As many of you know, Bistro Roca recently suffered a devastating fire. While their beloved…read morerestaurant is out of commission, they've found a temporary home at the Hellbender Bed & Breakfast, where they're serving dinner and continuing to do what they do best: make some seriously fantastic food! My wife and I recently stopped in for an early dinner, bringing our four-legged dining companion along to enjoy the patio. And let me tell you, the experience was excellent from start to finish! We weren't particularly hungry, so we decided to share a wedge salad and a steak. Sometimes sharing a meal means sacrificing a little satisfaction. Not this time! Everything was absolutely phenomenal! The steak was cooked beautifully, the flavors were spot-on, and the entire meal left us wishing we'd brought bigger appetites. Of course, there's always room for dessert! We wrapped things up with a warm cookie served in a cast-iron skillet, which was the perfect sweet ending to an already wonderful meal. The cocktails were flavorful and definitely didn't skimp on the spirits! The atmosphere was lively, relaxed, and welcoming, and the service was excellent throughout our visit. Even with the change in scenery, Bistro Roca clearly hasn't missed a beat. But let's be clear about the most important thing: THE FOOD WAS HITTING! It's wonderful to see a local restaurant bounce back from such an unfortunate event, especially when they're still delivering the kind of quality and hospitality that makes people want to return. If you've been a fan of Bistro Roca, or even if you've never had the pleasure, I highly recommend making your way to their temporary home for dinner. Support a great local restaurant, enjoy a fantastic meal, and remind yourself why places like this are worth celebrating. To those about to nosh, WE ARE ENVIOUS OF YOU!

Hidden Gem in Blowing Rock…read more After spending the morning at Grandfather Mountain, I took the scenic route into Blowing Rock and stumbled onto an absolute gem. Hellbender Bed & Beverage and Bistro Roca share the same space now, and the result is one of the most charming spots I've found in the High Country. The outdoor patio was beautiful, with flowers everywhere, cozy seating areas, fire pits, and plenty of dogs lounging alongside their owners. The gravel patio was a little uneven, so my table had a slight tilt, but honestly, the atmosphere more than made up for it. I started with a glass of Crémant de Loire. Crisp, cold, refreshing, and exactly what I wanted after a morning of mountain exploring. For lunch, I ordered the Moules Frites. The mussels arrived swimming in a rich, flavorful broth with basil and sun-dried tomatoes, alongside a generous pile of perfectly cooked fries. The combination with the sparkling wine was fantastic. I cleaned the plate. The service was friendly, welcoming, and genuinely pleasant. My only suggestion is a little more attention to the details. If you're serving mussels, a spoon is almost essential for enjoying that incredible broth. A smaller seafood fork would also make fishing out the mussels easier. Minor things, but details that can elevate a great meal into an exceptional one. The prices were surprisingly reasonable. My entrée and glass of bubbles came in around $23, which felt like a great value considering the quality, portion size, and setting. I skipped dessert only because I was determined to finish every last fry, then headed into town to walk off lunch and hunt for something sweet. If I return--and I absolutely would--I might even stay at the inn. The cottages looked adorable, and the whole property felt warm and inviting. Just a short walk from downtown Blowing Rock, this place delivers on atmosphere, food, and mountain-town charm. Five stars for the food. Four stars for service. Five stars overall because I'd happily come back tomorrow. Life is too short to eat mediocre food. Get out there and stuff your face.

Had an excellent experience from top to bottom on a quick weekend getaway to Blowing Rock…read more Parking was a breeze in the hotel parking lot, and the service was very friendly when we entered. This is a very new addition to Blowing Rock, built in 2024. And it shows, the place is spotless, modern and bright. The lobby has an amazing lounge and bar area with a full service fine dining style restaurant. Everything about is sleek and modern. We enjoyed an amazing evening at the bar and restaurant (separate review). Our room was immaculate, and again a very modern and sleek style. Beds and pillows were very comfortable, not a single complaint about the room or the cleanliness. And the views facing downtown Blowing Rock from the patio with the mountains in the background was superb. We enjoyed morning coffees and afternoon happy hours on this comfy patio overlooking the heart of Main St in downtown Blowing Rock. A pleasant surprise was the continental style breakfast which is included with the stay. A kicked up version with better food from what you'd expect at a Hampton Inn or comparable hotel. Highly recommend for a great stay in the heart of Blowing Rock!

