The Dillard House Restaurant

Not impressed. Went for breakfast. Food was ok… Flys were flying all around. Had to ask for ketchup & napkins, got them after I finished eating. Eggs were greasy. For the price, I won’t be back.

Incredible place. The view was gorgeous. The food was delicious. The service was fast and friendly. I have no complaints. Can’t wait to go back

The fried chicken is amazing!!! the view is breathtaking. And the perfect ending is a good one, peach cobbler OMG!!!

The food was absolutely amazing. All good home cook food no jars or can food at this restaurant. Price was very reasonable for two people. Lunch server until 5pm
If you get a chance you really should give them a try. You will not regret eating there.

Went today for Father’s Day dinner. This used to be one of our favorite «special» places to eat when we were driving up in the mountains. Since we were doing a waterfall tour, we decided to have supper there before heading back home. We arrived around 6:00 and even though the dining room and parking lot were practically empty we had to wait almost 20 minutes for a table. After we were seated, we waited another 10 minutes (at least) for our food (it’s not like we had a special order or anything) and service was lackluster at best. Our drinks were not refilled, we had to flag down our waitress to ask for refills of food and drink. And the food was mediocre — and that’s being generous. The fried okra was soggy, mashed potatoes were cool (not hot) the ham that was advertised was never served. It was a disappointing meal — especially given the hefty $ 25/​plate price tag and the «special» Father’s Day menu billing.
I’m not sure we will be back. Which is sad because it’s a tradition we enjoyed for years. I think the Dillard family has really let things slide … Too bad.

We walked into this place (10 of us) after hiking and were ravenous. The place was pretty busy as it’s Father’s Day. Wait wasn’t bad, pretty quick considering how many people were out. However we were surprised to discover that you can’t order your food, you’re just served whatever they have. The woman that seated us told us who our waiter was, only to be ignored by him for the next 20 minutes until a new lady showed up. This girl took our drink order and returned with completely flat sodas. We asked her about it and she said, «oh yeah we ran out of carbonation.» Why wouldn’t you tell customers that before they order?
After another 20 minutes, our food arrived. This was the saving grace because there was a lot of it and it was decent, but not amazing. She didn’t supply any napkins so we had to wait through out most of the meal until we were able to gain her attention again. The food was good but ultimately the service here was pretty horrible and was the deciding factor on whether or not we would return.

Very disappointed. Have taken visitors here years ago and was a great experience. In the last month I’ve brought two couples to dinner. Food was mediocre and service was Terrible. I tried to share with employees no one seemed to care and cashier never said a word or asked if all was ok .
I will not go back way overpriced for the quality and service.

While vacationing in the Highlands of North Carolina I was told that we HAD to stop at The «famous Dillard House» in Dillard Georgia. Alton Brown had featured it on an episode of Best Thing I Ever Ate the «SaltyEpisode» for the Dillard House’s Country Ham.
First let me start by saying that the building and grounds are beautiful. You feel like you’re stepping back in time to 1960’s Georgia. The dining hall is gorgeous but they could update the flooring. There was a lot of «hey y’all» and «bless her heart» murmured throughout the room –which i adored.
The minute we were seated a lovely waiter came and took our drink order and explained how the process works. We were told we would receive everything that was posted on the menu with the exception of the Country ham unless we specifically requested it.
Hey if Alton Brown suggested it then who the hell am I to argue? «We’ll take the ham!» I said.
Two minutes later our small table was FILLED with bowls of scalloped potatoes, fried okra, green beans, creamed corn, coleslaw, cabbage, relish, bread, sweet potatoes, cucumber salad, a few others i cant remember and then the proteins – roast pork, fried chicken, meatloaf, country steak, and the Alton Brown suggested Country Ham! The roast pork was absolutely delicious. Tender, moist and with a sweet glaze that was just pure heaven. The Fried Chicken was authentic – light, crunchy batter and hot, moist meat. Perfection. The country steak had me a little worried because it didn’t present itself in the pretty fashion the other dishes did but the taste was tender, salty and much like a salisbury steak. The meatloaf was better than anything mom had ever made and we choose to get second helpings of the roast pork, meatloaf and fried chicken. Now for the Alton Brown suggested Country Ham!!! Oh the Country Ham! Could not wait to bite into the deliciousness! Alton Brown is an idiot. The Country Ham tasted like shoe leather. Very thin slices that were covered in a brown sugar glaze. They could have covered it in Jesus juice, it would not have helped. The service was excellent, the dining room was beautiful, the view spectacular. The food was really really good – except the ham. Don’t listen to Alton Brown he missed the mark on this one.

