Waynesville, Dillsboro, or Franklin: Which Haywood Smokehouse Should You Visit?
September 28, 2026 – Haywood Smokehouse
Waynesville, Dillsboro, or Franklin? We get asked that all the time. Every one of them smokes its own barbecue, on its own pits, the same way we always have. Which one you pick mostly comes down to where you are standing.
Is the barbecue the same at all three locations?
Yes. Every location smokes its own, on its own pits, and they all do it the same way. Same cuts, same dry rub, same real hickory, same rule that governs everything: temperature, not time. Every brisket gets probed by hand and comes off when it is ready, whether that brisket is in Waynesville, Dillsboro, or Franklin.
That is the part we will not let vary. What varies is the room you are sitting in, the town it sits in, and a few things on the menu.
Waynesville
The first one, opened in 2013, at 79 Elysinia Avenue. This is where the whole thing started in North Carolina, and it is still the busiest room we have. If you have seen the Yelp rankings, Waynesville is the location that carried us onto the Top 100 BBQ Spots list in 2024, top 10 in the country and the highest-ranked barbecue restaurant in North Carolina.
Waynesville sits just off the Blue Ridge Parkway corridor, about thirty minutes west of Asheville. It is the easy stop for anyone driving the mountains, and on a Friday or Saturday night the dining room proves it. Open Wednesday through Saturday, until 9 on Friday and Saturday.
Dillsboro
Opened in 2015, at 403 Haywood Road, just off the river in one of the prettiest small downtowns in the mountains. Callers often say Sylva when they mean Dillsboro, since the two towns sit side by side, and either way you are in the right place.
Dillsboro is the location that landed 11th on Yelp's Top 100 U.S. Restaurants in 2024. Not top 100 barbecue. Top 100 restaurants, every kind, in the country.
The town itself is worth the trip. The train, the shops, the river, and a smokehouse at the end of it. Same hours as Waynesville, Wednesday through Saturday, until 9 on Friday and Saturday.
Franklin
Franklin is at 33 Macon Center Drive, and it is the one that works a little differently. It is an independent Haywood Smokehouse, owned and operated by Mike Hunt and his son Justin. Same slow-smoked tradition, their own kitchen, and their own twists on the menu.
The Cowboy Cuban is one of their best sellers, and the French Dip has its own following. You will not find either one in Waynesville or Dillsboro. Franklin also carries salads, runs wings on Wednesdays and Saturdays, and has a full bar rather than beer and wine.
Franklin is the only location open on Tuesday, which makes it the answer when the other two are closed. Tuesday through Saturday, 11 to 8.
Which one should I go to?
Whichever is closest. That is not a dodge, it is the point of doing it this way.
If you are coming from Asheville or driving the Parkway, Waynesville. If you are heading toward Cherokee, the Smokies, or the train, Dillsboro. If you are in Macon County or you are out on a Tuesday, Franklin.
All three pages have the full menu with prices, a printable menu you can download, hours, the address, and online ordering with pickup you can schedule ahead:
Can I cater from any of them?
Yes, all three. Under 20 people, tap the Order To-Go button and all the catering items are under Bulk To-Go. For larger orders, tap Catering for the full catering menu, and you can order up to six months ahead. It is all on the catering page, including a guide to how much food a group your size actually needs, with a contact form if you need assistance or have a special request like delivery or full service.
One family, three rooms
The Beasleys opened the first smokehouse in Georgia in 2010 and brought it to the mountains three years later. Joe's sons, RJ, Wyatt, and Will, work the pits today. Mike and Justin run Franklin the same way, as a family.
That is why the barbecue holds up across three towns. It is not a system. It is people who know what a brisket is supposed to feel like when it comes off.
Before you head out, join the Get Smoked VIP Club. You will get 10 percent off for you and a guest on your next visit, at any of the three, plus weekly deals by text. Join the Birthday Club while you are there and we will mail you a card the week of your birthday, good for a free dessert with your meal.
And for all our fans who are not local, nationwide shipping starts November 1, to all 50 states plus Canada and the United Kingdom.