Craft Bistro

Boondocks Brewing is where I had lunch after going to Ashe County Cheese Store and seeing some of…read morethe murals downtown. It is West Jefferson's first commercial brewery. The restaurant opened back in 2012. It is veteran-owned and employee-run. The restaurant doesn't have its own parking lot, but there is free parking on the street and in nearby lots. There is both inside seating, with a bar, but I didn't get much of a chance to see that as I opted to sit outside. I was enjoying the much cooler temperatures in Ashe County and decided to enjoy the fresh air. The outdoor patio isn't overly fancy--it features standard picnic tables--but it is fully covered and provides a very nice, relaxing open-air environment. My waitress was as friendly as could be and gave me plenty of time to look at the menu as I was having trouble deciding between a burger, the pot roast or the apple salad. I went with the pot roast as it was something not on the menu at most places. It was roasted for 8 hours and had mashed potatoes, veggies and gravy. It was delicious, and I was happy with my choice. Although I am sure I would have enjoyed the other options, I narrowed my choice down to them as well. Boondocks is a gem of West Jefferson, and I've already been planning a return trip.

We stopped in for a late lunch around 2 p.m. The restaurant is in a great location right on the…read moremain strip in downtown West Jefferson, and it looked inviting from the outside. After looking over the menu online beforehand, we were excited to give it a try. We were seated right away, but then waited over five minutes before anyone acknowledged our table. Our server, AJ (Adrianne, I believe), was friendly enough, but she seemed a bit overwhelmed or possibly stretched too thin. Since we'd already been waiting, we were ready to order both drinks and our meals at the same time, and that seemed to throw off the usual routine. Throughout the meal, it felt like we were inconveniencing her whenever we needed something, including asking if the music could be turned down. The food was the highlight. I had the biscuits with pimento cheese and fried green tomatoes, and the pimento cheese was exactly how I like it. My husband's tuna sandwich was good, although he wasn't a fan of the house fries--they were extremely thick, almost like eating a baked potato cut into wedges. We also ordered half sweet/half unsweet tea, but it was still much sweeter than we expected. The dining room itself felt a little plain for such a large space, and the 60s and 70s music was louder than we would have liked during lunch. Overall, the food was definitely the best part of our visit, and I'd order my meal again. With a little more attentive service and a more comfortable dining atmosphere, this could have been a much better experience.

Fried okra side - delicious!!

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Town Tavern

3.7(23 reviews)

Thanks for hosting us this World Cup evening. We sat at the bar and had pretzels and beer and want…read moreto lift up the personable service and good company in the tavern. Highly recommend for watching a match as there's a plethora of screens!

I bet the only spot in West Jefferson that gets more foot traffic than Town Tavern is the Walmart…read more Seriously, this place didn't seem to slow down during our stay in town. Anything that draws people into small towns to keep them energized is a good thing, I think. Things were a bit loud inside, and the weather was nice when we visited, so we took seats out between the sidewalk and street. The hostesses were a bit disorganized though, as they seemed to be working against one another; one cleared a table for us but then her colleague offered it to other patrons, and then the pair of staff members tried sending us to two different tables at the same time. We were able to order quickly, thankfully, but there was some delay in actually getting the food, and then we didn't see much of our waitress until it was time to pay. Was she just inattentive or was this a reflection of the staff being overworked? It's hard to say. The consensus about the food was that it was of reasonable value but only of moderate quality. The house salad was quite large but was made up largely of lettuce stalk material, and many of the other components were chopped to a miniscule level that made them relatively tasteless and undetectable. Reuben sandwiches contained a fair portion of meat and cheese but were a bit dry as only a tiny bit of dressing was present. It would seem that the draw here might be more about the adult beverages, or so it appeared amongst our neighboring tables, though none of our party chose to go that route. So on the basis of food quality alone, I'd say this is a welcome option versus fast food but certainly nothing to make a special trip for.

Pub Pretzels and Warm Cheese Sauce

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The Hideaway

4.4(10 reviews)

48.2 mi

•$

Time of my ugly life here, loved it! Pluse I got a great ride home from a guy in a big blue Ram!…read moreUber Mike.

My friend wanted to come here since he's into rock/metal. We were here for like 1 hour or so…read more Place was chill. I find it pretty awesome that everyone was wearing black in a goth/emo style. Also the place is kind of big and they also have a stage for the live bands. The bands that played that day were pretty rad I think all of them were local bands. I think it's great that this place supports local bands. I really like that they had collection of skateboards on wall. Addtionally I would've given this place a 5 star but they don't serve mixed drinks only beer which is a bummer for me. So I didn't get to drink because of that and also one of the reasons we left. They also had a cover charge which was at a decent price. Furthermore if y'all are looking for chill place I recommend trying this place out.

Tarvo owner / band booker incredible bands and hangout!!!

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Comedy hideaway canned beer

Black Jack's Pub & Grill

3.3(231 reviews)

•$

Nice meal sitting outside on a picnic tables, with the dogs. Food was delicious- would definitely…read morerecommend

Went to grab a quick lunch in downtown Jefferson at Black Jack's! I got the Black Jack Burger (beef…read morepatty, bun, pepper jack cheese, grilled pineapple, bacon, lettuce, tomato, onion, mayo) and Iced Tea. I have no notes, this was a classic burger: I loved the hint of spice from pepperjack, the sweet contrast from the pineapple, and the patty was perfectly cooked. The pub chips were well-seasoned and crispy. The iced tea had just the right amount of sugar, and was very refreshing. The ambiance is fine: a bit dim inside, but there's also outside seating. Service was friendly & fast. Parking is free in downtown Jefferson. 10/10 would recommend!

Bar

The baby and I mean BABY wing!