My expectations were not really high so I was not disappointed. It is what it is. My husband and I stopped for lunch. It was at their opening time so we were seated right away along with two parties of four. The table was already laid with coleslaw — not too mayonnaisey, fresh and tasty, a cucumber tomato salad — anemic tomatoes but hey, the time of year, also tasty enough, and something yellow that I’d guess was pickled onions and the Hubs confirmed. We cleaned those bowls and then a bread basket was served. An assortment of biscuits, cornbread, and yeast type rolls/​bread, and cheddar biscuits. Husband relates that it was the kind of cornbread he likes — the kind that’s not sweet. We didn’t eat any of the other breads in the basket.
Our food came promptly and there was scant room on our small table-​for-​two to hold it comfortably. 11 bowls — fried chicken — flaky and crisp crust, very good but lacked enough seasoning to me — roast pork, dry — meat loaf, moist and tasty with a sweetish tomato glaze — 8 different vegetable dishes that ranged from «best I’ve ever eaten» — the sweet potato soufflé according the the Hubs, to «so what» — the fried zucchini according to me. Also on the menu were mashed potatoes, green beans, creamed corn, Crowder peas, stuffing and some kind of gravy that did not look home made. An apple crisp type dessert that was ok.
The carpet was dirty, the dining room smelled old, the service was just so-​so. It’s a novelty type place that the Hubs (who’s a big eater) liked. It was a decent enough lunch for me. The setting is beautiful!

So good! First time here and loved it! Come and definitely stop by and try this amazing southern food and a view over looking the mountains. BEAUTIFUL!

The Dillard House Restaurant is one of those bucket list items that you just have to do at least once. Located about two hours outside of Atlanta, the restaurant is located in the picturesque North George mountains. Just keep going on 75 north and you’ll eventually hit it.
We came for a late lunch at around 3pm and the place was still packed, but was able to get a table along the window for a nice view of the country side.
All of the meats and sides arrived at once and I didn’t know where to begin. Plates of fried chicken and smothered pork chops were delicious; however, the sides tasted a little bland. It’s cafeteria food reminiscent of school lunches and there’s nothing wrong with that. The carrots were a little wimpy and the cabbage casserole was a little undercooked.
Go once just for the experience.

I stopped here with some friends on the way to our yearly NYE cabin weekend away. This year’s cabin was in Dillard so we had to stop in during our stay.
I read some of the other reviews prior to writing mine and I think that one person said it best «This place is … a Morrison’s Cafeteria with a lovely view.» Except I’ve never eaten at a Morrison’s Cafeteria so I would say it’s like a Piccadilly with a lovely view. You get an obscene amount of food — everything on the menu comes to your table whether you want it or not. Well, almost everything. Our servers apparently never brought out 3 or so of the items. I’m perfectly fine with their omission. Our proteins were fried chicken, fried pork chops and country ham. You get one piece per person. We also got about 6 or 7 sides of vegetables, casseroles, fried items, and bread. Don’t fret: if you want seconds of anything, simply ask for more. The food was all kind of bland in my opinion with the exception of the country ham. My favorite food item was actually the yeast rolls. They had an odd consistency and were a little denser than the yeast rolls I get elsewhere, but they tasted great.
I think this place is worth a visit if you are in the area or passing through and don’t have to detour too far. I wouldn’t drive all the way from Atlanta to Dillard just for a meal at this place. Service isn’t the friendliest or most consistent. Watch your water consumption because it may be a while before you get a refill.

