The Switzerland Café is a unique BBQ Pit. It sits atop a mountain in Little Switzerland, NC at the intersection of HY 226A and the Blue Ridge Parkway. It doesn’t get much prettier than the setting for this 31+ year old pit. The original owners built the pit and café back in 1981. Nine years ago the present owners Ann Kernahan and Lora Lanier bought the place, did a face lift, and opened for business. They left the pits the same, firebrick, steel doors, and wood fired, all housed in a motif that looks more like the Ginger Bread house in Hansel and Gretel than the usual shed appearance of most BBQ pits. The café itself is wooden inside and out. It has that natural wood, hand hewn, rustic appearance that just seems to fit the mountains. But the café’s pretty face is not the attraction here. It’s the FOOD! BBQ is the star on the menu, but the supporting cast of smoked mountain trout, soups, salads, sandwiches to die for and desserts are not to be overlooked. Take a cooler for bring home goodies.

The BBQ pork ribs are cooked slowly over Hickory wood to perfection. The ribs have a deep smoky flavor, good bark, very tender, but the meat stays on the bone and one can take a bite and not have all the meat slide off at once. The ribs are scrumptious, but the pulled pork is better—like WOW! The pulled pork has a rich, nutty , smoky flavor with yummmmmmy outside brown and is as tender as a mother’s love. The “cue is great straight from the pit/kitchen and really needs little (if any) more. But if you add just a smidge of the tangy red hybrid Eastern NC/Western NC sauce--- “The Mother Lode”. The baked beans with onion, red and green peppers cooked in a slightly spicy sauce/broth are OSG. The café also produces reeeealy good potato salad with carrots, celery, red potatos, pickle, lite homemade mayo and secrets. Oh my!

If one leaves without trying the Smoked Mountain Trout smoked slowly over Apple wood it would be as the old folks say “A Crying Shame”. This café favorite is smoked skinned mountain trout with dill mayo, fresh lettuce, tomato, and Apple wood cured bacon stacked high on a warm toasted croissant- Navona! Everything at the café is homemade, the freshly baked breads, rich aromatic soups, crisp salads, Classic Sandwiches, Smoked meats, and Old Fashioned Desserts like your grandma made if she was the best cook in the county---try the Coconut.

Open 7days a week 11AM to 4PM Easter weekend through Thanksgiving. Call (828)765-5289.