Such a beautiful location and incredible view of the lake! The food is wonderful! I will definitely be back! read more

Lakes End Diner & Marina - View from the back porch of the restaurant. - American Near Me - Topton, North Carolina

See all

Awesome Place! We have been coming up to Lake Nantahala for 10 plus years now. We always stop here to eat if we aren't staying with one of the Airbnb's they rent out or stay on owner's property (which is AWESOME too! FIRST CLASS!), never disappointed in the food. This go around we did have to wait an hour to get a grilled ceasar salad and had no offer of drink refills while waiting. We ate outside and it was later in evening so maybe that was the issue? I still strongly suggest stopping in and trying any of their offerings, Lunch or Dinner. They have a great Fish Fry Friday night and Prime rib is to die for, on Saturday night. I do not know what they seasoned the green beans with, but I could have eaten an entire bowl of just those...Like I said, no disappointment in food...and normally, they are great on service too! We may have been on an off night or shortened staff due to time we chose to eat. Service is just really important to us. I run a small business and know that it can break you if not on key. Beautiful view of their Marina and Lake! read more

First time here. Went with friends for Friday fish fry. Service was fine. When I heard the fish was some farm raised fish from China with a name the waitress couldn't pronounce I was shocked. Had the wings instead which were ok. Nothing special. Food was slow to come out. Have to bring your own beer. If you want a dive that serves mystery food in the middle of nowhere, this is for you. read more

While visiting family in NC, we decided we wanted to go kayaking. My mom and her friends have kayaked here multiple times so we chose to book kayak rentals here. I was a little late calling to go through booking and was happy they still had kayaks available on a Sunday during the holiday weekend. The person I spoke with was very nice and helpful in figuring out the best option for our large group of 5 adults and six kids. We ended up with three singles for the older kids and doubles for adults to take the smaller ones and a double for my mom and bf since she prefers the sit on top models that only come in double. Checking in was easy and we were brought to the shore after a short wait. An attendant helped us and the kids get settled. I at first flipped because I overcorrected and realized it was best to have my niece in front instead of back and then we were fine. I appreciated the attendant being patient with my complete lack of grace. We enjoyed two hours of kayaking. The lake was so beautiful with the lovely mountain scenery surrounding us. The kids absolutely loved when boats came by and we steered into their wakes. The boaters on the water were very respectful in keeping a distance so we never felt overwhelmed by wake or unsafe. It was a wonderful time on the water and very peaceful. The pricing was also very reasonable with a special for free single kayaks for the kids. We returned and got changed. There is only one changing room I saw which also had one bathroom so that's a bit tough, but it's large enough that a few members of a family can go in together if needed. The restaurant upstairs looked good, but once we sat to wait for a table, it was clear the kids were pretty tired and ready to go home so we didn't eat here this time. Overall, we had a great time on our family kayaking adventure and enjoyed making memories at this beautiful spot. read more

Lakes End Diner & Marina - American Near Me - Topton, North Carolina

This restaurant is in a beautiful setting. It was so relaxing. Service was excellent. The menu is surprisingly extensive.

Good food, great view. Service was ok, not super, but just fine. Not a five star, but a solid 4, and we will definitely be back. read more

Lakes End Diner & Marina - American Near Me - Topton, North Carolina

This was our families fourth trip to Nantahala Lake. Each visit, there are no objections to eating at Lakes End. The food and service are exceptional. We've always been greeted with a smile. And the food is not your average fare. The burgers are seasoned to perfection. Salads are fresh. I tried the shrimp and grits and it was easily the best I've eaten in years. I'm a stickler for clean and this place is CLEAN. Kudos to the proprietor for such a great establishment. We look forward to next year. read more

See all

Great food, beautiful views and nice boat rentals. Friendly service right on the lake. read more

See all

Great food and servers. Love the salads and fish. Burgers, sandwiches and pizza are great. Love the deserts and lake views.

This place was amazing!! We stopped on a whim and were so glad we did. Great food! Great service! Great dinner view! We are already deciding what we will order next time. The ribs were fantastic as was the trout. The banana pudding in a mason jar was a fun dessert and a great way to end our meal. read more

See all

I love this place it beat a Blt that's never been beat and they have great service and they are so kind

Fun setting directly on the lake, fire pit, marina, good food, pretty much the only thing to do around Nantahala Lake but no complaints here! read more

Lakes End Diner & Marina - two trays of food on a table overlooking a lake - American Near Me - Topton, North Carolina

See all

A five star diamond in the rough! Great fun, food and service. I could spend a day there just escaping from the world. But really, best place within miles of the Nantahala. My motorcycle loves it too! read more

