Things seemed moderately busy at the Cardinal on the Sunday evening when I stopped by. There's not a ton of parking, by the way, given the restaurant's roadside location. But I wiggled my vehicle into a tight spot and went in for a burger and a beer. I believe there were about 10 to 12 options available on tap, and I went with what was listed as an Irish stout from somewhere in the Northeast. It wasn't bad, though it seemed more like an imperial stout. My sandwich choice was the Cowboy, with ground elk at its core. It was a good choice too, and the accompanying fried onions and melted cheese complemented the meat well. I ordered the burger medium, but I think I'd go for medium rare if I could go back in time. The medium option wasn't bad, but I think a little less heat and a little more moisture would only make things better. I kept things simple with the side item, going for the fries which were of the thinly sliced McDonald's variety, not bad but nothing remarkable. The server covering my table was pleasant and prompt, though soft spoken so I occasionally had to ask her to repeat herself amidst the music and noise. I wouldn't call any of these selections a bargain, but the prices didn't veer too far from what you'll find in many burger joints. All in all, not an earthshaking experience, but a place I'd be willing to go back to. 3.5 stars. read more

Food is great here came for a burger didn't disappoint at all had a side of home made chips. Sat on the back porch nice area. Service was very good. Will be back. read more

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Such a cute, easy lunch spot in Boone and honestly, I loved it. My husband thought it was "average," but in fairness, I ordered what he always calls girl food -- bright, fresh, crunchy, pickled, delicious -- and that's exactly what I got. We started with the pickled board, and it was just fun. A little bit of everything: pickled veggies, cucumbers with those pretty curls of onion, pimento cheese, bread, pork rinds, a little tomato jam. It felt like a Southern snack platter put together by someone who actually cares about balance and flavor. I ordered the pickled salad with chicken, and it was right up my alley. Fresh greens, great textures, pops of color, and the chicken was nicely seasoned and grilled. The dressing had that bright, tart thing going on that makes you want more of it. I would absolutely get this again. My husband got the Cassie salad, and while he said it was "fine," even he admitted everything was fresh and well done. The vibe here is relaxed, cozy, a little rustic, the kind of place that feels local in the best way. For a casual lunch in Boone, it hits the spot. I'd go back in a heartbeat. read more

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Enjoyed lunch while visiting App State. Love the vibe here. Our waitress was great! Good selection of craft beers on draft. For lunch we had the Cardinal burger double (5 stars) with fries, Fried Chicken Sandwich (4.5 stars) and the Farm Burger (4 stars). The grass fed farm burger has a much different consistency than a traditional burger and I think I would have preferred the Cardinal. read more

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The Chicken sandwich is incredible. The cardinal is a must stop if you are in or near boone

Great spot that is vegetarian and vegan friendly. I got the cardinal burger Carolina style and it was great, just like what I grew up on. I also highly recommend the sweet potato tots and honey mustard which is tangy and made with Dijon. There is also good options for indoor and outdoor seating but parking can fill up fast, there is overflow up a steep hill behind the restaurant. read more

The Cardinal - Cardinal burger Carolina style and sweet potato tots - Burgers Near Me - Boone, North Carolina

Food was really good, offered a lot of vegan options, I opted for the beet burger, something I've never had. It was phenomenal, better than a black bean burger in my opinion. My beet burger did come out after my fries and the other meals at the table. The place was clean and really cold. The service was top notch and they were ok with us asking to move due to being under a vent. Definitely coming back to try more. read more

The Cardinal - Fries - Burgers Near Me - Boone, North Carolina

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Pickled salad with chicken and sweet potato tater tots were a treat! They have special cocktails, mine was a blueberry mojito slushy! Very yummy! We sat outside in the patio with a covered porch. They have fans. The service was excellent! My friend is gluten free and they are accommodating. read more

