I had never driven so high up a mountain before as I did driving my new Lexus up Bent Mountain,…read moreVirginia, in search of what I had heard was a hidden gem of a restaurant in this area and The Roanoker Magazine's 2025 Dining Award Winner of the Platinum Award for the Best Roanoke County Restaurant, the Gold Award for the Best Family-friendly Restaurant, Best Outdoor Dining, as well as for Best Chili and for Best Hidden Gem Restaurant, and the Silver Award for the Best Takeout / Curbside Service and for the Best Bar Where Everyone Knows Your Name, as voted by the people.
After being awarded the Triad Yelper of the Year 2024 Award at the Yelpies Award Ceremony last year, an event that honored the highest-performing Yelp Elites, I decided that this year, as an All-Star Yelp Elite, I not only wanted to be the first to discover new restaurants and bring them to the attention of the public, but also to uncover those found in hidden paths that for one reason or another
have not reached the public in its totality. And Treehouse Tavern in Bent Mountain, Virginia, is the perfect example.
Only a 23 minute drive from Roanoke City, up curvy one lane roads, leading high up the mountain, one can literally feel the high elevation in your ears as you would during a airplane ride. But once you're there, and take a look at the place, you definitely feel it was worth it.
The Treehouse Tavern is housed in a lovely and cozy, wide, one story building painted white with a mural of plants painted by a local artist, that gives it an interesting flair. There are no formal parking spaces. You park in front of the building and on the side. I parked on the side when I got there. The entrance however is decorated with stone bricks and has two large windows and a glass door. A red truck with two customers were parked in front of the entrance waiting, like me, for the doors to open at 12noon, for lunch. Our server, Rochelle, a very friendly lady with a wonderful personality, came out to greet and welcome us, a bit before they officially opened their door.
Inside, they had a small foyer with Treehouse decorations, right before you entered the restaurant itself. I invite you to view my photographs accompanying this review to get a better sense of the place and its food. It has a full bar, a brick oven where pizzas are made, a kitchen, a spacious dining room, and an outdoor dining area with a bar and a place for musical artists to put on a show. Since it was a Wednesday lunchtime, the two customers from the red truck ate at the bar, a customer came with a to go order, a group of ladies ate at a table in the dining room, as well a couple, and I ate at a table next to a window. My server Rochelle took my order. I ordered a Root Beer to drink, a cup of Kenny's Chili with a cornbread as appetizer, and their famous Bacon & Brie Burger with Onion Rings as my main entrée. Everything was fresh, seasoned, and cooked to perfection. The hamburger bun was so soft and the burger so tasty with the brie cheese and bacon. For dessert I had their Triple Chocolate Cheesecake. Pure Chocolate satisfaction.
Before I left I got an opportunity to meat their chef at the brick oven pizza station, as well as meeting the owner. Everyone was so welcoming and friendly, that they made me feel at home. I definitely highly recommend this very unique restaurant. They have all it takes for providing an extraordinary dining experience and more. A friendly staff, an efficient service, amazingly delicious food, a pleasant ambiance, with both indoor and outdoor seating; and on the evenings and weekends, live music and fun events.
