Eseeola Lodge

My fiancé and I fell in love with All Saint’s church in Linville, so we wanted it to be the sight of our ceremony. Further research led to us discovering Eseeola Lodge and its Camp, which fit right in with our rustic vision. We could not have been more happy, it was the start of a very disappointing experience.
We liaised with Barbara, the Food and Beverage Co-​orinator, who seemed unreachable. I am not sure if it was because of her bust schedule, but most of my emails and voicemail messages went unreturned. Nonetheless, we made slow progress with me writing an email to confirming dates. This was followed by a site visit only to learn at the end that a member had since requested the same dates and that they have priority.
While I certainly understand the policy, I think this needs to explained in their event information. It also could have been better handled through there communication with me. A lot of time and energy was needlessly wasted.
We were warned that they do not approve of outsiders. Sadly, this has been my experience.

I’ve had the opportunity to travel quite a bit (a major understatement). I cannot think of a place that’s better than The Eseeola Lodge.
I’ve been coming here for over 16 years, and EVERYTHING is always perfect. The food on the restaurant is out of this world. The presentation of each dish is like a work of art. Every single dish I’ve had here is like a foodgasm, whether an appetizer (cheeseboard), a salad (beet) or the main plate (butter steak, sea bass, rainbow trout). These are just but a few to name.
Attention to every detail is given. From the Lodge staff to the restaurant servers, a guest is treated with the utmost care. Brandon, the maître d’ is quite possibly the best in the country.
I couldn’t possibly recommend The Eseeola Lodge any more than I already have and do. My only disappointment is that I have to go back to the real world. I wish I could give 6 stars.

The Eseeola Lodge is a gem in the high country. The food is incredible as prepared by the French chef. The Thursday night seafood buffet has a cult following or it’s massive amounts of seafood flying in just for the weekly event. The bar has a wonderful cocktails and specialty drinks. There is also a wonderful bar menu for a light meal. The breakfasts are also wonderful and should not be missed. The staff is incredibly competent and attentive and the facilities are the most beautiful of anywhere in North Carolina.

At this picturesque restaurant overlooking the eighteenth hole, we had a wonderful luncheon for a very reasonable price. The building has been restored to its condition when Bobby Jones was playing golf; it is traditional and charming. We both had soup and sandwiches, which were wonderfully and creatively prepared. The service was extremely good and the servers were very nice. I felt that we had stepped back to a very elegant period in time.

Everything about this place is spectacular. Its one of the few places left that require men to wear jackets at dinner and women to dress up. I really appreciate this. The sommalier and chef know all of the members by name and all the the wait staff are students at the local colleges.
Our dear friends are members and treated us to the seafood buffet on Thursday night. This is not your regular run of the mill event, this was one of the most amazing spreads of food I’ve ever seen. They were not kidding when they said to come hungry. The seafood spread had everything you could want, lobster tails, crab meat, cocktail shrimp, sushi, smoked salmon etc. The warm plates included a delicious prime rib, which I will admit I ate at least a pound of and the most divine yams. I tried to make room for dessert, and enjoyed a few bites of the cream puff and chocolate bourbon cake before realizing I had hit my limit. This experience was an absolute treat for us. I honestly do not remember the last time I enjoyed a meal this much.

Very nice restaurant with an innovative chef.
The duck and fish dishes were excellent, but just a bit pricey.
Worth it for the atmosphere and the friendly and very professional service.
Gentlemen must wear a jacket at dinner, which is a pleasure after seeing how some tourists dress at surrounding Linville, and Banner Elk restaurants.
The Retro Lodge and grounds are beautiful. Great area to stroll before and after dinner.

Great spa and accommodations in mountains. Get away from the Alabama heat!