How does this place stay in business? First of all it is insanely expensive. I mean I live in Silicon Valley the epicenter of insanely expensive, but this is Boone, NC. Then, to make it worse, the portions are tiny. $22 for 3 strips of pork belly and some grits? Why, because you use the word "Farm"? How about learning the word taste perhaps? As in your fried chicken, one piece for $14, had no taste. Actually it did, burnt! Fried green tomatoes should have been called, hard tomatoes dropped into hot oil naked and we'll hope for the best. And then we serve overpriced wine in cute little glasses so we feel the coolness. Of course, everyone who works there had that crunchy ponytail let's smoke some pot before we speak to the customers so we sound hip look. Let me clue you in, have good food at reasonable prices and then you can do all the hipster farm stuff you want. As I said, I'm not sure who eats there? College kids certainly can't afford it and after they make their parents take them there once, that it is the end of repeat business. Terrible. Go to Cracker Barrel. Half the price, twice the food, and much better quality. read more

Very cute place, great food and service. Very small intimate setting. Call for reservations m, we lucked out and they got us a table right away anyways. read more

I've always heard about this place and have been wanting to visit. 2 years later being in Boone, I finally got the chance to try proper and it was amazing. The homey vibe was nice and the service was great. I got the meatloaf sandwich with a side of mashed potatoes. The portion was fulfilling. I also got the dark chocolate pecan pie which was to die for. Mostly everything was homemade and my meatloaf was the perfect consistency. My first visit was definitely not a disappointment. read more

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This is an unusual joint. Going for the shabby chic vibe; soft jazz in the background, mason jar glasses. Food is southern--fried chicken, fried fish, meatloaf, with good selection of sandwiches too. read more

This was the coziest little brunch spot for our weekend get away to the mountains! Our waitress was wonderful and the food was delightful! Definitely a MUST for anyone visiting Boone. read more

Proper - Sunday Brunch Special * Chicken + Waffles with peaches and cream cheese - Southern Near Me - Boone, North Carolina

Delicious Southern comfort food. Fried chicken, collard greens, and mac & cheese are top-notch. Family also enjoyed the buffalo chicken sandwich, home fries, and potato cakes appetizer. Just as important, the take-out service is friendly and prompt. read more

The food is decent, nothing to write home about. Probably worthy of 3 stars. However the service and staff are in fact quite insane. If you don't believe me come check it out and count how many times you hear "I'm Sorry" from the staff over the course of an hour. SPOILER If you were to turn it into a drinking game you probably will not survive. Another phrase that makes it rounds a great deal is "we don't want to overwhelm the kitchen." So in their efforts to "not overwhelming the kitchen" they leave multiple empty tables inside the dining room while large groups of people are forced to wait outside in 32 degree weather. Good policy. Will never, ever take part in this shit show ever again. read more

Update: we returned today and are now married. Also, they had ibuprofen when I was cramping really bad. Super clutch. We still highly recommend and are coming tomorrow morning for brunch. read more

