Haywood Smokehouse — Restaurant in Waynesville

The first thing that hits you as you walk into Haywood Smokehouse is that delicious smell of smoke that only comes from years and years of authentic BBQ . This is EASILY the best BBQ that I've had in the last 10 years! I seek out new BBQ places and have eaten Q at LOTS of highly rated places, including establishments in Texas Monthly Top-50 BBQ. A few weeks ago we were at Prime BBQ near Raleigh that was ranked #2 out of 149 US restaurants (outside of Texas) with Texas style brisket by Texas monthly. While Prime BBQ was good, Haywood's brisket was FAR BETTER! The bark was crispy perfection on the outside and perfectly rendered, sticky, deliciousness between the crispy bark on the outside and the juicy delicious meat on the inside! (If you have a preference for lean or fatty/moist, as the server, that will be happy to accommodate your request.) Easily the best brisket I've had in years! The burnt end baked beans were also very much to my liking, certainly top 3 of every place I can remember. If I hadn't been absolutely stuffed, I should/would have gotten a quart to take home. I'm not usually a Mac and Cheese person, but decided on that as my second side and was very pleasantly surprised and finished it all. I'd do it again as my second side. This is maybe the 2nd Mac and Cheese I've enjoyed at a restaurant in 20 years. Service was terrific, friendly, attentive and we were frequently checked up on to see if we needed anything else. After trying a bite of my wife's cobbler, I had to get one to bring home. If we lived within an hour of here, I would be eating here at least once a week. (Unfortunately we are about 3½ hours away, but I'll still be back...

I have debated writing this review for some time now, First I would like to say I am a local to waynesville and have been a very loyal customer to Haywood Smokehouse, for years My wife and I have came in atleast once a week not only because it’s the best BBQ around but we have grown very fond of many of the employees there. As we were sitting there Saturday evening 8-5-23 waiting on our food ( for almost an hour, which seems to be a little long in my opinion ) but either way the food is always consistent so we just deal with the long wait at times but as we were sitting at the small table right outside the area where the servers prepare the drinks we over heard the two in charge talking/ complaining about their fellow employees & using foul language as if they didn’t know anyone could hear them & this is NOT the first time we’ve over heard discussions between them we didn’t appreciate not only about their co-workers, kitchen staff but also complaints towards customers. After we finished our meal and left I tried calling and asked to speak with the owners but was told they weren’t there so I’m hoping this review can reach them. Within the last year or so we have noticed the quality of certain things going downhill and I know if I have noticed so have others and in my opinion having a few bad apples in a place shouldn’t reflect entirely on a business or the other hard working employees there. Bad management is the number one killer of a successful business and I would just hate to see this happen at a place so many...

This place was exquisite!!! Give it 10 stars ⭐️X10. Everything tasted yummy 🤤 I was so impressed by not only the food but the sauces! Georgia 🔥 was my favorite 🤩; an all-star recipe that was obviously mustard based by its golden yella color but the mustard taste was immediately hit with a brown suga sweet yummy 😋 treat wit a whoo 🔥 spicy 🥵 finisha!!! Think 💭 of Scorpion and SubZero fighting & Scorpion doing a “Get Over Here” to a brown Suga piece of pulled pork in your mouth. Yes it’s the best piece of heaven left in the mountains. Oh and the the beans 🫘 taste like my grandma would make them. Like I’m extremely surprised by the texture and the right amount of meat they put in them. And the taste was alike no other except 👵 , ya know?!? They had that taste that took me back 20 years ago to grandmas house in a memory eating baked beans. Also I had the sweet potato 🍠 fries and brisket, I shared; The bark on it was incredible. The Waiter, I forgot his name but he looked like a young Faramir from Lord of the Rings to me?🤷🏽‍♂️ Anyway awesome place and atmosphere. Tho I could smell a hint of a trash can 🗑 near by but once the food got there the remnants of that disappeared into thin air. Surrendered to the smell of zest!!! Another note: I noticed the waiter gave my Dad a military discount without my Dad not even presenting his military ID …i thought this very nice as I saw what he noticed as well. All thoroughly through this was a awesome place and if I come back to wherever this was...