Food was great, interesting vibe outside (in front of a motel) but it was really nice and quaint…read moreinside. The sourdough bread was a bit hard for us, but it was okay. Drinks were just okay. I'm sure we could have chose something different and got a different result. Meatloaf and chicken were both so good! Best meatloaf of ever had!!! Don't tell my mother-in-law!

It's not the Over Yonder of Valle Cruis and can't say we'll be back…read more We made Sunday brunch resy, arriving ahead of our reservation. We weren't seated until ~20 minutes after our reservation. I can't say they were particularly understaffed or what the problem was. We get menus, no water or silverware. Seeing how service was we ordered everything at once. Food arrives and we have to ask for silverware. -BEC was fine. Nothing to rave home about. -Grits was creamy and buttery. -Trout bagel was fine, nothing special. -Fruit was basic Iced tea comes as we finished our food. I asked for the check as they cleared our plates. It arrives and we have the card ready. They didn't take it and didn't come back for 15 minutes. We were baffled. It was poor service all in and the menu and food didn't have the creativity and care as before. The atmosphere is transient, following it's hotel restaurant location. It's no longer the charming restaurant we once knew.

First night in blowing rock we got a rez here. Such a beautiful inn and restaurant and great…read moreservice. I had the halibut and chose acorn squash (all entrees come with mashed potatoes too). Delicious! One got steak au poivre and it was highly peppered but so tasty. One got steak and crab cake. One got Parmesan crusted chicken. Everything was so good! We brought home their signature banana cream pie and a peanut butter pie. Both great!

Make reservations months in advance for this gem! Located in an old stone manor, the Best Cellar is…read morethe best restaurant in Blowing Rock! The rack of lamb and buttermilk chicken are some of my favorites. The staff are very professional and seem to continue working there for years. The renovated the gathering area to make a rustic, yet upscale bar. Parking is not a problem because they offer valet.

Really nice place. We were seated quickly, even when busy. Drinks were good…read more Waiter was super nice. Food was good. We got the Philly cheese Philly and it was good, my wife really liked it, it had a lot of cheese. Nashville Chicken tenders as an addition was great! Will return!

Great atmosphere for a nice sunny day especially after a long hike!…read more What better way to replenish your fuel than coming to booneshine! The onion rings are battered very well and have the perfect crunch paired w a delicious sauce!! homemade too! I also ordered the supreme cauliflower crust small pizza. I would say it was definitely quite smaller than expected however it still hit the spot. The brews and drinks were of course delicious as well. I recommend coming on a nice day to sit outside on the lawn chairs as they also provide drinks outside and light bar food such as fries and burgers !

Food, ambiance, service(Ruby) were all great! We were seated promptly without a reservation,read more

This is our go to place for company and it never disappoints. Everybody got something different…read moreand shared. The chicken and dumplings were amazing, so much flavor. The fried chicken. on the side as a protein with the wedge salad, they said the best fried chicken they've ever had. The roasted salmon dish was this world. Service was great! We sat out on the patio because it was a little warmer than inside and everything couldn't have been more perfect.

Lovely dinner and resys are highly recommended during summer season. We stopped in on Saturday…read moreevening around 7 pm and had to wait for an opening, which took about 20 minutes. The staff was great, checking in to see if we wanted drinks as we waited. We ordered the below: - Quail - interesting take and very delicious, the rice was a delightful pairing - Beet salad - light and refreshing, the cheese complemented it well - Bison meatloaf - table next to us recommended it and we can see why! Rich and delicious. As someone who doesn't like meatloaf, I thoroughly enjoyed it. The mac and cheese with broccoli rabe was fitting It was busy so the bartender serving us apologized a few times. She was kept busy but was friendly.

