There isn’t anything illegal about a certain type of ‘Bootleggers’ in Carter County.

The restaurant, located right off Highway 321 near Dollar General in Hampton, has been opened for the past three months and business continues to pick up steam with growth on the horizon, according to owner Josh Soller.

Soller, originally from New Jersey, made the move to Hampton from Sevier County two years ago while assisting his sick mother.

“I was taking care of my mom (Theresa), who had cancer, and we moved up from Sevierville,” Soller said. “We came up here probably about two years ago.”

“The idea came up during that time. I’d always cook for her since it was hard for her to do things going through chemotherapy,” he added. “She was always talking about how I should open up my own restaurant. Before this I was in real estate.”

There was no hesitation of setting up shop in town, Soller said, adding that he has become a big fan of Hampton since moving in.

“I love the area,” he said. “I was driving by one day and I saw this little building and decided to turn it into a kitchen. It’s been awesome since we opened. The people of Hampton have been incredible. I love it, man.”

With the summer heat cranking up and Watauga Lake seeing an influx of traffic from visitors, Bootleggers has been able to reap some of the rewards being right off the highway, Soller said.

“We’ve definitely seen a lot more people come through,” he said. “We do a lot of homemade style food here and there’s a lot of people that come from different areas that have heard about what we’re doing. We also do a lot of barbeque. It has just been really great so far.”

Customers are treated with an outdoor eating area on the premises and food is available for pick up. The restaurant has a smoker that is used to cook up a variety of treats for the public.

Bootleggers features an expansive menu, including barbeque brisket, pulled pork, cheese steaks, french fries, and a host of other items. Soller added that the eatery will have smoked prime rib this week.

“You name it and we’ll have it,” he said. “Even if we don’t have it on the menu, most likely we can make it.”

Soller added the Bootleggers will aim at having a pig roast to celebrate the Fourth of July next month.

Bootleggers is open seven days a week, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. on weekdays and 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. during the weekend. For more information on the restaurant, or to place an order, call 423-520-6328.