but gosh will I miss the sandwiches!

The food was so good! I ordered a BLT sandwich with BBQ chips. The sandwich had amazing flavors and…read moreI loved the chips. The food came out fast and the workers were so sweet! The restaurant was super cute inside and out! If you're visiting the Smokies and you're looking for somewhere to eat, this is your place!

There were few patrons in the restaurant and it took almost an hour to receive a basic sandwich…read more The pasta salad was putrid.

Adorable but INSANELY EXPENSIVE and the employees are angry in spades. The senior woman at the cash…read moreregister was terrible to the poor man in front of us - who was having a hard time and I wanted to hug him for how awful she was to him. Everything we needed was twice the price as the grocery store, so we bought a couple souvenirs (honey and a magnet) and left. What a shame.

A great place to eat a quick bite. They have all kinds of deli options…read more Their cakes and cookies are delicious, too! I believe that they sell coffee for a dollar.