No trip to Beech Mountain is complete without a visit to Fred’s. We’re your one-stop shopping spot with everything needed to make your visit complete. From groceries to clothing, ski rentals, firewood and the deli with all your favorite beverages. We’ve got it waiting for you.
Welcome to Beech Mountain and Fred’s General Mercantile. We’re not only America’s highest General Mercantile at an elevation of 5049′, but we are located in Eastern America’s Highest Town at an elevation of 5506′. Open 365 days a year, we are a store and a town devoted to serving the needs of visitors, skiers, snowboarders, summer folks, and locals alike.
Your vacation trip to the North Carolina High Country begins and ends at Fred’s. If you are of an age that you can remember how each small town or village always had a general store that served as the center of the community, you will especially enjoy our store with its vast variety of goods, for just about any need you may have. If you are younger and don’t remember about general stores, you too will enjoy visiting with us for the experience that a trip to Fred’s will bring to you.
FRED’S BACKSIDE DELI
Serving breakfasts, sandwiches, homemade soups and salads, beverages, including beer and wine, and freshly made desserts. Enjoy your meal on the deck in our wooded “backyard”. Serving breakfast from 7:30am to 11:00am and lunch from 11:00am to 3:00pm, every day, (828)387-4838. Come see us!
Join us for some amazing, authentic BBQ, great desserts, made fresh daily, and stay for great music and fellowship on the weekends.
Woodsy, lodge-style hotel restaurant offering Italian dishes, sports on TV & scenic views.Hand Tossed, baked in a hot Hearthstone Oven. Voted by residents and guests alike the best Pizza on Beech Mountain. Located in the Top of the Beech Inn & Conference Center, Bullwinkels Restaurant offers great Hearthstone Pizza and contemporary Italian cuisine. Enjoy the charming atmosphere in the stunning old moose lounge, updated with AC for the modern times. Watch Sports and other great events from every angle on 50 inch TV’s with a 100 inch main screen. Enjoy good food with affordable prizes in the cool summer months, stay in the hotel or rent out our function rooms for special occasions.
Hope to have you good folks over soon!
This farm to table restaurant in downtown Banner Elk is the newest creation of chef Nicole Palazzo. It features a rotating menu of fresh, seasonal local foods paired with local and regional wines in a slightly upscale atmosphere. Typical menu items range from steaks and seafood to chicken, beef and sushi. Particular favorites are the North Carolina rainbow trout, blackened chicken tacos and roasted beet salad with fried goat cheese.
Boone Saloon was born from a desperate need for a watering-hole that was geared for full grown adults. Sure the college kids would come – we are a college town after all. But, we needed a comfortable, clean place where conversation was revered, quality service and food was appreciated, and style was a heavy consideration.
We started with an old white oak tree that we carved out to be the 25 foot, live edge, bar. Then we tore down all the sheetrock and drop ceilings, ripped up the carpet, and let the building show itself. After we built the stage, built an outside covered deck and added our GameChanger Arcade we were ready to go.
The Pedalin’ Pig opened its Banner Elk location in 2014 bringing fresh gourmet flair to some smoky down south favorites. With an entrepreneur at the heart of the business, owner Ethan Anderson set his sights to the smokehouse on Highway 105 last spring. The concept was simple-combine gourmet ingredients with a splash of High Country style. The unique dining area is fit to sit 185 of your closest family, friends and sightseers. We offer cozy inside seating or enjoy the color of the season on our patio —and don’t worry, our parking lot has room for the party.
Tim and Crystal Decker opened Smoky Mountain Bakers and Wood Fired Pizza in Roan Mountain, Tennessee in 2009. Family owned and operated, the couple took their artisan approach (refined for over a decade at their bakery in northern California) to create mouthwatering baked goods. Operating out of a renovated barn built in the mid-1900’s at the back of their property, Tim and Crystal offer a variety of specialty pastries made from scratch and fresh artisan breads and pizzas cooked in their wood fired brick oven, which was built by Tim with help from his sons and family friends.
Bella’s is a friendly, cozy cafe serving made-from-scratch breakfasts, along with New York-style deli sandwiches for lunch, seven days a week in the heart of Banner Elk.
