Food Network television personality and restaurateur Paula Deen has brought her southern cooking style to Cherokee, NC at Paula Deen’s Kitchen. The restaurant, although large, provided comfortable seating along with the charm of sitting under the gazebo of a Carolinian back porch.

Since we arrived in the off season and within minutes of the dinner seating, we were escorted to our table right away. However, guests started to arrive early and reservations are recommended.

With our beverages, we sampled Paula’s cheese biscuits which were tasty. We both enjoyed Paula’s distinctive potato salad and her cole slaw from the basic salad bar. I ordered off the menu – the pot roast. The wait for the meal was longer than I anticipated. However, the serving was ample and the meat was fork tender. Served on a bed of creamy mashed potatoes, the roast and veggies were in a tasty gravy that was lighter than I anticipated. My dinner companion chose the buffet. He enjoyed the meat loaf and the fried chicken. For dessert, I tried the apple crisp with vanilla ice cream. Again, a much longer wait for this dessert than one would have expected. My husband enjoyed one of the best brownies ever from the buffet.

There seems to be a lot of disappointment with Paula’s restaurant at many of the review sites. Let’s hope her team is keeping an eye on these. Check out Trip Adviser for additional comments. We arrived at the restaurant after a lovely hike along Bradley Fork Trail so we were hungry. After years of traveling around the area, we have learned to accept a different level of performance from the restaurants. Although most restaurants have some tasty items on their menus, it is usually hit and miss.

If you are interested in visiting Cherokee and Paula’s Kitchen, Mystic Mountain Cabin is only 15 minutes away in Maggie Valley, NC.

If you are interested in hitting Harrah’s, the quickest way to Cherokee from Maggie Valley is definitely US 19. But, if you are interested in the cultural side of Cherokee, the Blue Ridge Parkway takes you on a direct route to a wonderful day of exploration.

The Blue Ridge Parkway, Scenic Ride to Cherokee
The Blue Ridge Parkway provides a unique and scenic access to Cherokee from Maggie Valley. Traveling from mile marker 455.7 in Maggie to mile marker 469.1, you will arrive at the southern entrance/exit of the Parkway. With beautiful overlooks along the way, the 30 minute ride to Cherokee is spectacular. As you exit the Parkway, you will arrive at the Oconoluftee Visitor Center in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. This stop is worth the ride with a Mountain Farm Museum to explore and a gentle hike along the Oconoluftee River to take.

Museum, Art Galleries, and Live Performances
But, you won’t want to linger too long. Because as you continue along US 441, 2 miles south, you will enter the cultural side of Cherokee.

One of your first stops should be the Native American Craft Shop, as much a gallery of native American art work from around the country as a retail store.

Not far up the road you will encounter the main cultural intersection .

Everyone of these activities is well worth your time.
1. “Unto these Hills: A Retelling” provides a live reenactment of Cherokee history, the second longest running outdoor drama. Summer performances only
2. Qualla Arts and Crafts Mutual, the oldest and leading Native American Arts Cooperative in the United States, represents a wide variety of artisans. Open year round
3. The Museum of the Cherokee Indian retraces the 11,000 year history of the Cherokee of western North Carolina. Open year round
4. Oconluftee Indian Village recreates the lifestyles of the Cherokee in 1759. May through October