Inside the Unicoi State Park Lodge at 1788 GA-356, Helen, Georgia 30545
Unicoi State Park is famous for its trails, the nature, the peace, and please add their cuisine to that list! The Smith Creek Tavern is open to the public every night; it is not reserved for lodge guests or park visitors, so we went recently for their special catfish night. For starters, Smith Creek Tavern is inside the Unicoi Lodge, and feels like you have walked into a proper tavern. There are a few TVs behind the bar (we always sit at the bar), and plenty of table for a larger party. There was also a great complimentary bar snack mix! We have not enjoyed a bar snack mix in a long time, a long time. Our bartender that evening was a gentleman named Kyron, a real pro, who accommodated our request for dry wings, by suggesting the sauces on the side. Kyron was right! The wings were hot and fresh and tasty by themselves, and enhanced with a dip into the hot or BBQ sauce.
Then to the main course – the catfish special! The catfish batter was spicy and seasoned and unique, not salty at all, and very good. The catfish was juicy, not greasy, and the french fries were also seasoned, spiced, and not salty. This is a classic catfish and fries dinner as good as any place in the area, and their batter is more seasoned than other places. We highly recommend! Our professional bartender, Kyron, knew how to make proper cocktails too (not so common unfortunately in North Georgia), and we appreciated not having to explain or describe our cocktail orders.
The music was a great mix of 50s classics mixed with Frank Sinatra and classic standards, so we had a great time at Smith Creek. We can’t wait to try their other specials like fried chicken, chicken fried steak, and their trout. Please let the professional team at Smith Creek at Unicoi know you read about them on North Georgia Culture.
