Mountain Perks — Restaurant in Bryson City

*PLEASE PEEP THE PHOTO OF THE TEXT MESSAGE THAT WAS SENT TO ME BY THE OWNER”

I’ve been in Bryson City for three days. I have a 2 month old puppy. Every shop I’ve taken him to has been delighted to see him. It was a very cold Saturday morning and I was leaving Bryson City with my GF. We stopped at mountain perks to get coffee. I choose to hold my puppy because he was shivering. We entered the coffee store and looked at the menu for 5 minutes. The “individual” behind the counter noticed I had a puppy and asked if I had a leash and collar for him. I answered her “I don’t” and she proceeded to immediately berate me. Instead of listening to her yell, I just walked out the door. My GF stayed back to order coffee and instead of taking her order, the “individual”proceeded to berate her about me and my “attitude”, even though I simply left the building with my dog. My GF proceeded to leave at that point and the “individual” started yelling at her about our attitude. The only words that came out of our mouths during the entire exchange were “I don’t have a leash”.

This was especially aggravating because the prior two days we had tried to visit this coffee shop but missed it due to timing issues. Neither my girlfriend or I drink alcohol, so when we visit new places we try to go to all of the coffee shops that we can.

If you would like to visit a place in which the employees are so unhappy that they would rather start an argument with you and your GF, instead of taking your order, than this place is for you. Mountain Perks truly does embody the spirit of southern mountain towns. “If you aren’t from here, you don’t belong”.

Take the extra 10 minute and visit Cardinal Coffee. The coffee is great & the business employs only people who are kind...

My husband has celiac, so we do not eat out much because we'd rather not risk it. We live in Brevard, but spent Saturday night in Bryson City, and after reading a few reviews, we decided to try Mountain Perks. We were not disappointed. The staff are friendly and knowledgeable, and when I asked if their gluten free options are celiac-safe, a waitress explained that they prepare GF items in a separate kitchen area to prevent cross-contamination. This is not a common practice in WNC, so I definitely didn't expect to find such a gem in Bryson City! The food was fantastic. My husband had the chorizo quiche and I had a roast beef bagel, and we both thoroughly enjoyed our meals (and more places need horseradish cream cheese!). We stayed for dessert and hung out for some time because the atmosphere is pleasant.

While we were there, an older local man came around to collect used espresso grounds (perhaps for compost or plants...I did not ask). It was obvious when he walked in the door that the staff knew him, and a woman who I gathered was either the owner or the manager immediately had him sit down and brought him a cup of coffee and a big bowl of soup on the house. As someone who grew up in WNC, I know how hard it is for a lot of older locals to make ends meet as prices have skyrocketed. While I do not know this man's story, I do know it says a lot about a person and a business when they treat people with compassion and respect no matter who they are.

Mountain Perks gets an all-around A+. We will be back very soon. It's worth the drive from Brevard to have such a...

This very well might be the best restaurant in all of Bryson. The food is made from scratch with ingredients and proper right seasoning. These awesome people really know how to cook and it shows. We have been here many times and we have not had a single thing on the menu that we have not loved. Normally you expect to find a few really good menu items that a restaurant is known for but here it is hard to choose which is our favorite because everything is so good.

They have fancy coffees not quite on the level of Starbucks but no one is on that level at any other coffee shop I have been too. Their coffee here is pretty good, and I think it is the best in the area. They are as good or better than any other coffee shop I have been to that is not Starbucks. They have full meal options to have with your coffee which Starbucks does not have and their food is really good.

They offer great breakfast and lunch menu items. I have never had dinner there.

The people here are really nice and friendly. They like to joke around and I am always happy to give them...