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It's always the same thing with this place... Good burgers (single patty Cardinal burger Carolina style), fantastic fries, and a good selection of rotating taps. Always a good vibe either at a table or the bar. And the service has always been excellent. No wonder I somehow keep ending up here on Thursdays! read more

The Cardinal - Stout - wish I could remember the name! - Burgers Near Me - Boone, North Carolina

After a 12 hour car ride to Boone, all we wanted to do was eat a good meal and order a solid drink. Enter The Cardinal, which provided both of those things along with friendly service for us. We popped in on the later side - around 10 pm and our party of 3 sat at the bar. I ordered a dirty martini and my friends got old fashioneds. Our bartender was super friendly and even went through great lengths to open a bottle of bombay that was being quite difficult. The commitment to a great martini was not lost on me. We got a pile of fries with chili and cheese. I will not lie, these did not look appealing to the eye but they were pretty good once you dove in. I think because the chili is like smothered the texture looked different from what I would expect. We also split the cardinal burger and a kale caesar salad. The Cardinal is a solid bar with solid food especially since it is open later than a lot of places in the area. It was a Thursday evening and the place was packed. I also have a soft spot for Cardinals, and I loved that the decor was filled with them. read more

The Cardinal - Burgers Near Me - Boone, North Carolina

I had very high expectations for The Cardinal and perhaps I caught them on an off night but the food was pretty bad. The burgers tasted flavorless. The portion sizes were very small. I expected more food for a $22 plate of food. It's one of the only restaurants I left hungry. The waitress was nice and deserved one of the two stars I gave The Cardinal. read more

New to Boone, NC as we dropped off our son this week at App State. We were so happy we found The Cardinal for our last dinner before we headed back to Atlanta. Service was a 4/5 with a great drink menu and our waitress was prompt and attentive. Food 4/5: Highly recommend the Jalapeño Hushpuppies for a great starter. Our table enjoyed several items: House Salad, Sweet Potato Tots, The Cardinal Burger (one the Caroline Style& one, All the Way, & also the Chicken Sandwich. Can't wait to come back and visit! read more

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Cute little spot with really unique cocktails and delicious burgers! Also highly recommend the jalapeño cheddar hush puppies. Our server was friendly and helped me pick a cocktail after the one I wanted was out. Can't wait to go back and try another burger. read more

Wow! I wish we lived closer to the amazing restaurant. Our friends were here a week ago and said it was their favorite meal in Boone, so we had to try it. They were having a benefit concert that night, so it was very busy, but we got a table quickly. Our server, Thomas, was very efficient and nice. They have a good selection of beer, and we had a good local amber. We ordered the cardinal burger, sweet potato tots, and the pickled vegetable salad. The burger and tots were good but for me the star of the show was the salad. I will be dreaming of this salad. It was mixed greens, pickled onions, carrots, celery, raisins, goat cheese and nuts. It is topped with beet xhips. Thomas suggested the champagne vinegrette. Omg! It was probably the best salad I have ever had. I was so obsessed I went back the next day to have more. The manager, Joanna, was kind enough to get me the ingredient list for the salad and dressing. I will attempt to recreate this at home Definitely, go check oit the Cardinal when on Boone. read more

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We stopped over here for our lunch after spending some time at tweetsie railroad. Staff was sweet and welcoming. We ordered hush puppies to start with - those were perfectly cooked and came out hot (it does appear those were burnt, but it tasted just right). My husband ordered the veggie burger from special menu, and he absolutely loved it. He rarely finishes his burgers and this was one of those that he ate fully because it was so yum! I ordered blackened chicken sandwich from the special menu and I was quite disappointed. Blackened seasoning wasn't tasting any different than just a grilled chicken - for a change I ended up leaving half my burger because it was just average. Fries were quite average too. They were out of tots and that was disappointing. read more

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Great burgers, I don't care for the fries but they have plenty of other good sides. We had the Shawn Collins King of the mountain burger. read more

The Cardinal - Florida Seltzer untitled art - Burgers Near Me - Boone, North Carolina

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Food was great, service was great overall great pick. Locally owned restaurant and a local suggested to us! We both got burgers!

