Stopped here for lunch and it was very good. She had the chicken tacos which she really liked. I had the sliced beef sandwich and it was excellent. We both had beans on the side which had nice chunks of pork in there. Very tasty. It wasn't really crowded so we got in and out quickly. The decor of the place is upscale bbq, very comfy and clean. Prices are very reasonable for the area. Give them a shot you'll be glad you did. They also have a nice selection of craft beers! read more

LEGIT SMOKEHOUSE !!! About as mountainesque of a restaurant as you are going to find in the Smoky Mountains. Big gravel parking lot (do not spin out your tires). Two ways to enter - straight up stairs or multi level stairs, each depending on your knee strength - optional wheel chair accessible entrance at the front with a single handicap parking space. Upon entry, the scent of bbq smacked me right in the face. Greeted by two staff members and the bbq pit master. Not expecting a craft beer bar inside but it had a big brew selection on tap with cocktails and wine too. Ordered three full slab of bbq ribs with cole slaw and shoe string onions for $34.00, thought it was pricey until I saw the plate coming toward me by the server with two half slabs (see pic). The sheer girth and weight of the ribs were worthy of the price point. Bit into the first half slab and at the same time got a whiff of the sticky charred meat. Holy S*** it was fall off the bone moist with a nice smoky sauce, which brought an immeditate tear of joy to my left eye. I put some sweet sauce on my slab and onto my onions for added bliss. I have to commend them for the flavorful coleslaw with a light tang of vinegar. Lately, I have been getting bland coleslaw at restaurants but took a leap of faith here and was rewarded handsomely. The gender neutral ADA compliant bathroom was clean with a rustic theme. Dark wood walls with an oval mirror hovering above the wall mounted modern sink. Little gift shop at the entry door slinging Highlands Smokehouse items. Wonderful experience here and would recommend it highly to anyone that loves bbq in North Carolina. read more

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Just so-so. Front of house folks were very cool and helpful with the menu. I also like that they had a "sauce station" so you can grab what you want. Outdoor seating is awesome! Fried pickles were soggy. Not a fan. Ribs were definitely not the "fall off the bone" kind by any stretch. Dry and tough. Okra was fire and the potato salad was weird (counter guy said it was yellow and white) but not bad at all! Only star here for me was the burnt ends. Fantastic!! TLDR: staff are awesome, outdoor seating is awesome, food is not it. I won't be back as it's not my style of BBQ but you might like it? read more

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I love the bbq here, and it was a huge hit with the family in our recent visit. We went twice during that stay. I had the Cubano special, which was excellent with the mustard sauce. Chopped pork, Brunswick stew and collards. Crushed it all. Good local beers on tap. Seating outside under umbrellas, and many bigger tables perfect for groups. You can even order at the window. Leave your number on the table and they'll have you set for a feast in no time. No, you didn't order too much. read more

Really good beef brisket. We got the sliced sandwich plate with fries and Mac and cheese on the second plate. I had to top off the meal with the key lime pie. It was excellent! read more

