My wife and I made the trek to do a day trip to watch all the beautiful colors this time of year…read moreone sees throughout the blue ridge mountains . To the important part , Howard Station is a must stop whether you are a local or from out of town . As soon as you enter you will be warmly greeted and given seating options . We chose to sit at the bar and were given excellent service . From how quickly we were given our drinks to the turn around on ordering and receiving our food , it was exceptional !!! I chose to try the maple bacon wings . Guys , I could eat a bucket of these !! They come out golden brown , lightly crisped on the outside and super tender smoked chicken meat on the inside . The dry rub - maple complement each other immensely well, you get salty , you get sweet, you get maple syrup smells , it's an A+ experience in addition to the warm safe ambiance . Treat yourself to Howard Station, it's a must try!

The meat was incredibly dry & tough on both the shredded chicken and pork sandwiches…read more The sauces were not impressive - not thick enough (thin liquid) and without a lot of flavor. The sides were also unremarkable - the fried okra was a little burned and soggy and the coleslaw was not crispy. The menu had limited choices. It's too bad that this NC town has only one good BBQ restaurant

Great experience during my vacation to the Blue Ridge Mountains! Great food, environment, and…read morepeople! When I vacation again down the road I will definitely visit again! Shout out to the 'Hostess with the Mostess'! Keep being awesome I highly recommend this place. It is a lot of fun.

We had lunch there today. Very fast friendly service…read more The food was outstanding as always. The smell of fresh pit cooked bbq as you walk in gets you ready. They now have Alabama white bbq sauce and it is good.

We ate lunch here on Monday and went inside. Ordered our…read morefood on the kiosk with no issues. They alert you on your phone when it's ready. Every thought was very good. We will be back.

Come Back Shack is a fast food restaurant. But it is different than what you think of fast food…read more The original Boone location has a drive-thru and both indoor and outdoor seating. My burger was delicious and above and beyond any fast-food burger I have had before, at comparable prices. They serve grass-fed beef, chuck, round and sirloin. It is fresh, not frozen, and the meats are without hormones. My portion of fries was large, and I couldn't finish them. A smaller portion option would have been nice. I found the setup here confusing, as I wasn't sure where to enter from the parking lot, and then I wasn't sure where to order. Ordering is done at the kiosk or via a QR code. So expect a wait for the kiosk. I use kiosks and apps often, but this particular system was not smooth. I found the kiosk not as easy to use as it should have been; after I selected what I wanted, there was no way to get to the next screen to check out. I went with the build-your-own and was also disappointed that tomatoes weren't an option to add to the burger, but maybe they were out. They are a cashless business. When your order is ready, it is placed on a front cart, while drinks and sauces are self-serve. If I return, I will likely stick to the drive-thru, as that seems to be a much smoother ordering experience. Having a real person take your order and hand you everything you need at the window beats fighting with the kiosk inside.

My girlfriend and I were in town for a friends daughters wedding. We were craving some thing in the…read morepig category and stopped in the Pedalin pig for a bite. It was a little bit pricey, but we found out why; the portions were big enough for two meals. I would also suggest you not come here unless you want good food served from a very pleasant staff, and are ready to take some thing home with you. All said, we had a great experience, and the food was very good. I fancy myself a barbecue aficionado. I had standard pulled pork. It was very good and my girlfriend had brisket with great flavor. Our sides were also very good. I would recommend a try for everyone.

I have so many good memories of this place when it was under the Woodlands banner, as this was…read morealmost certainly the best barbecue in the High Country in those days. The Pedalin' Pig may reside in the same location that Woodlands once occupied, and the layout may not be different, but nothing feels genuine about the food offered here. The quality and flavor of the offerings seem equivalent to pre-packaged barbecue and sides you'd pick up in a supermarket. I must not be the only one unimpressed, for this place used to be quite popular but now I rarely find many diners present here. Lower demand may be helping the speed of service, and the staff members seem pleasant, but I wonder if such a landmark is destined to fade into failure. Finding that Woodlands magic would be a great way to recover, but it seems unlikely. For the record, I've also eaten at Pedalin' Pig locations in Boone and Banner Elk, and I've never been impressed by them either. If you like those, then maybe the food here will suit you fine. But if you prefer the Woodlands of old, friends, you'd best just rely on your memories rather than trying what's left behind.

