Quick answer
Highlands has the densest concentration of good restaurants of any small town in Western North Carolina, and nearly all of them sit within a few walkable blocks of Main Street.
For a special occasion: Ristorante Paoletti, Madison's at Old Edwards Inn, or Lakeside Restaurant. For the best all-around meal without a dress code: Wild Thyme Gourmet. For a casual night or a mixed group: Four65, The Ugly Dog Pub, or Highlands Smokehouse. For breakfast: Mountain Fresh Grocery or Blue Bike Cafe. Two well-regarded rooms require a drive: Oak Steakhouse at Skyline Lodge and On the Veranda on Franklin Road.
Reservations matter from late spring through leaf season. More kitchens stay open through winter here than visitors expect.
What makes eating in Highlands different
Highlands sits at 4,118 feet in Macon County, at the western end of the Blue Ridge, which makes it one of the highest incorporated towns in the eastern United States. The ZIP code is 28741. That elevation matters when you are planning dinner. It is why the weather turns on a dime and patio plans collapse, why the season runs differently than it does forty minutes down the mountain in Franklin, and why a town this size supports the kind of kitchens it does.
The other thing that shapes dining here is scale. Roughly a thousand people live in Highlands year-round, and the summer and fall population is many times that. A town of a thousand cannot support a dozen serious restaurants. A town of a thousand that empties and refills can, and does, which is the whole explanation for why Main Street looks the way it does.
Practically, that means two things. Park once and walk, because almost everything worth eating is within a few blocks. And call ahead, because published hours shift with the shoulder seasons.
Fine dining in Highlands
Ristorante Paoletti
440 Main Street. Three generations of Italian cooking, and by rating and review volume both, the strongest table in town.
Pros: the safest special-occasion reservation in Highlands, and open year-round, which not every fine dining room here is. Cons: top of the price range, and it books out in season.
Madison's
445 Main Street, inside Old Edwards Inn. Seasonally driven New American with produce from the inn's own farm, in a rustic-elegant room overlooking the Wine Garden and waterfall.
Pros: hotel-grade service and the most polished setting in town. Cons: the room sets expectations your hiking clothes will not meet.
Old Edwards Inn
Lakeside Restaurant
On Harris Lake, a short walk off Main. Seafood-leaning American with a water view nothing else in town can offer.
Pros: ties Paoletti for the highest guest rating in Highlands, and the setting is genuinely unique here. Cons: the view means it fills early in season.
Lakeside Restaurant
Town Hall
474 Main Street. Southern comfort food and event space, in the building Wolfgang's Restaurant & Wine Bistro occupied for thirty years. Wolfgang's served its last dinner on New Year's Eve 2024, and owner David Perrin renovated the building and reopened it as Town Hall.
Pros: the most talked-about change on Main Street in years, in one of the best-known buildings in town. Cons: new enough that it is still establishing itself, so go with curiosity rather than fixed expectations.
On the Veranda
1536 Franklin Road. Just outside downtown, with long views and a wine cellar that predates most of Main Street's current lineup.
Pros: the view and a reputation built over decades. Cons: a drive, so it is a destination rather than a walk-out-of-the-hotel option.
Oak Steakhouse
470 Skyline Lodge Road. Appalachian-influenced steakhouse, and worth saying plainly: this is at Skyline Lodge, not downtown.
Pros: the trout draws as much praise as the beef. Cons: not walkable from Main Street, and a smaller review base than the established rooms
The best all-around tables
Wild Thyme Gourmet
343-D Main Street, (828) 526-4035. American cooking with French and Asian flair. The signature waterfall beef is a spicy tenderloin stir-fry, and the fish of the day is usually the move.
Pros: the most menu range downtown and genuinely reliable at lunch, which is rarer in Highlands than it sounds. Cons: patio seating depends on weather that changes fast at 4,118 feet. Wild Thyme Gourmet
Highlands Supper Club
130 Log Cabin Lane. Elevated Southern comfort classics in a room slightly off the main drag.
Pros: open year-round, and the biscuits have a following. Cons: a newer room, so the review base is still building.
The Stubborn Buddha
332 Main Street. Contemporary pan-Asian on Main.
Pros: open year-round, and the dumplings and sesame noodles get named repeatedly by regulars. Cons: a different register than the rest of Main Street, which is either refreshing or jarring.
Asia House
Sushi and pan-Asian, and the quiet answer when nobody can agree.
Pros: consistently well reviewed and rarely the hardest table to get. Cons: less of an occasion than the Main Street fine-dining rooms.
