We stopped by Bryson City Brewing on the Fourth of July during our 2026 North Carolina road trip,…read moreand it was a fun place to spend part of the evening. The brewery itself has a great setup with both indoor and outdoor seating, a full liquor bar in addition to their beers, and a stage for live music. It's in a perfect downtown location, making it easy to walk around Bryson City and explore everything nearby before or after your visit. We tried the Brussels sprouts appetizer along with a couple of their local beers, and both were really good. The only thing that missed the mark for us was the live band that night. Music is incredibly subjective, and they're probably a great fit for many people, but the style just wasn't what we were expecting. Coming from Tampa, we're spoiled with an amazing local music scene and were hoping for something with a little more variety and crowd interaction. Ironically, the highlight of the performance was an adorable little girl who got up and danced her heart out--she absolutely stole the show with her energy and had everyone smiling! After the fireworks, the brewery was hosting an after-party, which looked like a great way to keep the celebration going. Overall, I wouldn't let one band's performance influence my opinion of Bryson City Brewing. The venue, atmosphere, food, drinks, and location all made for a great experience. If you're visiting Bryson City, I'd absolutely recommend stopping in. Looking forward to seeing a different band the next time I'm in town!

I want to start by saying that our server was delightful. But I think she was the only one there…read morefor the whole place. They were out if most menu items. We were told this was because they're changing their menu. We ordered beers and our food. We waited quite a while, but like I said, I think our sever was the only one. The outside space was gorgeous. The inside was very dark and filled with locals.

Ugly Dog Pub was one of my favorite places I visited in Highlands. The food was amazing, the smash…read moreburger definitely lived up to the hype, and the beer selection was great. The live music was an awesome touch and made for a fun atmosphere. I was able to bring my pup since I sat outside, which was a huge plus. Just keep in mind that if you're dining on the patio, the service is more limited, you order and pay at the bar, and they'll bring your food out to you. Overall, this is a must-visit if you're in Highlands, North Carolina, especially if you're a fan of great burgers, good beer, and a laid-back atmosphere.

We were seated right away. A little annoyed that our party of 5 was seated at a small corner booth…read moretable. Ended up using the back of the booth for our water bottle and condiments and still struggled for space. Buffalo wings were good but not exactly Buffalo. No buttery spicy hot sauce. It was more peppery than buffalo. Wings were cooked perfectly though Reuben is excellent as are the jalapeno Mac bites. Cheese dip was also excellent but we (and the table next to us) had to ask for more chips. Not portioned terribly well. Beer options were very slim (2 on tap from what it gathered). I'm sure there were plenty of bottled options but draft was disappointing. We ordered the ale but they tapped out and brought us brown ale. At 5pm...only a brown and stout on tap. Overall, it was a pretty middling experience but the food was good and they offer a military appreciation discount.

We had a great experience! Cemone was our server and she was extremely friendly, attentive, and…read moremade us feel very welcome from the moment we sat down. The food was also very good. We ordered the "Say What" appetizer and the bacon jam honestly deserves to be bottled and sold on its own -- it was that good! The chicken wrap was also very tasty and full of flavor. Between the great food and excellent service, this is definitely a place worth stopping by if you're in the area. We will absolutely be back!

We really liked our visit to Native Brews Tap & Grill along the main stretch through Cherokee, NC…read more A bit further down the road, away from all the tourist shops, sits this sizable indoor and outdoor seating space brewery. Don't go past the light, or you'll miss it. Suggested to us by a local, we nestled up to the bar surrounding by who else, locals. This turned from trying something new to an episode of Cheers super fast! We laughed, and conversed, and had a good time to the extent we were really juggling whether to stay the night. But back to Asheville we needed to go. If you're in Cherokee anytime soon, definitely carve out some time for this cool little spot. Good, well-made, bar food. Awesome tasting beers and seltzers on tap. We'll be back to see our friends here!

My friends and I came here to share a chill afternoon by the river. I ordered a Bloody Mary and the…read morebartender did not disappoint! He overfilled it (...oh no!) so he gave me a cup on the side for my olives and bacon. After my order was complete, my friend ordered the bloody as well. He did the same for her too to keep them on par. Super cool of him! Loved the little seating area by the river as well. We didn't order food so I can't speak for anything on that end but the drinks were great. We would definitely grab drinks here again.

It was good food, just expensive. $20 dollars for a hot dog and mac' n cheese is crazy, no matter…read morehow good. Customer service was mid. Go to rivers end. It's just over the bridge. Way better food, place to sit, and not overpriced for what you get!

This place is definitely one of the best places I've been to in a while. The vibe here is really…read morechill, and it's just overall a comfortable environment. The place also has a pool table, which you can use for free, along with online trivia you can play on the TV. However, there was no wi-fi here. For my order, I went with the black and bleu burger with fries and a coke. My family also ordered a pizza, so I had that too. This took 25 minutes to come out. Taste-wise, the burger was delightful, the fries tasted great, my pizza was scrumptious, and you just can't go wrong with a Coca-Cola. Sue, our server, did great and was nice to us. I can definitely see myself coming back up here, thank you so much.

