Last Updated on February 8, 2024
Waynesville, NC’s proximity to Asheville offers residents the best amenities of a larger city while still holding on to its small-town atmosphere—including the restaurants. Downtown Waynesville is a pedestrian’s dream with much to choose from, including working art studios, breweries, gift shops, a local bookstore, and more. But Waynesville’s other neighborhoods, including Hazelwood Village, are also anchored by great eateries!
Here are 20 of the best restaurants in Waynesville, NC.
828 Market on Main
828 Market on Main is a great spot to visit if you’re shopping with a friend, or to enjoy lunch or a snack by yourself. They have everything you need, including a good meal on the go. They carry coffee, tea, and adult beverages, as well as snacks and prepared foods like hot dogs, soups, and chili. What’s more, it’s a great place to find jewelry, candles, soaps, hats, and other items on your shopping list! On a nice day, you can enjoy their outdoor seating, set up for your convenience.
180 N Main Street, Waynesville | (828) 246-9900 | facebook.com/828MarketOnMain
Beach Mountain Diner
Located in Waynesville’s Hazelwood Village neighborhood, Beach Mountain Diner offers tasty meals made from fresh ingredients. The owners have brought their concept from northeast Florida here to the mountains, resulting in a novel eating venue with a twist. With seating for 90 inside and 14 outside, there’s room for everyone to enjoy this tasty breakfast and lunch menu. House favorites include Traditional Eggs Benedict or Eggs on the Bayou. Sandwich favorites include Smothered Beef, Garlic Shrimp Rider, and The Godfather (a sandwich you can’t refuse).
429 Hazelwood Avenue, Waynesville | (828) 246-6800 | beachmountaindiner.com
Boojum Brewing Company
Located in the middle of Main Street, Boojum Brewing takes its name from a local mountain legend. Their taproom offers the perfect relaxed atmosphere where you can enjoy lunch, dinner, or drinks. Fill up on their delicious beer and pub grub, including tasty burgers, shareables, and daily specials. Dinner options are only available after 4:00 PM, but favorites like their Fish N Chips are served all day. Downstairs, the Gem Bar features Boojum beer, wine, and a full liquor bar. It’s the perfect hangout space, with bar games including pool, darts, shuffleboard, and foosball.
50 N Main Street, Waynesville | (828) 246-0350 | boojumbrewing.com
The Buttered Biscuit
Is there anything better than a restaurant whose motto is “The bigger the biscuit, the closer to heaven”? With breakfast served all day, there’s plenty of time to try everything on the menu! Not into biscuits? (What’s wrong with you? Just kidding, we don’t judge.) Enjoy combining pancakes with other items of your choice, including two eggs, city ham, or country ham. And if you’re hungry, the City Slickers combo has you covered. It features two eggs with bacon or sausage and blueberry or strawberry pancakes. Breakfast is served all day, six days a week, at this specialty spot.
1226 Dellwood Road, Waynesville | (828) 246-6446 | facebook.com/TheButteredBiscuit
Church Street Depot
If you tend to work up an appetite as you shop downtown, stop over for a grass-fed burger or a Depot Dog from Church Street Depot. This culinary hotspot offers mouthwatering hand-pattied burgers, 100% Angus hot dogs, turkey burgers, sandwiches, housemade chili, coleslaw, and more. Don’t forget the hand-cut cheese fries on the side! For the grownups, the Depot also offers “adult milkshakes” made with Mooresville ice cream. There’s a reason why it’s listed among the “Best in Haywood County” and considered a top restaurant in Waynesville, NC.
34 Church Street, Waynesville | (828) 246-6505 | churchstreetdepot.com
Clyde’s Restaurant
Voted one of the best restaurants in Waynesville by locals, Clyde’s is “where the home folks eat”. This casual American restaurant is best known for their “burgers and such”, which includes patty melts, chuckwagons, and fish sandwiches. But dinner diners also enjoy their daily specials and regular entrees. Enjoy the best of mountain cooking at Clyde’s, but save room for dessert! They offer a selection of pies, including a lemon icebox pie. Yum!