Casual, family, and walk-in friendly
Four65 Woodfire Bistro + Bar
465 Main Street. Wood-fired Neapolitan pizza, cast-iron sandwiches, salads, and a bar that does a genuinely good espresso martini.
Pros: the easiest downtown pick with kids or a mixed group, and open year-round. Cons: Main Street energy, not a quiet table.
The Ugly Dog Pub
294 S 4th Street, (828) 526-8364. The casual default, dog decor throughout, and a smash burger that lives up to the talk.
Pros: works for a meal, a snack, or just a drink, and it is the most forgiving room in town about what you are wearing. Cons: it gets loud, and it is nobody's anniversary dinner.
Highlands Smokehouse
595 Franklin Road. Pit-smoked barbecue, and open year-round.
Pros: the barbecue answer in a town that is otherwise short on it. Cons: a short drive from Main Street rather than a walk.
Highlands Burritos
226 South 4th Street. Everyday burritos and bowls, open year-round.
Pros: fast, cheap, and reliably open when half the town is not. Cons: exactly what it says it is.
The Stubborn Bull at Mill Creek
Shareable Spanish and South American plates. Regulars order the paella, patatas bravas, and octopus.
Pros: one table can sample eight things, and it handles large groups and rehearsal dinners well. Cons: the newest and least-proven room on this list at a high price point, with a much smaller and more mixed review base than anything else here. Go for the format and the group, not for a guaranteed great meal.
Breakfast and lunch
Mountain Fresh Grocery is the one most locals name first — a grocery, bakery, and kitchen in one, with grab-and-go, a wine bar, and one of the highest review volumes in town. Blue Bike Cafe is the breakfast pick, with chicken fried steak that gets specifically called out. The Secret Garden on North 5th Street does a casual café menu. Wild Thyme is the most reliable sit-down lunch on Main. And for a sandwich, the sub shop at 73 Highlands Plaza has been there a long time.
Drinks, and a quiet one
Hummingbird Lounge at Old Edwards Inn is the sophisticated option, with live music. The Wine Garden at Old Edwards is the outdoor version. The tavern at Highlander Mountain House on Main Street is the quiet-drink answer. Highlands Dive on Carolina Way is the easygoing tavern with pool tables. Highlands Tavern on South 4th rounds it out.
Which Highlands restaurants stay open in winter
This is the most common planning mistake visitors make, and the answer is better than the reputation suggests. Highlands keeps a substantial year-round roster, including Ristorante Paoletti, Four65, Highlands Supper Club, The Stubborn Buddha, Highlands Smokehouse, Highlands Tavern, Highlands Dive, Highlands Burritos, Mountain Fresh Grocery, the tavern at Highlander Mountain House, and Hummingbird Lounge.
That matters more than it sounds if you are considering buying here. A second-home town where everything closes in January is a very different place to own property than one where a dozen kitchens keep the lights on. Highlands is the second kind.
Published hours still shift with the shoulder seasons. Call before you drive.
Highlands restaurants at a glance
Catagory | Resturant | Walkable |
The safest special occasion | Ristorante Paoletti | Yes |
The most polished room | Madison's | Yes |
A water view | Lakeside Restaurant | Yes |
The best all-around meal | Wild Thyme Gourmet | Yes |
Pizza and a mixed group | Four65 | Yes |
Casual, loud, easy | The Ugly Dog Pub | Yes |
Barbecue | Highlands Smokehouse | Short drive |
Steak, with a drive | Oak Steakhouse | No |
Long views | On the Veranda | No |
Breakfast | Mountain Fresh Grocery or Blue Bike Cafe | Yes |
A quiet drink | Highlander Mountain House tavern | Yes |
Frequently asked questions
What are the best restaurants in Highlands, NC? Ristorante Paoletti and Lakeside Restaurant carry the highest guest ratings in town. Wild Thyme Gourmet and Madison's follow closely with far larger review volumes. For casual, The Ugly Dog Pub and Four65 are the most consistently recommended.
What is the best restaurant in Highlands for a special occasion? Ristorante Paoletti on Main Street is the safest choice, with Madison's at Old Edwards Inn as the most formal setting. Lakeside Restaurant is the alternative if you want a view instead of a dining room. All three take reservations, and all three fill in season.
Do I need reservations in Highlands? For dinner at Paoletti, Madison's, Lakeside, On the Veranda, or Oak Steakhouse, yes, particularly from late spring through leaf season. Four65, The Ugly Dog Pub, Highlands Smokehouse, and the casual spots generally take walk-ins. Arriving when a restaurant opens is the reliable way to skip a wait without a reservation.
