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.

We had such a wonderful experience at Lily's in Boone! My daughter has celiac disease, and the…read morelevel of care they showed us was exceptional. The cook personally came out to discuss the menu and help us make safe choices, which gave us so much confidence and made us feel truly cared for. Our server, Presley, was absolutely fantastic--friendly, attentive, and thoughtful throughout our entire meal. He checked on us often, made sure everything was perfect, and went above and beyond to make our experience enjoyable. It's not always easy dining out with food allergies, but Lily's made us feel welcome and safe. The outstanding service and genuine hospitality mean we'll definitely be back. Highly recommend!

Lily's is incredible for vegan options in Boone. The tofu bites are so good (as were their…read morepredecessor: tempeh wings). The house made potato chips are something special, and at their best (in my opinion) dipped in the house made vegan ranch (vegan Lily's sauce is a close 2nd). Today we got teriyaki tofu nuggets, Buffalo tofu nuggets (both came with the chips and a dipping sauce) along with fried pickles (we got extra dipping sauces). It has a beach/tiki bar vibe inside (albeit slightly dark) with tables and a few parking spots out front. Dog friendly (outside) and even brought a dog bowl of water. We just love this place. Friendly service. Hospitable atmosphere with clear values (pro LGBTQ, anti-racism, etc.). Reasonable prices.

Service was impressively fast, and the staff even switched the TV to the Oscars so we could watch,…read morewhich was a thoughtful touch. The food was excellent across the board. I ordered the bacon grilled cheese, and it was seriously delicious--the only thing I would have changed is that I personally would have loved the bacon a bit crispier. We also sampled three beers, all of which were great. The High Country Honey had a subtle sweetness with a light hazelnut note. The Hatchet Coffee Porter was smooth with a rich roasted coffee flavor. My favorite was the El Chupacabra, which had a smooth profile with prominent vanilla and chocolate flavors. The ambiance was relaxed and welcoming, and the prices were extremely reasonable. Overall, it was a great experience. I would definitely recommend it and am already looking forward to coming back.

Great atmosphere, food and beer! I definitely recommend checking it out. Will for sure be back!read more

Superb evening at this sleek and modern lounge and restaurant in the lobby area of The Embers…read moreHotel. We weren't expecting such a high level experience when we first booked a stay at this newly finished hotel. Classy cocktails, beers, plenty of wine variety, you name it. Went with the Old Smokey as a starter. An old fashioned kicked up a notch. The house smoked maple syrup and charred orange peal knocked his cocktail out of the park. I could smell that smoky flavor from the other end of the bar as it was being made. Bartender was super friendly and had some great mixology skills. We opted for apps all evening, but can't wait to come back and try some more of the menu. The homemade bread is a must. These puppies come out hot and steaming, with this amazing bacon butter to lather them in...outstanding! Our server also recommended the mushroom pate. Mushroom pate you say?! Yes, yes I do. One of the best pate's we've had in a long time. Super flavorful, creamy and smooth. And the homemade chips sticking out of it were the bomb! Then the goat cheese fritters...I had to battle my wife for these flavor bombs. This place is outstanding and not many people know about it...yet. Newly finished in 2024, this is going to be our go to when we want to be right in the heart of Blowing Rock.

I enjoyed our dinner here, but I wanted an upscale romantic restaurant, and while it came up in my…read moresearch, that's not how I would describe this space. The restaurant is right off the lobby of a hotel. There is a small bar, and it's a small, but open concept dining area and it is LOUD in there. I enjoyed the old fashioneds, I got one smoked and one not, they were both very good. We split fried goat balls, and then I got the southern style fried rice. I thought both had creative flavors but enjoyed the rice better. You have to be very committed to that type of cheese to eat more than one - they are intense. I think I'd rather eat on the patio than inside and enjoy the fresh air and music they had. Lastly, give yourself time to find parking, the lot was full and people were circling when we got there. We got really lucky with a spot after circling the block.

