The Magnolia Room is an upscale cocktail bar conveniently located on the first floor of the…read moreFairfield Inn in downtown Morganton. The decor inside is nice, with magnolia wood tables that give the space a sophisticated yet cozy feel. A sign posted said that the bar is not owned or operated by the hotel, so you cannot bill your drinks directly to your room tab. Additionally, they serve beverages only, so don't expect any food, appetizers, or light snacks. You will want to eat before you arrive or after. For drinks, they offer a standard selection of beer, wine, and cocktails. While they don't have mocktails explicitly listed on the drink menu, the friendly bartender offered to mix up a non-alcoholic version of their popular "Front Porch Swing" cocktail for me. It was a beautiful, blueberry-flavored mocktail that tasted fantastic. My only real concern is that the space was exceptionally quiet, with only three customers total on a Friday night, which makes me wonder how much regular business they get. However, if you are staying at the hotel and want a beautiful, quiet spot for a premium drink, it is absolutely worth popping in.

So I am biased, but Taylor and Laney make incredible cocktails!read more

I was visiting friends that moved to NC recently. While they were showing me the shops in Union…read moreSquare they mentioned that they hadn't visited this restaurant yet. So we decided that we were going to give it a try. After looking at a menu and being approached by the host who gave us a brief introduction to the menu we were in for sure. We asked to sit indoors with it being a windy and somewhat humid day. They have plenty of outdoor seating with umbrellas. We were informed later by our excellent server, Ashlee that there is also seating upstairs! We forgot to take a tour! The decor is very chic, but not overly done. We were seated at a table, but booths are available as well. Even the women's restroom with chic. It needed to be picked up a bit but was nice. Our server Ashlee was excellent! Her upbeat personality and friendliness was in the 10 rating! For only being at the restaurant a couple of weeks I think her vibes will keep bringing customers back. But not only her vibes, the food is very good too! My friends were very happy with their main meal, me as well! I had the Chicken Panini and the companion (side dish) I selected was the Pan Fried Corn. Both very good! We did order shareables too! The Southwest egg rolls and the Charcuterie Board. We were very happy with both! I would definitely order them again. I ordered two alcoholic drinks. My first drink was called the Bees Knees (ginger, honey, lemon bourbon) and an Espresso Martini. Both were good. The ginger was very mild in the Bees Knees. We were quite full so we were not able to enjoy our desserts at the restaurant but did order them to go. We ordered the Crème Brûlée and Key Lime Cheesecakes to go. I enjoyed the Key Lime, a good balance of sweet and tart. A little perfumme for me but still good.The feedback on the Crème Brûlée, was ok. I didn't try it. When I visit this area again, I would surely come back here and try some other items on the menu. Parking in this area can be quite busy, especially on the weekends. We came during the weekday in July after 1pm. We had to circle a few times before we got a parking spot. Come early!

Notions was OK. I had a smash burger - the burger was decent, the side of a grit cake was…read morehorrid. It was a wedge of grits that were covered in breading and deep fried. Who possibly wants to eat deep fried breaded grits? We ordered some apps and I forget what my wife and SIL order, but the overall opinion was just OK. No one wanted to return. Plus... the inside restaurant smelled like something died in there. We ate outside, as eating inside was impossible due to the smell. When I went to use the bathroom about an hour later, they had heavily perfumed the restuarant.

Great atmosphere, great staff. Highly recommend !! Wonderful selection of cocktails and best…read moreselection of cigars in town !!

From the owner: Step through the doors of Epic Speakeasy into an authentic 1930s atmosphere where speakeasy vibes…read moremerge with modern sophistication. Discover an extensive range of 105 cigar brands, each hand-selected to provide the ultimate smoking experience. We have smoking and non-smoking areas. Indulge in a craft cocktail as you relax on the marvelous back porch or retreat to the adjacent cigar club. Epic Speakeasy offers an unmatched escape from the ordinary, making it a haven for cigar enthusiasts and cocktail aficionados alike.

This is Hickory's only Speakeasy! Go through the door labeled No Entry and find a beautiful little…read morebar lounge. Small and comfortable with a few food options a d a long list of carefully crafted cocktails from excellent mixologists.