Proper - Our spread - Southern Near Me - Boone, North Carolina

This edition of Excited about Eating takes us to a restaurant located in the heart of downtown Boone, just one block off King Street. Proper, a restaurant serving "homestyle southern cooking with a modern, seasonal slant" offers ingredients sourced locally from the community. Dora here. The exterior looks like you're walking up to somebody's house. Good thing their sign is big. lol. Inside was jammed shortly after they opened on Sunday, but we found a nice, quiet spot on the heated porch. Even on the porch, we could still hear the faint strains of the guitar from the live music. Subtle and soft, not in your face like some restaurants, and invited you to sit and linger over your meal. We shared a Brunch Biscuit Baby, like a cinnamon roll without the cinnamon, with strawberries and figs topped with a lemon glaze. Not being a fig type of guy, I was not sure how I was going to like this, but it was outstanding, with just the right amount of sweet and the figs were great. Dora here. OH MY! What a fabulous start, but it almost could've been an ending. Sweet, almost dessert-ish, but not so much that we had trouble eating our meal. Of course not, lol. Since we visited on Sunday at lunch, we were offered the Brunch menu. I chose the Chicken and Waffles. The chicken was crispy (just the way I like it), juicy and very flavorable. The waffle was light and fluffy and complemented the fried chicken well. Outstanding choice! Dora here. The Breakfast Tacos came heaping with delicious, tender brisket, sour cream and salsa. Not sure why they were called Breakfast Tacos other than they were on the Brunch Menu. The selection of fresh fruit (pears, apples and grapes) was right up my foodie alley. This meal, this place, definitely warrants a repeat several times over. :) Just an FYI. Close parking is virtually non-existent. Any spots right next to the building were all taken. Parking on Water St is prohibited and the nearby lots are private, so you might have to hike from King St, just a block away. Trust us, it's worth it. :) ~Ernie & Dora Hiers, Fiction Faith & Foodies Blog read more

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I love a good country cooking restaurant, but Proper does not live up to the hype. My friend and I went here as our last meal together during my visit to Boone, and the service was a disaster. While the restaurant itself is very small (and only 3 other tables were taken), it took us about 15-20 minutes for a waitress to come over and take our drink order, which at this point we were ready to place our full order. After another 30 minutes of waiting, we finally received our food, which lived up to the high reviews. Although the food was decent, a restaurant must be fully examined based upon every aspect that is encountered. The lack of quality customer service plummeted the overall ability of this restaurant to be a 5 star and took it to 3. read more

My favorite spot in town, I would safely say they have the very best brunch around. Chicken and waffles is unbelievable and they have a great selection of homemade quiches. Everything on the menu is carefully crafted hometown comfort food. If you are looking for a relaxing spot for lunch/dinner with friends, check them out! read more

Proper is fantastic. It's super easy to order online - and they offer no contact pickup when you arrive. The potato cakes with pimento cheese are great. I also love the buffalo sandwich. This has become one of our favorite places in Boone! read more

Property is consistently fantastic. It's a very cozy restaurant with limited parking but the food is southern with a twist. The sweet tea is on point. I highly recommend the potato cakes, the pear and goat cheese salad, and the buffalo chicken sandwich. The fried chicken is also very good. The service is always very fast. Southern hospitality is alive and well. It's a great date night location. It's a bit crowded and cozy at night, but it feels like home. Everyone is friendly. I highly recommend. read more

Holy heck this place is off the chain. I came here with a friend while visiting her in Boone. She said it was southern/soul food but fancy. It is "fancy" in the sense that the food is plated nicely and the atmosphere is super cute. The nice part is the prices aren't fancy and you can come dressed however you want, even in post jog clothes. The service is super friendly and everyone is welcoming. They have a nice outdoor patio and are situated in a house which I always love. They only serve certain entree plates certain days of the week, so check out the menu ahead of time to make sure they will be dishing out what you crave. They have bottles of craft beer too if you are looking for some of that. We started out with the fried green tomato stack. A big stack of fried green tomatoes cemented one on top of the other with pimento cheese. Needless to say it was superb. Everything was cooked to perfection. My friend got her regular which is the catfish with Mac and cheese with cornbread. As usual she loved it. I got the fried chicken and mashed potatoes and gravy and a sides salad with blue cheese dressing. Literally best fried chicken I have ever had in my life. Even beats out the famous Prices Chicken Coop of Charlotte. Great mashed potatoes with a little bit of potato chunks like I love. Salad and dressing were awesome. Biscuits were great too. I wish I could've tried the sweet potato casserole but I needed to order a salad to feel kind of good about myself haha. Did I mention that $12 gets you your entree, two sides and biscuits or cornbread. That's a steal. Check this place out if you are in Boone or if you are in a thirty minute radius. It's certainly worth a trip out of your way. read more

