The Stubborn Bull at Mill Creek

BEWARE! Very unprofessional to text someone two hours before a reservation (after it was confirmed twice) to say they wouldn’t be able to honor the reservation as they would be closed! This is a vacation town where people plan their meals and their day around it. We drove an hour to shop before our reservation. And because it was a Holiday weekend it was difficult to find options last minute. Whomever is in charge had better go back to business class 101 and learn how to run a business. What a joke. Instead of dining here I would recommend Four365 and other restaurants in the area. If they can’t plan their hours and reservations properly and professionally I can only wonder what goes on behind the scenes.

Stubborn Seed(stubborn bull...not sure why they changed their name) has been mediocre at best. The first time we went, it was not good, the next was a little better. Tried to book a large party and the woman on the phone could not have been rudder. There are other better choices food and definitely service wise.

Atmosphere: 4

Food: 3

Service: 1

We have just found our favorite restaurant in Highlands! Escaping from Helene Asheville for the weekend our first stop at The Stubborn Bull felt like we had arrived in heaven! The welcome there brought tears to our eyes and the food and drink really tasted like the best we’d ever experienced! A BIG thank you to Nick and Josh and the whole team for everything you are doing to help WNC at this time.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Really amazing spot, delicious food choices with a really friendly staff. The stir fry was a special for the night and it was amazing. The pork chop was also great, cooked to perfection. The drinks were creative and fun.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

We had salmon entree . It was served with a tomato based sauce and grilled asparagus with black rice. All of the flavors were excellent. Usually grilled asparagus can be wirey or stalky … it was perfect! Flavors were outstanding . We also had a poblano and corn soup . Flavors were perfect ! Cannot say enough about the fine taste experience here. Surprised and happy !

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

One of the best steaks I have ever had. Perfect seer on top of it. Cooked perfectly. Low lighting and great vibe. 10/10.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Great food and drinks! The skirt steak with chimichurri was delicious! The rice and beans were also outstanding! We also had the calamari, Caesar salad and the bread. We wished we had the chimichurri sauce to dip the bread in! The Caesar was good and bacon was a nice addition. The calamari was also great! We ordered a beer, an old fashioned and two glasses of wine. All were great! Entrees are expensive, but the quality is very high!

I love the watermelon salad & sea bass entree. The wine & cocktails are very good. My husband got the lamb kabobs & he said they were tough & chewy. He didn't eat most of it. We also didn't like the key lime pie dessert.

Generally a positive experience. Upon arriving, we waited for the hostess for a bit longer than expected. Tables are very close to one another. The dining room was quite loud. We had the watermelon salad, meatballs, and sea bass. All very good. Slightly small portions. Everything was fresh and seasoned nicely. Finished with the hummingbird cake.

Layla was a terrific server. she accommodated us with a good table and had the staff lower the energetic music (note: we were the oldest couple in the restaurant!). The food was very good (lamb kabob could have had added flavor). we ordered 5 tapas items and enjoyed sharing. It was a very quick dinner as we took the option to have them come out altogether (within a minute or two). I would do it differently next time. Can't wait for the Stubborn Buddha opens!.

This has become my new favorite spot in highlands. From the food to the service, this place has blown me away every time. The servers are extremely knowledgeable and personable. Drinks are delicious. Food is incredible. Does not disappoint.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

My favorite restaurant in

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

This lively looking place needs a complete reset in terms of menu and customer service. While our server Bella was lovely, when we asked if there was internet for guests, we were told ‘no public Internet’ When I advised that we had little ones at home with a sitter and no phone signal (common in the mountains)or internet signal and we needed to be able to be in touch in case of any issues, still no password or concern from ‘I am told’ the owner. We ordered appetizers and then decided not to order dinner without any access to Internet or phone in case of emergency. And the sadly the menu was very weird. Too bad as it is a nice looking place but ownership is way out of touch!
There are so many wonderful restaurants in Highlands you can sure skip this one!

Atmosphere: 4

Food: 2

Service: 3

Although the food is good the portions are incredibly small for the price. $26 for two average size scallops is a bit much in my opinion, even for Highlands. We enjoyed almost everything we ordered both visits except for the patatas bravas. (Nothing like the crispy-on-the-outside, tender-on-the-inside potatoes you get in Spain.) I also think the service was a tad unpolished for a restaurant in this price range. For example, our dessert was placed on the table without cleaning up the crumbs from our dinner. We also noticed when we were first seated that the flower vase on the table was dirty. Granted, these are minor issues, but they are noticed. When we pay upwards of $200 for dinner we expect polished service and a clean table.
However, what disturbs me most about The Stubborn Bull (and the reason for lowering my overall number of stars to 3) is the owners' responses to negative online reviews. I think from a customer service standpoint sarcasm is highly unprofessional and very off-putting. Comments like, "if you're looking for free rolls go to Red Lobster" and asking a customer how much wine they had because they were embarrassing is highly unprofessional and immature. It really makes me wonder about the owners and if I want to give them my business.
I also find it interesting that the owners stated in one of their responses that the menu would not be changing any time soon, but when we dined there the second time the menu had, in fact, changed. I personally was disappointed the convoluted chicken was not on the menu the second time we dined there because it was very good. Same for the chocolate pistachio cake. Overall the food is very good, if a tad overpriced, but it's really the owners and their attitude that concerns me the most. (And just in case the owners respond to my review with another sarcastic comment or question, no, I am not related nor do I know any of the diners who posted negative reviews.)

Atmosphere: 4

Food: 4

Service: 3

Food was good, service was good but we ordered a beer and the waiter completely forgot about it and brought it way later and it was warm.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 4

Service: 4