Which restaurants in Highlands are open in winter? More than most visitors expect. Ristorante Paoletti, Four65, Highlands Supper Club, The Stubborn Buddha, Highlands Smokehouse, Highlands Tavern, Highlands Dive, Highlands Burritos, Mountain Fresh Grocery, the Highlander Mountain House tavern, and Hummingbird Lounge all run year-round. Hours shift in the shoulder seasons, so call ahead.
Is there a dress code at Highlands restaurants? Nothing formally enforced, but Madison's and Paoletti draw a dressed-up crowd in season and on weekends. Resort casual covers everything else. The Ugly Dog Pub, Four65, and Highlands Burritos are comfortable in whatever you hiked in.
Where can I eat breakfast in Highlands? Mountain Fresh Grocery is the local default, combining a bakery, grocery, and kitchen. Blue Bike Cafe is the sit-down breakfast pick. Madison's serves breakfast at Old Edwards Inn.
Where can I eat lunch in Highlands? Wild Thyme Gourmet is the most reliable sit-down lunch on Main Street. Four65 handles a casual midday meal, Mountain Fresh Grocery covers grab-and-go, and The Ugly Dog Pub works for a quick one.
Are there dog-friendly restaurants in Highlands, NC? Several Highlands restaurants welcome dogs on their patios in season, and The Ugly Dog Pub leans into it by name. Patio policies change with the weather, so confirm by phone the day you plan to go.
Are Highlands restaurants walkable from Main Street? Most of them. Paoletti, Madison's, Wild Thyme, Four65, The Stubborn Buddha, Town Hall, Lakeside, and the Old Edwards bars are all within a few blocks. Oak Steakhouse at Skyline Lodge, On the Veranda, and Highlands Smokehouse require a car.
What elevation is Highlands, NC? About 4,118 feet above sea level, which makes it one of the highest incorporated towns in the eastern United States. That's why the weather changes quickly, and patio plans here are always provisional.
What county is Highlands, NC in? Macon County, in far Western North Carolina. The zip code is 28741.
Where should I eat with kids in Highlands? Four65 and The Ugly Dog Pub are the easiest places to eat with kids. Highlands Burritos and Mountain Fresh Grocery both work for a fast, low-stakes meal.
If dining shapes where you buy in Highlands
This matters more than buyers expect, and it is worth being direct about.
The walkable core is small. A house within a few blocks of Main Street means you can walk to dinner, walk home, and never move the car for a weekend. That is a genuinely different life from one five miles out on a mountain road in fog, and it is priced accordingly.
The second consideration is winter. Highlands keeps more kitchens open year-round than most plateau towns, which is a real quality-of-life factor if you intend to be here in February rather than only in October. Buyers who plan to use a Highlands house year-round should weigh that carefully against communities where everything shutters after leaf season.
Check out Neighborhoods in Highlands
Check out Properties for sale in Highlands
You may also be interested in
Highlands property
- /properties/sale/highlands — current Highlands inventory from Vignette Realty of Highlands
- /neighborhoods/highlands — the communities, the market, and what it costs to live within a walk of Main Street
- /neighborhoods/highlands-falls-country-club-or-highlands-nc — one of the established club communities
More of our Highlands writing
- Highlands NC real estate: 2026 guide to homes for sale — the full market picture, start here if you are buying.
- Highlands vs Cashiers: 7 factors that decide where you buy — the companion piece to the dining trade-off in this article
- What took Wolfgang's place on Main Street in Highlands — the Town Hall story in full
- Best Places to Live — where Highlands sits against the rest of the region
- How land value is calculated in North Carolina — tax value, appraised value, and excise tax, which matter on every Highlands lot purchase
Nearby on the plateau
- Cahiers Neighborhoods— 25 to 30 minutes east on US-64
- Lake Glenville — the highest lake east of the Mississippi, and why your dock isn't automatically yours when you buy there
- Sapphire — the quieter valley, and why fall there lasts exactly one weekend
- Franklin — 40 minutes down the mountain, where many Highlands buyers compare value
Buying in Highlands
- How buying works in North Carolina
- The Due Diligence Process and Earnest Money Explained — both work differently in NC than in most states
- Selecting the right Attorney — North Carolina is an attorney-closing state
- Preferred local vendors
- What your Highlands property is worth
- Vacation Rentals— worth a season here before you commit
