love the purpose and mission behind the cafe, and that they have vegan and other options for those with dietary restrictions

Okay, I have had a vacation house in Boone for over 23 years ..even one of my kids went to App State, and I really feel ashamed I have not noticed FARM over the thousands of times I have walked down King Street. Dori and I were looking for lunch one day while visiting Boone, and ended up in FARM, mainly due to visiting Boone Belles right next door. What was an accidental encounter turned in a fantastically spiritual experience. Like all my write ups, I am giving my opinion based on the type of restaurant, service level expectation and the price. The business model is to feed everyone who walks in whether you can pay for it or not. You can eat for free, pay $10 (or as much as you like), buy food tokens to leave in the token jar (passing on a meal) or work off your food in the kitchen or helping out... again as much or little as you want. The atmosphere is what your would expect in a cafeteria with folks servicing you off the line. The food is fresh farm to table and you only pay $10 for your meal, of which they have few options and basically tell what you can order. ... the food for the price was exceptional. There were folks from all walks of life from well off families to homeless folks off the street. The tables are tight and few in number, but not so much to be instructive. They are close enough to do one of my favorite things, meeting people and hearing their stories. So eat, meet and move on to make room for others. You really can miss it if you do not know it's there...look for it tucked away between Boone Belles and the Horton Hotel. In summary, if you are looking for a different dinner adventure, a good meal for services and price, and want to do some good in the world please check out the FARM Restaurant. read more

The best spot in Boone for lunch. A different, but consistently excellent menu every day. Super friendly staff and a super environment that connects you with all the folks that make Boone great. read more

Nutritious lunch, great service, friendly staff in an old lunch counter atmosphere. Take out is available too. Buy your lunch and give a token to buy someone else's lunch too. F.A.R.M. ~Feed All Regardless of Means where you can get a prepaid meal or work for your meal, if needed. Celebrating their work in the community everyday, I urge you to learn more and support. read more

GREAT PLACE!!!! The food is fresh and delicious, the staff is wonderful. I love the concept.

We finally were able to stop by for lunch. Wonderful cafe. Volunteers are very helpful and explained everything to us. Food was really delicious - especially the soup! You pay either the suggested donation or a bit more or you volunteer. Great idea - everyone eats! read more

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I came by this restaurant as a part of The Watauga Leadership challenge. This place offers a pay what you can motto to help those during tough times. But make no mistake, you are getting quality meals here. I had the chickpea, sweet potato and coconut soup which was delicious, the Cuban Picadillo served over basmati rice and a salad with the best Balsamic dressing I ever had. The food is top notch, the servers are a friendly and the food is spectacular. read more

While we love the idea of giving back this restaurant embraces, the food is awful! I have bought their food through the Food Hub three different times, Hoping I would get one good dish, I ended throwing away all of them. The soup was particularly flavorless. Please find better chefs/cooks FARM cafe! I want to support you, but not if your food is this bad. read more

FARM cafe is fresh, delicious and supports a great mission! My family and I came back almost every day during our vacation - I wish they would publish a cookbook, I loved the fresh, inventive local cuisine. read more

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I dropped in on a visit today. The food is exceptional, and the concept is brilliant. I look forward to returning and discovering similar restaurants in the future. Also, the staff was very friendly and quick with a beautifully diverse meal that really married well in flavors and could have easily run me $20+ in a finer dining experience. Wow - just wow. read more

FARM is doing amazing things, even during COVID! I love how they have set the restaurant up safely to pick up to-go orders. The soup I had the day I came for lunch was amazing, and so was the fish entree. Everything tasted so fresh!! read more

Great idea and great food for a great price. Service was super. If you can't afford to eat you can volunteer to work for your meal. Will go again if we are ever back in the area. read more

So while the food was mediocre, the mission is 100% admirable. FARM stands for Feeding All Regardless of Means. They are a pay-what-you-can cafeteria style place. They list a suggested donation price but they won't turn you away if you can't pay that full amount. You can also volunteer for 1 hour and receive a free meal that way. They have a set menu for each day and it changes. On the day I was there, there were 2 soups, 2 pastas, salad, and apple pie. I love the mission! And I would love to support groups like this more often. Keep up the good work. read more

Please support this place. They use the freshest food, and they are serving their community. If you do not have the financial means to cover your meal, no problem.. donate your time instead to help out around the kitchen for an hour. They are creative with their food creations but there are different options. read more

Great company with a great cause. A lot of people don't realize just how good the food is here. A++++ read more

