Food was great. Service was great. Chef was rude when we had one complaint regarding our dessert.
S R.
I really want to give 5 stars. The food is phenomenal and the wait staff is courteous and friendly. I went with a group of 5 women for a nice dinner out during our holiday. A few of us ordered the creme brûlée special. I was saving my last few bites to go with the fresh whipped cream. But the whipped cream was sour. Fine. Scooped it off but was going to tell the server so they knew to check it for other customers. But, the chef came to ask how our meal was. Instead of being gracious or just faking some kindness, he told us he served 17 without issues. And again the actual brûlée was on point. The creme, well, when you get spoiled creme, it is off. It feels like it's bubbling on your tongue . Chef said he was going to check. But who knows because he never came back. Clearly doesn't take criticism well, which kind of sucks. No one was looking for a comp. Just wanted to make sure it wasn't served to anyone else.
Kyle S.
Excellent. The chef came out and gave us a jar of his experimental sauce that we ended up placing on all of our dishes (which were amazing without it anyways), but it just added a whole new level. Very highly recommended place from our whole crew.
Brittany B.
Staying in NC for a few days and decided to try this place out on our first night in. Not only is the service insanely fast but the food is SO GOOD. I got the trout and I loved it. My boyfriend got the Mac and cheese and he said he loved it, it was really good. Definitely recommend!
Beth S.
Excellent dinner spot... eclectic decor, friendly and helpful server, good food. Had grilled salmon with pesto pasta and the ahi tuna, and both were wonderful.
Linda K.
We've been dining at The Painted Fish for years. Love this place for family meal, date night or a drink at the bar. When we're in the area you'll find us at the Fish on Wednesday nights for the fried chicken special-1/2 fried chicken, mashed potatoes, green beans and key lime pie. Of course, they make a mean burger, terrific salads and have a great beer selection, too. But back to that fried chicken... a big shout out to Tom and his crew for providing a delicious fried chicken dinner for our group of 12 during Christmas week. Just another example of this restaurant going the extra mile for their patrons.
Richard Uhl
I would like to start out saying their service is absolutely outstanding! Their food is excellent and the atmosphere was terrific!I highly recommend eating there and every time we come to mountains we look forward to visiting painted fish café.Marcie was the best server we have had and we would like to personally thank her for the best experience there !
Carol Pethel
We ordered a child’s mac and cheese and found a metal shard in it. We reported it to the waitress, who was wonderful and very nice, who took it off the bill immediately. We would have stayed to finish the dinner with the rest of our party until the manager spoke with us. The manager’s attitude was terrible, fake and dismissive. It was obvious she didn’t care at all, and we will never be returning to this establishment again.
Jim Pike
My wife and I have been twice to this restaurant on hwy 184 heading into Banner Elk. The first time I was pleased that the food was prepared as I ordered (Salmon ordered rare) and tasted fresh. The second visit was entirely different. The salmon was overdone and dry, inedible. I don't understand the inconsistensy. Why can a chef not cook a dish the same way more than once. Not only that the wine we ordered was just about too old. The first visit it was perfect. The service was ok but just so. I have a policy of giving gratuities based upon the quality of the service and I usually am generous. But the waitress did such a poor job that I couldn't make myself give her more than a minimum tip. The management needs Training in training. I hope they get it.[ I can not recommend this restaurant.
Robert B.
We stopped in on our snowboarding trip to Banner Elk and just wanted a nice casual dinner with great food! They have a nice atmosphere with beautiful artwork all over their restaurant! The food was amazing and we'll definitely be back!!
When I went there they were out of a lot of liquor and beer. My food came out wrong. They don't have a lot of choices on the menu. Will never go back
Tammy M.
Don't miss out on the absolute best restaurant in the area and since it's owned and operated by a local family you will enjoy 5 Star quality food with excellent service. Every entree is amazing and some of our favorites are the Bacon Chicken over risotto or grits and julienne vegetables, Sesame Seared Tuna over risotto, and the Cashew Stir Fry with Shrimp or Chicken which is also great leftover. The Painted Fish is the Best kept secret in all of the High Country.
Marc W.
Great food, friendly staff and perfect location if your staying near Sugar Mtn. Food is unique and lots to choose from... who's heard of pork belly curry soup?? Delicious! Not too fancy, not too casual, just comfy and quaint. Highly recommend!
John H.
Great experience. We came on a Sat night around 6:30, and while the hostess acknowledged they were short staffed and were going to be very busy - it turned out fine. The staff was definitely hopping! My bride ordered the smaller order of the Trout ($19) and said it tasted great. I went with the Tuna ($25) and really enjoyed the entire dish. Service from Sam was pleasant and attentive - in spite of the fact they were short staffed. When we come back to the area....this will be at the top of our list to visit again.
Zuzu Madanat
Delicious food and very friendly staff. I wish they could find more staff to be able to have more availability. We tried to go back the next day (Sunday) for brunch, but we were told they no longer have brunch because of being short-staffed.They are doing a wonderful job with food and I hope they get staffing down soon!Appetizer: tuna nachosSoup: curry chicken and tomatoEntree: blackened salmon
Food was great. Service was great. Chef was rude when we had one complaint regarding our dessert.