An imperfect experience...The good news first: The Embers is new, attractive, perfectly situated…read morefor walking around Blowing Rock, and has a staff that is unfailingly friendly and helpful. Room rates clearly reflect the premium location, but are not as bad as you might expect. But there is also the less good news: the rooms (judging by our "standard king") are smallish (not European hotel small, but getting close...), and a bit inconvenient (our closet was awkward to get into). Ice can only be sourced from the front desk and the bar/dining area can be noisy. And as for noise, there were hotel mechanicals (we were told it was an exhaust fan from the kitchen 3 stories below) clearly and somewhat unpleasantly audible in our room. We were told that this was being worked on, but it seems to me that The Embers has been open long enough to have had this resolved by now. So net...a very good and convenient place stay, but don't expect it to be without some minor annoyances.

From the moment we arrived, I found The Inn at Ragged Gardens absolutely enchanting. Even before…read moreour arrival, the friendly staff took wonderful care of our reservation and put a great deal of thought into making sure we arrived safely. We arrived a little early and did not expect to check in before the scheduled time, but Kerry immediately made us feel welcome. Once our room was ready, she offered to help with our bags, walked us upstairs, and shared a little of the inn's fascinating history. Our room was spacious, fresh, exceptionally clean, and a sheer delight. Kerry welcomed us with fresh water, cookies, and a variety of snacks. She also showed us the butler's pantry, which was thoughtfully stocked with herbal teas and coffee. The 11:00 a.m. checkout time was another generous touch, as many inns require guests to leave by 10:00. We were also welcomed with two drink vouchers for the inn's beautiful bar and restaurant. A full-service breakfast was included, and it was truly five-star. Honestly, they served the best grits I have ever tasted! From the gracious service to every carefully planned detail of our stay, we were completely enchanted. My only recommendation is to make dinner reservations at the restaurant well in advance--it is very popular and truly a must during your stay. We cannot wait to return.

The food was amazing and the place has such charm. Can't wait to go again. Parking can be a bit…read morechallenging had to call them to ask where to park. Only negative. The restaurant doesn't have dedicated parking.

The Meadowbrook Inn in Blowing Rock, NC was our first time staying there. It was walkable from the…read moreextensive shopping area on Main Street and the website seemed to present a good place to stay. We booked through Expedia and paid through them also. The Inn itself had about 62 rooms but could use a bit of upgrades, not in the rooms which were furnished nicely with the standard being two queen beds. Added to that was a desk as well as two comfortable chairs, close to the window. Nothing at all was in the slightest wrong with the furnishings of the room. The problem I had was that the Wi-Fi never, ever was usable other than one time about 3:30 in the morning when I happened to wake up and read on my Kindle at that outrageous hour. I communicated with the front desk a number of times, probably three times for the 3 days when we stayed there. When I checked out I told the General Manager who was running the front desk that they needed some extenders or something regarding their Wi-Fi but she informed me that they had them at either ends of the hallway on the second floor (where all rooms are located) and in the middle. I thought perhaps our room 204 being at the end of the hall that was the problem but obviously it was not. Also advertised on its website was that they had a bar in the lower level but it was not open or usable with the explanation being that they did not have enough people using it to keep it open other than for the special events which were booked at the Inn. The parking area had 4 spaces close to the front door, but the rest were on higher ground, requiring a bit of exercise to reach the Registration desk. The Wi-Fi and the not open bar are the reason for the deduction of one star, almost exclusively due to the Wi-Fi. In addition to the rooms, other good attributes was a large indoor swimming pool and a sumptuous breakfast, served buffet style from 7:30 AM to 10 AM. The breakfast dining area had outdoor seating which we used on one cooly comfortable morning. Added to the metal tables and chairs with a covering umbrella was the joy of a dozen ducks. TIP: Ask at the desk for bags of seeds to feed the ducks, adding to the joy of the exterior, raised patio above a smaller water feature.

Excellent inn, that is in a great location…read more It is great until the elevator maintenance is timely. When we stayed at the Meadowbrook Inn the visit was marred by the fact that two main elevators were out of service, making it quite difficult to move about the buildings. We were not made aware of the malfunctioning elevators before we arrived. Apparently, the elevator repair crew was two weeks late in arriving to repair the elevators that were out of service. We received no allowance in our rates charged during our visit or at check out I am handicapped and found this problem aggravating since there was no nearby parking for the handicapped guests.

Cute little place in Blowing Rock. Clean and comfy bed. Staff was great. Last minute stay was a…read moregood surprise.

Back when my folks were traveling the USA, they used to call The Blowing Rock Inn a "motor lodge"…read more Simple fair at a good price. Not much has changed in 40 years - the Blowing Rock Inn's rooms are very clean, simply appointed, and at a great price. Internet is included and worked well. Staff changed the towels each day without having to be asked - a service I miss since Covid. Comfy bed. Keurig works fine. Friendly staff. Love the screen doors on the rooms - nice to see outside. We will come back again for sure!!