«Gentlemen! I have genetically spliced the double-​helix of a fried pork chop with that of my roommate, Randall!» — Aqua Teen Hunger Force, Season 2, Episode 1
Finally, marked something major off my bucket list. I have been wanting to come here for ages and ages and then Alton Brown sealed the deal for me when he mentioned it on The Best Thing I Ever Ate and talked about the Country Ham being «about as salty as salty gets and still good» — welp, the man is spot on! When we planned a cabin weekend that happened to be in Dillard, I knew we had to go for dinner one night.
As we drove into town, it was just after 7pm (they close at 8pm) and we walked in as a party of 4 and were told to wait. About 10 minutes later they called our number to go to the dining room. The dining room only had about 4 seated tables — the rest of the place was empty. So unsure of why there was a delay at all, but it was worth the wait. We sat and our waitress, who was a bit ornery, asked what we wanted to drink and walked away. Shortly after, we had our mason jars with teas and waters and then the food came out.
Bowl after bowl of sides were placed on our table and then the entrees were set down. The basket of breads was kind of empty, so we asked for more and they brought us a heaping basket. We had green beans, glazed carrots (too sweet), sweet potatoes, scalloped potatoes, fried okra (yum), corn on the cobb, fried pork chops, fried chicken and (upon request only) country ham. The breads were yeast rolls and cornbread mini muffins. Other items on the menu that never came to our table were the broccoli with cheese, cabbage casserole, calico salad and coleslaw.
The food was hit or miss — the hits were awesome. We got extra fried pork chops and okra and ate it all. The only thing we took home (every diner can take 1 to go box) was the leftover bread. The fried pork chops were the best and tasted just like my Granny’s and I needed some mashed potatoes to put that gravy on and I would have been back in her kitchen in Louisville, Kentucky. It reminded me how much I miss her.
I’ll come back again, mostly for more pork chops if I can plan it that way. But also, for that family style experience. Worth the $ 22.50.

This place was decent. Came all the way from Ellijay to meet some family and get together. The idea of the place (family atmosphere, southern dinner, acres of land and stables) is noble. But I hear the food has gone down over the years. Service was okay. A little slow at times when we asked for more food. It’s still a neat place. I just wouldn’t drive 2 hours for it again.
Best thing was the sweet tea served in cute mason jars. Also country fried steak was the best dish I ate there. Everything else was just mediocre.
Disclaimer: I had just spent 2 days stuffing my face with my grandma’s AMAZING southern home cooking so I may be comparing with stained tastebuds.

Nestled off the main road with a spectacular view of the mountains sits the old Dillard House restaurant. I’d often heard about it from relatives and my parent’s old friends about how good this place was, but never really got to experience it. So upon a trip toward Highlands my half-​sister decided to take us by.
Dillard House is similar to a Cracker Barrel, olé timey atmosphere, gift shop in front chocked full of various mountain knick knacks and treats, wood décor, and very open dining room as if you are walking into an old house. The serving style is no menu, all seasonal or whatever the chef has decided to prepare, and in a nutshell, an American family dining experience.
We came in on a Tuesday afternoon around lunch, whereas I was told the dinner service is typically packed to the walls with long waits especially on the weekends. Service was friendly and personable and the food was good. Our table got a fall squash mix, cabbage casserole, meatloaf, pork chops, fried chicken, sweet potato casserole, slaw, mashed potatoes & gravy, lima beans, fried green tomatoes, rolls & corn bread, and small serving of jam– and as many refills on any of these items as you wished plus sweet tea in a cute mason style jar.
Everything about it was really lovely, so why the three stars? Because it seems time has nipped them around the edges and while I can tell they were worth reckoning with in the past, some of the dishes were just lacking quality even if it’s technically a buffet style meal.
Meatloaf — extremely dry and seemed old. Definitely not freshly made, probably night before left overs or previous night before stock.
Pork chops — 20% pork 80% breading. These looked massive! They were just sopping up gravy that had been pre-​poured by the kitchen and inflated to pile of mushy bread. the pork was somewhere hiding in that mess.
Mash & gravy– I actually forgot this was even here after the initial tasting. Was very dry even with gravy.
Fall Squash Mix– Probably my favorite thing at the table, but some of the squash and zucchini were under cooked. Flavor was nice.
Sweet Potatoes– The most bizarre thing at the table. It didn’t taste very «country-​style» to me. More a curried flavoring with roasted coconut on top. Although it wasn’t bad, it was not meshing well with the other items on the table.
The rest were overall enjoyable to superb like the chicken and green tomatoes.
Dillard House is one of those places you come in very hungry and leave round and proud. Despite the small hiccups in the food, I’d say it’s a touristy thing of the mountains that is worth a one time trip, so why not?

