Renovation crews dug two feet under an entire 1884 hotel by hand just to reset its foundation. The building had drifted eight inches out of level.
Somebody clearly decided this place was worth saving.
That effort took five years.
Now the dining room is open again, serving Southern meals family-style with refills.
Fried chicken, country ham, warm biscuits, and pickled beets keep coming until you wave the white napkin.
I like how the whole thing feels like a dare.
The kitchen keeps passing bowls, and you keep pretending you only want one more biscuit.
North Carolina has plenty of comfort food, but few spots serve it inside a building this old.
Then there’s the dessert.
It’s a pie made with vinegar, and people treat it like a legend.
How did that become the famous one?
Pass The Bowls And Keep Them Coming
Refills are the whole point here. At Jarrett House, the family-style meal comes with full table service, and the bowls return when they run low.
That changes how dinner feels. You aren’t guarding your plate or doing math about portions.
The dining room in this historic North Carolina inn honors an old Southern tradition. Everyone at the table shares the same dishes, passes them around, and talks while they eat.
It’s communal on purpose. The idea is connection and comfort, which is a fancy way of saying you’ll bond over who took the last biscuit.
Dinner is the full family-style experience. It brings traditional mains, classic sides, warm biscuits, drinks, dessert, and refills all together.
Lunch gives you a choice between going all in or keeping things simpler. More on that in a bit.
My advice is to pace yourself early. The first round always feels like the main event, but it’s really just the warm-up.
Bring people you like talking to. A shared table works best when the conversation keeps flowing as steadily as the sides.
And maybe skip the big snack beforehand. Your future self will be grateful.
Fried Chicken Leads A Seriously Crowded Lineup
Golden fried chicken gets top billing, but it has real competition. The menu may include baked ham, chicken pot pie, catfish, and country-cured ham.
Other signature entrees round out the roster. Slow-cooked pot roast, chicken and dumplings, and fresh mountain trout all make appearances.
That trout makes sense here. This is mountain country, and the Tuckasegee River runs right near town.
Choosing just one favorite feels almost rude. Family-style dining fixes that problem nicely, because you can sample a little of several things.
The kitchen leans hard into familiar flavors. Nothing on this list needs a translation or a food dictionary.
That’s part of the charm. These are the dishes many Southern families grew up eating after church or on holidays.
Menus can shift, so the exact mains on any given day may vary. Don’t arrive with your heart set on one dish only.
Instead, show up curious. Try the thing you’d never order at home.
Chicken pot pie might surprise you. Ham might steal the spotlight.
Either way, the lineup gives you plenty of reasons to reach for another plate.
Save Space For The Sides, Especially Those Beets
Pickled beets deserve a fan club. They show up next to potatoes, green beans, coleslaw, and cream corn as traditional sides.
Sides can make or break a Southern meal. A good spread turns one entree into a full feast.
The beets bring a sharp, tangy note to a table full of rich food. Think of them as the friend who keeps everyone honest.
Coleslaw adds crunch. Cream corn adds sweetness.
Potatoes and green beans hold everything together like trusty backup singers.
Then come the warm biscuits. They’re part of the classic spread, and they’re dangerous in the best way.
Here’s a smart move. Use a biscuit to mop up whatever’s left on your plate before the next round arrives.
Picky eaters can usually find something to love in this lineup. Even kids who claim they hate vegetables might sneak a spoonful of corn.
Try a bit of everything on your first pass. You’ll quickly learn which bowl you want passed back your way.
Just be warned. Once you find your favorite side, you may start eyeing it every time someone else picks it up.
Yes, The Famous Pie Has Vinegar In It
Vinegar Pie sounds like a prank. At Jarrett House, it’s a legend.
The pie is sweet, tangy, and custardy. It’s often compared to a lighter pecan pie, just without the pecans.
So why vinegar? Old Southern bakers used pantry staples to make desserts when fancier ingredients were scarce.
A splash of vinegar gives the filling a little brightness. It keeps all that sweetness from feeling too heavy.
Dessert comes with the family-style dinner, so you don’t have to choose between pie and seconds. You just have to leave room.
That’s the tricky part. The fried chicken and biscuits will try very hard to stop you.
I believe every visit should include at least one bite of this pie. It’s the kind of dessert you’ll want to describe to friends later.
They’ll probably make a face when you say vinegar. Let them.
Curious first-timers might feel nervous ordering it. Don’t be.
This is history on a plate. It’s a simple recipe with a strange name, and it has earned its spot as the dessert people connect with this old inn.
Early Birds Get Grits, Gravy, And Country Ham
Breakfast starts at 7 a.m. and runs until 11 a.m. every day. That’s plenty of time to roll out of bed and roll into a biscuit.
