Our Story

The Pub & the People

History

A Downtown Murphy Landmark, Reborn

Poor Parson's Pub has stood on Tennessee Street in the heart of downtown Murphy for years — originally as an Irish-style pub called The Parson's Pub, a gathering place for locals and visitors alike.

In June 2025, chef and owner Scott Cleeton reopened the doors with a new vision: keep the soul of the pub, but raise the kitchen. The worn booths, the bar top, the character of the room — all of it stayed. What changed was what came out of the kitchen.

Today, Poor Parson's Pub is something you don't often find in the mountains: upscale food in a place that doesn't take itself too seriously. Come as you are. Leave full and happy.

"Over the last 30 years I have had the great pleasure to cook for over a million hungry guests. Since discovering this beautiful town, I have committed to cooking for my new friends and guests once more in a limited but enjoyable way."
— Scott Cleeton, Owner & Chef
Poor Parson's Pub exterior on Tennessee Street in downtown Murphy, NC
Dining room with antique piano
Bar area and booth seating
Cozy booth seating with candlelight
Chef Scott Cleeton at the wood-fired grill
The Kitchen

The Wood-Fired Grill

Everything at Poor Parson's Pub starts with fire. Real fire — live oak wood burning in an open grill visible right through the front window. It's not a gas burner dressed up to look the part. It's the real thing.

Every steak is cut in-house from USDA Prime beef, aged for optimal flavor, and finished over that wood fire. The smoke, the sear, the crust — that's what you're tasting in every bite.

Scott has spent three decades behind the line at restaurants across the country. He brought his craft here intentionally, to a small mountain town that deserves great food.

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The Atmosphere

A Pub With a Steakhouse Soul

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Walk in and you'll find an antique piano in the corner, neon signs behind the bar, taxidermy on the walls, and candlelit tables set for dinner. It's the kind of place where Murphy locals bring their out-of-town guests to show off what the mountains have to offer.

We're not fine dining. We're not a dive bar. We're somewhere better — a neighborhood steakhouse pub where the food punches well above the zip code and the drinks are always cold.

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