The mission behind the cafe is what brought me. Their local sourcing and giving back to the community are phenomenal. I had the soup with green chili, followed by the chicken and sausage tacos with roasted vegetables, rice, and beans. The food tasted great and was cooked very well. We spoke with the chef and she talked about the history of the restaurant, as well as the mission. It was very inspirational and being able to hear how they give back to the community made it a much richer experience. read more

Fantastic food and exceptional service. I'm blown away by the mission of this restaurant. Can't be beat - 95% food sourced from local farms, fresh and healthy food, feeding people regardless of ability to pay. I was moved by the generosity of it all and that no compromise was made around quality of meal and service. Well done, FARM, thank you for setting an example for what's possible in the food industry when we seek to be intentional. Triple bottom line - we all do better when we all do better. Thank you!! read more

F A R M Cafe - Cafes Near Me - Boone, North Carolina

The motto of FARM is Feed All Regardless of Means but don't expect that to mean they skimp on quality. The food is delicious! We stopped in on our way through Boone and grabbed lunch. I got the small plate and my husband got the large plate. We made a $20 donation and left stuffed! We went on a Thursday, which is always Rueben Pattymelt day. We are each got a cup of soup, half a Reuben, two kinds of salad, sweet potato fries, garlic green beans, sweet tea, and a cookie. The Rueben Pattymelt was a unique twist on the Reuben. It had a pork and beef patty, caramelized onions, kraut, and dressing on grilled rye. The sweet potato fries were savory and delicious. There were two soup choices - we both chose ham and bean - a classic comfort soup. The apple fennel walnut salad was delicious paired with a green salad. All in all it was a great lunch! read more

FARM Cafe is a "pay what you can" community restaurant. I've never heard of this concept before and I absolutely love it. Even better than that is the fact that the food is healthy, gourmet and tasty. On the day of my visit, I was on vacation in Boone, with a friend who is a local of the area. She recommended that we stop by. On the day of our visit, they were serving vegetarian shepards pie, apple & fig salad, among other tasty bites. The restaurant itself is very simple, but has a homey, warm, inviting feel. The food is outstanding. And of course, they get a 5 star review for their generosity and kindness of offering up food for whatever any person can afford to pay for it. 2 thumbs way up! read more

The Wall Street Journal recently mentioned FARM Cafe as a "must-stop" on a culinary road trip through Appalachia. You can read the article here: http://www.wsj.com/articles/a-yes-culinary-road-trip-through-appalachia-1413564789 I've eaten here many times, and the food is always amazingly flavorful. The executive chef was once the sous chef at nearby Westglow Spa, which was rated one of the best in the nation by Travel & Leisure Mag. This week, I enjoyed a cup of sweet potato stew, cornbread chicken cordon bleu, and honey dijon cauliflower & spinach. Eating here is especially memorable because it's one of 50+ pay-what-you-can cafes across the nation and you can be a part of the gourmet, pay-it-forward movement that seems to be gaining popularity. read more

Had a great time eating lunch there today. As soon as I walked in I was greeted by the friendly staff, who informed me of the atypical process. There are three plate sizes with suggested donations for each, which allows you to pay what you're able. The food was very tasty, fresh and enjoyable. I highly recommend it for a laid back lunch or dinner. read more

F A R M Cafe - Medium plate with curried chicken breast, green beans, rice, lentil soup and baklava cake for desert. - Cafes Near Me - Boone, North Carolina

Today was the Cafe's grand opening, and it was amazing! I just have to say that their crab cakes were some of the best I've ever had! Jumbo lump crab meat and a light coating, cooked perfectly, topped with a wonderful aioli. It was amazing! Your Previous Reviews 6/16/2012 4.0 star rating Feed yourself while helping others! What a great combination! Great prices- you pay per plate. They have suggested price, and you pay what you can. They're hoping you'll throw in a couple of extra dollars for all the good work that this nonprofit organization manages throughout the year. They've taken over the old counter at Boone Drug, which made me sad, and are quickly becoming a favorite for their fresh ingredients and friendly faces. Volunteers that can help their top notch chef cook up and serve daily offerings are always welcome. Does this sound like an ad? It's not often that we get such an innovative and delicious way to help others in our community, so I'm not sorry to put a little plug in for these hard working people! read more

Let me explain why the FARM Cafe is a verb. More than the place to have absolutely wonderful and healthy (those terms are not mutually exclusive, at least not here) food, it is also the place to meet great people -- either the helpful and friendly staff & volunteers but also the other patrons. This is the place to experience what genuine community is all about and Boone is a wonderful and sophisticated enclave of young people, students, professors, artisans, and long-time residents who are all very connected to their community. Still can't figure out why I say the FARM Cafe is a verb? Remember when Google was just a search engine? Less than ten years ago it officially became a verb to mean to search the internet for information. To me, "I'm going to FARM Cafe today" really means that "I'm going to have a great meal and connect with the community." And if your are only visiting the area, a visit to the FARM Cafe is a shortcut to learn what the High Country is genuinely about. read more

