Firetower
What do you do after restoring a 1950’s lookout tower to its former glory? You build a restaurant around it. Perched atop the peak of Blackberry Mountain, the Firetower effortlessly marries casual ambiance with sweeping scenery to amplify its offerings of an inspired three-course dinner experience from Executive Chef Phillip Hare. It offers a breathtaking, unobstructed view of the scenery that awaits Blackberry Mountain guests.
The Firetower is perfect for unwinding and refueling after adventures, offering a comforting and sophisticated dinner environment at the end of the day, welcoming guests to savor a front row seat to a mountain sunset. A creative cocktail and mocktail program complements the inspired menu, showcasing regional ingredients on the plate and in the glass.
Hours
- Dinner: 5:30pm to 9:00pm
What do you do after restoring a 1950’s lookout tower to its former glory? You build a restaurant around it. Perched atop the peak of Blackberry Mountain, the Firetower effortlessly marries casual ambiance with sweeping scenery to amplify its offerings of an inspired three-course dinner experience from Executive Chef Phillip Hare. It offers a breathtaking, unobstructed view of the scenery that awaits Blackberry Mountain guests.
The Firetower is perfect for unwinding and refueling after adventures, offering a comforting and sophisticated dinner environment at the end of the day, welcoming guests to savor a front row seat to a mountain sunset. A creative cocktail and mocktail program complements the inspired menu, showcasing regional ingredients on the plate and in the glass.
Hours
- Dinner: 5:30pm to 9:00pm
Phillip Hare
Executive Chef of the Firetower
Born in Mississippi and raised in South Carolina, Phillip Hare has a strong affinity for low country cuisine and the food of the South. What started as a fun way to make money during college evolved into a professional passion for the culinary arts.
While studying hospitality and restaurant management at the University of South Carolina, Phillip got his first jobs in the kitchen as an oyster shucker and a line cook. From there, he honed his skills, exploring cooking for the season, working with local ingredients and learning butchery. He worked a short stint on a raw dairy farm in Colorado, and returned to South Carolina as a caterer for the show “Outer Banks,” continuing his exploration of different sectors of the food industry.
After applying to Blackberry Mountain, Phillip moved from Charleston to Maryville, Tennessee within a week and began his Blackberry career in 2019. He worked his way through the ranks of the kitchen, and in 2025, Phillip was promoted to executive chef of the Firetower.
Phillip describes his personal cooking style as functional. He values the idea of working with food as a traditional trade, likening the process of making a new dish from raw ingredients to the craftsmanship of a woodworker or metalsmith. He loves butchery, making charcuterie and sausages, and wood-fire cooking. Phillip is also an avid fly fisher, and when he’s not in the kitchen, he’s outside exploring.