Latitudes Bar

The format is simple: a bar and lounge seating, with cocktails, a selection of beer and wine, and appetizers or snacks. Sports viewing is a regular feature, and the room fills up when a big game is on. On quieter nights the pace slows, and it becomes a place for conversation.

The resort is a casino environment, so expect resort pricing on drinks. If you want local-bar prices, expect a difference. The kitchen output is designed for sharing and snacking, not for anchoring a meal, so if you want dinner, plan a sit-down restaurant elsewhere in the resort.

• Adults staying at the resort who want a drink without leaving the building.
• Visitors who have finished dinner elsewhere and want a quieter place to end the evening.
• Sports fans who want a game on a screen and a drink in hand.

Casino properties have age rules, and the gaming floor is for adults 21 and older. Check with the resort about age policies for the bar and lounge before bringing anyone under 21.

The resort's phone number is 828-497-8880, and the Harrah's Cherokee site lists current dining and bar information. Bar hours at casino resorts can vary by day and season, so call ahead.

Cherokee is the North Carolina gateway to Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The resort is a short drive from the Oconaluftee Visitor Center, where you can find park information; see the NPS visitor centers page. The Museum of the Cherokee People is in town, and makes a good daytime stop before an evening at the resort.

I-40 through the Pigeon River Gorge remains one lane each way with a reduced speed limit, so build extra time into your drive from Asheville or Tennessee.

• If you plan to drink, use the resort's rooms or arrange a ride instead of driving mountain roads late.

Latitudes is an ordinary hotel-casino bar done with some care. It will not be the reason you visit Cherokee, but it is a comfortable place to end the day.