Lakes End Cafe & Grill

Donald Johnson Jr

2023-12

Lakes End Cafe and Grill was recommended to me from someone answering a question I asked on a Facebook page about Wayah Road. Great little restaurant on the lake and on a beautiful road! When we arrived around midafternoon, the parking lot was full. Despite that, we were seated on the back deck overlooking the lake when we walked in. Shortly after being seated, our waitress came and got our drink orders.All of the food I seen being brought out looked delicious! We all ended up ordering burgers and the couple with us got an order of the corn nugget appetizer (sauce was delicious). The burgers were made to order, cooked fresh and delicious! The owner of the restaurant brought the food out to us and then later returned to see how everything was. We mentioned to him about how good the ribs looked that were brought out to another table. He told us about them and also about the prime rib special they have on Saturday evenings. He surprised us a few minutes later with a small sample of the ribs and they were some of the best I have ever had. We will definitely be going back in the spring when they reopen for the season. The owner also told us about some cabins and yurts that he has for rent nearby and gave us some brochures. We will be planning an overnight / weekend trip to enjoy the yurts and prime rib!I HIGHLY recommend Lakes End Cafe and Grill. We are from the Charlotte, NC area and it is worth the drive! The food is excellent as well as the service and atmosphere. You know you are at a quality restaurant that cares about you and your experience when the owner brings your food and is walking around checking with everyone about their food and satisfaction.Parking: Gravel parking lot in front of restaurant along with additional parking nearby if lot is full.

H Parker

2023-07

We stopped and had a wonderful lunch! We ordered the chicken Caesar wrap & the turkey melt both were fantastic each meal came with fries and we especially enjoyed the addition of a little ramekin of fresh fruit on our plates so delicious! Eating on the porch is a must the view and atmosphere cannot be beat, and although it was a cooler than usual afternoon we realized having the ceiling fans on out on the porch help keep any flying nuisances at bay. Madison was our server and she was so helpful and friendly we loved being there and we will definitely return for lunch again and hope to try out either the Friday night fish fry or Saturday night prime rib specials soon!

Dwight Fretwell

2022-05

If you come here, come hungry! We were out for a day of riding with some friends. This place was suggested to us and the reviews looked great. We were very pleased! Everything was delicious and large portions. The street corn was fantastic! Our friends had never eaten it before and were skeptical to try it, but learned just how tasty it Is! All of us talked about how good the food was. My only (minor) complaint was, the ribs were a little fatty and a little tougher than I like....but cooking myself, I understand that this is minor. The taste was fantastic and nit overly covered with sauce.

Mason Phillips

2022-05

This place was amazing. Great food and a great environment. Had a nice view of the lake. Had to save the food for leftovers that night. Everyone loved their food. 10/10 would recommend. They also had really good service. We ordered a 4 cheeseburgers which were all amazing. A 14 inch pizza which tasted very very good. And some chicken tenders which were really good.

Stephanie Huff

2023-05

Absolutely loved our time here! Fantastic meal and wonderful service. Everyone enjoyed what they ordered and they brought out the kid's food very quickly ⏰️The Wayah bowl with chicken was delicious and filling! 🍲 Perfect for after a day of hiking and playing in the river 🚵‍♀️🏞 One of very few restaurants that are on the water in the area and it as a beautiful view 😍Parking: There are a few spots right in front of the restaurant but there is an additional parking lot as wellKid-friendliness: They have a kids menu and our kids loved playing in the water after we ate!

Sara Davison

2023-05

Wow what a spot!!! We pulled up on our kayak/sup. Great view, amazing property all very welcoming! Food and service (Sarah) etc were superb! Great food and awesome bonus fruit salad included with out meals!! No Alcohol offered fyi - but great NA offerings available! Thank you all for impressive service and scenery!

Cherie Thorpe

2023-06

I only had chicken fingers and they were typical chicken fingers. The salad was really good. It's the lake atmosphere and the friendly service that really grabbed me. We sat overlooking the fire pit and lake and it was really nice. Will definitely be back.Kid-friendliness: They had a kids' menu that looked like it had decent choices

peter viber

2024-05

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beatlemania by Robert Price

2023-06

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Ian Hoyt

2022-05

We’re so excited about finding this place. We live about 30 minutes away and are constantly looking for great lunch spots that are also open on Sunday in the area. This place ticked all the boxes for us, absolutely delicious lunch options — the chicken tenders were the best I’ve had in the surrounding WNC area and the service was the best in the area as well. The icing on top of all this was the view outside.All in all, this will now be our go to weekend spot especially when friends are in town and we want to do a hike and lunch over the weekend.Go here, you’ll be glad you did!

Murph

2023-10

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Jonathan Clues

2022-05

Great find! We were lost with no phone service just driving around and then got some phone signal. Google suggested it.Despite the high reviews we didn't expect much, maybe just good for where you are. But it was fantastic. It's would be 5 stars anywhere!Food was delicious and well presented, served quickly. Nice atmosphere too. We'd definitely come back (If we can find it again!)Just one thing: they don't serve any beer, wine etc.. not a big deal but would make the whole experience even better.

