We dined on a recent Saturday for brunch. Matt took care of us- he is the bar manager. Super easy to talk with and took great care of us. Everything we ate was delicious (truffle fries, broiled oysters, deviled eggs, the burger, tuna tower and the French onion soup). Approachable wine list. Awesome vibe and decor and a playlist I am still trying to recreate. We love Primary - it's just a little bit pricey for the location and at lunchtime.
John Holland
The truffle fries are to die for and the wagyu burger is easily the best burger I’ve ever had
Carol Anne Hendrix
It's a bit pricey, but the food is delicious. Highly recommend the wagyu hamburger and truffle fries!!! Love the atmosphere!
J D
This establishment is what you expect to find in a high-end area like Highlands, NC. Beautiful interior decor with a higher priced menu. The wait staff was very friendly and they did their jobs very well. It was a great experience, and we will likely return due to it being one of my mom's favorites.
Jesus Damian
Lovely spot. Food is rustic and consistently good. Wine selection is varied but not overwhelming and the bartender is friendly! Highly reccommend this establishment for a more casual meal when you are visiting Highlands.
Chad Colony
Truly awful experience. This place is so poorly managed. There are so many great places and great people in the Highlands. This restaurant should be avoided at all costs.
Ana Trejo
I recently had the pleasure of dining at Primary Restaurant in Highlands, and it was an experience that exceeded all my expectations. From the moment I walked in, I was greeted by a warm and inviting atmosphere, which set the tone for a delightful evening.
One of the standout features of T Primary is their commitment to quality ingredients. I was particularly impressed to learn that they do not use seed oils in their cooking. Instead, they utilize beef tallow, which not only enhances the flavor of the dishes but also aligns with healthier cooking practices. This attention to detail in ingredient selection reflects the restaurant’s dedication to providing high-quality meals.
The service at Primary was exceptional, and I must give a special shoutout to Megan, our server. She was awesome—attentive, knowledgeable, and genuinely passionate about the menu. Megan took the time to explain the various dishes and made thoughtful recommendations based on my preferences. It was clear that she takes pride in delivering a memorable dining experience.
As for the food, everything I tried was delicious. Each dish was beautifully presented and bursting with flavor. The use of beef tallow gave the meals a rich, savory profile that was simply irresistible.
Overall, Primary Restaurant in Highlands is a must-visit for anyone who appreciates great service and high-quality, thoughtfully prepared food. I left feeling satisfied and eager to return for another meal. Highly recommended!
Erny Bonistall
We enjoyed a lunch on a busy day. For us, it was taking a break to have a drink and share a small bit while shopping a few hours before dinner. Drinks were great. Service and atmosphere were great sitting at the bar. Tuna tartare presentation and actual dish one of my all time favs. Fresh tuna and avocado, crab, black fish eggs, a mayo type mild chipotle aioli and a soy type smear dressing with wonton crisps. That is my all time favorite type presentation for tuna tartare. Wonton crisps with the pairings included in this dish is totally amazing.
Bill Smith
Looking for an upscale restaurant for Sunday lunch, my wife and I went in and asked for a table, several empty tables and only a few other guests dining the host asked us to wait a minute while he found a table. After standing there for three minutes and watching our host talk to the bartender we walked out. If the host didn't want us he could have been polite enough to say so when we walked in.
Jamie Hamlin Gosnell
We visited Primary for dinner last night, and it was fabulous! Every dish we had was incredible. I had the Center Cut Filet, and it was cooked to medium-rare perfection and melted in my mouth. I wish we had taken photos, but we were focused on just relaxing and enjoying the experience. Our server, Marty, was fantastic! Marty was happy to make recommendations, answer any questions, and was kind and friendly! For all you port lovers, you must try the Ferreira Vintage Port. It's like velvet. Highly recommend! Overall, just a relaxing, enjoyable dining experience! We will not hesitate to recommend Primary!
Awesome experience & meal. Chef Higgins and his team delivered one of the best meals we have ever experienced!!
Lauren
Came in for brunch & had Caroline as our server. She was amazing & very accommodating; considering the mishaps from #1 The bar, specifically on how to prepare a skinny mezcal margarita & not just give a customer a glass of sour lime juice over ice... Twice! (Although, the bloody mary was mixed well) and, #2 The owner not fixing their espresso/cappuccino machine in months 🙄 The food was prepared well. The oysters were fresh. The deviled eggs could've benefitted with a piece of that honey pepper bacon 🥓 instead, because it was quite bland. The crab cake was generous & had a nice kick. The trout sandwich was cooked perfectly & that honey pepper bacon is amazing! They were out of the chocolate brownie dessert, so we settled on the chocolate fudge/caramel swirl ice cream. It tasted just like Ben & Jerry's Chocolate Fudge Brownie.
