The Smith House

The staff made us feel cared for, with friendly, attentive service and welcoming smiles from the moment we arrived. The Smith House has a peaceful setting and cozy rooms, and the history of the building gives the stay a memorable feel. It’s a special experience with plenty of Southern charm. A solid 5/5 for me.

The food was good, though the atmosphere felt cold and we felt like outcasts as part of a larger group. I hadn’t eaten there in many years and arrived with high expectations, but the staff disappointed me. I appreciated that they offered a reasonably priced takeout option, since medical reasons keep me from eating much. We were told that ordering from that menu meant no seconds or refills, and that we’d be served in a separate room even though we were dining in.

The Thanksgiving meal was delicious, especially the fried chicken, which was the main reason we went. We already had a traditional Thanksgiving meal planned with family a few days later, so I wanted to try it. Along with platters of turkey, ham, and gravy, the servers brought out bowls of crispy fried okra, creamy macaroni and cheese, creamed corn, dressing, cranberry sauce, and other sides. Everything tasted like Southern comfort food. I was surprised there were no mashed potatoes, but we certainly didn’t go hungry. Everyone shared the sides around the table, and our server brought another bowl when we ran out of something. Rolls and corn muffins with butter came out before the rest of the food. We had tea, lemonade, or water to drink, and the busy servers were still sweet and smiling. We sat family style with seven other people. For dessert, they served coffee with pumpkin and pecan pie. I tried a slice of each, and liked the pecan pie better. A heads up about the wait: there are no reservations for Thanksgiving, and it gets busy. We were a party of three and waited about 90 minutes after arriving at 2 o’clock, the time I’d been told would be least busy. I should have asked how long the wait would be and planned differently. By a little after 5, there were very few people waiting, so coming later may work better. If you have children or seniors who might struggle with a long wait, bring snacks and something to keep the kids occupied. There aren’t many places to sit while waiting. On the chilly day we visited, lots of people stood outside on the lawn until their numbers were called. The lobby is another option, though it gets crowded and has little seating. You can get beer, wine, or soda there while you wait, and look around the gift shop and the small gold mining museum downstairs. After checking in, we received a ticket. When a table for our group was available, they called ticket numbers to pay at the lobby desk before seating us. They asked us to leave the tip at payment and assured me it would go to our server downstairs. We parked behind the Smith House, down the hill on the UNG campus, where there was lots of Thanksgiving parking since the kids were away for the holiday. Then we walked uphill to the restaurant. I’d go back for the Thanksgiving feast, but now that I know the wait can be long, I’d have a little snack before leaving home.

Our room was nice, and the lobby on the way to it felt cozy. We’d booked three months ahead for our first vacation after a long year, mainly because we wanted the breakfast and lunch options. But when we arrived an hour early to eat lunch, we found out the restaurant closed at 2, not 3, on Sunday. It also wouldn’t reopen during the rest of our holiday week. That was a real disappointment.