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Saturday, June 14, 2025

NC trend: New heights for Mount Mitchell restaurant

Visitors wanting to try the recently opened Mount Mitchell Café & Eatery must turn off the Blue Ridge Parkway into Mount Mitchell State Park and continue skyward. Five years after closing, a mile-high restaurant has returned to the state park featuring the highest mountain peak east of the Mississippi River.

Melissa & Leigh Howell

Mount Mitchell’s summit comes in at 6,684 feet, and the restaurant — at an elevation of nearly  6,300 feet — offers panoramic views of the Fraser fir forest and some of the highest peaks in the eastern U.S.

“There’s no better way to enjoy a delicious meal than with a fantastic view,” says Melissa Howell, who operates the restaurant with her husband, Leigh. The Howells describe their menu as “elevated casual.” In comparison, Mildred’s Grill, located inside Grandfather Mountain, has an elevation of approximately 4,700 feet.

The state spent $2.7 million renovating the ridgetop building of native stone, including a full kitchen overhaul, hardwood flooring and new windows that showcase views of the Appalachian Mountains. Customers in electric vehicles have access to an adjacent charging station.

The Howells four-year contract with the N.C. Division of Parks and Recreation calls for them to pay 10.5% on total sales as rent. The restaurant operates seven days a week from May through October, then closes for the winter months. The Howells anticipate $1 million in sales during their six months of operation.

“Mount Mitchell State Park gets 380,000 visitors a year, and we hope 10% of them eat here,” she says. Located about 30 miles northeast of Asheville, Mount Mitchell State Park is only accessible via vehicular traffic from the Blue Ridge Parkway by taking N.C. 128 at Milepost 355 to the summit.

Menu prices range from $16.50 for the 6684 Burger, a half-pound sirloin topped with bacon named after the peak’s height, to $22 for the mountain trout. The restaurant also offers gourmet soups and salads, and desserts including peach cobbler, cheesecake and lemon pound cake topped with mountain berries.

“We designed the menu to be fresh and approachable, with no unpronounceable items,” says Howell, meaning no multi-syllable food additives.

Leigh Howell, a Burnsville native, incorporated local names into the menu. Elisha’s Turkey and Pimento Melt is a nod to the mountain’s namesake, Elisha Mitchell, a professor at UNC Chapel Hill who fell to his death in 1857 while trying to verify the peak’s height. The restaurant’s Camp Alice Chili also comes with a backstory.

“Camp Alice is at the bottom of the hill below the restaurant. Alice was a cook when it was a logging camp, so we’re paying homage to the park and the people who came before us,” he says.

The 122-seat restaurant will have about 30 employees. Staff goes through food service training and lessons on the mountain’s history.

“We’re a part of people’s experience when they visit,” says Melissa Howell. “We work on engaging, educating and enticing people.”

The Howell’s have owned a Burnsville restaurant, Pig and Grits, for 10 years. The Yancey County restaurants are 47 miles apart.
The Howells believe the combination of nature and food is a recipe for success.

 “Whether you’re a family or just an individual hiker looking for a wonderful meal and beautiful views, we have it for you,” says Melissa Howell.

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