BEECH MOUNTAIN, N.C. — As soon as you head up on Beech Mountain you can smell the smoke from Holy Smokes BBQ.

“If you grab two senses of somebody, they’re going to get curious. If you can smell it and see it, maybe you can get them in here to try the great food,” Holy Smokes BBQ General Manager James Moore said.

Moore says he started working at the restaurant three years ago. He spends his day pulling pork.

“It already has flavor,” Moore said.

Moore says the meat is so good it comes without sauce. Customers pick their own sauce to put on. He makes all the recipes.

“The tangy Carolina mustard has a little bit of spice to it,” Moore said.

Moore didn’t have any culinary background when he started here. His journey started for a very different reason — his son.

“Carrying on his dream and his passion for what he did. We learned from him. The customers on vacation, they come in, and they’re happy, and they get to go skiing,” Moore said.

Moore’s son, Kyle Moore, worked at the ski shop inside the building. He was the manager and loved to ski. He died in a car accident, which is when his parents decided to move to Beech Mountain and work in the place he loved.

Now, James Moore puts his focus in the kitchen. Each plate is made special. The white cheddar mac and cheese is a hot item, along with baked beans.

All of the meat is not actually smoked here, but by a family that brings it to them. That is because of bears.

“I would not be able to keep them out of the smoker,” Moore said.

The business also has a gem mine and a rock climbing wall. It also has bunk beds for church groups or Boy Scouts.

Moore says it’s a one-stop shop, a destination high up on Beech Mountain.