Would you like to try the best Chilli-Cheese Burger you’ve ever had? Do yourself a solid and make your way to Bryson City’s Naber’s Drive-In. Their burgers, hot dogs, fries and shakes are especially good after a long float down the Tuck, or a two or three day backcountry angling trip in the Smokies.
You could easily miss Naber’s as you head out of Bryson City on U.S.19 toward Cherokee but locals recognize this place as an institution. Tucked between the road and the Tuckaseegee River, Nabers is a trip back into the past. Its menu of chili dogs, burgers, barbecue, and fries has changed little since it was first established in the late 1940s. Cars drive in and park at the curb. Customers press a button and order their favorites over the speaker. Curb runners bring the food out on trays to hook over the car window. Waitresses smile and chat with regulars they see on a weekly or even daily basis for take-out or booth service.
Naber’s began when the town’s first drive-in opened near the Governor’s Island Bridge, just down the road from its present location. The restaurant got its name (originally spelled Neighbors) because the owner had a habit of saying “Hello, neighbor!” to anyone who drove in. After a grease fire destroyed the building, it was rebuilt in its present location in 1965, with the same name, but a different spelling.
On fall and winter evenings, after Swain County High School football and basketball games, cars overflow onto the grass by the river, and customers line up out the door.
I don’t blame them. I try and get a burger there every time I come through. One good thing to remember is that, they don’t take cards but they do have an ATM in the lobby. It really is a step back in time, but if you want a great burger with friendly service, get to Naber’s Drive In!