Anthony's Italian Restaurant

Bryson City and Cherokee both sit along the Tuckasegee River corridor, connected by a quick stretch of US-74 through the Qualla Boundary. The distinction between them matters less if you're already committed to exploring the southwestern end of Great Smoky Mountains National Park, where Deep Creek, the Lakeshore Trail, and the Oconaluftee approach are all within reach. Anthony's location on Main Street in Bryson City puts it in an active small-town downtown with other restaurants and shops within walking distance.

If your itinerary is centered squarely on Cherokee proper — the Museum of the Cherokee People, the Oconaluftee Village, Harrah's — Anthony's is a viable dinner option but requires committing to the drive. If you're already spending time around Bryson City, the Nantahala Gorge, or the Deep Creek trailhead, stopping here makes much more natural sense. Plan around the geography, not around the listing category.

The menu runs the Italian-American standards: pasta dishes, pizza, and calzones. The restaurant's reputation as a local staple suggests it has earned regulars over time, which usually reflects consistency more than anything else. This isn't a farm-to-table interpretation of Italian cuisine; it's red sauce, cheese, and dough, done reliably and without pretense.

The $$-$$$ pricing tier puts it in the moderate range for western North Carolina. That's not cheap, but resort-area pricing stretches a long way in some mountain towns, and Anthony's holds to a more practical middle ground. For a full table of adults, expect a dinner bill in keeping with a casual sit-down restaurant rather than a pizza counter or upscale dining room.

The family-friendly atmosphere is worth taking at face value. A spot that markets itself toward families tends to have the noise tolerance and pacing to match — no one is glaring at kids at the next table. For couples after something comfortable and unfussy after a long hiking day, it works on those terms too; just not in the same register as a candlelit place with a wine list.

As of late 2024, Anthony's was open for lunch and dinner most days, with Sundays typically closed. Hours in mountain resort towns shift seasonally, and schedules for 2025-2026 may differ. Call before making the drive: 828-488-2073. This matters most on Sundays, on holidays, and in shoulder season (November through March), when smaller restaurants sometimes reduce their days.

The address is 1380 Main St, Bryson City, NC 28713. Street parking along Main Street is generally manageable outside peak summer weekends, when foot traffic from the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad, Nantahala river trips, and general park overflow tightens things up on Fridays and Saturdays.

Coming from Cherokee: take US-19 south toward Bryson City; it merges with US-74 as you approach town. From the Oconaluftee Visitor Center, follow US-441 south to US-19 and head southwest. GPS will route you accurately from either starting point, and the drive is straightforward with no unusual navigation involved.

Families with younger kids who want a predictable, filling meal after a full day in the park will find Anthony's a practical call. Pizza and pasta work across ages, the atmosphere doesn't require children to behave at a formal-restaurant level, and nobody is going to stress about what's on the menu. That's genuinely useful when everyone's tired and hungry at the end of a hike.

Hikers and paddlers looking for comfort food over something creative will also do fine here. If you've spent the day on the Appalachian Trail near Newfound Gap, tubing at Deep Creek, or running a raft trip down the Nantahala, a calzone and a bowl of pasta is exactly what the evening calls for.

One category it doesn't serve: travelers specifically looking for Cherokee-specific or regional Appalachian cooking. The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians has dining options closer to Cherokee proper if that's the culinary angle you want to explore — and those options are worth seeking out while you're in the region.

Bryson City has enough to fill the hours before a dinner at Anthony's. Deep Creek, a few miles north of downtown, has short waterfall hikes (Juney Whank Falls, Tom Branch Falls) accessible to young children alongside a popular summer tubing run that stays busy through late afternoon. The Nantahala Outdoor Center, about 12 miles southwest on US-74, runs guided rafting trips on the Nantahala River that typically wrap up in early-to-mid afternoon, leaving plenty of time to clean up and get to dinner.

The Great Smoky Mountains Railroad runs scenic excursions out of Bryson City's downtown depot; the gorge route runs around three to four hours including stops. Timing a ride to finish before dinner, then walking over to Anthony's from the depot area, is a workable itinerary that requires minimal driving once you're in town.

Nantahala Brewing Company, also in Bryson City, operates a taproom and has become one of the more visible spots in the western NC craft beer scene. A stop there before or after dinner is easy to fold in without adding any real distance.