I really want to give 5 stars. The food is phenomenal and the wait staff is courteous and friendly. I went with a group of 5 women for a nice dinner out during our holiday. A few of us ordered the creme brûlée special. I was saving my last few bites to go with the fresh whipped cream. But the whipped cream was sour. Fine. Scooped it off but was going to tell the server so they knew to check it for other customers. But, the chef came to ask how our meal was. Instead of being gracious or just faking some kindness, he told us he served 17 without issues. And again the actual brûlée was on point. The creme, well, when you get spoiled creme, it is off. It feels like it's bubbling on your tongue . Chef said he was going to check. But who knows because he never came back. Clearly doesn't take criticism well, which kind of sucks. No one was looking for a comp. Just wanted to make sure it wasn't served to anyone else.
Excellent. The chef came out and gave us a jar of his experimental sauce that we ended up placing on all of our dishes (which were amazing without it anyways), but it just added a whole new level. Very highly recommended place from our whole crew.
Staying in NC for a few days and decided to try this place out on our first night in. Not only is the service insanely fast but the food is SO GOOD. I got the trout and I loved it. My boyfriend got the Mac and cheese and he said he loved it, it was really good. Definitely recommend!
Excellent dinner spot... eclectic decor, friendly and helpful server, good food. Had grilled salmon with pesto pasta and the ahi tuna, and both were wonderful.
We've been dining at The Painted Fish for years. Love this place for family meal, date night or a drink at the bar. When we're in the area you'll find us at the Fish on Wednesday nights for the fried chicken special-1/2 fried chicken, mashed potatoes, green beans and key lime pie. Of course, they make a mean burger, terrific salads and have a great beer selection, too. But back to that fried chicken... a big shout out to Tom and his crew for providing a delicious fried chicken dinner for our group of 12 during Christmas week. Just another example of this restaurant going the extra mile for their patrons.
I would like to start out saying their service is absolutely outstanding! Their food is excellent and the atmosphere was terrific!I highly recommend eating there and every time we come to mountains we look forward to visiting painted fish café.Marcie was the best server we have had and we would like to personally thank her for the best experience there !
We ordered a child’s mac and cheese and found a metal shard in it. We reported it to the waitress, who was wonderful and very nice, who took it off the bill immediately. We would have stayed to finish the dinner with the rest of our party until the manager spoke with us. The manager’s attitude was terrible, fake and dismissive. It was obvious she didn’t care at all, and we will never be returning to this establishment again.
My wife and I have been twice to this restaurant on hwy 184 heading into Banner Elk. The first time I was pleased that the food was prepared as I ordered (Salmon ordered rare) and tasted fresh. The second visit was entirely different. The salmon was overdone and dry, inedible. I don't understand the inconsistensy. Why can a chef not cook a dish the same way more than once. Not only that the wine we ordered was just about too old. The first visit it was perfect. The service was ok but just so. I have a policy of giving gratuities based upon the quality of the service and I usually am generous. But the waitress did such a poor job that I couldn't make myself give her more than a minimum tip. The management needs Training in training. I hope they get it.[ I can not recommend this restaurant.
We stopped in on our snowboarding trip to Banner Elk and just wanted a nice casual dinner with great food! They have a nice atmosphere with beautiful artwork all over their restaurant! The food was amazing and we'll definitely be back!!
Restaurantji Recommends
When I went there they were out of a lot of liquor and beer. My food came out wrong. They don't have a lot of choices on the menu. Will never go back
Don't miss out on the absolute best restaurant in the area and since it's owned and operated by a local family you will enjoy 5 Star quality food with excellent service. Every entree is amazing and some of our favorites are the Bacon Chicken over risotto or grits and julienne vegetables, Sesame Seared Tuna over risotto, and the Cashew Stir Fry with Shrimp or Chicken which is also great leftover. The Painted Fish is the Best kept secret in all of the High Country.
Great food, friendly staff and perfect location if your staying near Sugar Mtn. Food is unique and lots to choose from... who's heard of pork belly curry soup?? Delicious! Not too fancy, not too casual, just comfy and quaint. Highly recommend!
Great experience. We came on a Sat night around 6:30, and while the hostess acknowledged they were short staffed and were going to be very busy - it turned out fine. The staff was definitely hopping! My bride ordered the smaller order of the Trout ($19) and said it tasted great. I went with the Tuna ($25) and really enjoyed the entire dish. Service from Sam was pleasant and attentive - in spite of the fact they were short staffed. When we come back to the area....this will be at the top of our list to visit again.
Delicious food and very friendly staff. I wish they could find more staff to be able to have more availability. We tried to go back the next day (Sunday) for brunch, but we were told they no longer have brunch because of being short-staffed.They are doing a wonderful job with food and I hope they get staffing down soon!Appetizer: tuna nachosSoup: curry chicken and tomatoEntree: blackened salmon