Burgers of all sorts. Bison, elk, waygu, etc. attentive service. Very cute little building.

Ordered a few burgers (not many other choices on the menu) and they were ok, but really no better if we would have went to Wendy's My biggest issue was the hot country ham dip as an appetizer 1st it came out with our burgers not before as an appetizer 2nd of the four of us nobody could taste any ham. Basically a $12 bowl of hot cream cheese. Though the burgers were ok, I don't think we'll return read more

LOVE the burgers! They aren't flattened like a fake burger! Great sides! Our lady was wicked sweet and they have the cutest outside area that was heated! read more

We hired The Cardinal's Burger Wagon for our wedding! What a wonderful experience! *Great communication before the event. They were able to customize the menu to our taste: burgers, chicken sandwiches, corn dogs, hot ham dip, brisbee rolls, etc. They confirmed the location/set up beforehand, making the day of so easy! They were very transparent with their pricing, which was outrageously cheap for the quality of options we had! Just overall so easy and stress-free! *The food day of, was super fresh and delicious! Everyone got a starter, main dish and a side. We didn't want "warming tray" food, and this was truly made to order! All of the options were still available at the very end of the night and they even let us go back for more, AND THEN packed up the leftovers for us. Everyone was served quickly (still faster than a buffet or traditionally plated dinner)! My mom, originally skeptical of the burger truck idea, later said it was the best wedding food she's had! Also notable: I have a sister that is vegetarian and she was very happy to not be served plain pasta or vegetables. She had a few different main options! 10/10 would do again! ...Lastly, we got married in September 2024 shortly before the flooding. I was very inspired and impressed with The Cardinal's community outreach after the storm. Shows that they aren't just a great restaurant, but also great people! read more

The Cardinal - Burgers Near Me - Boone, North Carolina

This is a cool location with great food too! We were a party of 5 (4 adults and 1 child) seated outside. The seating was comfortable and the arrangement didnt seem cramped. A few people got burgers, one ordered a Cobb salad, while my daughter and I opted for the kids menu. I ordered a grilled peanut butter and honey sandwich while she got a corn dog. We didn't realize at the time the corn dogs are homemade, which meant I lost my sandwich for a bit. (The corn dog was delicious and was tasted by all the adults who liked it--she's 4 and picky). I ended up ordering another sandwich, which was great! The service was great! The server arrived at our table with water, which was nice on a hot summer day. Despite the heat being under the shade was very quite cool! If you are visiting Boone, definitely check it out! read more

We loved the cardinal! Great back porch for shaded dining and pups allowed! Cheddar jalapeño Hushpuppies- 6/10, not worth the hype not very cheddar or jalapeño flavor to us. Double burger and fries 7/10- pretty tasty ! Picked Veggie Salad 9/10- obsessed with this! Lots of fun flavors with the pickled veggies, goat cheese, oranges, and beet chips ! They do not skimp on the greens! I had to take some out to be able to eat out of the bowl. So colorful and pretty too! read more

The Cardinal - Hushpuppies - Burgers Near Me - Boone, North Carolina

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This cozy rustic restaurant is the perfect spot to have a delicious burger as well as amazing cocktails. Additionally, what will make us return is the courteous service. We came during a holiday week and the place was packed, yet barring a few glitches with our order our server was very accommodating. The Cardinal is definitely a restaurant our family will be returning when in town. read more

We had dinner for the first time at The Cardinal. What a great little cozy place. A wide variety of menu selections and options. Ruth was an excellent server and had great recommendations on what to order. If you are in Boone, try The Cardinal. read more

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Delicious Burgers! Friendly service! Highly recommend starting off with the sweet potato tots. Will definitely stop back in next time we are in Boone. read more