Amazing ! We were up for the holidays and for show tubing and a long weekend . I ordered all the sirs and it was so delicious ! My kids loved the fried chicken and glazed carrots and Mac and cheese ! read more

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We had dinner here while visiting in Boone. We both ordered fried chicken, which was delicious. The green beans and mashed potatoes were great, and the collard greens outstanding. I didn't care for the cornbread but my husband loved the biscuit. He ordered key lime pie for dessert. It was good, but it was served with a spoon and a fork was definitely needed for the crust. I believe it was shortbread, not the typical graham crust. All in all a great meal and friendly service. read more

One of the things I really like about visiting the South is that proper still has a place. Please and thank you are not hokey, even if forgotten in faster-paced coastals. A restaurant that hews to these values already has half a star going for it before opening the door. Been to Boone twice in two years, two visits to Proper. Both happy, yum, smile, great. Very comfortable vibe, friendly efficient (not too-) staff and a great rotating selection of delectibles. This time I tried the fried catfish - oh yes! Almost a tempura - very light and crispy, fish perfectly moist inside. Tried cheesy grits and green beans for sides, both traditional and enjoyable. Great moist and just-sweet-enough cornbread. I liked the key lime pie - good acid/sweet balance. My wife wanted more tart-lime flavor so boo-hoo, I had to eat most of it. Please visit Proper when you're in Boone. You'll be pleased. Thank you! read more

Proper - wall art, goes with food art, a proper complement! - Southern Near Me - Boone, North Carolina

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Proper does it right, start with fresh ingredients and proceed. Succotash is a fine example, baby limas bathing with fresh corn kernels and tomato in a simple broth. Flavorful, healthy and entirely satisfying. The sweet potato casserole is a fluffy russet colored souffle topped with panko crumbs and baked until it puffs. Love the carmel flavors, rich and delicious, a savory dessert really. The corn muffins are fluffy yet substantial with dense corn crumb. Many other sides are available, a north carolina tradition i have found, but these two stand out for me. Service is friendly and prompt, prices are low, especially for the quality. The wine list features some fine by the glass choices. Restaurant is small and picturesque, i hear it can fill up fast but i have avoided the crowds so far. Try it yourself, you can't help but enjoy the food. read more

Proper - Cozy yet upscale for the area. Great menu of homemade sides and entrees. Succotash and sweet potato caserole among my favs. - Southern Near Me - Boone, North Carolina

Wow, wow, wow! Can't believe this place and can't believe I haven't reviewed it after all the times I've been here. There is a reason they are five stars, despite any sour reviews, they are consistently above the rest. We actually got one of their five parking spots and sat outside under the tree. Except for gabby mouth, (a near by table) it was a very enjoyable time. I had the fried Catfish and she had the fried chicken, super, super ! The vegetables were also wow! What else is there? If you don't go, its your loss. read more

Starving and in search of a hearty meal, I found myself at Proper and left having had a very memorable time. Stellar food: simple, fresh, and made well, the type of food places up North aspire to be, but can't come close to being. There was no 2 hour wait for dry, cardboard like fried chicken at $16 a plate. The chicken (and pretty much everything else) at Proper was superb, crisp, juicy, and flat out delicious. This is a fantastic place and their name is absolutely befitting, you won't get a more proper Southern meal than you will here. A wonderful and charming place, great service, and very reasonably priced, Proper is solid across the board! read more

We ate at Proper for Sunday brunch and we will visit again when we return to Boone! At first, we were unsure we were at the right place (it looked kind of like a friendly haunted house, which added to the cool vibe), but once we figured it out and decided to wait, it was all worthwhile! We didn't have reservations, but next time we will. We sat on the sunroom porch area and the atmosphere was unique and cozy. Our group ordered shrimp and grits (pictured), breakfast tacos with pulled pork, and breakfast scramble. The potatoes were outstanding and they were served with homemade ketchup! The prices were decent and the service was accommodating. We really enjoyed our time here at Proper and can't wait for next time! read more

