Enjoy Breakfast at The Sawmill Place in Blairsville, Georgia
Granted, The Sawmill Place Kitchen + Market serves breakfast and lunch, but if you’re know good eatin’, arrive at 6:30 a.m., be first in line, and enjoy one of the best breakfasts in the North Georgia Mountains.
You’ll have to make an effort to find the log cabin that’s tucked away just outside the city of Blairsville, Ga., but once you make the commitment, the string of cars in the parking lot will announce that you’ve found the The Sawmill Place Kitchen + Market. If there’s a line, take a seat in a rocking-chair on the porch for the wait, and at times, you’ll be serenaded by local musicians. Step inside for a latte or a shopping experience where the restaurant’s market offers many Georgia Grown products as well as local and tri-state artisans; all these products are an extension of the mantra of the restaurant - fresh and local. It’s the farm-to-table concept that you see in the market as well as what you’ll eat on your plate. Once you take your seat, a multitude of servers drop by. It’s a team-based concept with no table assignments, hoping that the diner will connect with at least one.
“I have you here from 45 minutes to an hour,” explains Shawn Kight—owner, chef, greeter. “It’s very, very important to me to connect with you in some way. We have no idea what you’ve just come from or what it might be that your going to. It might be celebratory or hard, and so we want to make a connection. We want you to feel as good about things as possible through hospitality and service.”
Watching the surroundings, it’s easy to see that they fight against the usual order-taker mentality. “I have good people. Some have 10-plus years of service here,” says Kight. Inside this lovely cabin with a mountain view, it assuredly feels like a family gathering.
Welcome to The Sawmill Place Kitchen
Owners Shawn and Amy Kight have been serving up a hot breakfast and a tasty lunch to locals and travelers for nineteen years. Even during the pandemic, a pivot to take-out meal kits kept the restaurant moving forward when others closed doors. It was a priority to take care of their 20 employees as well as their restaurant base.
In its beginning, “When we bought the restaurant, she [Amy] stayed on for about six months, and said, ‘It’s yours. This is crazy. I need to go back and do what I do',” laughs Kight. However, her presence is felt throughout the restaurant because of a strict no-decorating directive to her husband.
During the fall and holiday seasons, Kight greets visitors as they walk into the restaurant. “I’m originally based in the kitchen, but this time of year, it’s important to be out front.” Repeat locals and visitors keep the lines flowing out the door. Saturday mornings are the busiest with an hour wait at times. The kitchen staff arrives at 1 a.m. prepping for the weekend crowds.
It’s networking that keeps the menu fresh. “Every Saturday, I text the farmers market what I need,” states Kight. The market reaches out to farmers, gathers what is available, and brings it to the Tuesday market where it is delivered to Kight. “It’s an amazing relationship, so we will source as much as we can from them. We will build our menu based on them.”
“Once you’re in this group, the circle is small,” states Shawn Kight regarding his relationship with local farmers, producers and small businesses. “We travel to Knoxville, Asheville, all the Southern cities to see what the trends area. We can’t recreate that in Blairsville because it’s a different market. It’s a rural, mountain market, but we will bring back some of the ideas.” When he and his wife travel, they pay attention to the products that are presented to them in restaurants and hotels - soaps, sauces, etc. Regarding recipes, '“You’ll see all the traditional stuff plus things that will interest the traveler like the brisket hash.”
Everything from the classic Sawmill Breakfast with Applewood smoked bacon to the Sweet Potato Pancakes with the house-made cinnamon pecan butter, there’s a selection that will jump-start the day. Of course, lunch offerings are just as appetizing, featuring Brasstown Beef burgers and Georgia Pecan Chicken Salad; there’s always the hearty meat-and-three (harvest driven and changes daily with the season).
The biscuits are one of the drivers to The Sawmill Place. “It’s just . . . ,” laughs Kight. “Before we came down here from Roanoke, VA., we videotaped her making biscuits. They sat out in a cast-iron pan. They are made from scratch.” The basic breakfast, says Kight, is what the regulars love, and that always includes the made-from-scratch biscuits.
“We’re not gourmet. You have to know who you are and who you’re not. And, you’ve got to know your market,” states Kight, who first got his first taste of cooking from his father and was self-taught. “I’m in the business,” he continues. “I can’t be an absentee owner. I’m trying to drive the hospitality.”
During September of each year, they host a Harvest Dinner, sourcing everything from what is available through farmers. Holidays bring busy seasons, with the entire space being rented by business, corporations, and families for large gatherings.
The Table With the Letters
As for the table with the letters. There’s only one. Inside the drawer, discover many handmade notes written on silverware packets. Read the stories. Understand the love that the diners have for The Sawmill Place. Many will make you laugh; some will make you cry. All will make you glad you’re dining at The Sawmill Place in Blairsville.
Eating local - rolling biscuits - delivering smiles. It’s the team concept at The Sawmill Place. “I have you for 45 minutes to an hour. I want to make a connection,” states Kight (second from right).
When You Go
1150 Pat Haralson Drive | Blairsville, Ga. 30512
Hours | Breakfast 6:30 a.m. - 11 a.m.; Lunch 11 a.m. - 2 p.m.
