My wife found an ad for Proper in the local news and, finding very positive Yelp reviews, the family went there for dinner this week. We expected a big delay, as all parking was taken; but, the five of us were seated immediately and had a very good dinner, with good service and a varied menu of offerings. Everyone liked the meatloaf and fried chicken, and the veggies were outstanding. We'll definitely return to try the desserts, which looked wonderful. read more

Proper is a favorite for Sunday Brunch. Thanks to the outdoor seating, I can bring my pups to join me. Their fried chicken is my favorite wether with slaw and Mac and cheese or as part of my chicken and waffles. It's a nice boneless breast fried perfectly and always moist. During Sunday brunch they have some really great sweet, sweet bacon and biscuits and gravy. Though not regularly available I also recommend you try the delicious potato cakes or their pimento cheese. read more

Proper - Dog friendly outdoor seating - Southern Near Me - Boone, North Carolina

See all

i appreciate this spot. its the "go to" When my mom comes to town. Love their fried Chicken

Crazy best place we ate on our 4 day stay in Boone. We are from Asheville, and I am from NYC and actually this is one of the best places I have EVER eaten . We are planing to return and return. Just a primer: each night/day they only have 4 or so entree choices with several sides to add, they have several sandwiches, a soup and a few deserts. They have one special which runs out fast which we have never been able to get there in time for, (last night it was fried chicken pieces with andue (sp) gravy over waffle) Sides I have tried: mac and cheese-soo good, green beans with whole garlic cloves, collards, hash brown potatoes with homemade ketchup (which was kind of like salsa) We tried the catfish which was coated in a coconut crust with a "tartar sauce" to die for, as well as a baked ziti in a white sauce with a rosemary vegetable theme. Was only I think $7.95 a plate, and this was for dinner. I may have this a few cents off. 100% recommend this place. I want to try the chocolate bread pudding that everyone else said was good, but was too full to get read more

From the host, Matthew's, warm welcome to our waiter, Dylan's, awesome recommendations and care, we had the most amazing time cared for by awesome staff at our candlit table on the front lawn of an 1889 jailhouse under a gorgeous canopy of trees. The gravy & cheddar soaked crispy potatoes home fries with bacon were to die for - they surprised us with homemade ketchup!! Then we split the hot fried chicken on rice - with collards and side salad with 2 homemade drawings (lemon thyme and a homemade ranch). Afterwards we enjoyed a warm decadent chocolate pecan tart with homemade whipped cream. Everything was AMAZING and son reasonably priced. We will totally be back our next trip to Boone! read more

Amazing food and atmosphere. Would get 5 stars if they weren't out of the 2 menu choices that I wanted, but we did get there at 8pm and were warned that they run out early. Food: southern style, great sides, decent portion size. Whatever they bread the fried chicken in should be packaged and sold separately. Great bottled beer selection. Atmosphere: cozy or romantic or friendly or chill...actually a combination of all. I would feel comfortable in shorts and t with friends or in a 3 piece suit with a hot date. The place is quaint and the waiters are laid back. Highly recommend but get there early. read more

Simply put Proper is so dope. Great service, amazing food, cutest quaint little building (especially love the porch) and reasonable prices. Highly recommend to anyone looking for high quality southern food in Boone. Especially enjoyed the bread pudding and the fried new potatoes. read more

We are from Miami florida and looking for a small place to have some souther food. This place hit the spot. Staff is very friendly and the food was amazing. Good taste like is made with love. Everything about it the restaurant is friendly and welcoming. Has to be one of the best place we have had food here in NC. read more

Proper - Fired chicken with Mac and cheese and potato cakes - Southern Near Me - Boone, North Carolina

Proper is some of the best food you will ever eat, it is very classy and rustic! Their chicken and waffles are excellent! They also have these things called biscuit babies... Best thing you will ever eat on the planet read more

Proper - Menu - Southern Near Me - Boone, North Carolina

Proper is great southern food. The entree selection changes daily but there's always a staple of southern delicacies from fried chicken to tomato pie. The sides are a smorgasbord that makes it difficult to choose only two. I had the fried chicken with collards and hoppin John and every morsel was delicious. Go here if you want a real southern meal. read more