The F.A.R.M. Cafe is revolutionary and delicious! Their mission is to Feed All Regardless of Means, and so members of the community are able to exchange work hours for food or pay what they can. 90% of the cafe is run by volunteer workers, and everyone is super friendly, caring, and hardworking! On top of their awesome contributions to the community the food is AMAZING, FRESH, and tastes like HOME COOKING! read more

I love the F.A.R.M. Cafe! It's a wonderful community kitchen with tasty, gourmet, locally sourced food! I originally found the cafe while looking for volunteer opportunities but have come to love it for the delicious meals and sense of community. Most work is done by volunteers, customers pay what they can and for those with limited means, volunteer for an hour and enjoy a free meal. Meals change daily and always include a vegetarian option. Some of my favorites include: baked spaghetti, tamale pie, various soups and stews, fresh salads with homemade dressings and their incredible patty melt Rubens! Give the cafe a try and enjoy a delicious meal while helping this wonderful community! Feed All Regardless of Means! read more

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WOW. Not only was the food awesome at F.A.R.M. but their ethos & volunteers' attitudes were of the highest standard! So cool to have a meal knowing its made with quality ingredients by kind-hearted people, and it makes a difference for people in need. We will definitely be back next time we're in Boone, and will be looking up the other locations around the country! P.S. Amazing patty melt Reuben! Yum. read more

Chef Renee is brilliant and her vegetarian meals keep getting better and better. Today the menu had french bread pizzas, with hummus, olives, artichoke hearts, sun dried tomatoes and cheese. They were just delicious with some wild rice, cranberry and pecan salad and a green bean, snap pea and sweet potato medley on the side. Finishing that off with a moist, chocolaty brownie made the whole experience perfect! Last week, there were sublime stuffed peppers, with mushrooms, artichoke hearts and wild rice, and an almond aoli on top to finish! You really should stop in and try something from the buffet! The community spirit is palpable! read more

I love this concept for a restaurant and the food is very fresh and very well prepared. Great place to dine.

Delicious food and great service! Love the concept of paying what you can. We paid a lot, because we could, and didn't have time to volunteer as we were paying through. We come here annually and our kids want to make this a tradition read more

This place is amazing! Very tasty and fresh food, with great variety. Such a neat concept as everyone pays what they're able and it's a great service for those that can't pay for their meal. The recommended amount is $7 for a small plate and $10 for a large. One recommendation is that the size of the plates could be a bit larger as they pile it up on a small​ plate and there isn't room to cut your food. Each day they post their menu online for the day, as choices vary daily. We went in Friday and the fish was tasty with delicious sides, and the veggie soup was my fav. We took our 2 boys and they weren't as impressed, but my husband and I loved​ this place. Service was great with friendly faces too! read more

This is one of the last "authentic Boone" businesses still in town. I ate at the bar all the time when it was still the old Boone Drug Diner and, thankfully, it hasn't changed all that much. The food just got better and cheaper! HIGHLY recommended for a no-frills, communal eatery. read more

Friendly people making tasty down-home eats for all God's children. Check it out! read more

This is the yummiest and coolest place ever, lunch today was delicious and the mission behind it is amazing. Wish there were more like these around the country!!! read more

Really enjoyed our experience at FARM. The fresh food was excellent and love the concept of pay what you can. Will go back

Tried this place out while in town recently and was very impressed. They seated us just minutes before their kitchen as closing and took our large group in on a rainy afternoon. We had a big crew with 2 strollers and they were super accommodating in helping us find places to put everything. Love the local, farm feel. Everyone's food was excellent and there were many clean plates! read more

Great concept! feed all regardless of means. Happened in on Meatless Monday! Had really great vegan and vegetarian food.

FARM = Feed All Regardless of Means. Great concept and even better food. I'll be back!

An amazing community cafe that is welcoming to locals and visitors alike. The food is fresh, local, and delicious, and the rotating menu makes me try a new favorite every time. Boone wouldn't be the same without F.A.R.M.! read more

The food was incredible, but the restaurant purpose is even better! They aim to provide everyone with good food so meals are priced by recommended donation! A great way to fill your stomach AND heart :) read more

F.A.R.M. cafe is a fantastic addition to the the Boone community. Every single person that works here is completely dedicated to making Boone a better place, and to making sure everyone here is as comfortable as possible. I honestly couldn't say enough good things about this establishment! Not only is the staff and the cause great, but the food is to die for as well. I would absolutely recommend anyone in Boone check out this place! read more