Divine Dishes in North Georgia Dining
Photos and text by Alexandra Kirby
While most of our restaurants are again serving diners in-house, you’ll find many of them also provide convenient take-out and/or delivery. So you can grab your favorites to go and eat back at the cabin. What’s more, many local stores also sell fresh produce, specialty meats, cheeses, wines, craft beer and desserts to enjoy.
To help you choose what to order, we’re featuring a special item from each of our advertisers below. Bon appétit!
Mouthwatering Wings
You can’t come into town without trying Chester’s mouthwatering wings! With different flavors every day — Honey Garlic Lime, Peach Moonshine, Sweet & Spicy Coca Cola, Honey Serrano, Jamaican Jerk and Mango Habanero — you’ll surely find something irresistible!
Chester Brunnenmeyer’s Bar & Grill
733 E. Main Street, Blue Ridge
706-258-2539
Breakfast in a bowl
It’s time to stop into Dairy Queen for something other than ice cream, and DQ’s Breakfast Bowl is the place to start! Hash browns, eggs, cheese, salsa or gravy, and your choice of sausage, bacon or chicken. It’s a hearty start to any morning!
DQ Grill & Chill
380 Progress Circle, Blue Ridge
706-258-2883
Bacon Cheeseburger
Rule of thumb: Always say yes to bacon, especially when it’s on a cheeseburger! Hansen’s Bacon Cheeseburger is also packed with lettuce, tomato, red onion, cheddar cheese, onion rings, pickles cucumbers and mayonnaise. Now just try to get your mouth around it!
Hansen’s Grill
560 E. Main Street, Blue Ridge
423-761-0261
Sono Bowl
Gluten free & vegan friendly, South of North hits every good taste bud with the Sono Bowl. Brown jasmine rice, grilled pineapple, bibb lettuce, herbs, cashews, cabbage, sprouts, carrots, peppadew peppers, tahini- ginger nouc dressing. Only the cleanest, most tasty eats come from this kitchen!
South of North
257 E. Main Street, Blue Ridge
706-946-5560
Nachos Blancos
Make it a fiesta with Nachos Blancos from Blue Coyote! Fresh, crunchy tortillas are topped with homemade queso, tomatoes and jalapenos, plus you have the option to add chicken or chili. Wash it down with one of the 38 varieties of beer on tap at this relaxed spot that’s open late.
Blue Coyote Bar & Grill
500 E. Main Street, Blue Ridge
706-946-2466
Ribeye Steak
This one is for all of you steak lovers out there! Pete’s Place Ribeye Steak is one of the juiciest, most delicious cuts of meat in town. Cooked to perfection, it’s sure to appease your appetite after a long day wandering the trails.
Pete’s Place
2460 E. First Street, Blue Ridge
706-946-0222
Almond Chicken Melt
Looking to take a break after all that shopping downtown? Stop by C-Bolt’s and try an Almond Chicken Melt. Some insider information: they use Caesar dressing instead of mayo to really make the flavor pop. Sit outside on the deck and wash it down with a handmade shake or malt, or delicious banana split.
C-Bolt’s Restaurant & Malt Shop
644 W. Main Street, Blue Ridge’
706-258-4585
Cookies ‘n’ Cream Cake
Got a sweet tooth? Satisfy it with a slice of Serenity Garden’s decedent Cookies ‘n’ Cream Cake. Piled high with layers of vanilla and chocolate cake and filled with crumbled chocolate cookies, it’s the perfect end to a perfect day.
Serenity Garden Café
657 E. Main Street, Blue Ridge
706-258-4949
Mexican Done Right
Smart travelers know to follow the locals for good food at friendly prices. In Blue Ridge, that will lead you straight to Monte Alban, where both the food and the service is authentically Mexican.
Monte Alban
5004 Appalachian Hwy., Blue Ridge
706-632-3998
Stuffed Potato
A stuffed potato, but make it barbecued! Carroll’s fills their already delicious potatoes with your choice of smoked meat: pork and chicken or brisket and turkey. Top it with butter, sour cream and cheese, and you’ve got yourself the perfect feast.
