DINING

American

• Fireside Inn
  163 Wright Square • Highlands, NC 28741
  828-526-3636
  Featuring a towering stone fireplace and majestic Hayes-Mayer murals, this restaurant is open daily for breakfast and lunch and serves wonderful omelets, chargrilled salmon trout, steaks, burgers, and daily specials. Catering is available. more...  map

• Hilltop Grill
  Corner of Fourth and Spring Streets
  828-526-5916
  An old-fashioned grill that is open daily for lunch and serves a wide variety of sandwiches, as well as burgers, hot dogs, barbecue, and soft served and hand dipped ice cream.

• Lakeside Restaurant
  531 Smallwood Avenue • Highlands, NC 28741
  828-526-9419
  This casual dining restaurant overlooks scenic Harris Lake and offers generous portions of fresh seafood, beef, veal, lamb, chicken, and pasta dishes, complemented by a lovely wine list. They are open April through November 15th for dinner and reservations are strongly suggested.  map

Cafes

• Wild Thyme Gourmet
  490 Carolina Way • Highlands, NC 28741
  828-526-4035
  Open for lunch and dinner, Wild Thyme Gourmet not only sells some of the best sandwiches in Highlands but they also have a very nice selection of wines and gourmet foods for you to buy.  map

Coffee Shops

• Buck's Coffee Cafe
  384 Main Street • Highlands, NC 28741
  828-526-0020
  Buck's is a favorite stop for gourmet coffee, sandwiches, and tasty pastries.  map

Contemporary

• On the Verandah
  1536 Franklin Road • Highlands, NC 28741
  828-526-2338
  This rustic, contemporary restaurant and winebar overlooks Lake Sequoyah and features a menu full of contemporary American cuisine influenced by the flavors of the Caribbean, Latin America, and Asia. The menu is complemented by an award-winning wine list. They are open nightly for dinner plus serve a champagne brunch on Sundays. more...

Eclectic

• Log Cabin Restaurant
  130 Log Cabin Lane • Highlands, NC 28741
  Off Highway 106 Above the Hampton Inn
  828-526-3380
  Specializing in delicious, thick steaks, this steakhouse is located in an authentic, historic Joe Webb cabin and also serves Mexican fare and Highlands own "Cabin Onion." They are open daily for dinner and reservations are suggested.  map

• Wolfgang's Restaurant & Wine Bistro
  474 Main Street • Highlands, NC 28741
  828-526-3807
  Owned and operated by internationally recognized Chef Wolfgang, former Executive Chef of the Brennan's Family of Commander's Palace, this fine dining restaurant is open nightly for dinner and serves an eclectic menu of New Orleans specialties, Bavarian food, delicious steaks, veal, and pastas. An award-winning wine list is available to complement your meal. more...  map

French

• Cafe of the Arts
  332 Main Street • Highlands, NC 28741
  828-526-5166
  Chef owned restaurant that offers classically elegant French cuisine complemented by a very fine, select wine list. They are open daily for lunch and dinner.  map

International

• Cyprus Restaurant
  470 Dillard Road • Highlands, NC 28741
  828-526-4429
  Not only does Cyprus have nightly menus which include traditional international cuisines but they also feature a menu consisting of regional favorites, with all selections being handmade. more...  map

Italian

• Ristorante Paoletti
  440 Main Street • Highlands, NC 28741
  828-526-4906
  An intimate, fine dining restaurant that has been serving delicious provincial Italian cuisine such as prime veal scaloppi, homemade pastas, and fresh daily coastal fish since 1953. The wine list consists of over 800 selections of rare and hard-to-find wines. They are open nightly for dinner and are closed in January and February. more...  map

Mexican & Southwestern

• Pescado's Highland Burrito
  103 North Fourth Street • Highlands, NC 28741
  828-526-9313
  Open daily for lunch and dinner, this restaurant serves an array of fresh and healthy Mexican cuisine including huge California style burritos, tacos, homemade guacamole, fresh salsas, and quesadillas.  map