While visiting from out of town a friend suggested this restaurant. The restaurant itself is fine…read more Open interior dining with a outside porch option and a friendly staff. Nothing at all fancy. Very expensive small portions. They had a blackberry old fashioned as a drink special. I love old fashioned but not flavored so I asked if a regular one could be made. What I got was bourbon on ice with a cherry. No orange peel, no muddled fruit, no orange bitters I could taste but at least the pour was decent. $12.00. As soon as our drinks hit we were asked if we were ready to order. We haven't been there 10 mins. I'm not a fan of that in any way. It's supposed to be a dining experience not fast food. So off to a weird start. After a second visit in 5 mins to order I asked for at least time to finish our cocktail. Why the rush? 8 tables were empty. I ordered the heirloom tomatoes app, $18! See photo and what I got was a bowl of chopped tomatoes in juice with olive oil and chunks of cheese. One step above a cold chunky tomato soup. The server did say it was "different" but $18 for 1 chopped tomato? I asked for salt as it was lacking but it was never brought. We ordered a bottle of wine called Caymus The Walking Fool Red Blend, menu price $100. It was very good so after a sip or two I looked it up on Vivino as I might buy some at retail. The retail price at Total Wine is $29.99! A $70 gouge mark up! Ouch. We like expensive wine and are aware of restaurant make up but $70? Now we are wondering what the main course is going to be like. We have growing discontent. I ordered the Ciopino $48.00. It was a tiny serving of tomato-ish broth, with 1 scallop, 2 shrimp and a tablespoon of codfish seasoned with slivers of fennel and a piece of bread. The piece of bread was the only reason you don't leave hungry after that dish. On a positive note the peach cake was pretty good. $12.00 Now my bill comes and there is a $7.71 Credit Card use charge. Jeeze, prolly won't go back.

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.

Café Violette is pure culinary perfection in the heart of vibrant and spunky Blowing Rock. My wife…read moreand I came up for a quick getaway, and this spot turned out to be the highlight of our trip. We lucked out with a table on the cozy patio sitting on Main Street, where the town buzzes with life. The interior is beautiful and refined, but the outdoor setting, with the fresh mountain air and the hum of the town, created the perfect backdrop for a special evening. Service was impeccable. Gracious, attentive, and perfectly timed throughout the night. We began with a chilled French Chenin Blanc that paired beautifully with our appetizers. The escargot, bathed in a garlic cream and Gruyère sauce, was rich and mouth meltingly tasty. The braised and seared octopus was incredibly tender, deeply flavorful, and quite honestly, one of the best we've had anywhere. For mains, we shared the heirloom tomato burger, which was juicy, perfectly cooked, and packed with flavor. Alongside that, we split the mushroom burrata orecchiette, pillowy pasta coated in a creamy lemon pistachio pesto with locally sourced mushrooms. It was rich, bright, and beautifully composed. When dessert rolled around, we switched things up with cocktails. I had the old fashioned with a pistachio twist, complex and not overly sweet. My wife enjoyed a smooth and flavorful espresso martini. Both paired wonderfully with the finale: a creamy, light tiramisu and a house-made French éclair with fresh peaches. Each bite was the perfect ending to an already stunning meal. From start to finish, Café Violette delivered. The food, the service, the atmosphere, and the view all came together in the best possible way. This is French fine dining with soul, nestled in one of North Carolina's most charming towns. An absolute must-visit in Blowing Rock.

We had Stephanie she is the best waitress. This was the second time she was our server the fist…read morewas Mothers Day. Stephanie was chipper and it was the end of a long day for here. There were three of us and we had a lovely meal My daughter and I had amazing salmon so favourable it came with a bed of rice so creamy. I asked for bread it was hot and smelled so heavenly. We also had a small dinner salad I had Caesar and my daughter had regular small salad with ranch. Michael had steak and scallops cooked to perfection. The ladies had wine and Michael had his brown sugar old fashioned with extra cherries . Then we ordered two deserts a coconut cream brûlée and a pichstasio cake. We all liked the crème brûlée best. Stephanie was extremely attentive and we wanted for nothing. We will ask for her next time as well. Thank you chef and Stephanie for a lovely evening.

Eclectic top shelf dining in the heart of Banner Elk downtown. Love the downtown square here with…read morenumerous restaurants, walking, live music, coffee, dessert, you name it. And Chef's Table here is outstanding. Sorrento's is the Italian restaurant downstairs, while Chef's Table is the restaurant upstairs. One entry, two restaurants with completely separate kitchens and chefs. We started with a beef carpaccio, tomato bread and the Saluna specialty sushi roll. Everything was prepared to perfection. The main event was my sea bass. This was one of the best fish dishes I've had in a while. Perfectly cooked, tender and melted in your mouth. The buttery sauce lifted it to another level. If you're in the area, definitely try this place!

This place is amazing! Upstairs hidden gem. Food is 5 star, great wine selection. The best part is…read morethe bananas foster made right at your table. Fantastic service!