2107 S Main Street, Waynesville | (828) 456-9135 | facebook.com/clydesrestaurant.waynesville
Dough Boys Pizza & Wings
This isn’t your typical pizza and wings joint. Their signature New York-style crust is cooked well done to achieve the leopard spotted artisanal finish. The restaurant uses only the highest quality ingredients available, resulting in unmatched flavor and quality. They’ve also gotten inventive with their speciality ‘za menu. In addition to your favorites, Dough Boys serves up weekly specials with ingredients you never knew were perfect on pizza, like balsamic reduction drizzle, parmesan roasted broccoli rabe, roasted eggplant, or chèvre. Dough Boys’ wings are served with one of eight sauces, including Mad Hot or their special dry rub.
180 Legion Drive, Waynesville | (828) 246-9249 | doughboyspizza.us
Frog Level Brewing
Waynesville’s first brewery serves some of the smoothest craft beer to touch your tongue! From light and refreshing to extra hoppy, stout, or sour, you can enjoy their selection in the tasting room or get it packaged to take home. If you are hungry, stay inside and take advantage of the food menu, featuring snacks, sweets, and full meals (like Nashville hot chicken). Or venture out onto the back deck overlooking the flowing creek. There are even menu items for the kiddos and doggos, including the “4-LEGGED” (Dog) Snack Bowl.
56 Commerce Street, Waynesville | (828) 454-5664 | froglevelbrewing.com
Haywood 209 Cafe
Enjoy a hearty breakfast or dinner, made to order, at Haywood 209 Cafe. Specializing in American traditional diner classics, Haywood 209 Cafe serves up staples like hearty breakfasts, homemade baked goods by an in-house baker known as “Mamaw”, full lunch and dinner menus, and the absolute best milkshakes you’ll ever taste. But that’s not all. The cafe also dishes up hand-cut steaks, pulled pork, fresh seafood, and even a few pasta dishes. While you’re there, make sure to order a cup of delicious, locally roasted, ground-in-house coffee—it’s some of the best around.
3360 Crabtree Road, Waynesville | (828) 627-3331 | haywood209cafenc.com
J Creek Cafe at Sorrells Marathon
When Sorrells Marathon says they’re a one-stop shop, they really mean it! This tire and auto service location also hosts a hardware store, groceries, and a restaurant. For 50 years, J Creek Cafe has offered hot and delicious home-cooked breakfasts and lunches made with fresh ingredients. You have never tasted comfort food quite like this! Their full breakfast menu includes many tasty options, including pancakes, omelets, and biscuits. Late risers can enjoy a variety of lunch options, including hand-pattied burgers, salads, sandwiches, and something called “Poor Man’s Dinner” (pintos, cornbread, slaw, and onion). Yum!
3796 Jonathan Creek Road, Waynesville | (828) 926-0385 | sorrellsmarathon.com/j-creek-cafe-menu
Kanini’s
Kanini’s was launched in 2008 specifically to offer convenient, quick, and nutritious restaurant options to the people of Waynesville, NC. Their menu includes such items as salads, tacos, burgers, wraps, and chicken and waffles. It’s easy to grab lunch or dinner in their dining room. Or order their pre-prepared dinner options to-go for a healthy home-cooked meal that’s ready to eat as soon as you get home. Bring the family back to the table for food they’re sure to love without any of the stress of cooking.
1196 N Main Street, Waynesville | (828) 452-5187 | kaninis.com
Kornerstone Kafe
Enjoy fresh, housemade food and friendly service at Kornerstone Kafe. They offer great prices for their breakfasts, which include pancakes, french toast, omelets, and breakfast sandwiches, as well as hot coffee with any style of eggs. Their lunch and dinner menus include all your favorites, from burgers and wraps to pork tenderloin and country-fried steak. But whatever you do, leave room for dessert! Kornerstone serves the best desserts around, handcrafted with the finest ingredients.