We were in Cherokee for the day and drove over to Bryson City for dinner. The employees are very…read morewelcoming and sweet. We sat on the patio and watched the trains, the scenery was stellar. Also entertaining bc cops were pulling people over left and right . We started with the spinach dip and garlic knots. They went down quick, the spinach dip was delicious! My boys loved the knots. For entrees we got the kids cheese pizza, pretty big slice for $3.5, we were impressed and our 11 year old demolished it and was full! My husband raved about the lasagna and the chicken margarita pizza was yummy! I'd never had it with chicken on a margarita and was delighted with how good it was! I'd definitely try this again! The vibe was good!

Best food in Highlands. The service was friendly and fast. Great atmosphere, fun and lively…read more Everything we ate was amazing

Love the ambiance of this place, definitely tavern feel. However we had a mixed experience. We sat…read moreat the bar and the bar tender technically did fine, taking our orders and filling the drinks very timely, he seemed to have an attitude. Not to just us but those seated near us as well. Could've been an off night for him. Food wise, I had the brat sandwich which was great and she had a chicken sandwich which she said was very chewy. The prices here are high which you expect in a town like this but they should deliver a moist chicken breast on a sandwich for the price.

It's a dive bar... and I 100% do not mean that in a negative way. I love a good dive bar and every…read morecity needs one. It was my first time at O'Malley's. I came alone and sometimes as a solo female at a bar you feel uncomfortable but bartender made me feel welcome from the start. I ordered a Chicago beef sandwich. It was adequate...Mediocre.... When I think of a Chicago beef sandwich the first thing I think of is pepperoncini and/or au jus but it had neither. But it was decent, kind of like a thing you might grab & go on the road somewhere.... edible but you're not thinking about it afterwards. The sandwiches come with french fries but I got the Greek pasta salad instead. I should've got the french fries because I paid $2 up charge for weak pasta salad. But the reason I'm still giving it 4 stars was that it's a nice local bar. Clientele chatty. My bartender was very cool. I didn't get his name (young,blond, skater type) friendly, welcoming. If you're looking to have some drinks with friends and play pool, I think it's a perfect place, but have dinner first before you get here.

Second time in a month. We dropped in on Wing Thursday enjoyed some fantastic wings and a wonderful…read morechicken fillet sandwich. The food was delicious and refreshing. The waitress was friendly and took care of us well. The restaurant was clean and the multiple TV screens kept us entertained.

Off the chart!! Will be back to try the food menu…read more Whiskey menu is fun and the live music was enjoyable

The Scotsman is a great Scottish pub that happens to serve pub food, and I think that's the right…read moreway to walk in. The space itself is genuinely grand, well-decorated, comfortable seating, a nice billiards room, and (maybe the highest compliment you can pay a pub) no old-bar smell or locals that make you feel out of place. The bathrooms were clean. The whole place was clean. For a neighborhood spot built around long conversations, it delivers. The drinks are the reason to come. The Riesling on the menu was good, and the winter bourbon (infused with apple), actually tasted spirited. What I appreciated most: no snootiness. Some Scottish and Irish pubs get precious about sticking to the house whisky program and gently disapprove if you order a cocktail or wine. Not here. They let you drink what you want to drink. Service was friendly and checked in at a good cadence. One note: the food came out way too fast. Appetizers hit the table, and the mains arrived about a minute later; we barely got into the fried cheese curds or tandoori fries before everything else was competing for space. The tandoor twist on the fries was a fun surprise, but generally the food read as average pub food. The salmon was dry (lesson learned: order it medium rare next time). The mashed potatoes on the shepherd's pie were the real highlight. 3.5 Stars. Credit where it's due: the menu is wide and actually vegan- and vegetarian-friendly, which is rarer than it should be in a pub, and there is a general playfulness in the atmosphere. What would push it higher: food that matches the level of the space, the excellent service, and the drinks. Pace out the courses, the salmon needs help, and strengthen the dishes a notch. We'll go back, just not for the salmon. The room, the drinks, and the staff all brought their A-game. The kitchen brought a B-game.

CJ's Grilling ended up being one of the few places we visited twice during our Fourth of July road…read moretrip through Bryson City, and that's saying something. Our first visit was great. They had a young one-man musician performing, and while I can't remember his name, he did an excellent job. He honestly ended up being our favorite live entertainment of the entire trip. His performance was one of the reasons we wanted to come back. On our second visit for the Fourth of July, we were excited to catch the advertised live band. The sign said they would start at 7:30, but they were just beginning to set up at that time and didn't look close to playing until much later. We were also a little disappointed that Friday karaoke wasn't happening because of the holiday weekend. We had really been looking forward to it. That said, the food absolutely made up for it. The chicken wings were outstanding--easily some of the best wings we had during our trip. The pork rinds were another surprise favorite and are perfect for sharing while enjoying a drink. CJ's has that laid-back, small-town mountain vibe that's easy to appreciate. If you're passing through Bryson City, it's a great place to stop, relax, and grab some food and drinks. My only recommendation is to call ahead if you're planning your evening around karaoke or live music, just to make sure the schedule is accurate. We'll definitely stop back the next time we're in Bryson City. Great food, friendly atmosphere, and a place that's worth checking out.

Decided to stop here for lunch. Good service, good food, cold beer…read more What more do you need.