Local steakhouse looking to create new image
Tallulah – Ribs. Homemade pasta. Glazed salmon.
Quality food for any restaurant, but for a place dubbed “Moonshiner Steakhouse,” it seems far-fetched.
Restaurant manager Blake Orr – who seized the reins at 2645 Tallulah Road in September – is hoping to eliminate the negative stigma of patrons that have visited what is also known as the “Two Wheel Inn.”
For years, it has carried the dubious distinction of being one of the closest places to Robbinsville’s town limits where alcohol can be purchased – and yes, that option is still on the table – but Orr wants to be known as more than a “one-stop shop.”
“I want to change the perception, and what has happened when I have not been here,” Orr stated. “I want to be the next Copper Door (a Hayesville establishment, known for its fine-dining options). That is an aspiration I have.
“I think this place is far enough out of town that you won’t have an issue, and if you want to have a glass of wine or beer I do have that. But I don’t want that to be why you come here.”
An experienced chef, Orr has learned over the years to offer customers a wide variety of food. A restaurant previously known for burgers and steaks still offers burgers and steaks, but those two items have received facelifts.
The plan to beef up the menu is extensive. Kale salads, mushroom risottos, apple glazed butter BBQ pork chops, blackened chicken and pecan-crusted trout are just some of the delicacies Orr plans to offer his customers, as part of nightly specials that will be announced via the Moonshiner Steakhouse Facebook page.
“I want people to know that we have the best food in the county,” Orr declared. “I don’t want people coming in expecting to get McDonald’s food; I want people to come in expecting great, high-end food.”
Moonshiner Steakhouse is open from 5-9 p.m. Thursday through Sunday. For details, call 479-0708.