Walk-​in, sit down, no menu. Just wait five minutes and the food arrives. If you like to eat this is the place for you if you do not enjoy country cooking please run away as fast as possible. It’s like grandma says «put some south in your mouth!»

I last visited the Dillard House over 20 years ago and I had fond memories of tasty, wonderful food and welcoming service.
Sadly, this establishment has not been able to maintain that level of service, or quality of food. We were a party of 7 and were crammed into a table big enough for 4 – 5. That doesn’t work with family style food where there are plates everywhere. We had to have a tray table next to our table just to have a place for our plates. Look, lots of food isn’t a problem– but there were plenty of larger tables available. We asked for a larger table (half of the dining room was empty), and were told those tables weren’t open and were also told a party of 8 was given a slightly larger table, so this is the norm. Well, 10 minutes later– the larger tables/​section was open and started to seat people.
Our waitress was non existent, not bringing drinks when asked, or more food when requested. This is a family style restaurant and refills are supposed to be brought (reflective of the high price you pay). By the way, drinks aren’t included in the price– so add another $ 2.95 to the $ 21.95.
Most of the food was bland and boring, I would guess they stopped making food in-​house years ago and there are now large can openers in the kitchen.
Getting the bill was a chore and the entire experience was t enjoyable. Sad to see such a great place go downhill– but it happens with so many businesses. This will be our last trip there.

I came here with a large group during a retreat earlier this year. Some of my friends were from the area and raved about the Dillard House, so I was pretty excited for this meal. We were seated immediately and enjoyed a buffet of endless southern comfort food. We were all pretty full and happy after our meal. From what I can recall, everything was good and I especially appreciated their fried chicken and several of their sides. If you’re looking for some good southern cooking and family style, «pass the plate» sort of dining, the Dillard House is a great choice with an excellent view and good service!

I have been coming here for years and look forward to it. This time missing stars, sorry. Had to battle flies while eating which I hate. Service was bear passable, sort of like we became invisible. The food was still pretty good and lots of it. So I say to the Dillard House, find a way to get rid of the flies and spend some more training time with. your staff.

Had lunch here. The view from the large restaurant pane windwos is jaw dropping. The mountains just surround the area and create a spectacular view. Unfortunately, those with a party of 2 are allowed to sit near the windows. Larger parties sit in the middle of the room.
Food: Everything is included under one price. And, all the sides and entrees comes in all at once. It was quite overwhelming. And, if you’re out of something, you can just re-​order with one of the waitstaff. I really enjoyed the corn muffin, squash, lettuce casserole, fried chicken, carrots, and the apple crumble dessert. Stuffed myself until I couldnt eat anymore. AND, here’s the kicker, they let you take any leftovers home. :)
Staff: A very odd group. The hostess was very friendly at the door. Quick to great and to offer us some help with how the restaurant works. The waiters were quite the opposite. Our waiter was not very helpful with our needs. we were missing dishes that some of the other tables were offered. We had asked the waiter about the missing sides and his answer was. «didnt see that in the back…» not sure if there was another lunch package thats offered at a different prices with more sides?
Overall, It was a nice experience. Food was great, especially the fried Chicken. I give them three stars due to the staff and service. It just makes the dining experience very awkward. But, I do recommend this place if people do travel through this area. A must experience in one’s lifetime.