Took a little day trip while visiting our daughter in Charlotte, and her boyfriend highly…read morerecommended The Speckled Trout Restaurant and Bottle Shop. It's definitely a bit of a drive from Charlotte, but well worth it if you're exploring the mountain towns and scenery in the area. The restaurant has a really cool upscale mountain vibe that feels relaxed and comfortable without being stuffy. Great atmosphere, friendly service, and the whole place just had that quality mountain town feel to it. My wife and I both ordered trout, which felt like the right move here. I had the almond crusted trout with basil potatoes and garlicky grits, and it was excellent. Everything tasted fresh, balanced, and thoughtfully prepared. The garlicky grits were especially good. My wife ordered the smoked trout, and let's just say they do not mess around with the smoke flavor here. It was seriously smoky. A couple hours later she was still burping little smoke rings on the drive home If you love strong smoky flavor, you'll probably love it. They also had a really solid craft beer selection that fit the mountain atmosphere perfectly. Overall, high quality food, great service, fun atmosphere, and absolutely worth the drive. Easy five stars from us.

On our annual trip to Blowing Rock in May, we had to visit Speckled Trout twice. We love their…read morelow-carb options combined with their custom crafted cocktails, this place is a must-visit for every trip to Blowing Rock. Their cocktails are crafted with homemade syrups, and change seasonally. I had the Garden in Tibet--a delicious drink with gin, Prosecco, sugar snap pea syrup (!), green elixir syrup, elderflower liquor, and lemon. You'd think this could be a too-sweet drink, but it was PERFECT. My husband had the Which Damascus the first time, with rye whiskey, cherry basil syrup, hickory syrup, Amaro Montenegro, Tiki bitters, Peychaud bitters, and orange. He enjoyed it, but I thought it was definitely too sweet. He had a Garden in Tibet on our second visit, and preferred the Tibet to the Damascus drink. We love their unique smoked trout deviled eggs as an appetizer. This dish has two eggs filled with smoked trout, and three filled with a deviled egg mixture. The accompanying house hot sauce is so good! For our entrees, we both had hickory-smoked trout on the first visit Mine was definitely saltier than his. We had three sides--collard greens, smoked Gouda grits (our favorite), and corn, hominy, yellow squash & chile hash (so fresh and delicious!). On our second visit, I had the almond and cornmeal-crusted trout with the smoked Gouda grits, and my husband tried their fried chicken sandwich with slaw. He absolutely loved the sandwich--the chicken was thick, juicy, and very tender. He'll definitely get the sandwich again. Service is always good at Speckled Trout, and I love that we can pay with ApplePay at the table via the Toast handheld. We can't wait to return.

We tried to get a table here almost every day of our 5-day trip, but it was packed! We finally…read moresmartened up and called a day ahead for a reservation. It might have just been the holiday rush, but I always figure "busy means good," so my expectations were high--and The Local didn't disappoint. We started with the nachos; they were delicious, though I do wish they came with a bit more meat. For mains, the burger was outstanding--probably one of the best we've had in the entire area. We also ordered the Brazilian steak, which was cooked perfectly and came with great plantains. The quinoa with tofu was good, too, though it was a little dry and would have been perfect with a sauce. The service really stood out. Our waitress was incredibly attentive and refilled my water at least four times without me asking. Great ambiance and an all-around good experience. Definitely worth the wait!

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!!!

Social on Main is my husband's and my favorite place for breakfast while visiting Blowing Rock…read more They are even better than our now-closed old favorite, Sunny Rock Eggs & Things. On this last trip, we went twice. I got the Beth Ann Clark both times. I just love their cheesy scrambled eggs, crispy bacon, fruit, and french toast. My husband tried two different entrees this time--the Butch Triplett (corned beef and eggs) and their breakfast burrito. Their corned beef is likely from a can, but it's so good because they cook it so it's very crispy. I always steal some of his corned beef to add to my eggs! Their breakfast burrito is amazing. It's simply filled, with just scrambled eggs, cheese, small bits of ham, and hash browns. It's topped with an enchilada sauce that is similar to a ranchero sauce, and is served with sour cream and guacamole. It's a massive burrito, and SO GOOD! My husband said it's his new favorite. Social on Main is popular, and so we always go early (before 8am). After 8am, there is usually a wait--especially on Saturdays. Their servers are always friendly, and the food is delivered fast. Their coffee is nice and strong, too. I wish we had a Social on Main near our house, because we'd visit them weekly. Give them a try if you are in Blowing Rock for a visit and want a great breakfast!