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First time in Highlands for vacation and heard great things about the Highlands Smokehouse, so we stopped in for a Tuesday dinner. If you were looking for a place that would be the physical manifestation of the textbook definition of a "smokehouse," Highlands Smokehouse (HS) is just that. A cozy, unimposing structure nestled in the trees on a winding road, surrounded by amazing natural beauty (as are all things Highlands), that cooks up great smoky things. Just makes you want to eat some BBQ in the mountains. We had just arrived on what looked to be the tail end of the first dinner rush, so things were a bit hectic given the downpour outside. That said, they do have plenty of seating given the interior and bar seating, the covered patio seating in the back, and the seating on the side patio that has table umbrellas. Once we got our bearings, the difficult decision was what to order. While they do offer a handful of meats by the pound, they have plenty of prepared dishes and appetizers, with too many options to choose from in just one visit, so we went with a cornucopia of things. On to the meats! The Brisket: we ordered both cuts (flat and the point) and were greeted with brisket that had some delicious smoky flavor. Not much seasoning or bark on either cut, but overall great brisket. The Ribs: half rack of what looked to be St. Louis cut, tender and flavorful, and cooked quite well as the meat came off the bone when biting and not before. Like the brisket, not much seasoning or bark and overall some tasty ribs. The Chopped Chicken: don't see this option in my neck of the woods so gave it a try and loved it. So did the kiddos. Not much embellishment, just tasty, tender, smoky chicken. The Chopped Pork: much like the previous three meats. Great smokiness without much seasoning, but also quite tender. The Sides: ordering for two families we tried plenty of sides. I'm a sucker for Brunswick Stew as we are deprived it in Texas and it as was damn good here, best BBQ side of all time in my view and I'll die on that tasty hill. First time seeing it with lima beans - don't know if that is a regional thing or something unique to HS. The fried okra was also quite good as many places cannot get the crispiness right and the Mac & Cheese was also a favorite. The Sauces: while HS meats really don't need sauce, I did go out of a way to try them (forgot about the Alabama white) and I found the sweet to be my favorite: while sweet, plenty tangy and not overly thick, makes this great for dipping or just eating with a spoon on its own (yes I do that). All in all, we had a great visit here. If you're new to Highlands, definitely make an effort to stop by for some NC mountain BBQ. Its always nice to try, and be surprised by, different BBQ around the country and HS warrants a visit for any BBQ lover. The diversity of their menu and quality of their food ensures HS has something for everyone. 4.5 stars read more

Highlands Smokehouse - Brisket - flat and point - Barbeque Near Me - Highlands, North Carolina

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Nice atmosphere, great people, and delicious food make this a definite must-stop place for a fabulous food experience. read more

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Highlands Smokehouse in Highlands, NC gets a solid 4 stars from us. We tried the brisket sandwich, and it was definitely the highlight--tender, flavorful, and worth ordering again. The prices are reasonable for the area, and overall the food quality was good. The only thing that kept it from a full 5 stars was the service. The staff wasn't unfriendly, but they also weren't especially warm or engaging--just kind of neutral. That said, if you're in Highlands and craving BBQ, it's still a great spot to check out. Good food, fair prices, and a satisfying meal overall. read more

Great service even on Memorial Day. Pup friendly patio. WONDERFUL brisket and chicken. Highly recommend. Reasonable prices. read more

Highlands Smokehouse - Smoked chicken..mac n cheese..fried okra..guiness.. - Barbeque Near Me - Highlands, North Carolina

Always good food, nice bar good drinks, everybody's friendly, good out sore seating obviously dog, friendly, and just a wonderful place read more

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Great food, wings, brisket, & BBQ!!! Service was both friendly & fast! Had a backyard barbecue feel good experience!! The ambiance was sweet Smokey home cooking!!! read more

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Best smoked chicken I've ever had. Very good price for the amount. Sat outside. Words to hit character limit.

Highlands Smokehouse is a nice causal lunch or dinner spot when visiting Highlands. There are plenty of seating options whether you choose to dine inside or outside. Once you place your order, you find a table and they bring your food to the table. We ordered a brisket and shredded pork combo plate, a brisket tray (my son and I shared the tray) and chicken tenders. The portions are large so we had leftovers. For sides we enjoyed the bbq beans, Brussels sprouts and Mac and cheese. If you are looking for bbq when in highlands then check out Highlands Smokehouse. read more

Overall: Simple, great BBQ and atmosphere. If we're in the area again, we'll be sure to come back. The good: Tender, delicious meats - we got the nachos and chopped brisket, and both were fantastic. The pile of nachos were enough to split between the two of us alone, so we left full and happy (and with leftovers). Tons of delicious toppings, and the chopped brisket was tender and flavorful. There are 4 sauces are available to try at the tables, which is nice if you're a bigger fan of one over the other. We loved the outdoor patio with plenty of seating, they played good music, and the service was friendly and quick. The not-so-good: The covered patio could use some heaters. There's an outdoor fireplace, but many of the tables are left to sit in the cold air. Food/drink: 9.5/10 Atmosphere: 9.5/10 Service: 10/10 read more

Highlands Smokehouse - a tray of macaroni and cheese - Barbeque Near Me - Highlands, North Carolina

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This was delicious and easy! Counter service. Brisket was yummy and the queso and brisket dip was also yummy. Great chicken tenders too!

