We traveled up to the Helen area to meet some friends who escaped to a mountain retreat for their anniversary and invited us to join them their last day before heading down the mountain. Â Already having been in a couple times, they brought us to Nacoochee Village Tavern for some drinks and lunch; a fantastic recommendation!
Walking in, you gat that instant small-town-homey feeling as you're greeted directly from the kitchen, from behind the bar, and again by a server offering you to sit wherever you like! Â Despite their trip being fairly brief, our friends were apparently already Norm (and Norma?) to the place... waving at the kitchen staff (owner?) by name (Bob, I think)... so perhaps that sort of friendliness isn't the norm (pun intended), but it certainly didn't feel rehearsed or canned - everyone seemed genuinely happy to see customers walking in.
The ambiance is perfect for the area, too. Â A nice, cabin-like feel to the interior with a warm, inviting bar area, beer boxes lining the back wall, and clever posters and signs hanging all around. Â Locals can be seen posted at their regular barstools and tables, too... so we knew we had at least found somewhere non-tourist focused (hard to do around those parts).
The meal ended up a blur of delicious salads, oven aromas, warm sandwiches, fresh pizza, craft beer, local wine, and friendly service. Â If that's not a ringing endorsement, I just don't know how to give one... apart from making sure we return to try it again in the future!
On a brief vacation to northern Georgia, was able to make three stops into the Village Tavern. Â Due to the popularity in the area, timed all of our visits to be off-peak.
First night, met Bob and received the equivalent of a wine tasting as he helped my lovely wife and I pick out a bottle of wine to return with to our room. Â Great help and advice. Â Left happy.
Second mid-day lunch blew us away. Â Again, Bob helped with suggestions are we had the most personable server who made our time there very comfortable . Â Spinach salad, loved it. Â Get the half, because it is still plenty for two. Â Slices (extra crispy). Â I prefer a few more minutes in the oven than most and was done perfectly. Â Turkey sandwich on house bread - awesome. Â Bread is a focacia that is close to an english muffin style. Â
Third lunch we brought friends upon our recommendation. Â Enough said
You are definitely in for a treat at Nacoochee Village Tavern!
I've eaten here with the boyfriend on many occasions, but my very first time was after running a half marathon. Â All I wanted was good, fresh pizza with lots of veggies and a cold, crisp beer. Â Let me tell you, that is exactly what I got! Â Three slices and two beers later, I was one very happy, very FULL little lady.
The small town vibe in this place is great. Â The staff is friendly and accommodating, the clientele are mostly locals, and the pizza crust is thin, and cooked to perfection. Â To this day, I haven't had a pizza I didn't like, a salad that wasn't spot-on, and of course, how could you not love the free popcorn??
Also, fantastic beer selection!
A great pizza place, with so many great choices of what type of pizza you want. Try the pork there btw
Great beer  selection, i suggest start at the top and work your way down. (Only if you have a DD)
There are tons of tables and and seats at the bar. The bar its self does get very busy.
In the summer you can sit outside and hear the river flow by, oh and the cars bikes etc :)
May have to be my new Helen hang out
Perfect place to stop after hiking for waterfall views! Â The beer was deliciously cold and refreshing.
We started with garlic bread sticks. Â This is about a whole meal in itself and perfectly priced! Â I could have eaten the whole loaf, the sticks were made in a square loaf style, by myself! Â Yum!
Then we ordered a pizza of course! Â The pizza is thin and very, very good. Â The only complaint we had, and it's mostly my hubby's because he likes onions on his pizza, was that they carmelized the onions before putting them on the pizza. Â Onions always taste too sweet for me on pizza but when done this way it was grossly sweet. Â I'm not sure if that's how it is done up in the East but he likes raw onions cooked on it. Â They were removable so he still ate his half of the 12".
There are cool little signs to read all around the bar but the dining area could use a little romanticizing. Â Most of the back wall is a huge win rack but the paint and atmosphere are just bland. Â I'm trying to think about what the lighting looked like but I guess I didn't look. Â Anyway, it could use some dark textured paint or wood on the walls, something just to make it warmer and cozier in there. Â Some romantic lights too if that is not what is there.