1092 N Main Street, Waynesville | (828) 550-2265 | kornerstonekafe.com
Orchard Coffee
Orchard Coffee is a great place for handcrafted beverages and baked goods. This award-winning coffee bar and bakery plants the seeds for a successful day with your favorite specialty coffee drinks and a made-from-scratch breakfast menu. Feast on their gourmet take on avocado toast or snag one of their famous homemade donuts for the ultimate treat. Orchard is one of our favorite spots to walk to from our downtown Waynesville office. Sometimes, they even host music at night! Stop by and start your morning with gratitude—and the perfect cup o’ joe.
39 Depot Street, Waynesville | (828) 246-9264 | orchardcoffeeroasters.com
Panacea Coffee Co.
Enjoy a fresh coffee and healthy breakfast at Panacea Coffee Co. on Commerce Street. Since 2002, Panacea has served a wide variety of fresh coffee and tea beverages from their full-service espresso bar. It’s also one of the best coffee roasters in the area. For late risers, breakfast is available all day. Choose from among the many muffins, scones, and bagels available, including a lox and bagel plate. Or skip straight to one of the delicious sandwiches and salads available for lunch. Find your panacea, and find a meeting place, a celebrating place, and a sharing place.
66 Commerce Street, Waynesville | (828) 452-6200 | panaceacoffee.com
Sweet Onion
Nestled in the heart of downtown, the Sweet Onion Restaurant is your perfect weekend destination. Known as one of the best restaurants in Waynesville, Sweet Onion offers regional cuisine with contemporary flair. Try traditional favorites like the black angus burger or fresh mountain trout. Or expand your palate with the lemongrass grilled chicken salad or crispy Cajun brussel sprouts. Whatever you do, don’t miss their signature sweet onion soup and sweet onion chicken parmesan. And save room for one of the scrumptious house-made desserts. Everyone in the family will love Sweet Onion.
39 Miller Street, Waynesville | (828) 456-5559 | sweetonionrestaurant.com
Watami Sushi & Noodles
Think it’s impossible to find great sushi in the depths of the Appalachian Mountains? Think again. Watami is known for its “seriously fresh sushi”—arriving within hours of its catch. And their chefs are highly skilled professionals trained in the art of Japanese sushi. Watami also offers other Asian culinary specialties, such as Pad Thai, Lo Mein, Teriyaki Dishes, and more. Lunch specials include miso soup or a green salad. Enjoy a great dine-in experience or their speedy carry-out service.
33 S Main Street #101, Waynesville | (828) 246-6888 | watamisushinoodles.com
Even more options: food trucks in Waynesville
The food truck scene in Waynesville has grown considerably over the past few years and now includes several great options around town. Fuego is an American kitchen with a modern twist, offering a new menu weekly with options like mojo pork bowls and shrimp fried rice. Proceeds from the hand-pattied burgers and fresh-cut fries at Holy Cow Food Truck provide supplemental income for Haywood Pathways Center for those experiencing homelessness. Jose’s Taco Truck satisfies your Mexican cravings with authentic tacos, burritos, quesadillas, and tortas. And the hot dog and burgers menu at Woof Street Bistro is so good it will have you howling!
Find what feels like home in Waynesville, NC!
High peaks surround the town of Waynesville, once billed as the Gateway to the Smokies and now the seat of Haywood County. Where to Retire magazine named Waynesville one of its “100 Best Places to Retire,” calling it the best mountain town with the best main street. The recently restored train district in Frog Level has gained recognition as a National Historic District and is now home to a collection of small galleries, a coffee roastery, and a microbrewery. From outdoor adventures to cozy spots downtown, Waynesville welcomes people from many different backgrounds to visit and stay for life.
Does that sound like the perfect lifestyle for you? Find a great home in Waynesville, NC!
What do you think are the best restaurants in Waynesville, NC? Did we leave out your favorites? Share your thoughts in the comments.
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Top photo from Church Street Depot