Greg Rudell
As a local - we’ve and most of our friends have had a bad experience at this restaurant on multiple tries and it all seems to start w/ what appears to be a hostess / manager and or the Manager. Very rude with all kinds of ‘rules’. A lot of people in our circle ‘will never go back’. If visiting Highlands, there are much better options.
Morgan Mashburn
Food and service were great..However, I would highly* recommend reading their ‘dining guidelines’ on the website before going to eat here. My two girlfriends and I came here on a girls trip. It was our first time in Highlands. We had a very small cake to celebrate and we were not allowed to have it in the restaurant. The host (not sure if she’s also the manager) addressed us very rudely about the cake as soon as we sat down. We didn’t even have our coats off yet. It just set the tone for our dinner. I completely understand and respect policies but we were unaware. Other than that, it was all fine. Watch out for the cake police!😉
Marissa R.
My goodness, where do I start? I came up to the highlands with 12 of my best friends for my bachelorette party. My sister made our reservation for 12 people 2 weeks prior to our arrival. We were so excited! Upon booking, we were told that they only accommodate parties up to 6 and that our party of 12 would be separated at two different tables. Not an issue at all, we said that was fine as we have dined out with situations like that many times before. However, typically, in our past experiences, a split up party is seated next to or even near the other table containing the remainder of the party.
This was not the case at Primary. Our party’s additional table was seated in a completely different area of the restaurant, divided by a wall. This specific location in the restaurant wouldn’t even allow for both parties to see each other across the way. It was at that point we asked for additional accommodations. While we ultimately did get a portion of our party seated within the same area, it was met with attitude and really no regard for the situation at hand. At the end of the day, the split tables weren’t an issue, it was the lack of hospitality from the manager which ultimately drove our distaste towards the restaurant. Our waitresses at both tables were extremely apologetic on behalf of the manager and tried their hardest to make the best of the situation. It was an unfortunate circumstance met with a disrespectful and flippant attitude from the manager. No apologies from the manager were received aside from an email from Curtis, the owner, the following morning. That email, while apologizing for the experience, didn’t address the issue at hand. While we traveled from out of state and won’t return to this establishment, there’s no doubt in the fact that this will never be a place I recommend to those visiting the Highlands in the future.
We dined on a recent Saturday for brunch. Matt took care of us- he is the bar manager. Super easy to talk with and took great care of us. Everything we ate was delicious (truffle fries, broiled oysters, deviled eggs, the burger, tuna tower and the French onion soup). Approachable wine list. Awesome vibe and decor and a playlist I am still trying to recreate. We love Primary - it's just a little bit pricey for the location and at lunchtime.
The truffle fries are to die for and the wagyu burger is easily the best burger I’ve ever had
It's a bit pricey, but the food is delicious. Highly recommend the wagyu hamburger and truffle fries!!! Love the atmosphere!
This establishment is what you expect to find in a high-end area like Highlands, NC. Beautiful interior decor with a higher priced menu. The wait staff was very friendly and they did their jobs very well. It was a great experience, and we will likely return due to it being one of my mom's favorites.
Lovely spot. Food is rustic and consistently good. Wine selection is varied but not overwhelming and the bartender is friendly! Highly reccommend this establishment for a more casual meal when you are visiting Highlands.
Truly awful experience. This place is so poorly managed. There are so many great places and great people in the Highlands. This restaurant should be avoided at all costs.
I recently had the pleasure of dining at Primary Restaurant in Highlands, and it was an experience that exceeded all my expectations. From the moment I walked in, I was greeted by a warm and inviting atmosphere, which set the tone for a delightful evening.
One of the standout features of T
Primary is their commitment to quality ingredients. I was particularly impressed to learn that they do not use seed oils in their cooking. Instead, they utilize beef tallow, which not only enhances the flavor of the dishes but also aligns with healthier cooking practices. This attention to detail in ingredient selection reflects the restaurant’s dedication to providing high-quality meals.
The service at
Primary was exceptional, and I must give a special shoutout to Megan, our server. She was awesome—attentive, knowledgeable, and genuinely passionate about the menu. Megan took the time to explain the various dishes and made thoughtful recommendations based on my preferences. It was clear that she takes pride in delivering a memorable dining experience.
As for the food, everything I tried was delicious. Each dish was beautifully presented and bursting with flavor. The use of beef tallow gave the meals a rich, savory profile that was simply irresistible.
