Jimmy Mac's Restaurant - Bryson City, NC (Review)

[@jimmysmith5764]

Absolutely agree I would choose anther place toeat

[@gregcrunkleton160]

Really enjoy how real you guys are. Great honest reviews. Look forward to to more.

[@NCMemoryMakers]

Thank you for watching, and for commenting. We really appreciate it.

[@dianac5764]

I think they could add a note on the menu and/or the waitress mention to you so you can be prepared.

[@janetwheeler4210]

Love their food, thanks 🙏

[@Woody.D828]

From a Local -- This is a family owned restaurant. The parents of the current owners brought their decades of eatery experience from FL to open this locale (about 20 yrs ago) -- the quality and prices seemed better "back in the day". I appreciate that the "kids" have continued ownership with the idea of "if it an broke" and have left the menu and venue relatively the same...they just miss the high target mark set by the "parents" in quality overall. Just my opinion -- someone who has been going there for a couple of decades. -- yes - and you can ask for the lunch portion anytime of the day.

[@NCMemoryMakers]

We actually thought the food was decent, although there was a lot of blue cheese on that chicken. My thing was the surprise "We're adding 10% automatically", and the bathroom door was falling apart. I would give it another try on a future visit.

[@maggiemiles4272]

Thank you for an honest review, I agree with you about the 10% added to bill. It seems they have already adjusted their prices for inflation by covering a small piece of meat with a lot of cheese and large chopped scallions, I noticed that when your plates were served, before you even gave review. It would be a one time deal-breaker when they add that 10%, so thanks again for being real.

[@NCMemoryMakers]

And thank you for watching and commenting, and appreciating an honest review.

[@dallasherring7902]

I'm with y'all. Charge what you need to on order to stay on business but add it in the price I don't like these add ons to the bill

[@NCMemoryMakers]

Exactly!

[@susanpaulk638]

We saw the adding 10 per cent on a lot of our bills in Bryson City in 2022. We usually spend the summer in Bryson.

[@jimmac5076]

And u only saw them for a short time. Ours. Where for about 2 or three weeks!! While we were waiting for our new menus…. I thank god most people where like you and understood most of the bussiness that did that where forced to and understood we had to! I thought prices would fall and if they had people would have been screaming about us not lowering the prices! I don’t have a problem with people giving there reviews honestly but if your gonna try and make me and my family business look like down and dirty operators, or in this case a sounding board for a whole group of people a sounding board to try and destroy us,,, at least give us a opportunity to explain ourselves! People even calling it a political sign! No it was a sign of survival! Total cost up by 36-40 percent that year alone! I wish I would have seen this video earlier. We also took the charge off anyone who missed it on our front window, hostess sign, door leading to the bathroom, or when we added it to the check! We didn’t try and hide from it!!or be sneaky about it! And def didn’t want to have to do it

[@lindablair919]

I agree with you about the prices. It is expensive to have new menus printed but it is part of the cost of doing business. Don’t go up on prices until prices are changed on the menu. Not everyone will see the sign and if you see the sign after you order, it is too late. That would definitely stop me from going to this restaurant.

[@NCMemoryMakers]

I agree. That didn't sit well with me, that they would do it that way.

[@shawnhughes8762]

Sorry Derrick Holland and Shawn's for the recommendation it was good at one point

[@NCMemoryMakers]

@@shawnhughes8762 Have you all been there before? The food itself wasn't bad. Their bathroom (the men's, at least) needed attention.

[@philliproupe8967]

Love your honesty. I can replace door know in 5 minutes

[@NCMemoryMakers]

Yes, I hope they got that taken care of. Maybe it had just happened and they weren't aware, I don't know. I just didn't really like their policy of adding 10% to the ticket automatically.

[@philliproupe8967]

@@NCMemoryMakers I wouldn't like that either

[@angelaneergaard2589]

I love your honest reviews. I agree on the menus and the 10% was just wrong.

[@NCMemoryMakers]

I agree. If they have to go up, then they have to go up. I just don't care for the way they add it on like that.

[@dpmart3275]

Thanks for the honest review

[@debbyrymer9298]

I agree on tacking on extra charges we had that done to use at a local restaurant high prices to begin with and the a Secret Ad on

[@NCMemoryMakers]

I agree

[@Marilyn-KY]

Another great and honest review.

[@cumberlandquiltchic1]

Oh my goodness! I feel partially responsible!- I recommended this place and Pasqualinos (mainly for prime rib on Friday - always want to check beforehand!) I am so so sorry! Yeah- the add on charge is not right at all! Id have a sticker or paper clipped piece of paper in front of menu (if I didn’t want to pay for new menus to reflect the dang prices!). Almost sounds like a tourist trap. You know, there’s. Lot of tourist type places that add in fees and charges around here because they can! People don’t look at their bil! They just pay!

[@NCMemoryMakers]

Again, you don't need to feel responsible. You may have mentioned this place, but the place that I remember you recommending to us, was the BJ''s Diner in Cherokee. And that's still on our list of things to do, if we can ever be up there sometime besides a Saturday. They are closed on Saturday. They didn't look open when we went by the other week on Friday, either. I don't know if they close down for the season, or what the situation was. Could have been just because it was Black Friday, and maybe they closed for that weekend of Thanksgiving. But I don't remember you telling us to go to Jimmy Mac's. You may have. We were actually Googling restaurants in Bryson City to try, and this one seemed very appealing to us. Also, the other people on KZbin called Friday's Forever, went there and recommended it. And it's not that I wouldn't recommend it. Our food was not bad at all. I just didn't like that one little thing about the add on, and I thought their bathrooms could use some attention. The men's bathroom was horrible. My wife said the women's was better. The doorknob was literally just hanging there, and was not usable. But the meal itself was not bad, and there were other things I would definitely go back and try. And I've heard lots of people talk about how good that Italian restaurant there is.