Stayed at the inn portion to celebrate our one year wedding anniversary. It's right in town, so you…read morecan literally walk pretty much anywhere you want to go. We booked in advance over the phone. Check in and out were both super easy. The office has movies and books (even for kids) that you can borrow. They also have coffee, water, and ice available at all times. The room was very small-- two beds, bathroom, mini fridge, desk, and tv-- but that was okay since we didn't really spend any time other than sleeping and showering there. Someone came and emptied our trash, made our beds, and gave us fresh towels every day. Everything seemed nice and clean, zero complaints. Outside they have other little cabins and a fire pit with multiple chairs and maybe one picnic table. Really cute, well kept area! There were also several benches outside of the rooms where guest can sit and enjoy the weather, talk to each other, play music, etc. We frequently saw a lady outside her cabin painting the garden scenery. Blowing Rock seems to gather an older crowd, so being in our 20s and heavily tattooed, you get some looks. However, the staff at the inn was very friendly and enjoyed talking to our infant daughter. Not sure when we'd be back to visit, but I'd stay here again!

Cabins are older, fine, mountain ambiance. View from the porch, nice, until dark when none of the…read morelights worked. The whole cabin was filthy. Glass doors and mirrors full of fingerprints, glasses the same. The 2 seat table was disgusting, and I definitely wouldn't eat at it. Carpets were filthy as well, wear socks. We paid $400 A NIGHT to have a jacuzzi tub I wouldn't step foot in. Coffee maker? Yes. Coffee provided? No. Refrigerator was barely even cool. Don't waste your money.

The Azalea Garden Inn is a lovely little motel situated between the various shops and park on Main…read moreStreet in Blowing Rock & the Chetola Resort area. With a really charming garden area, as well as a little patio/gazebo-type area with firepit, the aesthetics of the place really draw you in. Various shrubbery and window boxes are situated along each room as well. When you walk into your room itself, the wooden panels and rustic-feel provide a sense of comfort. The rooms are generally comfortable, though might be missing an amenity or two. Rooms have Keurigs, for example, but don't include microwaves. The pillows aren't great either. That said, any issues are very minimal. The Azalea Garden Inn is a truly lovely place to stay - so if you're looking for something comforting and rustic? Don't miss out on this gem.

This small retro motel has a can't be beat location making it a certainty that we will return again…read morein the future. Literally parked the car and walked everywhere we went in Blowing Rock for meals and shopping. With parking spaces at a premium in this small popular mountain town the location is a huge selling point. As for the motel itself, as mentioned it is retro with a rustic roadside 1960s feel. That doesn't bother me and in fact I rather like it for mountain destinations. The furnishing and bedding is fine: the carpet however is worn out and stained and probably has a lot to do with the unpleasant dank smell of the room. There is a Keurig and small fridge but no microwave. TV service is only the 3 basic national channels and maybe 4 other lesser stations. WiFi signal was fine. Walls are thin. The hot water shows up but only after a long time of waiting for it. The bathroom itself is more updated with newer tile and fixtures.

Beautiful resort nestled in the mountains with ponds sprinkled here n there; lush greenery;…read morewinding roads and various amenities! We stayed in a 2 bed 2 bath unit actually reserved through Airbnb but was serviced through the resort all the same! Our unit was nice! A bit dated here n there mainly in the bathrooms but very nice overall. We didn't really eat on site except for carryout breakfast a couple of mornings so can't really speak to that. It has a family run laid back vibe with a "community cat ". lol I would definitely stay here again. We got confused trying to find the right unit as the map was a bit confusing but aside from that no other complaints!

Food: ordered a hot chocolates. It was tasty…read more Service: the waitress was incredibly nice and super friendly and spent time talking to us and telling us about the resort. Ambiance: located in resort but there is a small restaurant and bar area. Parking: plenty of parking since it was located in the hotel.

We stayed the day after they re-opened after Covid, and there were just a handful of guests. They…read moredid a great job of distancing and requiring masks in the lobby and wearing masks and stuff to make it a safe stay. I'm glad we read reviews across a few sites because we knew what to expect: an old hotel that is short on modern conveniences but long on charm. It's like staying at an old European 3-star hotel. The rooms don't smell "new construction fresh" but they're nice and clean and big! Ours had a great balcony. We also got a great made-to-order breakfast, included, which they delivered to our room.

Had a traditional Thanksgiving lunch. Everything was very good and the ambiance is nice. Would love…read moreto visit the lounge there.