Proper - Front door - Southern Near Me - Boone, North Carolina

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In town for a training in Boone and was referred to this place for some really good soul food. Coworker and I gave it a try and were ever so pleased. The service was great and the food was awesome. I ordered the fried chicken, macaroni and cheese, and succotash. My coworker got the Tuesday special of chicken with Lima beans and rice with mash potatoes and gravy and collards. We finished it off with peach cobbler with ice cream and whip cream. All we could say was um um good. The atmosphere and food were wonderful. So glad we tried it. read more

Proper - Fried chicken, macaroni and cheese, and succotash. - Southern Near Me - Boone, North Carolina

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We were in Boone doing a visit to App State and I had originally bookmarked this place on my last visit in YELP but was not available to try it. THIS was a must try on my next visit so we took advantage. This is a cool spot near downtown that is in a old house they converted to a local restaurant. Just as a word of caution/advice parking is limited so you will need to look for a spot up the street or on the street if you can find it. They have a nice outside seating area as well as inside. The outside is covered in the winter with heaters so that is a nice treat where you can people watch in the winter while you enjoy your meal or beverage! My lunch visit I had the catfish, collards, & hush-puppies...yes I wanted to keep it southern for this visit. The portion was just the right amount. The cornmeal crusted catfish was excellent as well as the collards. The hush-puppies had a little too much lemon taste for me but were still very good. The desserts looked amazing but I was full and we needed to get back to AVL. Our waiter was very attentive and explained the daily specials to us as soon as we sat down. Our glasses were never empty and he made sure we had everythign we needed and checked on us frequently but not too frequently if you know what I mean (that annoying type of waiter : read more

Proper - Catfish, huspuppies, and collards!!! - Southern Near Me - Boone, North Carolina

So I'm loyal to great restaurants. We are back again and stopped in for dinner. Again not disappointed!!! I had the meatloaf, it was very good with their homemade ketchup. The mashed potatoes are real and green beans were fresh and the homemade biscuits, awesome. This trip I remembered to get a menu to leave at the cabin we stay in at buck mountain so others can enjoy this great find!!!! Until our next vacation..... read more

Proper - Southern Near Me - Boone, North Carolina

W got take out from the Proper. The fried chicken is boneless and very good. The collard greens and pintos were just like mamas!

Daughter made reservation at noon today and when we arrived there was no record even though restaraunt staff confirmed time and date twice and said it was written down. May be the greatest food in Boone, but don't think I'll be back again. read more

This is a beautiful restaurant with a lovely front porch feel and plenty of southern mountain hospitality to back it up! The house grounds are mature and at some of the tables it feels like you're having a swank picnic! I think the homestyle food actually does a disservice to the setting. I don't mind homestyle, but I wish they would upscale it a bit (especially with the pricing). read more

This was a nice little place with pretty good southern cooking. Loved the atmosphere and staff. Prices were decent and the portions were solid. Loved the bottled soda. We got the chicken and waffles with mac and cheese side and a biscuit and gravy. Also got the pork belly tacos with glazed carrots. The chicken and waffles was by far our favorite out of the bunch. Didn't care for the biscuit or mac and cheese so much. This place in the summer would be killer. Flowers and the outside patio. Hope we get to come back sometime. read more

Proper - Bottles sodas served with a mason jar glass - Southern Near Me - Boone, North Carolina

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Really tasty upscale version of Southern home cooking. Biscuits and fried chicken were fresh and well executed.