[@johnpinckney4979]

Many TNX for your honesty. It's nothing to apologize for. Indeed, it's a gift. Between the 10% surcharge and the condition of the men's restroom, I think I'll be passing this place by if I'm in the neighborhood. Keep going with the honest reviews! God Bless!

[@NCMemoryMakers]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@byronbates7404]

Tampa native and visited the old all the time as a kid here in Florida and was able to come up to Bryson in 2019 and didn't get a chance to make it to Jimmy's and say hello I was devastated. The next time I go up I will definitely go back for some nostalgia. I used to always get the chicken and or hamburgers double cheese lol !

[@NCMemoryMakers]

We will have to try the burgers next time we are over that way. I do want to give the place another chance. I've heard such great things about it.

[@cherriejohnson5323]

Great review and I completely agree with you on the 10% and the maintenance issues.

[@NCMemoryMakers]

Thank you for understanding my point. They have to take care of their restaurant, as there are inherent costs to running a restaurant, especially if they are going to do stuff like that with the bill. If there's one thing I cannot stand, it's a dirty bathroom and one that you can't even lock the door for some privacy.

[@johnpinckney4979]

@@NCMemoryMakers If they're skimping on maintenance by not fixing the restroom door, I wonder what else they're cheaping-out on?

[@henrysmalleyvlogs]

I actually worked here when I was 17 and 18 before joining the navy. Had a horrible experience working here and not going to get into all the details. But wouldn’t reccomend to anyone.

[@NCMemoryMakers]

Very sorry to hear that your working experience there was not good. Thank you for watching.

[@debbiemann2752]

Thanks after reading all the reviews we won’t be going here.

[@NOTHEOTHERGUY]

I bet that 10% affects the wait staff's tips. Details matter! Door knobs should not be loose. 5 minutes at most to tighten it up.

[@NCMemoryMakers]

Agreed

[@shelwhitley1011]

Well, considering we plan to be in Bryson City for a day trip from our base cabin in Franklin...we are SO glad we found this video (and the Italian restaurant vlog) BEFORE we made the mistake of eating here! Thanks for the restroom review (bathroom conditions are a big deal to us, especially in a restaurant!) Also, hubby's reaction to the 10% upcharge was pretty much the same as yours, Derrick...just change the menu, THEN the prices! You two are doing an awesome service to travelers to your area, and we appreciate it more than you know. No one wants to waste a short week of vacation wasting time and money at places like this. We're trying to pack in all the info we can on where we should go, should eat, etc. Ever thought of going into the concierge biz? 😊 Thanks for a good vlog...and, as always, very entertaining! 😅

[@NCMemoryMakers]

You are very welcome. We are going to always give an honest and up front review, and we endeavor to be fair, and tell what was good, and what wasn't. To be fair, we have not been back since this visit in November, so I do not know if they are still doing the 10% upcharge. Perhaps they have changed the menus by now and cleaned the restrooms more efficiently. I hope so. Maybe they saw the review. I would not want to tell someone not to eat here, in case they have made the changes. When you are there, maybe check and see if it is still the same. I would be interested in knowing, myself. The food wasn't bad. I just didn't care for the other aspects of the visit.

[@shelwhitley1011]

@@NCMemoryMakers We might check it out and give you an update! The food did look good.

[@GaryBlouin]

Thanks for the review. Going to Bryson for an extended weekend this weekend. Jimmy Mac's was on my list ... although, very near the bottom of my list honestly. Decided to put a strike through it after this review. The food looked OK but not $12 to $14 per plate OK. And secondly, I too not happy with these "add on fees". Reflect the cost in the menu. Hopefully they aren't adding that 10% fee now but I won't know since I won't be visiting. Obviously, me not visiting won't matter as it seems they are a full house anyway. Can't say it enough, good review and being as honest as possible.

[@NCMemoryMakers]

We have actually talked about going back and giving it another shot, since so many people do like it. I was going to find out first, if they're still doing the 10% add on thing, though. That is a deal killer for me. If they are not, and have instead updated their menu, I'd be willing to try it again. We did notice on our way out, that the 10% add on was posted on the door. I'd be curious to know if it is still there. If you do change your mind and try it, please let us know your impressions of it.

[@GaryBlouin]

@@NCMemoryMakers Fair enough. I will let you know if we change our minds and do give it a try. Just a little tired of these add-on fees in general. I just want to know the cost. My eating out expense has dropped considerably due to these additional "hidden" fees in general. Been planning to go to Bryson for about 6 months, excited for it and do want to spend some money to help the community after Helene.

[@GaryBlouin]

@@NCMemoryMakers Did walk by Jimmy Mac's a couple times. Did not see the 10% additional inflation fee on the outside of the door. Was able to see inside the restaurant from the outside and the plates I saw, appeared to look appetizing and worthy of a visit. But to be clear, did not step in or ate there. So, no idea if the 10% inflation sign is inside, if the bathrooms are a mess, etc. 😊😊 Our schedule was too busy, and we had other places on the list to visit first. Finished up the GSMR trip today, had plans to visit BJs Diner but was still full from the lunch on the train and wanted to get to the Oconaluftee Visitor Center before it closed at 5pm and hike the Oconaluftee River Trail. So, I would probably give Jimmy Mac's a chance in the end.

[@NCMemoryMakers]

Sounds like you're having a busy, and great time. Safe travels!

[@lightfoot413]

food looks very good...

[@NCMemoryMakers]

It wasn't a bad place.