Cute place with eclectic menu! I love a good mushroom so went for the mushroom sammy akin to a…read moreFrench dip but shrooms instead. It underwhelmed me - more cheese than shrooms and the "au jus" was basically mushroom soup lol not what I expected. The Lima beans were great though! The hubby enjoyed his burger and steak fries very much. It offers inside and patio seating. The parking lot was tiny and awkward but that seems to be the theme of the day in this lil town. Our waiter was great - checking on us often!

Over Yonder has great service, excellent food, and a romantic atmosphere…read more We sat outside and sat next to a bush with lots of bees buzzing around. I love bees and enjoyed watching them. We cleaned our plates...enough said! There are only a few restaurants in this area, so I highly recommend reservations. I'm glad we arrived early for dinner and was able to be seated right away.

Upscale ambience in historic home turned dining destination across from the original Mast General…read moreStore in Valle Crucis. Attentive service. Excellent chicken fried chicken entree. Wine selections are limited but the cab we chose is a new favorite.

For a wonderful, romantic experience, the restaurant at Gideon Ridge Inn is the place. Get there…read moreearly to grab one of their amazing cocktails and look at the view. Everything on the menu is locally sourced, with lots of gluten free and vegan options for anyone. I would also recommend making a reservation no later than 6pm so you can see the mountain range along with the sunset. Service was absolutely phenomenal. From the hostess, bartender, to our server, everyone knew the menu extremely well and was kind. Our server Jeremiah was wonderfully nice, professional, and timely.

Our first time visiting the Blowing Rock area in 35+ years. I went to school in Boone many years…read moreago. In town for a few days for my birthday. We chose this restaurant for my birthday dinner - based on reviews. Reservations seemed to be required at least 10-14 days in advance and we still could only get 8:30. That's OK for us as we tend to eat later most of the time. It seemed we may have been the last party to arrive as the restaurant was clearing out shortly after we were seated. The Good: beautiful place and great views, at least for me. And although there was a table open at the window where we could both see views, we were placed at table closest to lounge area where my husband's back was to the window. The server was very nice, knowledgeable and mostly attentive. My husband's mentioned he would have liked a 2nd drink but after all the food was served (see below) we didn't see her again until the end. She did acknowledge my birthday when she initially greeted us. She recommended we each order a plate from each the appetizer, salad and entree menus and described one from each in great detail. The menu is very pricey and she is likely trained to make these suggestions. For example, on the appetizer menu, one scallop was $22. This is the one she recommended. Our garden salads and entree's were good - but not extraordinary. Husband ordered the tuna but was able to substitute scallops for the tuna ($55). I ordered the pork tenderloin ($48). I received it barely warm. The server promptly returned it to the kitchen to be heated. She was very kind about it. Once it was warm it was tasty. Was served with carrot puree that was excellent (seemed to have some brown butter and warm spices). Will likely try to recreate this at home. The Bad: There were 3 other tables being served in our area while we were there. I might guess they were locals based on the major difference in the level of service we received vs what the other 3 received. Don't get me wrong, as previously mentioned our server was very kind, knowledgeable and helpful. There was also a young man (dark curly hair) dressed in all black that spent a considerable amount of time at all 3 of the other tables when he brought their food out. He seemed to offer extensive explanations and have general conversations. He also brought out food, dropped them and was gone before we could even say thank you. There was a lady (straight dark hair in a sleeveless green dress with a name tag - (seemed to be a manager) that spent significant time at each of the other three tables as well as in the lounge area next to us with 2 couples there. Even after I had to return my cold food, she never stopped by to even say welcome/hello and make sure the plate was now satisfactory. My husband was a chef/proprietor/manager in restaurants for 35-40 years. He couldn't believe there was no check in after having to return a plate. One other table had a birthday and they brought her a dessert with a candle. I wasn't offered anything like that. Not sure if it is complimentary. We were only asked if we wanted to see a dessert menu and there was no other mention of my birthday except when we were first greeted. For the prices on the menu, I would think everyone would get great service and the manager would check on every table. Just left a bad taste in our mouths, not because the food was bad, but since we received average service when all around us received over the top service, I don't foresee returning and don't recommend them.

We went to dinner here while in the area. It was a cozy setting with a great atmosphere inside…read more However, they sat us on the closed-in patio by a window which ended up being a little too chilly. For my dinner I ordered the Wood Fried Brussels. The Brussel sprouts were not caramelized like I had at other places but it was very good and probably healthier. There were a lot of good flavors with the beets, candied pepitas, pickled peppers and the saffron aioli. I would recommend this dish. Others at the table ordered the Cobb Salad, classic wedge with salmon, & the Artisan pizza. Unfortunately, the salmon was not completely cooked so it went uneaten. Two people in our party ordered diet cokes which were fountain drinks. The diet cokes were not good because there was no carbonation. The pizza and Cobb salad were good. If you eat here during the colder months, I recommend asking for a seat inside. That seemed like it would have been a cozier experience.