Jaime Powers

2023-08

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Larisa Sito

2022-05

Nice boats, beautiful lake to spend the day with family. The customer service is amazing. Pontoon boat is perfect for all ages, from elderly, to young, for a fun day on the water. The only downside is everything in the Marina is expensive for necessity, so plan ahead to bring supplies like sunscreen ($19), Restaurant food is good, fries tasted homemade. Skip the burger, requested medium came extra well. Service was excellent!

Jill Mcbride

2020-05

Food was terrific. We loved sitting in the deck facing the lake. Our group was able to play cornhole. We enjoyed Lunch after renting a pontoon and doing some fishing. Staff was very friendly and helpful. Beautiful area and restaurant.

Amelia Esguerra

2023-08

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kristen jones

2020-05

$55 an hour for a 14 person pontoon and tube is not bad. The lake is clean and cool, but not too cold. The scenery is gorgeous! Everyone from 4yo to 84yo had a blast. I highly recommend renting a boat for the day while visiting the nantahala.

Sadie Sweetman

2018-05

Lovely little mini marina on Lake Nantahala. We ate at the restaurant and weren't blown away, as the best part of our meal were the fried components (onion rings and fries). We also rented a canoe and had a great time. Note there aren't really any beaches, so we just tied up near a rocky shoreline to swim. Customer service was friendly, but note they do allow smoking outside on the restaurant deck. You can bring you dog!

steven hunsucker

2020-05

We rented a pontoon boat there a couple days while we were there on vacation. It was really easy to book online. The pontoon boats we had were in great shape. They ran perfevtly and were nice and clean. Our boys(6 and 9 years old) had a blast tubing. We explored most of the lake in 2 days. The service was excellent. The folks working at Lakes End Cafe Grill and Marina were so nice and helpful. What a lovely gem of a place.

Katie McMahon

2022-05

I stopped here with my dog after a hike. They don’t allow dogs inside or out but there are a couple picnic tables out the side with a view of the lake, and they graciously let us sit there. The food was wonderful. No alcohol for sale but you can bring your own. The staff were great! Cute area out back to swim and rent water craft and they have a small store. I loved the place!

Cathy Steinbuck

2023-11

Trout was excellent, crispy chicken sandwich was so crispy I couldn't get a fork or knife in it easily, but what was edible and not overcooked tasted good. Fries were under done and onion rings and fried shrimp were overdone. Bake potatoes and Caesar salad were good. The skillet cookie was excellent.View is great. Marina on site for pontoon, sup, and kayak rentals. Fire pit area near the lake edge.We would visit again, but some meals we would make different choices on.

Robin Garves

2023-05

Delicious food. Dining inside or outside. Hrs vary different times of the year so check hrs before you go if you aren't a local. Friendly staff. 5 stars for us.

Kim Pate

2023-08

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Austin Wiley

2023-08

Amazing food, beautiful views, great staff, and it's a hidden gem! You can also go on a boat, kayak, or paddle board after you eat!Parking: Free parking but the lot is small so you'll probably park alongside a mountain road. Not bad though

Stephen Chandler

2023-05

Really looked forward to eating this restaurant and charging up my cell phone after three days hiking the Appalachian And Bartram trails. Unfortunately to my surprise when I arrived at the restaurant Wednesday afternoon they were closed. Looks like a great area with the lake close and a marina in the back. Please open Monday through Wednesday!

Dawn Krauss

2023-05

Very delicious!!! The view is Awesome but the service I can’t say enough good things!! When they found out I had a food allergy the kitchen staff went above & beyond to make sure everything was safe for me too eat…. I have never been to such a caring restaurant:) o did I say the food was wonderful!! The shrimp & grits were out of this world

Bonnie B

2022-05

The food is good. The location and the staff is really the attraction here. We rented a pontoon boat from them and spent the day on Nantahala Lake. We took a break and came in to a very pleasant lunch outside.

Greg White (717FTE)

2023-09

Very cool location. We had appetizers and drinks. (No alcohol) The waitress was very annoyed that this was all we wanted. Food quality was just ok. Appetizers were almost cold. We ate them because we were hungry. They don’t serve alcohol. Definitely not on our return to list. Not worth the drive out to check it out. If you’re staying with them then it’s all you have if you don’t want to cook.Parking: Parking lot is not really motorcycle friendly. Loose gravel and large edge from street to lot.

Harold Johnson

2023-07

Wonderful experience with a gorgeous view of the lake. One of the best burgers I've ever had! The fish sandwich is humongous and we ordered an extra for the road. The breakfast buffet is a bargain. Oh and we fought over the fried okra with a side of ranch dressing.This place is like an Oasis in the middle of solitude.Parking: There are a few parking spots out in front of the restaurant. Some additional parking appears to be across the street. Parking can fill up quickly during peak times.

Terena Dodd

2023-07

The food was amazing. I had the Wayan bowl and the chicken was very tasty and the whole bowl was delicious, and the presentation of it when they brought it to the table was beautiful! The sweet potato fries were the best i have ever had!You can't leave without trying the banana pudding! The staff was very attentive and caring about my husband's food allergies. We will definitely be back! The big rock sink in the bathroom was so cool!