You can't miss the huge Hot Spot gas station in Franklin, home to the Caffe Rel.

I’ve been hearing tales of Caffe Rel for quite a while but a good restaurant in a gas station? It was just a bit hard to believe. Nor does Franklin, NC come to mind when I’m thinking of great places to eat. It does now.

Let’s say I had my doubts when I pulled into the Hot Spot gas station in downtown Franklin. It is a very nice gas station. Big, new, clean. You can’t miss it. We arrived around 5:30 and there were already cars in all the spaces outside.

I had heard the place was small. It wasn’t as small as I supposed, but seating is limited. Get there early. It’s really nice on the inside. It’s not well set up for large parties – tables seat 4, there are a couple that will hold 6, but room is limited and if you come in with a huge group don’t expect to share a table.

Still seems odd - a decent restaurant connected to the Hot Spot convenience store.

The menu is extensive and I was surprised at some of the offerings. It’s got a French theme, but also covers a variety of cuisines. One of the specials of the evening was “snails and tails“,  the tails being crawfish. I chose another crawfish dish. We also tried the mountain trout (great), the french style roast beef (excellent), shrimp and grits (not the typical southern recipe, but a nice twist), and assorted ravioli. Everybody got a great meal and we had very good service. What more can you ask for?

So what has this got to do with Smoky Mountain motorcycle riding? A lot of motorcycle riders find their way to Franklin. It’s nice to know those good places to stop when you come to a decent sized town.

It's surprisingly nice inside. The food will surprise you as well.

Franklin, NC is one of those towns located at the crossroads of several great motorcycle rides. US 64 passes on the south side of town. Go east to see 4 great roadside waterfalls on the way to Highlands. Wayah Road lies just 5 miles to the west. The great motorcycle ride over Wayah Bald into the Nantahlala River gorge is a classic. The Moonshiner 28 runs north to lead you to the Dragon at Deals Gap. US 441 takes you to Cherokee and the start of the Blue Ridge Parkway. You’re only half an hour from some of the great motorcycle rides in north Georgia. Those are just the well known motorcycle rides in Franklin. There are plenty more on my America Rides Maps.

The next time you're near Franklin, remember the Caffe Rel and try to stop during the off hours.

I didn’t find a web site for Caffe Rel, but then, they don’t have a bathroom either. Use the one in the gas station. Maybe it has a web site. Don’t much care.

We’ll be revisiting the Caffe Rel, looking for opportunities to stop during the off hours. By normal meal times, the place is packed. Hope you get a chance to try it.

_______________________________________________________________________________