Overall, Primary Restaurant in Highlands is a must-visit for anyone who appreciates great service and high-quality, thoughtfully prepared food. I left feeling satisfied and eager to return for another meal. Highly recommended!
We enjoyed a lunch on a busy day. For us, it was taking a break to have a drink and share a small bit while shopping a few hours before dinner. Drinks were great. Service and atmosphere were great sitting at the bar. Tuna tartare presentation and actual dish one of my all time favs. Fresh tuna and avocado, crab, black fish eggs, a mayo type mild chipotle aioli and a soy type smear dressing with wonton crisps. That is my all time favorite type presentation for tuna tartare. Wonton crisps with the pairings included in this dish is totally amazing.
Looking for an upscale restaurant for Sunday lunch, my wife and I went in and asked for a table, several empty tables and only a few other guests dining the host asked us to wait a minute while he found a table. After standing there for three minutes and watching our host talk to the bartender we walked out. If the host didn't want us he could have been polite enough to say so when we walked in.
We visited Primary for dinner last night, and it was fabulous! Every dish we had was incredible. I had the Center Cut Filet, and it was cooked to medium-rare perfection and melted in my mouth. I wish we had taken photos, but we were focused on just relaxing and enjoying the experience. Our server, Marty, was fantastic! Marty was happy to make recommendations, answer any questions, and was kind and friendly! For all you port lovers, you must try the Ferreira Vintage Port. It's like velvet. Highly recommend! Overall, just a relaxing, enjoyable dining experience! We will not hesitate to recommend Primary!
Restaurantji Recommends
Awesome experience & meal. Chef Higgins and his team delivered one of the best meals we have ever experienced!!
Came in for brunch & had Caroline as our server. She was amazing & very accommodating; considering the mishaps from #1 The bar, specifically on how to prepare a skinny mezcal margarita & not just give a customer a glass of sour lime juice over ice... Twice! (Although, the bloody mary was mixed well) and, #2 The owner not fixing their espresso/cappuccino machine in months 🙄 The food was prepared well. The oysters were fresh. The deviled eggs could've benefitted with a piece of that honey pepper bacon 🥓 instead, because it was quite bland. The crab cake was generous & had a nice kick. The trout sandwich was cooked perfectly & that honey pepper bacon is amazing! They were out of the chocolate brownie dessert, so we settled on the chocolate fudge/caramel swirl ice cream. It tasted just like Ben & Jerry's Chocolate Fudge Brownie.
As a local - we’ve and most of our friends have had a bad experience at this restaurant on multiple tries and it all seems to start w/ what appears to be a hostess / manager and or the Manager. Very rude with all kinds of ‘rules’. A lot of people in our circle ‘will never go back’. If visiting Highlands, there are much better options.
Food and service were great..However, I would highly* recommend reading their ‘dining guidelines’ on the website before going to eat here. My two girlfriends and I came here on a girls trip. It was our first time in Highlands. We had a very small cake to celebrate and we were not allowed to have it in the restaurant. The host (not sure if she’s also the manager) addressed us very rudely about the cake as soon as we sat down. We didn’t even have our coats off yet. It just set the tone for our dinner. I completely understand and respect policies but we were unaware. Other than that, it was all fine. Watch out for the cake police!😉
My goodness, where do I start? I came up to the highlands with 12 of my best friends for my bachelorette party. My sister made our reservation for 12 people 2 weeks prior to our arrival. We were so excited! Upon booking, we were told that they only accommodate parties up to 6 and that our party of 12 would be separated at two different tables. Not an issue at all, we said that was fine as we have dined out with situations like that many times before. However, typically, in our past experiences, a split up party is seated next to or even near the other table containing the remainder of the party.
This was not the case at Primary. Our party’s additional table was seated in a completely different area of the restaurant, divided by a wall. This specific location in the restaurant wouldn’t even allow for both parties to see each other across the way. It was at that point we asked for additional accommodations. While we ultimately did get a portion of our party seated within the same area, it was met with attitude and really no regard for the situation at hand. At the end of the day, the split tables weren’t an issue, it was the lack of hospitality from the manager which ultimately drove our distaste towards the restaurant. Our waitresses at both tables were extremely apologetic on behalf of the manager and tried their hardest to make the best of the situation. It was an unfortunate circumstance met with a disrespectful and flippant attitude from the manager. No apologies from the manager were received aside from an email from Curtis, the owner, the following morning. That email, while apologizing for the experience, didn’t address the issue at hand. While we traveled from out of state and won’t return to this establishment, there’s no doubt in the fact that this will never be a place I recommend to those visiting the Highlands in the future.
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