Paloma is a beautiful location, and we really wanted to love our dinner here, but unfortunately,…read morethe food didn't quite live up to expectations. I ordered the pork belly bao buns, but they missed the mark for me. Coming from NY, I'm used to bao buns being marshmallow-soft and pillowy, but these were a hard, and the pork belly itself was quite tough. Our wonderful waitress noticed I only took one bite and brought the manager over. He explained that the cut is naturally mostly fat, which I understand, but the texture just wasn't quite right because it should be tender not tough. I declined a replacement dish, and he kindly credited it on our bill, though the interaction felt a little awkward. My husband's salmon unfortunately had a very heavy mustard flavor. The spinach farrotto underneath was quite salty. Since there isn't a kids menu which is fine, my daughter ordered the burger plain, but it wasn't really a hit for her. My coconut guava Paloma was okay definitely the best part of my meal though it tasted a little artificial. The ambiance has a lot of potential, and they had live music playing. However, it was a bit too loud for the space, forcing guests to raise their voices just to speak to each other. We also noticed our table hadn't been wiped down thoroughly before we sat down. The absolute silver lining of our evening was our waitress. She was incredibly sweet, highly attentive, and took great care of us. She is truly the reason I am giving 3 stars.She mentioned that they offer a completely different menu for brunch. Because the setting is so pretty and the service was so good, we might give them another chance for brunch down the road, but we likely wouldn't return for dinner. Proof that lighting and plating can hide a lot! Captured these beautiful views last night, even though the dinner itself was a bit of a letdown.

The ambiance was very nice, and the staff was pleasant and welcoming. The salmon was…read moreexcellent--cooked perfectly, moist, and flavorful--and was easily the best dish we had. The shrimp wrap, however, was disappointing. It had very little shrimp and seemed to rely heavily on overcooked bacon and an abundance of lettuce, which made it tough to chew and left it lacking balance. The menu offers unique flavors and creative combinations, but in this dish, there seemed to be more emphasis on presentation and concept than substance.

Delicious food, lovely service…read more I was visiting the area and this place and the menu caught my attention. 'The Gamekeeper', what name could be more intriguing for a unique dining experience? I was not disappointed in the food. All selections were ideally prepared, seasonally balanced, and well paired. What I was really pleased about was the service. The staff elevate the entire experience. To name one or two would leave out what was an incredibly welcoming, knowledgeable, and cohesive Team. I would certainly recommend The Gamekeeper to anyone looking for the complete dining experience.

Let's just start out with the obvious. The service, meal options and atmosphere are tops. Our…read moreparty of 6 was fortunate to have Allan G as our server. The wine and cocktails assistance was great and the mixed grill appetizers were perfect. The bison short ribs are killer. A very enjoyable evening. Everyone in the party raved about the meal and service. Bravo to the chef, staff and management. Our first trip to the area proved challenging on a rainy night in the mountains. We opted for transport via uber and Lyft services. FYI it's almost impossible to confirm service in Blowing Rock. With no show transportation at 9:30 pm the staff jumped into action. Lucky for us the one driver that did show agreed make 2 trips.

Wonderful gourmet cocktails and great service. Friendly patrons. Interestingly decorations in…read moredifferent rooms.

I did not expect such a creative cocktail bar with a unique ambiance in downtown Elkin! What a…read moregreat addition to the downtown vibe! The owner was awesome and shared her creative talents in her specialty cocktails. She had a pho inspired cocktail which consisted of sesame oil and soy sauce... I would never ever had dreamt of this type of cocktail but I enjoyed it!

Highlands Butchery Restaurant is top notch! Food is wonderful, fresh, and delicious! Service is…read moregreat and the ambiance is so comforting and relaxing. We've been customers of the meat store for years, just had lunch today and it was amazing.

Great service, great people, great atmosphere, and the food was good as well. Their steaks could…read moreuse a little upsizing, however!

Great brewery love the beer and the distilled beverages. Bartenders are great and help guide you…read more They have a hidden speakeasy haven't been to it yet but will get there. The brewery has a great outdoors area.

The craft beer was really good and the location was open and airy. I enjoyed the Strawberry…read moreMilkshake IPA the most out of the flight. The pontoon was least favorite. We ordered boiled peanuts and they were extremely salty, and the manager comped us for them with no problem. We would definitely go again.