We'll be headed to the banner elk area for a few days shortly. Any suggestions for non chain family friendly restaurants in the surrounding area? We hit the peddlin pig last year and enjoyed it and will be going again this year. Anything within a 30-45 minute drive from there is good, so that should include Boone and blowing rock.

Thanks in advance guys.

Mellow Mushroom has really good pizza and subs in Blowing Rock.

We like mellow mushroom, but as we have those around here (Myrtle Beach area) we are kinda looking for non chain places up there. Thanks for the suggestion.

Daniel Boone Inn?

It's been years since I was there, but I remember it being good.

The wife wants to try that for breakfast/brunch one day. She's heard a lot about their breakfast

This was my first thought as well.  

Honestly, if I'm in the area.....I'd rather find some decent meat at the grocery and grill out on my tailgate.

ETA - I hope you like waiting for a table.

For a original old school meal that the locals have enjoyed for years- http://www.averymuseum.com/famous_louise.htm
For good food and fun especially if its a rainy day- http://www.countryretreatbilliards.com
Really good bar food and drinks- http://www.nicksrestaurantandpub.com
Great food in Banner Elk- http://www.stonewallsrestaurant.com
Couple good places toward Boone- http://gamekeeper-nc.com & http://www.peddlerofboone.com

Dainal Boone Inn does have good (Cracker Barrel on steroids) breakfast.
The Tartan Restaurant in Linville has good simple breakfast as well

We had looked at the websites for both the stonewalls and the gamekeeper and they look really good. Question for you about them tho, are they what you would consider family friendly or more upscale than that? We have 4 children and the oldest is 10 and while being well behaved (get compliments on their behavior all the time) I don't want to take them somewhere that's jacket and tie and chance one of the younger ones having a break down and messing up someone else's evening.

We will be cooking "at home" on the weekends, that way we are eating out when it's less crowded during the week. May still have to wait but shouldn't be nearly as long.

Stonewalls would be fine for kids and is one of the best restaurants food wise in the high country. The billiards place would be a hit and they do have surprisingly great food.

The Gamekeeper is a lot more formal and might not be to the taste of kids.

One other place if you like great grandma style country cooking... on Sunday the Shady Lawn Inn and Restaurant in Newland does a buffet that is awesome eating, just get there before the church crowd

Blowing rock ale house.  Awesome little resteraunt in blowing rock.  Family friendly, great beers, great bison burger.  Probably the best burger I've ever had. A little higher in price.  Maybe 13-16 per plate, but worth it.

Foggy rock is another resteraunt in blowing rock.  Awesome place.  Best philly cheese steak I've ever had.  Definitely family friendly, about 8-12 a plate average.

There is now a peddlin pig in Boone if you are in that area.

We'll be in the banner elk area, so we'll likely eat at the peddlin pig there. Thanks for the suggestions in blowing rock, we'll put them on the list.

Not much in Banner Elk, besides the Pedlin Pig.  Puerto Nuevo is a nice Mexican restaurant there in the old glove factory.  

The Cardinal in Boone is good, elk burgers  The Local is also pretty good.

Someone mentioned The Game Keeper, it's really good.  Mostly wild game, elk, buffalo, ostrich, rattlesnake, etc etc but very expensive but really good.  

Woodlands Bar B Q in Blowing Rock is a must.  

A lot of people like the Dan'l Boone Inn but its just canned food mostly, we only go if its with a family group or something that is going.  

Just an update, we had the chance to try several places suggested by in this thread.

Famous Louise's- very good, I had the catfish and split the calabash shrimp with one of my kids.

Nicks in Banner Elk- very good, even though both my wife and I ordered the sirloin steak and hers looked like a completely different cut than mine much thicker and more marbled like a ribeye. They were ordered medium and hers came out perfect while mine came out more medium well (mine was noticeably thinner) but the flavor was excellent. Good chili and sides also.

Foggy Rock (tried the Blowing Rock Ale House first but when we walked in they told it there was an hour and a half wait, called the foggy rock from the parking lot and they could seat us immediately) honestly prob the best food I ate while we were up there. I ordered the packer burger (pulled pork, bacon, and BBQ sauce topping a nice thick hamburger patty. My wife ordered their "French dip grilled cheese" (roast beef, sautéed onions and provolone cheese on sourdough) and my sister ordered their southern croissant melt (applewood bacon and homemade peach marmalade on a croissant with melted cheddar cheese on top) and we each tried a bite of the other. All three sandwiches were great but the croissant was the best. I wanted to order a couple of those just to take home lol.

We went to family billiards the night we ended up at nicks but they were having a big tournament and it was a little crowded for us.


Wasn't suggested on here but was close to where we were staying and we wanted pizza and wings one night so we tried the Banner Elk Cafe. I can't recommend them, the pizza was ok but not worth the cost, and the service was lacking. Was probably the only place we ate at there that I wouldn't feel comfortable sending someone.


Thanks for the suggestions guys and we certainly have a few "go to" restaurants in the area now for when we return. Wanted to try the Stone Walls but my BIL was a little "intimidated" by the outside I think. It looks a lot nicer/fancier than he was comfortable with. That may be a dinner date for the wife and I at a later point.

Haha.  I ate at Nicks for lunch today.  We typically go there on Fridays for lunch.  

The Foggy Rock is one of my wife's favorites.