A local spot. Local Bar and Grill with beautiful lake views and relaxing vibe. Nothing pretentious, just some food from wings, burgers to local trout and in between. read more

Lake's End Diner is the only place to eat at Nantahala Lake and serves American food quickly. The food is good and reasonably priced. They have given us ice when our icemaker wasn't working which was a godsend. The one issue I did have is that they forgot to put in an order for my party of eight and closed the kitchen (we were sitting outside). We have rented boats and life jackets at the Marina and it has been great. They even lent us a gas can when a jet ski ran out of gas. read more

One of our favorite places for a good meal with an excellent atmosphere. The outdoor dining area overlooks the picturesque lake and mountains. This is also one of the only places around serving a good Montecristo sandwich. If you're looking for a good meal with beautiful scenery to boot, this is the place. read more

Lakes End Diner & Marina - View from the outdoor dining patio - American Near Me - Topton, North Carolina

such a great experience! Fine food and service, tried different entrees each time we dined there over our long weekend!

The absolute best catfish! I drive 3 hours just to eat here. Love being able to look at the lake and watch the boats come in. Bev is our favorite waitress! read more

We found a little gem near our cabin. The Lake end restaurant was excellent. We appreciated the food as well as the presentation. Also the staff were accommodating to my request to wait to sit outside as well as there service. In addition, the next day we rented a pontoon and bumped into the owner of the restaurant in the lake who was so kind to guide us to the "beautiful waterfall" Can wait to come back next year. read more

Very nice spot and great staff! Great views with the outdoor seating! We did not know this when we went but they don't serve alcohol But they let you bring your own which is great! Would come back here agai! read more

The experience was very sad. Dined out back with our dog. We had to order our food to go because the staff did not wish to carry our food downstairs to us. The prime rib was ordered medium rare, it came out medium well. The trout was way over seasoned. The sides were laying in fish juice. Simply the meal was unacceptable. read more

Lake's End is one of the best restaurants in the area if not THE best. The staff was very friendly and quick with service. The food was delectable! I had the Monte Cristo, which was served with a delicious Rasberry Jam. My friends ordered the Cobb Salad, a cheeseburger, and the Buffalo Chicken wrap. Although they ended up finishing their plates we were all in agreement that the Monte Cristo was the best thing to get. The price of the food is kind of expensive but the amount of food they give is worth what you pay. I would definitely recommend Lake's End if you are in the area! read more

Lakes End Diner & Marina - Monte Cristo Sandwich with Rasberry Jam and French fries. - American Near Me - Topton, North Carolina

We have been traveling the country for the last year, from Oregon to Maryland mostly southern states (we've been through 22 states so far). This place has the best chicken in all our restaurant visits through the south, and we had some amazing food along the way!!! Just know their chicken sandwich is the best we've tasted, we all took a bite because it was so good :) someday we'll be back for that chicken !! read more

We stayed in a cabin across the street and had the pleasure of eating here a few times. The food was great, the bbq ribs and view of the lake was amazing. read more

See all

Nantahala's finest! Great food. Great atmosphere. All with a million dollar lake view! Check them out! read more

Lakes End Diner & Marina - American Near Me - Topton, North Carolina

Restaurant located in resort. Outside dining on the porch or inside in the lodge type restaurant. Food acceptable but nothing special.

Wonderful spot overlooking the water - we had a fantastic meal with an open air seating and amazing view. We definitely recommend if you are in the area. read more

For the first time, I can say, I was a little bummed out with the Friday Fish Fry...... First I will give credit that the catfish they serve is best I have ever eaten! That being said, I have been telling all my friends that Lakes End is worth the hour drive! Ya All gotta go there! So finally, Eight of us went up, rented a pontoon boat for a few hours (it rained like all Hell....But that's what makes for memories!) Had a great time on the water! The restaurant experience, not as great. Waited over an hour for our table out on the back deck (I asked for them to hold us that table at 5) Now the bummer part.....We were served no more than "2" very small pieces of fish each....then we were told they had run out....we could have more fries if we wanted!........Got to say, for the first time I went away hungry, as did 7 of my other friends. It sure felt like they would have offered a discount for such a small amount of fish hitting our table...or told us they were almost out of fish at the start! read more

Great view, great food, great service. Hope to come back! We had a big crew, like 12 eating. Service was quick and the food was great, better than one might expect for being so far away from civilization. Lol. It was a charming stop, I wished we could have spent more time there. The view from the restaurant was literally picturesque. Definitely worth stopping even if just for a drink and appetizer (we had onion rings and they were yummo). Highly recommend! P.s. Another reviewer said no cell service; however they do have free wifi. Just ask for the password! You might not be able to make phone calls but you can check emails and the like. read more