Amazingly delicious food! Everything is flavored to perfection. I loved the atmosphere as well. Will definitely go back to enjoy.

We drove a long way to try Highlands. Wasn't worth it. All of our bbq was eh. Not moist. Great presentation. Great building. One of our five orders was "lost". Took another 20 mins to re order and be served. The manager did nothing to make up for it. If I had to eat there again I would. But not drive 90 mins just for that. Burnt ends were tasty. But not "burnt " read more

Highlands Smokehouse - Burnt ends - Barbeque Near Me - Highlands, North Carolina

They had a wing special with a chili sauce and they were really good. The bark on the ribs was intense, and the brisket was tender. For sides, we ordered the bbq beans n the Brunswick stew, which made me think we didn't need to order the ribs cause there's a ton of pork in those 2 sides. The hush puppies were so tasty, crisp on the outside, and so moist n tender on the inside. The collard greens were also tender. We wanted to do an Irish car bomb, but they couldn't find 3 shot glasses, n we waited a bit while they searched. We ended up with a small glass, then couldn't figure out how to charge us so rang up each ingredient separately....hot mess that should have honored a discount price but it was like $50 for the 3 drinks. read more

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Stopped her for lunch after a day chasing waterfalls. We got bbq nachos, burnt ends and a couple beers. The service here was good. You order at the counter, get your number and they bring it out to you. We ordered and didn't have to wait long for our order The nachos were a huge portion. We got them with pulled chicken. They were just ok. I think I would get them with pulled pork or brisket next time. The burnt ends were FABULOUS!!! They were so tasty with their Cheerwine bbq sauce. I will be dreaming of these. We did not order any sides but they have some great choices. read more

Highlands Smokehouse - Burnt ends and a chocolate porter - Barbeque Near Me - Highlands, North Carolina

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Not much was open in highlands and we tried the smokehouse. We had great pulled pork, delicious creamed corn, fried okra and onion straws. The sweet sauce was great! The restaurant was packed and now I know why! Service was very fast too read more

We were in the area for a business trip. The Bride wanted BBQ and this place didn't miss anything. Generous portions of everything. The actual meat was well prepared and had the smoky flavor you'd expect. It is counter service, you place your order and they bring it out. I thought they had forgotten my beer but it was brought out after the food was delivered. Not worth losing a point over, but the sauces they offered were kind of lackluster. They had flavor but no kick to the flavor. I guess they don't want the sauce to overpower the smoke flavor? read more

So good I ate there twice in three days. Pulled pork had a nice bark from the smoke and their flavorful rub. Great slaw and beans, and the side salad was pretty good too considering it was from a bbq joint. Texas style sauce was my favorite although your preference may vary. Banana pudding was 10/10. Great spot and a must try when traveling to/through Highlands. read more

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We all bought the Bri Briske. Ended up buying a few pounds to take with us to our Airbnb. Amazing! We would buy it for catering if we lived in the area. read more

Everything was delicious and the staff were very friendly. We wanted to go back every time we drove by during our weekend trip.

My wife and I were in our 2023 Roadtrip. On this day we started in Pigeon Forge, TN and were headed towards Highlands, NC to see some waterfalls. On the last test stop that had cell signal, I Yelped for places to eat, this place was one of the top places. We are so glad we stopped here! Nice place that you can drive by (it's on a bend in the road) if you don't see the sign in time! (I had to turn around) Parking lot is down back and there are a lot of steps up to the deck. When you walk in, you are at the bar. Walk around the bar and there is a counter in the front that you can order at. When you place your order and pay, they give you a number for your table. You pick you seat, inside or out on the deck! For our app we chose the Burnt Ends. My wife never had them before, she likes them now! These were really good, they use Cheerwine for the glaze. For our meals, my wife had the Brisket Sloppy Joe with hush puppies. I had the pulled pork tray with Mac n Cheese and Smokehouse beans as my sides. It is serve yourself drinks (fountain/Sweet Tea/ Lemonade) next to the drinks they have carriers with 4 different sauces. Sweet, Texas, Mustard, Vinegar BBQ sauces. They do have Alabama White sauce behind the counter, you just have to ask for it! This was our best meal stop of our trip! The food was really good! There was a lot of pulled pork and I couldn't finish it all! The Mac N Cheese was very flavorful and creamy. The Smokehouse beans tasted like they had curry in them, really good! Hush puppies, wow! Staff was nice, not much interaction, very knowledgeable when we asked questions. If you ever find yourself along the NC scenic byway around Highlands, NC. Find this place and eat there, you won't be disappointed! read more

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So much better than your average BBQ restaurant. Service was great too! already planning to go back later this week.

