Smoke Signals — Restaurant in Town of North Elba

This place is overrated; I can't imagine how it has such high ratings. It was my birthday, and based on the good reviews and views, we decided to go there. My first impression was that the staff seemed exhausted. They forced smiles, but it was clear they needed a good rest. I understand the owners might be cutting back on staff due to the low season, which affects the service.

When offered a table inside, I made the mistake of choosing to sit outside. The deck, while offering beautiful views, was a huge concrete slab that moved alarmingly. It was unsettling, and when I asked what was happening, our waiter Abby explained it was a floating deck—a massive slab of concrete on metal pillars, not even over water. This was the first time I’d encountered such a thing, and it didn’t feel safe, even if it was code-compliant. We couldn’t enjoy our food with the floor shaking like we were on a boat.

I requested to move inside, as we were initially offered, but the hostess said she’d speak with our waiter. The inside was empty, and I asked for a table with a view. When I wondered why the waiter, not the hostess, was deciding on seating, Abby told us it was because we had a dog and couldn’t sit inside, as if she was doing us a favor. It’s a service animal for my autistic son, and nobody even asked about it when we entered and were offered seating inside. Abby insisted we could only sit at the bar, claiming they were fully booked on a Monday during the low season. I took pictures of all the empty tables when we left, as I had promised her.

As for the food, it was mediocre at best. We didn’t even finish our meal, though I must admit the brisket and mashed potatoes were good enough to take home. If you mistakenly choose this low-service place, sit inside for your safety unless you enjoy eating in a storm, and order the brisket with mashed potatoes.

Despite the poor experience, we paid a 20% tip, understanding that the pressure to overwork from the owners is likely making these poor employees go nuts.

The day before, we went to Luna next door, which felt like a Michelin-starred restaurant in comparison. Unfortunately, I didn’t take pictures, but it’s true that we often take good experiences for granted until we...

This is a tale of two kinds of employees, good ones and bad ones. The people who were at the front desk were amazing! They got us on the waiting list quickly and even dragged out a heater for us since we were eating outside. Our party of four ordered our food from a waiter who is, with out a doubt, the worst waiter I've ever had and a TERRIBLE employee. Here is what happened: When we were sat down, it was daytime, and bright out. After we ordered, our food took HOURS and it was well into nighttime. The people at the front desk apologized and said they tried to get kitchen staff to make our order quicker. They admitted that a mistake was made. The waiter, on the other hand, instead of apologizing or doing anything, BLAMED ONE OF US FOR ORDERING A STUFFED PEPPER!!! He said that because one of us ordered the stuffed pepper (stuffed with beans and rice with some pork on the outside), that's why we had to wait hours. He gave us a lecture on what raw food is (seriously).

To anyone with half a brain, he was lying. Smoke signals doesn't do takeout and there wasn't a full house. So this waiter, goatee, glasses, lied to our faces and blamed us for having to wait hours for our food and there was only four of us and one who ordered a stuffed pepper. Honestly it's not even worth it to mention the pepper because he could have done that with any of the food. I like smoke signals but it's not worth it for me after that. If they start doing takeout again maybe. I give the two people at the front desk, a younger looking gentleman and lady, 5 stars. The waiter on the other hand, should absolutely be back cooking in the kitchen or let go. If that is how waiters are being trained to talk to people, I'm never going again and I'll just cook my own ribs.

Horrible, awful, no good experience. Pepper wasn't even good. The rest of...

We decided to try this place because it had the highest ratings in town. While the food wasn’t bad, it honestly didn’t live up to the hype. It felt more like a “view-first” restaurant — the kind of place that gets attention more for the scenery than the actual dining experience.

Our server was lovely — warm and friendly, which we really appreciated. But the experience took a turn when the outdoor heater suddenly turned off on a chilly, windy day. A man (possibly a staff member or manager) came over to change the gas for the table next to us. When we politely asked about ours, he responded curtly, saying, “We don’t have that much gas!” in a very rude tone. His attitude was cold and dismissive the entire time — walking around with a scowl, making it uncomfortable for guests who came to enjoy a meal.

The wings were tasty, and the brisket came in a huge portion — Honestly, it might be better to reduce the portion a bit and offer a more reasonable price. (It was $42) The side dishes, like the coleslaw and apple slaw, were just ok nothing special — and honestly felt a bit poorly prepped. The vegetables felt like they’d been chopped in a rush — roughly prepped, and the red onions especially stood out — huge, uneven chunks that felt like they were just hastily chopped and tossed in. The mac and cheese was also quite heavy and lacked finesse.

Service was very slow, possibly due to being short-staffed — it took quite a while just to get our check. And speaking of the check, seeing a pre-suggested 30% tip on the receipt was a bit off-putting, especially after such a mixed experience.

Overall, without the view, I’m not sure this restaurant would have the same reputation. A lot of potential, but the hospitality and execution need improvement to...