This is our third time eating here and I decided to try the Wagyu burger that was recommended by my daughter. When it arrived and I ate the first bite I had to stop. This is the hands down best burger in Boone if not the best burger I have ever had. I definitely recommend trying if you're in the area. The waiter staff was very friendly and attentive. The restaurant is always laid back and comfortable. read more

The Cardinal - The Wagyu burger with fresh house chips. - Burgers Near Me - Boone, North Carolina

Some of the slowest service I have experienced, but Boone tends to move in slow motion anyway. I loved my chicken sandwich and fries. My friend enjoyed his burger as well. Cute environment, I got a front row spot. And the bathrooms were clean. I'd go back! read more

Another great meal at the Cardinal. The Hot Ham Dip is the go to appetizer. Large beer selection and fast, friendly service.

Solid burger place. Interesting burgers, kid friendly. Our server was great. The fries are really good! Def be back. read more

The Cardinal - Bison burger & fries :) - Burgers Near Me - Boone, North Carolina

What a great, large outdoor patio to have large groups. Service was over the top and everyone's food and drinks were awesome. We went 2x while visiting! read more

Highly recommend the pickled veg salad. So delicious! Most amazing wait staff in Boone, and they are open late. Fun atmosphere. Nice outside seating during warm months. read more

Friendly service and wonderful food!!! The oatmeal cream pies are worth a visit alone!!!

Food was amazing. I got the beet burger and it was so good!! The sweet potato tots were perfect. Service was great and the inside was cute. I hope to come again when visiting the Boone area. read more

The Cardinal - Burgers Near Me - Boone, North Carolina

Fantastic gluten free BREADED Chicken sandwich. The fries are skinny and delicious. I can't get enough of the sweet potato tots. A real treat. Friendly service in a very comfortable setting. The staff went above and beyond. We were in town for 3 days and have been here 2 days in a row. (We'll see about tomorrow!) The food was consistent both days. It's rare to find gluten free food in a location that also has great selections for everyone else. read more

The Cardinal - Burgers Near Me - Boone, North Carolina

Finale dinner of my weekend trip to Boone! For appetizer, got the Hot Damn Ham Dip (Watauga County Country Ham, Cream Cheese, Onion, Garlic, Toasted Pecans, and Fried Saltines). We really enjoyed this; the dip did not feel heavy at all and even the fried saltines were not greasy. Then, I had the Wagyu Patty Melt (4440 Wagyu Beef, Grilled Onions and Mushrooms, Remoulade, and American Cheese) with Fries. It was good, but felt a little too heavy for me (especially after the dip so maybe stay away from getting these together). Also loved the pickle under fries surprise haha! Friendly & relatively fast service; casual ambiance. 8/10 would recommend! read more

Excellent food & service. Patty Melt delicious. Also, the Kids grilled cheese was not skimpy at all. It was a hit ! read more

The Cardinal - Waygu Patty Melt was delicious! Fries are so good and house made chips crispy! Yum! - Burgers Near Me - Boone, North Carolina

great people, great experience every time we go! Its a good spot to hang out and catch up - we like to take friends there when we have out of town visitors read more

Solid place for well-cooked burgers and a good selection of beer. The Cardinal is popular with locals and tourists alike. read more

I was intrigued by their menu. So many good burgers and variations. I tried their 50/50 which is a Elk and chorizo blend - wow. It's Amaroo Hills Emu, Ramblin Poppy Chorizo, Queso, Grilled Jalapeño & Onion, Greens, Tomato, Cilantro Sour Cream. I even asked for an extra side of their cilantro sour cream to dip my sweet potato fries in! I was beyond impressed with the flavor, not dry, the queso was also a nice touch. I also suggest their Do you have your exit buddy cocktail. Blanco Tequila, Poblano Infused Banana Liqueur, Lulo, Spirulina, Lemon, Aquafaba (vegan egg white mixture). Impressive spot!!! Delicious and now I'm thirsty again! read more

The Cardinal - Burgers Near Me - Boone, North Carolina