The country breakfast at Bella’s is made with cage-free eggs, locally-sourced meats and fresh organic produce. The breakfast menu also features Belgian waffles and an array of omelettes. Some noted items on lunch menu include: hot pastrami on pumpernickel rye, corned beef, roasted brisket sandwiches, Ruben sandwiches and homemade chili.
No-frills Japanese joint set in a strip mall focusing on grilled meats & seafood in pared-down digs.
BBQ plates & Cajun dishes, plus craft draft beer, offered in a relaxed setting with outdoor seating. Cajun and Texas Cuisine as well as hand-cut Steaks, local Trout, char-grilled (never fried!) hand crafted Burgers, Design Your Own Salads and more. Fresh local in-season Produce from Clemmons Produce in Banner Elk. Children’s menu available, Brunch served Saturday and Sunday. Family friendly atmosphere with free lawn games in the courtyard just off the large comfortable deck. Kids can play while parents relax! Wine Amnesty available ~ select any bottle of wine in the adjoining Bayou General Store and enjoy it in the restaurant at store shelf price…. no cork fee, no upcharge. The Bayou is a non-smoking restaurant. Friendly four-legged family members are welcome on the deck.
Our Chef and Staff
With years of experience cooking in the finest restaurants, our chef is excited to present our vision to you and all our guests. Our caring and committed staff will ensure you have a fantastic experience with us.
Special Events
Our restaurant is available for private events: weddings, business lunches, dinners, cocktail receptions, and more. We would love to discuss how to be a part of your next event.
Well Known Venue (Nick’s) Becomes Highlander’s
highlander noun
Definition of highlander: an inhabitant of a highland.
For over three decades this establishment at the cross roads of state routes 105 & 184 has welcomed locals, visitors, newcomers, and students alike…and all have been made to feel at home. Through over 120 passing seasons this gathering place has become as integral to the landscape as Grandfather Mountain itself.
We are proud to present a modern re-imaging of this “High Country” tradition: “Highlander’s Grill & Tavern!” Whether you hail from the coast, the mountains, the north, the south, the east or the west, no matter who you are or where you are from…. When You Are Here You Are A Highlander!
Delicious Barbecue You Will Want Again & Again!
At Holy Smokes Barbecue, we know how to do bbq right! Come in & try our signature Apple Butter BBQ sauce on a pulled pork sandwich. Or try a 1/2 pound of our smoked sausage plate. Either way, you can’t go wrong!
For you all who have come to Beech Mountain, North Carolina looking to walk on the wild side, you have to try our BBQ Wolfdog which is a hotdog that comes with pulled pork bbq & cheese!
Don’t forget the kids! We offer kids meals that include a main dish (hot dog, chicken tenders, pulled pork sandwich), a side, & a drink.
In early 2008, Sam and Alyce Ratchford purchased the two-year-old Vidalia from their friend and former co-worker. They quickly focused the menu around North Carolina products, fresh local produce, and expanded the wine list. Vidalia quickly outgrew its original 45 seat capacity prompting an expansion in the winter of 2015. When Vidalia reopened, the Ratchford’s had added seventy-five additional seats, a screened-in, covered porch, a full bar and a wall of wine. Their mission to source locally and provide high-end North Carolina cuisine in a casual, upscale space remains today.
Biscuits & gravy, meatloaf & other American classics served in old-school surrounds with a patio. The Black Bear Tavern is in Black Mountain, NC in the village of Cheshire. Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner full liquor Bar, real cooking.
Steak, seafood & other American fare in a European-style inn with mountain views, fireplace & patio. The Alpen Restaurant and Bar in Beech Mountain North Carolina is part of the Beech Alpen Inn. The Inn was originally built by the Beech Mountain Developers in the 1970’s in a rustic style resembling the great old Inn’s of the European Alps. Since it’s original opening many great restaurants called the Beech Alpen Inn their home. In 2006 the new owners’ Steve, Jane & Fred took the idea further, enhancing the Inn with a new modern kitchen and a new restaurant addition the Mountain view room. The design was strictly guided by the rustic style of the old Inn. The original old Fireplace room has been restored and a cozy Bar was added. The modern Time was not left out. Six large Flat Screen TV’s and also wireless Internet were added, to keep in touch with the world away from the mountains. The AC-System keeps the indoor climate most comfortable on the hottest summer days, a rare feature in the mountains.