Really a 4.5 and maybe a 5.0 for this area. And be quite honest a huge surprise given where it's…read morelocated. My son had the roasted chicken and I the primary New York strip... Both were off the charts as well as the grilled Caesar salad. Excellent wine selection albeit, small very well curated. Our sugar was Michael her who is attractive, personable, and been working there for sometime and offered tremendous value throughout the meal from his knowledge of the menu to the surrounding area. Looking forward my next visit! Next up there for me to try all the pasta and homemade sauce

The decor and ambiance are top notch!! Awesome big roaring fireplace, good bourbon selection (and…read moreI'm a bit of a snob) and the ribeye was KILLER! My second dinner in Boone (week long stay), and The Beacon takes the cake as best restaurant I've eaten at! Broccolini was damn good!! Well done y'all!!

limited menu.Food was delicious. my husband had the trout and he loved it. I had the bison…read moreBolognanase. a little heavy on the salt. pasta could have been cook a minute or so more. bread butter amazing. we also had r the Burrata dish. delicious but you def need the bread with it. service was Fabulous well informed staff.

Went for Christmas lunch and it was AWFUL. Just AWFUL. Minimal offerings with a carving "station"…read morethat only offered bloody roast beef. Weird salad, of sorts. Cold popovers. Hard bread smeared with some cream cheese and topped with 2 whole red grapes. Scalloped potatoes cooked to mush, canned yams with some marshmallows melted on top, green bean something from cans, "creamed" spinach that was thawed frozen chopped spinach with breadcrumbs on top-- nothing "creamed" about it. Half the buffet was hours-old leftover breakfast items like rubbery scrambled eggs, dry grits, and -- the worst-- alarmingly undercooked quiche served refrigetator-cold. Thought of the quiche still makes me a little queasy. Dessert station was weirdly dominated by no fewer than five whole buttermilk pies -- the only pie offered. SHAME ON CHETOLA for even offering this, and at upwards of $100 per person. My fault for not checking recent reviews but it is hard to see how anything could go downhill as far as Timblerlake's has. Ugh. Just terrible.

Not pictured - crab cake & Caesar salad & sticky toffee pudding…read more Every food dish was amazing!! My martini was great. Quiet restaurant & staff was very friendly. Service was quick as well. On the pricier side & small ish portions, but I felt that the food was worth it.

Zero Stars should be an option for LP on Main. Went there recently on a Friday night (with…read moreadvanced reservations). Was seated promptly and was greeted by server promptly. Drinks were a bit slow and the restuarant was about 40% full at 6pm. Wife asked for a substitution on her salad due to cheese allergy. HOLD THE PHONE! "No modifications or substitutions are allowed at this fine dining establishment", the server said! We didn't see this anywhere on the website or as we entered the fairly clean and uninviting dining room. We were told there will be NO subs/mods made to our dishes so you MUST choose another dish that doesn't trigger your allergies (even if it something you don't like to eat)! By the way, the menu is sparse at best with very little variety of offerings. We asked for the manager as we have traveled all over the world in unbelievable dining experiences and this one thinks it is so in demand it can ignore the basic level of customer service. This cannot be right, can it? In comes the manager. Whew, right?! Nope! The manager doubled down on this silly rigid and unprofitable policy so we finished our drinks and left. The staff probably enjoyed the apps we ordered and left prior to receiving or eating. We walked about a hundred yards and enjoyed a phenomenal dinner at a really great Italian place (name intentionally omitted) that modified their dishes to my wife's liking. LP on Main needs to look at its policies and quickly. No response from management is needed or desired. When you see this "complaint" over the years of this restaurant's policies the manager' response always deflects and invites the former patron/reviewer back to LP to make their experience better. Fix the mods and subs policy and you might see more customers. Until then, you will find us wining and dining in the Banner Elk Village where they appreciate our business and enhance our experience through basic customer service. Until then...

Service was great. location and vibe was awesome. we ate on the back patio. The tomato bisque as a…read moreside was the best food there. Flawless actually. The monte cristo was good. The salmon stack was not. But that may be just personal preference. I felt they were under cooked and the fish taste stood out way more than I was hoping for. Would go back and try something else though.

Stopped by for a late lunch today. I had not been able to come in for a couple of years and was…read morehappy to see that even though they had updated and changed their menu, they still had the same upscale menu that has always kept my family coming back! I had the original Smashburger. It was delicious. The fries were nice and hot. Everything was cooked perfectly. My waiter was Lance. He was helpful with the menu and very attentive. I had a glass of the house Chardonnay. It hit just the right notes for my lunch. I love that they use locally sourced ingredients. It was nice to see that the kids menu was more than just your normal three or four choices. Still one of my very favorites!