They make amazing food every time! Servers are so friendly. Sometimes it's a wait for a table, but…read moreit's worth it. I love that they have modifications you can make if you have food allergies or you don't particular ingredient.

We ate here last night and sat in the bar area. After about 10 minutes, I went to the hostess and…read moreasked who our server was supposed to be, I.e., maybe this place was different than others and the bar tender didn't service the tables (she did). The hostess took our drink and food order, and took care of us because the bartender was *that* inattentive. I ordered a double Maker's Mark neat, and my wife ordered a Manhattan. My drink came neat, but it was a Manhattan. My wife'sa Manhattan came on ice, as ordered. The pours were really, really tiny. We both ordered bowls, which were decent. Nothing to write home about. Bottom line - food okay; service terrible, but saved by Sadie, the hostess. She got a nice tip. The bartender got nothing, which I hadn't done for decades.

We were killing time and decided to try out a new place that was "local". Reviews said it was a…read moreheavy student place, but we didn't see many students during a midweek lunch time. Cute little place in the middle of a quasi "mall". Easy to get in, no wait, and the staff were incredibly friendly. Food was typical "American" sandwich, salad, and flatbreads and we had no complaints.

We stopped by ELEVEN80 EATERY and really enjoyed our visit. I had a pizza paired with a Bud Light,…read morewhile my husband went for the burger, fries, and a local cider. The food was pretty good--nothing mind-blowing but definitely satisfying. The ambience was nice and comfortable, perfect for a casual date night. Our server was friendly and attentive, which made the experience even better. Would come back for a relaxed night out!

Honestly, I have nothing bad to say about The Local! The food is delicious, the staff were super…read morefriendly and attentive, the prices weren't too bad, and the atmosphere is nice. They were pretty busy and it was just me and one other person so they sat us at the bar (after asking if it was okay). The bartender, despite having a full bar, was amazing! She was constantly checking in on us and my friend requested that she surprise her with a cocktail and the drink she made was spectacular! We both got the cheese curds for an appetizer and there were so many!!! They were also freaking amazing. The chipotle ranch that came with them wasn't my favorite but was still delish! My friend and I both got the creamy pesto Alfredo penne, I added chicken and she added steak. The serving size was perfect (just enough for a lil bit of leftovers) and it tasted so good. We ended the night with some of the Carolina beignets, which I somehow find myself getting every time I come here because they're so damn good!! They come with a cheerwine reduction on the side Also, got the prickly pear cocktail and it was pretty good! Not my favorite but they do have a super fun, excellent menu of cocktails.

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!!!

When you order pizza from a food truck you never know what to expect. Visiting this truck was no…read moredifferent as we ordered a couple beers from AMB we went over and ordered a pizza next. What through me off was having to wait for it as it wasn't just pizza sitting in a warmer, it was no joke made to order and oven cooked pizza. I ordered a pepperoni pizza, paid and gave me cell phone to receive a text when it was ready. In a matter of minutes I received my text and retrieved my pie. My wife and I both took a bite, looked at each other, and said "Wow!" It was good, flatbread/thin crust style pizza that had a good sauce and great crispy crust. Definitely worthwhile if you are at AMB.

Just disappointing. Ordered the hummus from this "Farm" to Flame truck and they threw carrots ,…read morecelery and a bag of Stacy's chips, with red pepper hummus. You would have thought with a pizza oven they would produce something farm, fresh and flavorful, something? The celery was awesome! At least the pita should come out of your oven

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 !

First...great atmosphere! Next...wonderful service without being overbearing....yet when asked…read moreabout items, very patient and real, great recommendations. And of course...the food....was excellent. The Sea Bass was amazing and cooked perfectly. The Bison short ribs were so good and the compliments to each dish (sauces, risotto, poblano sauce, kale, bok choy....superb! What a great decision to reserve a table...I hope to return if in the area again I think you will also be very glad you went.

Delicious food, lovely service…read more I was visiting the area and this place and the menu caught my attention. 'The Gamekeeper', what name could be more intriguing for a unique dining experience? I was not disappointed in the food. All selections were ideally prepared, seasonally balanced, and well paired. What I was really pleased about was the service. The staff elevate the entire experience. To name one or two would leave out what was an incredibly welcoming, knowledgeable, and cohesive Team. I would certainly recommend The Gamekeeper to anyone looking for the complete dining experience.