Boone’s original Japanese Steak House and Sushi Bar, Makoto’s is the Best Tasting Show in Town! Watch as our expert chefs perform their culinary magic table-side or for a more intimate dining experience, dine in our sushi bar. Since 1981, Makoto’s of Boone has been providing area residents and visitors with a facility for a unique dining experience. Makoto’s offers a rare combination of exceptional food prepared by expert and entertaining chefs in a relaxing atmosphere, all at reasonable prices. Makoto’s has been an Appalachian State post-game tradition for almost 40 years. Perfect for your family dinner or that first date, come by and see what people in The High Country have been talking about. Makoto’s seats on a first come first served basis. No reservations. Contact us at 828-264-7976 for all other inquiries.
he Red Onion is a local business that was established in 1985 by Danny and Suzette Mauney. Our restaurant is located right across the street from Appalachian State and we serve lunch and dinner seven days a week. We have been a part of the community for almost thirty years and believe that there’s no place quite like Boone!
Many of our special and entree menu items are made with local foods grown by the executive chef and other local farms. Red Onion features a lunch menu, large children’s menu and, during the summer months, a covered open-air patio for dining. For your health and dining pleasure, our entire restaurant is smoke-free.
Prime Selections
Sophisticated Ambiance
Craft & Import Beers
Extensive Wine List
Seasonal Specialties
Barra Sports Bar and Lounge offers a little bit for everyone in The Village of Banner Elk. Barra has the following amenities; the Main bar with its elegant Boston wood look, karaoke lounge, mini stage, tequila bar, a new pool room, and a fire pit outside.
Throughout the year Barra also hosts art festivals, beer and wine festivals and more. Check our event calendar to see what all that we have planned for the coming year!
Barra also features weekly pizza, prime rib, lobster and fish & chips specials that you don’t want to miss!
There’s no better way to learn how to manage and operate a restaurant than by first-hand experience. As a student in our Division of Hospitality & Culinary Arts, you’ll gain experience at all levels of operation, from food preparation to table service to vendor relations, at our very own restaurant – The Culinaire Cafe. You’ll understand all facets of the restaurant management business, including menu development, marketing, purchasing, cost controls, and scheduling as you run the café for college credit as part of your program curriculum.
Not a Hospitality Management or Culinary Arts program student? Don’t let that stop you from enjoying a memorable meal. As a student of our college or member of our community, we invite you to enjoy The Culinaire Café’s delicious menu, featuring entrée salads, soups, sandwiches, full entrees, and decadent desserts.
Located at the Gateway Center on 110-114 Baltimore Street in downtown Cumberland, our café offers a mix of delicious lunch entrees prepared by our students in training for careers in the growing hospitality sector.
This upscale eclectic gourmet Italian Bistro, is a combination of a visual and culinary celebration. Although the menu is Southern Italian cuisine, the sky’s the limit for special events and private parties. Accommodates up to 150 for sit down dinners and up to 180 for cocktails and buffet in the patio garden, wine room and main dining room. Catering is also available. Casual family-run eatery supplying Italian comfort food & pizza in an art-lined space with a patio.
Laid-back fixture with locally sourced, hickory-smoked BBQ dishes, plus regional wines & micro-brews. Serve food from local sources & be the source for local smiles.
We also offer a wide array of WNC microbrews and regional wines to pair with any plate. Pursue the pig. Beginners welcome.
The Pedalin’ Pig opened its Banner Elk location in 2014 bringing fresh gourmet flair to some smoky down south favorites. With an entrepreneur at the heart of the business, owner Ethan Anderson set his sights to the smokehouse on Highway 105 last spring. The concept was simple-combine gourmet ingredients with a splash of High Country style. The unique dining area is fit to sit 185 of your closest family, friends and sightseers. We offer cozy inside seating or enjoy the color of the season on our patio —and don’t worry, our parking lot has room for the party.