Bistro Roca is an amazing spot! We love the decor, which is rustic but modern if that makes sense…read more The different seating options are also unique and bring a different ambiance to each section. Food is excellent. I LOVE the duck pizza pie. Honestly the best pizza in my book ever. My husband enjoyed his brisket saying it was tender and flavorful. The starter calamari was meaty and not overly breaded like many calamari! Great kids meals options!! Our waitress was so kind and was thoughtful in letting the girls order before us so their food arrived with the apps. A must go to while in blowing rock, you won't regret it!

Great spot for lunch and a brew while heading to Boone. I had a delicious turkey and gueyre…read moresandwich with homemade chips. Yum . And cold Mexican lager. Hubby got the fried chicken sandwich with a cold ipa. Always great spot to stop.

After a long day hiking, we made our way down from Grandfather mountain, enjoyed the views along…read morethe Blue Ridge Parkway as we drove to Blowing Rock. We found parking on a side street near Blowing Rock Brewing, so decided to enjoy a drink and get some lunch. We were seated quickly, near a heater, which was nice to help us warm up after being on the mountain. A waiter came by with menus to take our order. We asked for some suggestions, but he was a little less than enthused to offer advise. They had a good variety of beers, so my wife and I each got one, and shared them. We got the Pina Colada Kolsch and the Cloud Rise Hazy Ipa. Both were tasty, the Pina Colada Kolsch had a much stronger pineapple flavor than I expected, but in a good way. For food we started with the white cheddar poblano, which I expected to be more of a liquid queso for some reason. It was instead for of a soft, spread, which was really good, and paired well with the chips. And then we split the Turkey Reuben, which I figured would be made with deli meat, instead, it was warm, cooked chunks of turkey, really great flavor, and hit the spot for us. The sides with the sandwiches were a bit lacking, only offering hot chips, and green beans....I've never gotten the whole hot chip craze, but green beans just seamed like too odd of a side option for a sandwich It was a good visit, and a good meal, to get us back on our feet. Overall, a nice space, with bar seating, a back room, a back and front patio, plenty of space to hang out, relax and enjoy their beer. Food and drink were both good and worth a visit if you're in the area.

This was my first real experience at the gamekeeper which is one of the more well-known restaurants…read morein the Boone area. This was their special four course Thanksgiving Day event. We were greeted with a valet who parked our car and escorted to our table. The waitress was knowledgeable in all of the food options and helped us choose what we wanted. The four courses were soup, salad, entree, and dessert and everything was amazing. The owner came and spoke to us during our meal and was just super friendly. This was an amazing place and I cannot wait to go back! All of the food was perfectly cooked and just very delicious.

Absolutely a 10 out of 10! Service was phenomenal. Kale was so friendly and attentive. The food was…read moretop notch and the desserts were superb. A must try in Boone.

Here's the break down. Tuna: 5 stars…read moreChicken and waffles sandwich: 4.5 stars Cali flatbread: 4.25 stars There was a mistake when our flatbread was brought out. but waitress was more than willing to fix the mistake. However, we liked it well enough to keep it (adding balsamic glaze). Quaint little spot. Entrance is inside the mall for those who may be confused. Would go back.

Great. Food Great service…read moreA wonderful lunch place to eat. Clean and neat. Good adult beverages as well.

Not much beats some green beer, scotch eggs and Irish music on St Patty's in an Irish pub in…read moredowntown Blowing Rock. Great selection of beers, drinks, regular food items and of course Irish food at this fun spot right on Main St. I had an Irish ale turned green that was cold one tasty. They even turned my wife's cider green which was a nice addition to the day's celebration. The scotch eggs were delicious. Hard boiled eggs wrapped in flavorful sausage that are baked and then served chilled. The dressing and dipping sauce went perfectly with the dish. Really a fun spot all around with great service, fun and hip atmosphere whether it's St. Patrick's Day or not. We'll be back!

Sat outside on the patio with a group of 4 adults, 2 little kids, and a baby. All the food was…read moretasty and they were accommodating to a pick and choose ingredients basically request for the 2 little kids. Staff was helpful. Nice umbrellas and ample space out to stash our wagon off to the side. Wagons or strollers would not be recommended inside.