Lastly, though we will go back because it was so good, the bathroom, only one, is shared. Â I just think "yuck" when I share a bathroom with guys at a restaurant and I understand that there is only so much room but, yuck.
After driving mountain roads for over an hour looking for a resort where we were meeting my mother-in-law, I was grumpy and starving. After passing through Helen yet again, I decided to try this place out based on my fellow yelper's reviews. My boys and I chose to sit out on the patio. We were all famished and so excited when they brought yummy popcorn to our table to snack on while we bickered over the pizza choices.
The waitress was very nice and helpful. We ordered the 12" pizza half as carnivore (for the kids) and half with the roasted chicken and peppers (for myself). It didn't take too long for the pizza to arrive, they weren't very busy for a Saturday night.
The pizza was excellent! Crisp, light crust with high quality toppings and long, stringy cheese. The kids and I ate until we were stuffed and were quickly offered a box for the remaining pieces and our check.
We will definitely stop here next time we come through Helen! We also ate at Nacoochee grill next door during our visit. I have to say that I preferred the pizza and casual atmosphere of the Tavern. I'll look forward to trying out their salads and sandwiches next time we eat here!
The pizza's got the right stuff-----we prefer it to Antica Pizza in Atlanta.
The ambiance at the bar works ok (wish you hadn't blocked the view of the oven,) but the dining room is dreadful. Â Upgrade the surface of the floor, and get rid of the awful drywall (antique wood would add much needed warmth.) Â Absent such a makeover, we'll just sit at the bar and enjoy your outstanding pizza.
I live in Atlanta, where we have a number of pizza restaurants with chefs who trained in Italy or came from there. So, I'm used to top-notch pizza. These guys make pizza as good as any I've had in Atlanta. If you think you can't find grade A pizza in Helen, Georgia, you're in for a surprise. They also have a nice selection of craft beers.
Review Source:Always enjoy the fresh cooked food. Â Pizza and Sandwiches are really great, you can have them like a hoagie or all squished flat, (not may fav). Â The wait staff is very good, except, one waiter showed his ass one night and made everyone in the place know he was mad about something. Â Slamming chairs on the concrete floor destroyed the ambiance. Â Food good, the waiter will not serve me, ever.
Review Source:I ate here and took a shot at the Campobasso Sandwich. It was a monster of a thing, weighing in at more than 4 pounds. Really perfectly made and oh so tasty. You can actually see this thing being made on youtube. I didn't eat it all but I suppose I couldn't have. I have also had their pepperoni pizza which was wonderful.
Review Source:I've been to the Sautee Nachoochee / Helen area on many occasions; my girlfriend's parents moved down there a few years ago. Â I'm not going to knock the area, it is quiet, nice, and fun in the summer, but I quickly grew tired of driving all the way to Dawsonville or somewhere in Gainesville for a meal at a restaurant with a name that I might recognize.
I was brought to this place one night and - boom. Â For the area, amazing. Â A PA transplant came down and opened this place up, so I was free to enjoy the thin, crispy pizza I am used to, complemented by several frosty cold Yuengling pints. Â
I would recommend any of the pizzas - I usually get mine with chicken, spinach, and ricotta - light on the mozzarella. Â A 12" personal pizza is more than enough for dinner and lunch the next day, and is pretty inexpensive.
The salad is good - a lot of fresh stuff goes into it, but the dressing choices are a bit...eh. Â The creamy garlic has a unique...gelatinous quality to it that I'm not quite a fan of - I like to pour (not scoop) my dressing. Â The balsamic is much more oil than balsamic, so I usually get that on the side and scoop it in with a spoon, trying to get an even a balance as possible.
I've also had the [grinder, sub, long sandwich, hoagie] and I made the mistake of getting the larger one. Â I was greeted by +/- 14" of turkey sandwich - I feel like they got a baguette from the grocery store made a sandwich, and cut it in half. Â HUGE. Â It lasted me dinner and lunch the next day - much like the 12" pizza.
