Table Of Content

They went back to Miami Beach, packed up their stuff, and came back to the mountains. They found a little Methodist church in Maggie Valley and got married. They opened the little restaurant and named it Joey’s — down in Miami Beach, he had gone by Joe, but they decided Joey sounded friendlier.

Best Restaurants Nearby
For years, they stayed open from 7 a.m. To 3 p.m., but then Joey had what Brenda calls a “heart incident,” and they cut back the hours. Joey loved being at the restaurant, though. He moved out to the cash register and chatted with all the customers he had waved at from the kitchen all those years.
Restaurant Details
Tearful farewell as customers say goodbye to Joey's Pancake House after almost 52 years - WLOS
Tearful farewell as customers say goodbye to Joey's Pancake House after almost 52 years.
Posted: Tue, 13 Jun 2017 07:00:00 GMT [source]
Those older women are coffee servers — they come behind the waitresses and make sure everybody’s cup is topped off. If the service is good, people remember. That’s how you do business when nobody else is doing business.
Lake Junaluska
Trip Advisor has them ranked at number 1 in Maggie Valley and I tend to agree with that ranking. Joey’s has been around a while even in a town that has passed its heyday. Maggie Valley is still a great place to visit even though it does not have the attractions of nearby Pigeon Forge.
“He was the most debonair man,” she says. “His blue eyes, they just sparkled.” He was 47, and she was 22, and neither one cared. They came to Maggie Valley to visit friends in the summer of 1966. As they lingered in town, they noticed a little restaurant building that was up for lease. My name is Ronnie and it is my goal to bring you the best Southern-inspired recipes, reviews, and restaurants from the South and beyond.
Family-Reunion Recipes

If you ride around the loop, about halfway through, there is a parking lot that overlooks the lake. There is a huge cross here and it is just so peaceful to get out of your vehicle and just sit and look. Lake Junaluska is located in Waynesville, North Carolina as well but it is very close to Maggie Valley, and Joey’s Pancake House.
People in Maggie Valley Also Viewed
The good old days in Maggie News themountaineer.com - The Mountaineer
The good old days in Maggie News themountaineer.com.
Posted: Wed, 07 Jun 2017 07:00:00 GMT [source]
In the heart of the picturesque Maggie Valley, North Carolina lies a true gem for breakfast enthusiasts – Joey’s Pancake House. So here we are, on a busy Saturday morning, and Brenda is telling the story and wiping one more tear. But then she straightens up in her chair. She waves a finger from one spot to another. These old booths are a pain to paint, but they get a fresh coat every year.
Breakfast in North Carolina: Joey’s Pancake House
Joey’s name is still on the sign, and his face is still on the menu, and Brenda says she can feel him in the building. She never expected to be here, never expected to be doing this. But it’s been 44 years now, and she’s proud of what she and Joey built.
She knows how to get people in and out. No one rushes you when you’re at your table, but once you’re gone, it’s cleaned off in seconds and the next group is welcomed in. On a busy day, like this one, Joey’s serves 700 to 800 customers. She directs waitresses to tables, glances around to see who needs coffee, checks on the line out front. Two dozen people are waiting in the lobby, and a dozen more are standing outside in a drizzle. If you don’t mind getting damp, that view from outside is a nice one — straight up into the shoulders of the Smokies.
What it does have are locals that treat you right. Not just part of your route, covered bridges offer a portal into a time long past. Here are four historic ones to visit in North Carolina. But to be 4.8 stars and rated one of the best pancake houses in NC?
One of the main reasons we love going there is that the area is so low-key. Most of the businesses there are owned by locals. This includes most of all of the restaurants in town. One of our favorites is Joey’s Pancake House. Let her tell you about it.Brenda met Joe O’Keefe in Miami Beach, where they worked at the famous Fontainebleau Hotel.
If you dive up Highway 19, headed towards Cherokee, North Carolina there is a pull-off on the left-hand side of the road where you can visit Soco Falls. If you are not careful, you will ride right past it. There is a little tiny sign that lets you know about it but it is hard to see. The parking is in a sharp curve and there isn’t much room for many cars. But Brenda thinks of it as a family, too, and of course you know who is first in her heart.