River's End Restaurant — Restaurant in Bryson City

"It's a Bar & Grill, with a few quirks, but it's on the river" First lemme just say this is definitely a personal experience & overall experience combined, I do suggest 100% to read through this just so you know what's happening when you eat here. First of all lemme go over the don'ts & cons. #1 Do not come here an hour before closing, food won't be AS good, and the chefs will probably be winding down by the time you get in. #2 The menu is small, there's not a giant amount of options to choose from, and if you're like me, who enjoys a variety, you probably won't like what they have to offer. #3 It's a little cold in the winter, obviously cause you're by the river and it's alot colder when you're near sources of water especially in cold months. I'm sure this place in Summer is a hell of a joint to eat at. #4 I was constantly being stared at by the owner, it almost felt like he was hovering, now lemme mention that my hair & beard was neon green, but I still felt kinda creeped out..

That's my personal experience, now here are the pros: #1 If you enjoy Sports Bars, then you'll definitely enjoy this one, considering it's right over the Nantahala River. In Winter, it's a cold little view of the water that could possibly freeze you to death, in Summer, it's a fun and enjoying view of Kayakers, Rafters, and Swimmers. #2 Food was really good, especially with how little they had on the menu, it's compact, but again personal opinion, I like lots of options. My Steak was a little cold, but we had gotten there an hour before closing. My partner's steak was amazing though, and the fries were to die for. #3 The environment and décor was very lodgey, makes you feel at home in the mountains. #4 They take Covid very seriously, VERY SERIOUSLY, so if you're an anti masker, definitely avoid going here (I'm a pro masker, but just a warning lol). #5 I'm no food critic, and I know my review won't matter much to the locals. But if you just moved in or you're visiting, I highly recommend stopping by, it's a cheap, fun, and...

This was our 4th time going to this restaurant. Our first 3 visits were top-notch. But those visits were during the off season in this area. This visit was in high season and just not as good as the last 3. Maybe because they were so busy it wasn’t as good? Food consistency will bring us back to a restaurant again and again as our past visits here show. We were surprised in the decline in the food this visit. The atmosphere is permanent, the views beautiful that doesn’t change, food consistency shouldn’t either. I wish I remembered our server’s name but I don’t. She was GREAT! We never had to ask for a refill or anything. She was on top of it all. I ordered the cauliflower appetizer which was good; however, for lunch I had the rib-eye steak with mashed potatoes and a side salad for $29.The steak was very tough, very thin and had very little flavor. It reminded me of the kind of steak you’d buy, individually pre-packaged, at Aldi or Lidl, which are gross to me t begin with. It’s the first time I’ve ordered a steak here and it’ll be my last. It was definitely a poor cut of meat. Maybe Brazilian beef and not American beef? One of our guests ordered the chicken sandwich and it was so greasy that the grease saturated the bottom bun. 2 people ordered the full sized salad, which are cutely served in colanders, with their meals not as their meals; however, they were small for the price, a lot of carrots, very little lettuce. My side salad was the same. To make a long story shorter, none of the 6 of us was very happy with our food. It was average to below average this visit and that’s why I rated this restaurant 3 stars. We’ll go back, eat there again and see. Maybe they had an off day? Because our last 3 visits were very good. Next time we’ll stick to our favorites that we’ve had there before, like the...

This place is off the hook. Perched right where the river bends and breathes, River’s End serves up more than just food—it delivers an atmosphere so mountain townesque it feels like you stepped into a postcard. There’s something grounding about sitting riverside, the sound of rushing water playing backup to your conversation. As rafters glide past and canoeists zigzag upstream, it’s hard not to feel like you’re part of the whole dance—just another character in this bluegrass theater of mist and rock and whitewater.

The wait staff adds to the charm—sweet, attentive, and genuinely welcoming, without a trace of pretense. They let you linger without rush, which is rare and beautiful.

Now, the food. I had the trout, and let me tell you—it lived up to its reputation. Trout is my second-favorite fish, and this one came in hot and buttery, perfectly cooked, flaking just enough to fall apart on the fork but never dry. It tasted fresh, like it knew it belonged beside a river.

As for the Sherpa rice, I wanted it to be epic, and maybe my expectations were too high. It came out a bit drier than I like. I tried adding sauce, but then it tipped into the too-salty zone. Still, even with those tweaks, it was tasty—just not the show-stealer I hoped for.

Altogether, River’s End gave me what I came for: good food, kind people, and a seat in the rhythm of the mountains. The place doesn’t try too hard—it doesn’t need to. It knows where it is, and it leans into that with grace.

Would I come back? In a heartbeat. Especially...