Service is hit or miss, but the place is a nice mix of Northeast-style food with some southern touches that appeal to the locals - i'm sure to visit every time I'm in the area.
The pizza at the Tavern is awesome! I could be a little bias because I worked here when Paul first opened up for business. Paul really knows what he's doing.
The meatballs are the best thing on the menu. Try either the mess or the meatball sub or a pizza with meatballs! Everything is so fresh and delicious. At lot of the produce is bought locally, which is great. Paul always stocks an awesome variety of beer. Usually there is a daily/weekly special.
If you live in the area or are just visiting Helen....you have to check this place out. Cant wait for a visit back to town where I can site at the bar and have a nice cold beer and a few slices of pizza!
We arrived at about 7:30 and had to wait about 15 minutes for table for four. It's quite small. Totally worth the wait though. The staff is super friendly. We got the garlic bread (which is about half a loaf!), a 16" kickin chicken pizza, and a 12" Popeye pizza. It was all delicious and reasonably priced! It was unexpectedly kid-friendly, too! Though, to my knowledge, there was no kids' menu; any kid likes pizza.
Overall: Â great atmosphere and great food!
LOVE this place. Â Fantastic pizza with great weekly specials and quirky waiters. Â Its definitely a place to feel like where everyone knows your name, but no one really knows you. Â Ha!
Don't miss the garlic bread with marinated peppers. Â I often get just this as my meal. Â The marinated peppers are TO DIE FOR. Â I love anything pickled and this is a mix of banana peppers and seasonings all cut up. Â So creative and great!
I didn't really care for "The Mess" - their meatball - but I love spicy meatballs and their version isn't spicy whatsoever. Â Oh well. Â This is a pizza place, after all!
We love the Popeye pizza and the Carnivore. Â The special on Monday is well worth trying multiple pizzas. Â Gosh, I'm making myself hungry thinking about it...
There is a wide beer and wine selection. Â There are TVs in the restaurants so its a great place to go if you want to catch a game, but are staying in a cabin without a TV.
As of 2/17, here are their weekly specials:
Mondays: Â buy one 12 inch pizza get one free, buy on 12 inch pizza get one for equal or lesser value free.
Tuesdays: Â " $ 20 Pie & Pitcher " 16 inch 2 topping pizza & pitcher of Miller Lite for $20
Thursdays: 1/2 price draft beer & all wine.
Again, note that either this restaurant or Nacoochee Grill will have a special one day of the week! Â To save some cash, check on their websites for their weekly specials...
This was my 3rd visit and each one has been delicious. I love their bread and the pizza is great. It's not very large but it's roomy. Â I am working my way through the menu trying everything, Â My friend even attempted the Compobasso challenge but it ended up taking him 3 days to eat that sandwich. Highly recommend especially if you like great bread.
Review Source:Paulie continues to get it right. Â This is still our favorite go-to place for pizza and sandwiches - sometimes winning out over other places even if we weren't particularly in the mood for pizza(yeah, right - I could eat pizza every day). Â Great specials, the ever-rotating beer specials, and good staff keep us coming back for more, and although sometimes it is TOO crowded for these local's liking, we are certainly glad they are here.
Review Source:Great local hangout; the prices are great and the pizza is even better! Inside dining is tight and there is usually a wait, but the staff is very friendly and you can always order up a drink or two at the bar while you wait. The pizza is well worth the wait - I've heard good things about their subs, too, but I can never pass up the pizza when I'm there. Portions are huge!
Review Source:A cool local hangout with pretty good pizza, well-made sandwiches, lots of excellent beer choices and a "real" atmosphere that doesn't pretend to be in Bavaria. You can get lots of toppings for the pie, and the pepperoni is good and spicy. The wait staff is very friendly,. and the crowd is noisy and seems to be having fun. You can eat outside or enjoy a few outdoor tables. We did the latter and enjoyed the experience, though you can encounter smokers there.
Review Source:
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