Carroll’s Barbeque
39 Lance Street, Blue Ridge
706-946-1126
Bigfoot Pizza
Search no more! Bigfoot has been hiding in plain sight at Twisted Tomato (it’s a pizza, not the hairy guy): Extra virgin olive oil drizzle, shredded mozzarella, prosciutto, fresh garlic and arugula, all baked to perfection in a wood-fired oven.
Twisted Tomato
100 Blue Ridge Drive, McCaysville
706-400-6675
Cuban Sandwich
This belly-filling sandwich from the Rum Cake Lady is made up of roast pork, bolo ham, swiss cheese, mustard and pickles (gluten-free version available). Pair it with an authentic Cuban soda and mini Limoncello rum cake for the ultimate experience!
Rum Cake Lady Cuban Café
205 W. First Street, Blue Ridge
706-946-4525
10 Blue Ridge Drive, McCaysville
423-543-2253
Sweet Breakfast Treats
Nothing pairs better with a crisp Fall morning in the mountains than Apple Bread & Donuts! Pick up a couple loaves, glazed or unglazed, plus a dozen donuts (plain, cinnamon sugar, powdered sugar or mixed) to bring back to the cabin. Then enjoy them with your coffee while sitting on the deck each morning.
Mercier Orchards
8660 Blue Ridge Drive, Blue Ridge
706-632-3411
Sushi & Yakisoba
Everything is fresh and traditional at this authentic Japanese eatery, from the sushi rolls and teriyaki bowls to the yakisoba, ramen and udon noodles. The open concept kitchen is set off by stylish décor for an unforgettable atmosphere, and there is plenty of beer, wine and sake.
Kizuna Japanese Restaurant
140 Progress Road, Blue Ridge
706-946-7423
Groovy Pizza
Swing by the grooviest pizza joint in town, where the pizza is oak-fired, and tie-dye is always welcome! This is the place for specialty pizza, fresh salads and an unbeatable vibe. For something different, try a gourmet all-beef frank or the free-range chicken wings with an order of garlic-infused Grateful Bread.
Mystic Mountain Pizza
4118 E. First Street, Blue Ridge
706-946-0378
1929 Sandwich
Catch your favorite team on the large TVs while eating this classic on the outdoor deck. The 1929 is a French roll filled with sliced roasted beef brisket, provolone cheese and grilled onions, served with red-wine-and-thyme-infused au jus dip.
Burra Burra on the River
100 Blue Ridge Drive, McCaysville
706-946-6660
Sweet Delights
Sure you could settle for a simple ice cream cone. But if the whole family is hungry, try the Very Berry Honey Bowl: 20 scoops of ice cream with blueberries, raspberries, caramel and whipped cream, topped with a cherry and a honey drizzle.
Happy Bear Ice Cream & Treats
100 Blue Ridge Drive, McCaysville
706-400-6677
Finger Lickin’ Food
Enjoy a taste of the Deep South, where everything is finger lickin’ good and served with Southern hospitality! Start off with some fried green tomatoes or pickles, then add in a hearty Southern entrée (such as chicken and dumplings, fried catfish or popcorn shrimp). Then wash it all down with some peach tea and homemade biscuits.
Southern Charm
224 W. Main Street, Blue Ridge
706-632-9090
Chicken Fried Steak
The quintessential mountain breakfast: Chicken Fried Steak topped with gravy, plus eggs and hash browns on the side. Stop into BumbleBee’s Café to start your morning with the locals, enjoying the sweet, homey feel of good ole country cookin’.
BumbleBee’s Café
5850 Appalachian Hwy., Blue Ridge
706-946-2337
Wet Your Whistle
The selection always changes, but you can’t go wrong with a fresh brew on tap at this popular spot. Choose from a variety of lagers, pilsners and IPAs with names like Strawberry Moon, Main Street Sour and Acid Rain. Choose your favorite to enjoy onsite, then fill a growler to take back to the cabin.