Proper - Fried chicken with collards and hoppin John - Southern Near Me - Boone, North Carolina

The food was great, and the atmosphere really nice! I totally recommend going there! read more

One of Boone's best! Great place for elevated, local Southern dishes. Even though the menu is on the smaller side, they have a couple good vegetarian options, too. read more

My wife and I went on a Saturday afternoon for lunch. While they were out of a few menu items, we both had pulled pork plates. The pork had been slow cooked and each plate had a healthy portion of meat that was so moist it fell off your fork! We also both had the homemade macaroni and cheese which melted in our mouths. They use local cheese and it was amazing! My wife had the collards which she loved- just enough vinegar to bring out the flavor. I had pickled cucumber and onion salad-- very fresh with a bit of a kick. Suggestions that we read were to have fried chicken or fried catfish but the pork was amazing!! read more

No brainer place to eat. Unique home style cooking. Tight quarters, but not confining. Good wine selection, parking available on Main Street just up from the restaurant. Polite wait staff. read more

Proper is the perfect name for this place! The portion sizes are perfect, and the food is delicious! The fried chicken, fish, tomato soup, and quiche have been my favorites so far, but my parents LOVED the meatloaf! The sides are always based on seasonal selections (beets being my favorite). Dessert is a must! The food, atmosphere and people make this one of my favorite restaurants and one of the best in Western NC. It is a great place for a casual and satisfying lunch or a warm and intimate place for dinner. read more

Great food and fair prices. Lovely atmosphere indoors and out. They often have live acoustic music adding to the positive, relaxing atmosphere of this place. read more

Great food, great place!! The Broccoli Quiche is amazing!!! We would like to come back soon! Strongly recommended!!!

I was disappointed and here's why: I have been hearing nothing but rave reviews about this restaurant. When I went the first time it was toward the end of the night (~1hour to close). I ordered the chicken and they were out. Ok, then I ordered the ziti... it was gross, dry and overcooked. They were out of the sides and I was bummed. They sent us home with delicious free desserts so not too shabby. I figured the last visit was my fault so we decided to try it again. I got the fish. It was not good. Dry and sad....again. Not sure if I will go back. Also, on a side note, they have a little guy who works there who is a dead-ringer for Charley from Always Sunny in Philadelphia. read more

We spent several days in Wilmington and were disappointed with meal after meal at many places that Yelpers recommended, most of which were in strip malls. So we headed inland to the mountains with higher hopes and to our relief found a vastly different scene. Proper looked like our kind of place right from the start. Its a little house on the hill, very unpretentious and charming. The wait staff was so friendly and laid back. They have a simple and limited menu, nice local beer selection. I had the fried chicken which was a chunk of boneless breast with perfectly seasoned panko crust. The mashed potatoes and gravy were buttery, with red skins and lightly mashed, so yummy. The mixed greens side salad came with delicious good old fashioned home made sour cream based blue cheese dressing and was marvelous. Corn bread was the muffin type rather than square cut and was satisfying. Simple home cooked style fare with portion sizes that left you feeling well fed but not stuffed. The peach cobbler was just OK, could have had less biscuit, the ricotta chocolate mouse with blueberries was pretty good though. If we stay in town a couple more days we will be going back! The people love good food and it shows. read more

The chicken and waffles dish is amazing as our the other dishes. The service is good and we love the intimate setting . Parking can be tricky be prepared to walk. read more

Great food and great service! Highly recommend this quaint little spot. Real southern food.

Dang. This place blew me away! We had my friend's bridal luncheon here. Drinks included mimosas and phenomenal sangrias. They allowed us to create our own menu and they even added an item that was the bride's favorite! We had pork, eggs Benedict on a huge biscuit. Shrimp salad. Salmon Florentine. All amazing! And the deserts included peach cobbler cupcakes and coconut macaroons. I highly recommend this place for a yummy lunch or brunch! I will be back. read more

An eclectic meat and three in an old old house downtown. Local foods featured. Fried chicken is ridiculously good. Good collards. A special squash soup wowed our table. They serve beer and wine. Neat...cool place that I wish were in Asheville...wow...I said THAT? Did I say I wished something from Boone was in Asheville...off to consider this thought awhile.... read more