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Exterior

Appalachian Mountain Brewery

4.5(246 reviews)

16.9 mi

We always come back here whenever we're in town.. best pizza in the food truck service was awesome…read more They have plenty of space outside inside .. pet friendly

Food was from a food truck on the parking lot. My wife enjoyed the beer and ales, I had a cream…read moresoda which fair. Prices were high like everywhere the

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The Local

4.3(903 reviews)

16.6 mi

Went to the Local with my wife last night. Sat inside . We ordered Steak and Frites. We shared it…read moreand the steak was delicious. The amount of fries that came with it was enough for 3 people. The atmosphere is good and the beer selection is also very good. Our waitress was excellent and overall we enjoyed it very much. Definitely recommend coming here when in Boone.

I was visiting my son in Boone, as we move him into college... Ordered the wings, I had what I…read morebelieve was a blackened goat cheese, and fig burger with caramelized onions, which was off the charts, my son had the Salmon. Ratings- He gave the salmon a seven I give my Burger a nine, and the wings were about a seven(dry rub). That said, sitting at the bar was absolutely a treat... Erin was fantastic. Will 100% return and this is definitely a spot not to be missed. Also fantastic beer selection!!!

Bar area

Pulled Pork & Smoked Gouda Nachos

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PULLED PORK & SMOKED GOUDA NACHOS

Red Dog Bar / Bistro

4.5(53 reviews)

15.5 mi

While staying in the area, we were happy to find that this little bar & grill was not only super…read moreclose to our Airbnb, but also the best in the area. We ate here twice during our stay and were happy with everything we got - the All American burger, lamb gyro, white wine & garlic butter clams and carrot cake. Despite being just about the only non-locals in the place, the bartenders and chef were super friendly and helpful. Our only regret was that they were closed Sunday night, Monday and Tuesday!

Best restaurant in the area we drive 30 minutes to get there food is always great and consistent…read moreburger was cooked perfect. Service is always top notch, inside is country like but has a waiting area with board games. It's a little dark inside but it's a great place.

Outside of the restaurant

Cracklins & barbecue sauce

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Chocolate cake

The Town Tavern of Blowing Rock

3.5(345 reviews)

21.4 mi

Had lunch Wednesday. Great staff and outstanding food…read more Had the steak burger very good. Others in our party had a Rubin sandwich, fish sandwich and the Tavern burger. All were out standing. Our waitress was Sara and she was great.

We stopped here on a beautiful spring Sunday morning, and it was the perfect way to start the day…read morebefore exploring Blowing Rock. There's so much to do in the area, and this was a great first stop. The food was excellent, the service was excellent, and the menu had a really nice variety. We sat outside on the patio, which made the whole experience even better on such a nice morning. I ordered the blackened shrimp salad, and it was outstanding. It was a very large salad loaded with fresh vegetables, some fruit, and plenty of blackened shrimp. Everything tasted fresh, flavorful, and well prepared.

Bar area

Buffalo Chicken side pasta salad

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Menu

Just Wing It

4.2(19 reviews)

We've visited this restaurant twice in the last month. If we were rating the food alone, it's a…read moresolid four stars--maybe even five for simple, well-done bar food. Unfortunately, the service brings our overall rating down to three stars. After our first visit, we thought the rudeness we encountered might have just been a fluke, so we gave it another try about four weeks later. Sadly, it wasn't. Both times, the hostess seemed visibly annoyed to seat us, as if helping customers was a burden. On our second visit, we didn't even bother with a table--we sat at the bar. Unfortunately, the servers on both occasions carried the same attitude, acting as though serving us was an inconvenience. The worst moment came when my wife asked the bartender a simple question: which sauce he preferred between two options. He actually laughed in her face, rolled his eyes, and replied with a snarky tone, "We make one in-house and the other is store-bought." She had to call him out by saying, "What's so funny? I don't work here, how would I know that?" Only then did his attitude shift, and while he became friendlier afterward, the first impression was already made. It's a shame, because the food is genuinely good. On our first visit, we had an Italian sandwich, a burger, and some boneless wings--all excellent. On our second visit, we liked the wings so much that we each ordered them again, trying several flavors. The only miss were the pub chips--nothing special there. Overall, if you're willing to risk unfriendly service, the food is worth trying. Maybe you'll catch the staff on a better day. To those about to dine--good luck!

Read carefully…read more.. Awesome wing joint. Good beer. Good prices. Great wings! However... beware. Cam, behind the bar, is a HOT MESS. He's batshit crazy! If asked, he'd say customers like me make him this way. I think it's in his soul! (Grin). Seriously, though, Cam and the rest of the staff make me feel at home here. Great little local haunt, and open late (for the mountains!). Maybe it's the crazy???!

Boneless wings

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Hillbilly Grill

3.8(82 reviews)

0.4 mi

•$

The food is delicious. Remarkable: biscuits and gravy-- homemade biscuits with a delicious white…read moregravy. Ruben Sammie was outta sight: savory, saucy, satisfying! Don't miss the blackberry cobbler and ask about seasonal items, like pumpkin items in the fall. Service was prompt, friendly, and stopped by to check on us. Be aware, they pass on credit card / debit card charges to the customer, so paying cash is cheaper. The establishment was clean (floors, tables, and chairs / booths). The decorations fit the setting of West Jefferson and Appalachia: hillbilly but nice, warm, and comfortable. I enjoyed the "how to talk like a redneck" sign on the wall, among the other locally inspired decorations. We would return and recommend you check it out.

We ordered the Philly cheesesteak omelet with biscuit and one with a pancake! Biscuit didn't taste…read morelike it was homemade but the omelet was great! I will say it isn't a very big restaurant and it was pretty warm inside.