The spread is hearty from top to bottom. Scrambled eggs, grits, biscuits with sausage gravy, bacon, sausage, and country ham all make the list.
Baked apples add a sweet finish. A breakfast beverage comes along too.
This is not a grab-a-granola-bar situation. It’s the kind of morning meal that could fuel a full day in the mountains.
Planning a hike or a river day? Breakfast here might be your best head start.
Sausage gravy over a warm biscuit is the star for many Southern breakfast fans. Country ham brings the salty punch that balances it out.
Grits fans will feel right at home. If you’ve never tried them, this is a cozy place to start.
Arrive with a plan for the rest of the day. You may not need lunch until much later.
Honestly, you might not need lunch at all. That decision can wait until the gravy settles.
Lunch Lets You Pick Your Level Of Hungry
Not every lunch needs to be a marathon. Between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m., Jarrett House offers two very different paths.
The first is a plated meat-and-three. You get one meat, three sides, and a drink, all on a single plate.
The second is the full family-style meal with refills. That’s for the brave, the hungry, and anyone skipping dinner.
I like having options like this. Sometimes you want a feast, and sometimes you just want a solid plate before more exploring.
Meat-and-three is a true Southern classic. It’s a simple formula that lets you build your own perfect combo.
Pick fried chicken with beets, potatoes, and green beans. Or mix it up differently next time.
Family-style lunch makes sense for groups. Everyone samples more dishes, and nobody gets order envy.
Traveling with someone who eats lightly? The plated meal can keep things balanced at the table.
That flexibility makes lunch a great first visit. You can test the kitchen without fully committing to the all-out experience.
Then come back for dinner when you’re ready to go the distance.
An 1884 Hotel With A Wildly Long Story
William Allen Dills built this hotel around 1884. He was the founder of Dillsboro, and the hotel came before the town was even incorporated.
Back then it was the Mount Beulah Hotel. Dills named it after his youngest daughter.
In 1894, R. Frank Jarrett and his sons bought the business.
They renamed it the Jarrett Springs Hotel, after a nearby sulphur spring.
A western wing and an enclosed east porch came around 1910. Then W.
W. Faw bought it in 1949 and gave it the name still used today.
In 1975, the wooden Victorian porch was replaced. A cast iron, New Orleans-style porch took its place.
The building joined the National Register of Historic Places in 1984. That’s a big honor for a mountain inn in North Carolina.
Owner Chris Ellsworth bought the property at auction in January 2021. A five-year renovation followed, including that hand-dug foundation rebuild.
The restaurant reopened in 2026. Today you’ll find it at 518 Haywood Road, Dillsboro, NC 28779, right in the heart of historic Dillsboro.
Not bad for a building that once sat eight inches out of level.
Pie By The Slice, Firesides, And Local Art
Missed dessert at dinner? Sweets and Treats has your back.
This small shop on the property opens daily from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. It offers ice cream, homemade baked goods, candies, coffees, and teas.
Best of all, it sells Jarrett House desserts by the slice. Cakes, cobblers, and Southern pies are all fair game.
Outside, the courtyard works as an easygoing extension of the dining room. Fireside seating is available when weather allows.
You can eat breakfast, lunch, or dinner out there. Or just sit with a coffee and enjoy the mountain air.
Art lovers should peek into Gallery 1884. It gives local artists a permanent space inside the building.
The name is a nice nod to the year the hotel was built. Small touches like that show real care.
An event hall seats about 100 people too. It’s set up for weddings, reunions, private dinners, and other big moments.
So the inn is more than one dining room. Plan extra time to wander, snack, and browse before you head home.
Stay Overnight And Walk Off Dinner In Town
Twenty-three rooms sit upstairs, and no two look alike. Each one is furnished with authentic Victorian antiques.
Some rooms still have their original clawfoot tubs and sinks. Heated flooring has been added in certain areas, which feels like a gift on chilly mountain mornings.
The hotel has reopened to overnight guests, offering 23 individually furnished rooms with Victorian antiques. Keep an eye on it if you want the full stay-and-eat experience.
Overnight guests will get a complimentary continental breakfast and free self-parking. A 24-hour front desk and free high-speed internet round things out.
Location is a huge perk. Dillsboro is a small, walkable mountain town with shops, cafes, and galleries just steps away.
That makes an after-dinner stroll easy. You’ll probably need one after round three of biscuits.
The Tuckasegee River runs nearby. The Blue Ridge and Great Smoky Mountains surround the whole area with serious scenery.
This corner of western North Carolina rewards slow travel. Eat well, walk around, and let the day unfold.
Then head back for pie. Nobody said the walk had to burn it all off.