Awesome. Meatloaf was tasty and a generous portion. Hushpuppies were super good. Mac and cheese was great. Tomato pie was delicious as well. I'll be back. read more

Located in "downtown" Boone, Proper serves up the most authentic Southern meals I've ever had the opportunity of enjoying throughout my own Southern upbringing. When I'm up in North Carolina visiting my cousin and her family, there's only one answer when we're wondering where to go to lunch: Proper! Beautiful location inside of a gorgeous old house kind of behind the main shops of downtown. Quaint outdoor seating in a pretty garden area. It's a little cramped on the inside and there isn't a significant amount of seating, but once you start eating, you won't even notice! The name comes from the idea of eating a "proper" Southern meal with proper etiquette. But don't let this mislead you to thinking this restaurant is for the stuffed-shirt crowd; Proper is super casual, down-home, and has such a comfortable atmosphere! The entree plates rotate each weekday, with selections that include both roasted and fried chicken, pulled pork, meatloaf, fried catfish, crab cakes, tomato pie and turkey and dressing. Traditional Southern sides, heavenly soups. A dessert selection that changes daily, the contents of which can only be described as miraculous. Food highlights: almost all of their ingredients are locally-sourced from area farms, and the menu is adaptable to diets of the herbivorous nature. Catfish and chicken are fried to absolute golden, crispy perfection with the right amount of seasoning. The white cheddar mac and cheese is what dreams are made of. Collards that are slap ya mama good (though this probably isn't 'proper' behavior :p). I mean seriously, y'all... it's ALL good. I am so anxious to enjoy a meal at Proper again. It's always such a wonderful experience! As a born and raised young Southern lady, I can't say enough about how deliciously perfect the food is, and the staff are super sweet and attentive. I haven't tried Sunday brunch... I must change this! Be sure to get there early, they run out of items quickly! read more

It's been a long time since I've been here but I remember loving this place. Just go, you won't be disappointed.

Really 3.75 stars but hey. Funky little joint just off the main drag. Entrees of meatloaf, fried chicken, fried catfish, crab cakes, etc. Solid southern fare with appropriate southern sides of collards, mashed potatoes with gravy, Cole slaw, succotash. All well done. Overall, funky, interesting and we'll done. Half a star off for portion size. Left looking for a beer and appetizer! Good thing Lost Province was only a block away. read more

Literally my favorite place to eat in Boone. I haven't eaten there in awhile but it was my favorite spot to eat in college. Especially on cold days. The food is awesome and so comforting. If you want southern comfort food in a small quaint house, this is the place to go! read more

Went there for lunch this last Thursday with friends who recommended it. Hot and loud, hostess apologized for the temperature, Service was incredibly slow and the food was just below fair....mostly "filler" food. The turkey and dressing was poor- dried, overcooked turkey with bland dressing. The gravy was good. Mac and cheese was watery and runny. Side salad looked very appealing with the exception of brown hair (the salad was replaced) Very good salad and dressing. Meatloaf was tasty and moist as well as the mashed potatoes. Cornbread was tasteless. read more

We usually love this restaurant, but tonight's meal fell far short! We had the fried chicken served in a plate full of juices from the soggy green beans and reheated carrots. And the one piece of chicken, while very tasty, was so small. Not worth the $12.95 price tag. This time it felt more like a Cracker Barrel than a Proper restaurant. Very disappointing. We loved the window seat on the front porch and the service though. read more

Tomato Pie! Collard Greens! Home Fries! Oh, my! Ask for the BLT with pimento cheese in place of mayo. Find this place, and enjoy an adventure in the middle of downtown Boone. read more

This was my first meal in Boone and I'm so happy I ended up here. We showed up for lunch on a Saturday and were seated outside right away. Proper is located right off the main strip of downtown in a brick house. This was southern cuisine at its best. I ordered the fried catfish plate, the piece of fish was a great portion, breaded and fried to perfection, and flakey. It came with two sides (I chose the mac n cheese and their raved about potato cake topped with pimento cheese) and a biscuit. I was tempted to eat all my food in one sitting but was happy to have leftovers so I could enjoy the amazingness of this whole dish again. Others at the table ordered fried chicken, oyster poboy (a special), and the croquet monsieur (I had never heard of this sandwich before) but it had ham and cheese inside and on top of the sandwich. Everything was amazing (including the service) and we all left happy and impressed. I hear their brunch is also amazing! Will definitely be back next time I'm in Boone. read more