Delish! Delish! Delish! The potato cakes topped with pimento cheese are not to be missed. Chicken and waffles hit the spot as well. The pulled pork was also very good. The only missed notes were the pintos and cole slaw but the rest, along with the service, pulled the overall back to a 5. read more

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Really enjoyed eating lunch here today and glad we stopped in to give it try. There is no surprise why they have such great reviews here on Yelp. The food was hot and fresh and the service was friendly and fast. The menu is diverse with some eclectic combinations along with traditional favorites. The only reason I did not give them 5 stars is that they were out of flounder (for the PO boy), the chicken liver special was not available (MIL wanted to get that) and they were down to 3 desserts in the case (we were really hoping for the chocolate pecan pie). I would also mention that the corn bread and biscuits (which were both good) were cold when it came out with our meals. Otherwise, everything else was hot and fresh and seasoned well. Special shoutout to the sweet potato casserole... it will NOT disappoint! I think maybe adding one or two other child options (pork sandwich or something) would also be helpful. We really enjoyed lunch and look forward to coming back soon... and hopefully grabbing some dessert too! Thanks! read more

Proper - Country Style steak - Southern Near Me - Boone, North Carolina

Loooove Proper!! My husband and I had our first date here and some anniversary dates too. Food is always amazing and we've had great service here as well! read more

Just wasn't impressive, I know covid is making it tough for places but I ordered a fried chicken dinner, apparently only 1 piece comes with a chicken dinner(or mine did). Plus the chicken was just bland on the breading. 3 other members in my family got salads and grilled cheese and all agreed on about a 3 star. The young man on the phone was very nice which was positive but the young man delivering our food to the car apparently thought our family was death itself because he dropped it on our hood and left quick as possible. read more

This is a really cute place to eat in Boone! It's an old house and we were able to sit outside with our dog since they have patio tables out front. Really nice during the summer since it's shaded. Service was not the best but the food was really good. Pretty limited menu during lunch, but they also had a couple of specials. I got the chicken taco special with mac and cheese, but wish I would have gotten the fried chicken entree because it looked delicious. Others got the meatloaf and the buffalo chicken sandwich and really enjoyed them. Mac and cheese was really good, but needed a little salt. Definitely worth checking out! read more

Proper - Chicken taco special with Mac and cheese - Southern Near Me - Boone, North Carolina

Everything was amazing from appetizer to dinner to desert to waiter! We got the appetizer and dinner specials!!

Great comfort food! Small but cozy atmosphere! Meats and vegetables cooked Southern home style! Reservations recommended. Only negative is there is very little parking! read more

Prosper was highly recommended to us by several people we asked on our visit to Boone, NC. We thoroughly enjoyed our meal there. The meatloaf and the fried chicken were very good., but our favorite part of our meal was the side dishes...the collard greens, mac and cheese, pickled beets, braised cabbage were awesome. read more

This was our third time at Proper. The dining experience at each visit was plain outstanding. So much so that I am compelled to write a review as I am smacking my lips after finishing off the dinner with the flourless chocolate cake. We had the fried chicken salad, meatloaf and the buffalo chicken sandwich. It's hard to rate which dish was better than the other. Each one was a home run!! To top it off, the people at this restaurant live up to the name of the establishment. They are kind, courteous and go the extra mile. The credit goes to the owner who we had the privilege of meeting and having a wonderful conversation. All in all, fully delightful and satisfying experience. Wish I could give them 10 stars. Run, don't walk to Proper and give your taste buds the time of their lives! read more

I've read lots of great reviews & our friends rave about their mac & cheese and collard greens, so we had to try it. WOW! 1st, the service was friendly, helpful & fast. Then the FOOD....omg! So very YUMMY without being pretentious, overly Foo Foo or overdone. It was just good food , made well and seasoned properly. The place is small, the parking is non-existent and it's not that easy to find from the street. But if you get in the door make sure you stay and eat. We will be back! read more

Great food and service!!! Enjoyed the biscuits, turkey, and fried chicken. Be very careful where you park, as we parked behind restaurant and was towed by a towing service that charged us $100 CASH. We had lunch and only in the restaurant for an hour, and this appears to be a set up scam to to fraudulently fill the pockets of some scum that like to target tourists. BEWARE‼‼‼ read more