My husband and I shared a late lunch here of brisket nachos, brussel sprouts, and a couple hazy IPAs. The brussel sprouts were so good and while the nachos were good, the amount of brisket added when we requested it be added was disappointing. Good beer selection, friendly bartender/staff, lots of outdoor seating, and pup friendly. read more

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Been looking forward to trying this place for a couple years. Got there yesterday around 2 pm, which was a Saturday. Only one person taking orders at the register, and it took about 15 minutes to finally make our way to the front. The girl at the register did a good job of listening, and got our order right. We found a table and sat down, but were disappointed in how long it actually took to get our food. I felt like it was taking a while, but when our friends started commenting on it , I knew it wasn't just me. Once the food finally came out, it looked great, but was actually very bland. Between the half chicken, pulled pork, Mac & cheese, and Brunswick stew.. everything was underseasoned and underwhelming. Again, I kept quiet and listened to my friends begin to complain before I actually said anything. Hated that it was disappointing. Really wanted to live it read more

Great find! We were out riding around on a Sunday and stumbled upon this restaurant. The food was absolutely delicious and the staff were very friendly. Definitely worth going again read more

Highlands Smokehouse - Pork nachos - Barbeque Near Me - Highlands, North Carolina

You basically serve yourself. Sides were good. Brisket was ok. Ordered the lean but it was fatty and a bit dry. Portions are fair. People working there very nice. Smokiness on brisket lingered. read more

The service was good. We ordered carry out. Everything was packed well and delicious.

Wonderful BBQ. I had the pulled pork which was moist and super flavorful. We really enjoyed the restaurant. read more

Stopped by for delicious ribs and brisket! Excellent! Greeted by courteous staff, clean facilities and yummy food! Loved the sides too!! highly recommend! read more

We were driving Moonshiners 28 and stopped here for lunch. It was packed on a Wednesday! Service was friendly and fast. We had brisket, pulled pork, ribs, baked beans and a huge pile of onion straws - all delicious. The Texas sauce was our favorite. We finished with key lime pie (not too tart)! Plenty of seating both inside and out, parking can be a challenge. We will definitely visit again! read more

Food was delicious. I got the chopped chicken which was smoky and tender. I also had the collards and Brunswick stew. Both were excellent. My husband got the brisket which was fine before I could ask him how it was! We sat outside to enjoy the cool weather, service was good and the staff were friendly. read more

The best BBQ ever! They've done it right from the burnt ends to all the sides. Great bar too! I'll be back. Thanks guys!

Great BBQ in a great atmosphere. When I visited it was for a private event but the food and service didn't disappoint. Must try the biscuit, baked beans and hush puppies. The various sauces were amazing too!! read more

Highlands Smokehouse - Private event on back patio - Barbeque Near Me - Highlands, North Carolina

Authentic smoke pit. (No fake boiled BBQ here.) Ribs, brisket, pork shoulder. Amazing. Very high quality. The sides and desserts are really great too. I had the onion tangles and Brussels spouts. They were so good I saved my ribs for later. Large portion sizes for the price. If you are nearby and don't eat here, what are you doing with your life? Do you just hate amazing food? Get it together. Honestly. read more

Just happened to stop here for lunch after a busy morning. So glad we did. We've brought family here as well and they loved it just as much. I can only tell you about the Salad with Burnt ends and their Mac and cheese because it's the only foods we've had there. Both items are very tasty and well worth the drive. The Mac and cheese isn't mushy which happens at a lot of places. Added bonus, when we took family there, a visitor (black bear) came wandering into the parking lot. So lunch and entertainment! I highly recommend eating at this establishment. You won't be disappointed. read more

We were looking for a lunch spot and totally enjoyed this place. Excellent salad and BBQ. Service was great. read more