See all

Great customer service great food. Very filling was stuffed before I finished my plate

What a find!!! Cute, cozy setting in downtown Boone. We had a great waiter who recommended collard greens and chocolate pecan tart that was better than his grandmas' and he was absolutely right!!!! Limited menu with awesome taste. They ran out of the pulled pork barbecue. We had catfish and skinless fried chicken. Both were good. All side dishes were yummy, although I could have ordered a bucket of collard greens as an entree and I would have been very happy. It was the best collard greens ever!!!! Best value for money spent. Will definitely recommend and will definitely come back when in the area. A treasure in Boone !!! read more

See all

This building has been quite a few things since it was a jailhouse way back when. My friend and I actually were going to another restaurant down the street but fund it closed on Mondays so headed to Proper and we were not disappointed. It was packed but we found a seat on the cover porch at a high bistro table. It was a tiny bit chilly but not to bad. They have a nice beer and wine list and a few nice sounding specials. We were told that they were out of collard greens but hey that was OK with me as I don't care for them but I have heard theirs are wonderful. My friend had the fried catfish, sweet potato casserole, mac-n-cheese and cornbread. I had the fried chicken, green beans and mac-n-cheese. We had a great conversation while we waited and watched while lots of folks came and tried to get a seat. Our food came and it was hot and good. Basic food but good basic food. We licked our plates clean and decided against dessert as we were both full. The prices are very reasonable $9.99 for an entrée with two sides and a biscuit or cornbread. Who can beat that price. I will be back! read more

Everything was awesome and the fried green tomatoes were to die for. The dessert was fantastic as well.

I've been here three times, so I've given this place a fair shot. I'm done. Here's why: 1) Cramped space, awkward seating: My friend and I were practically on the laps of the people at the next table. 2) Unfriendly staff: Had a waiter once who was good, but the other two servers seemed hurried and frustrated, and knew little about the menu. 3) My fish was undercooked, and the waitress did not apologize. In fact, she acted like I was bothering her. It took close to half an hour for another plate to be brought to me. 4) Lack of detail on the menu: The baked ziti has butternut squash in it (I'm still trying to figure out WHY), and if you're expecting a traditional baked ziti with plenty of tomato sauce and cheese, you're going to be disappointed. You would think the dish would be described on the menu, but no. 5) No parking: There are something like 2 or 3 parking spaces on the side of the building, but that's it. You have to park in downtown Boone and walk to the restaurant. I will give this place credit for good sweet tea, and a unique ambiance. Those are the only worthwhile things here. read more

Incredible. Local farm to table deliciousness. I had the baked spinach and tomato grits for brunch, collards and home fries with homemade ketchup. Boom! Get there! read more

Quality of Food - 1.5/2 *Had the chicken/waffles and meatloaf. Both really good. Slightly disappointed in the mac n cheese and the gravy home fries. Both were good but not spectacular. Service - 1/1 *No complaints, friendly, attentive Price - 1/1 *Well priced, got our money's worth Atmosphere - 1/1 *Small and quaint. Had a hard time finding it at first. It was raining so we couldn't sit outside, but still quiet and nice. No complaints, enjoyed the atmosphere for a dinner for two. Don't go with much more than 4 though, very small seating area. read more

I was attracted by the concept but the food was bland, overpriced, and really small portions. Produce sourced locally, cooked fresh from scratch should mean more flavor. All 4 of us (2 Adults, 2 kids with broad pallets) ordered something different, and none of us could say anything good about the entrees or sides. Even the biscuits and corn bread (inedible) fell flat. Staff was mostly friendly but only a little apologetic "yea, our cornbread is dry and flavorless" (Really? then do something about it). I can forgive cramped, overpriced, or small portions, but the food better be memorable, or atlas better than a mediocre country buffet. read more