Lakes End Diner & Marina - Idyllic view from the restaurant deck. Very serene, water is gorgeous. - American Near Me - Topton, North Carolina

Ate there a month or so ago. They did a great job upgrading the place. I had the Lakes End burger. It was mighty fine!! I also had the Griff Burger around '76 when "Griff" ran/owned the place. I think he'd be proud of how the Biz is doing. Highly suggest grabbing a bite to eat there. read more

Couldn't ask for a better backdrop. Food is good, and the staff is very friendly. Friday nights they offer all you can eat fish fry. Mostly catfish. Those nights tend to be busier and services sometimes has trouble Keeping up. That said, management always comes through and does their best to make sure everyone's happy. I can't say this about everywhere but they really do care. Just don't be in a hurry not that you would be with the stellar views. read more

Lakes End Diner & Marina - Round 2. First one comes with hand cut fries - American Near Me - Topton, North Carolina

Family boat ride to dinner did not disappoint! The food was all very well prepared and presentation was on par with fine dining. The lack of a service bar was disappointing; however we planned ahead. Prime rib, and BBQ ribs were excellent! Very family friendly. This is a great alternative to eating in the lake house when you don't want to cook for yourself. read more

I had the privilege of dining at this fine establishment last week. Outstanding food quality. Even better service! My waitress was named Heather. She had a very welcoming smile. An up-beat, happy-go-lucky personality, and was very professional. I asked for extra ranch, and BOOM! extra ranch was delivered. Out of ketchup? Just ask the young lady and BOOM! more ketchup. The burger I ate hit the spot. It was cooked just the way I like it. The cook must have known what he was doing because that was delicious. My wife is picky and quite frankly a bit of an old hag. She barely had time to bitch at me because she was to busy scarfing down the masterpiece of a rack of ribs that Heather brought to us. The sweet tea was the pride of the south. Made to perfection. I witnessed a manager fussing at one of the other waitresses. She was working very hard and still kept a smile on her face and tough composure for herself. It seemed a bit unfair. I hope your staff is paid well, they make this restaurant top quality bring back your customers! read more

We used to have a place on Nantahala but sold it in 2012. Lake's End grill was much more quaint then, so we had no expectations for our recent visit. Maybe it was the quarantine drudgery that made this place seem so good; no one in our party of 4 had a single complaint and in fact we all loved it. The place looks very nice and casually upscale now. We had burgers, salmon and shrimp and they were all delicious and well plated. We will definitely be visiting here a lot this summer as we settle back in to the Nantahala lifestyle. read more

such a lovely spot! we sat outside overlooking the water, beautiful. food was ok not great, but we loved the place.

Great spot on the lake. Given lack of competition they could easily mail it in. Really good food. Buffalo chick wrap was nice. Kids went chicken tenders with baked potato and fries. Ha. Good service. 10 year old happy with fat hot dog. read more

This is a reliable, seasonal restaurant near Lake Nantahala. The service is friendly and usually fast. We try and sit outside, which is much more interesting than inside. The burgers are the most highly recommended item from my group. The pizza was passable, but there is nothing Cajun about the Cajun fish tacos. Those were the special of the day and pretty disappointing. The fried corn nuggets and fried Mac and cheese were tasty, but you can only eat a few given their high level of oil saturation. I'm sure we'll go back since we enjoy the service and burgers so much. read more

Went to this restaurant on a run at MINIS on the Dragon. The service was exceptional, despite our large group of people, the food was well presented and yummy! I got the NC cobb salad that came with a side of melon balls and the fiancé got the Griff burger with fries. We sat on the back deck with beautiful scenery. Would definitely recommend!! read more

Decent service. The burger was pretty decent. Onion rings were cooked nicely but the batter was a little sweet imho. My wife ordered chicken fingers which were pretty typical. Not bad, not mindblowing. She said the slaw had a funny taste and we're pretty sure it was what caused her to be sick later in the evening. I'd eat here again since its the ONLY place in the area that serves dinner and pretty much every other place around here has been a disappointment. read more

This review is for the marina...I've never eaten at the diner. Every visit we rent paddle boards and kayaks (a canoe once) and the men working in the marina part are always so friendly. We love that we have been able to pay for our time when we come back instead of tell them "we will be back in 2 hours". I know when it's very busy people may be waiting on equipment so this may not always be possible, but so far we've had good luck. Thank you for being so kind and helpful. The lake is gorgeous and this is a great start to exploring it. Some day we will rent a pontoon boat! read more