The Rivers and Rails Tavern — Restaurant in Dillsboro

Sorry for the honest review. I wish we had been turned away. Then i wouldn't have had to wait for over an hour (for chicken strips and fries) just to feel like I would have been better off lighting that $170 on fire. Seeing as how you're ungrateful I spent my hard earned money on your cold, lousy food and automatic gratuity for awful service then how about a refund on that $170 bucks? Yea thats what I thought smartass ....In conjunction with a train ride with The Great Smokey Mountains Railroad..we took the train ride to Dillsboro with about an hour and 15 min layover. As soon as you step off of the train this establishment is maybe a 60 yard walk so we went there...we ASSUMED (and maybe that's our fault) that they would be prepared for the arrival of the train and the people on it looking for a meal. They know the train schedule and really should have been prepared for the passengers to come in. We went in and stood around for a few min (shoulda realized then) before we were even greeted. Was finally sat and we told them we were passengers from the train. There were 10 of us so we asked if they thought it was reasonable to be able to get our food with the next 30-40 min to make the train to go back. She said of course so we ordered (and to make it easier everythingwe ordered was fried (chicken strips/fries) except 2 hot dogs and a grilled chicken sand. 7 min before the train was set to leave i find myself standing at the register making sure they were putting it in to-go boxes. We made it the 50/60 yard walk back to the train with 3 min to spare. They offered no to-go drinks and added gratuity without permission...usually im a great tipper but was actually pissed off because I paid gratuity for what? One drink..never even offered a refill and was honestly treated like an inconvenience when we said hey we have less than 15 min can u make it to-go. The grilled chix was heavily seasoned and the chili on the dogs was sweet...the kids were hungry and pissed and so were the adults. Will never ever go there again and management should really look into how they schedule help...but I recommend...

Okay, folks, hold the phone and grab your cargo shorts! I’ve just returned from a culinary expedition to the Rivers and Rails Tavern right here in beautiful Sylva, North Carolina, and let me tell you, this place is not just on the right track; it’s running the whole railway! I am absolutely trained to go back for more. From the moment my family and I went with the flow and streamed through the door, the service was first-class. Our server, who had a sense of humor that was anything but plain, made sure our experience didn't go downstream. We were totally on the same wavelength! The atmosphere has this cool, rustic vibe that makes you feel like you’ve been transported. My wife said, "Isn't this place charming?" and I, of course, replied, "Honey, it's positively loco-motive!" She just shook her head, but I know she was impressed by my wit. Now, for the main event, the real fuel for this dad-bod. I ordered a burger that was so good, it should be a federal law. I mean, lettuce be real, this was a masterpiece of meat and bun. The patty was cooked to perfection, and the toppings were so fresh, I had to double-check my receipt to make sure I wasn’t being charged for planting fees. My son got the wings, which he said were so good it was like a flavor explosion. I told him not to get carried away! My wife’s salad looked incredible; it was an unbe-leaf-able work of art. I even made a whistle-stop at the restrooms, and they were cleaner than my best dad jokes—truly sparkling! You can tell a lot about an establishment by its facilities, and this one is clearly a well-oiled machine. So, what’s the final destination on this review? The Rivers and Rails Tavern gets two enthusiastic thumbs way, way up from this conductor of cuisine. The prices are fair, the food is off the rails good, and the service is anything but sluggish. If you’re ever in Sylva and need to refuel, you’ve got to choo-choose this place. You won't be disappointed. That’s all, y'all! I've run...

So here I am, almost 60 years old, and giving my first negative restaurant review. It sucks because we've been going to this restaurant a couple times a month, but after Sunday night, never again. Now keep in mind, we own a local, service based hospitality business. We know all too well how hard it is dealing with the public. That's why we have always chalked up less than stellar service, attitude or food to, everyone has bad days. Terrible, slow service, a forgotten appetizer, wrong sides with 2 meals, then a "forgotten" meal. 5 people and only 4 meals brought out. "ooops! I may have forgotten yours". Coincidence that the forgotten meal was for the person that had to go ask where the missing appetizer was? We think not. Promises of being right back that never happened. The food quality was below what we usually get here. To top it off, a 2nd server who wanted to argue with us about it. The attitude and excuses were incredible. After listening to her tell us that we were wrong, I said enough, just bring the check. She returned and threw the check on the table and walked away. Of course the one meal that they were supposed to take off was still on the bill. We left the other 3 half eaten meals on the table. Sorry about the drink that got spilled while we were leaving. $103.25 that I might as well have set on fire and a wasted hour of round trip driving. Oh well, Foragers, Kostas, Haywood, Boots, Ferrara's, Native Brews, etc. will get a lot more business. Between our hundreds of customers that we have referred, our friend's coworkers at Harrah's and the Sherriff's office, this was a very expensive meal, for...