Gamekeeper Restaurant

This is my favorite restaurant in the High Country. We were introduced to the restaurant and it?s owners about 2 years ago. Ken & Wendy (the owners) came to our table to chat. They even brought out samples of items we did not order. Whenever we go there they always find a minute say hello. We have always had A+ service in the restaurant and in the bar. The bar is a great place to go for a quite drink, very cozy bar. The bartender, Evan, is awesome. It?s definitely a place to make a reservation (directed to the lady that complained about the wait time). The better restaurants in the area require a reservation. There is a sign in the bar that says ?unattended children will be given an espresso and a free puppy? it?s really more of an adult dining experience. Give it a try, you won?t be disappointed. more

A group of five of us plus three children ate dinner this evening. Our waitress Jeannie was disinterested, uninformative and completely rude. In discussing what would be appropriate for the children we were informed that they had frozen chicken fingers and pizza. If we wanted pasta it would take a ""very long time"". Ultimately the pasta took the typical 10 minutes and was served over 25 mintues prior to our entrees. Getting our drink order took 20 minutes, they were out of our desired wine and during the ordering process we were informed of 2 entrees they had ""sold out"" of. The explanation was that Valentines Day was last night and they were busy. Last time I checked, Valentines Day was a scheduled Holiday and one which results in restauants preparing for such an event. We have been dining at The Gamekeeper for several years and have never had such a terrible experience. It is interesting to note that we did inform the hostess of our experience and no manager was called or any action taken to resolve the experience. We will never go back. Pros: Atmosphere is relaxing and gives a good mountain flavor Cons: Price, service, management, food quality more

Beautiful setting not far from Boone or Blowing Rock. Be sure you're sober for the drive: winding and narrow roadways are not for the faint at heart. Pros: Meat-lovers paradise Cons: few non-meat choices more

My husband and I, along with 2 of our friends went to this restaurant recently; and had a very mixed experience. Yes, its very cozy and unique, and the food was delicious; however that came with unexpected consequences. We did make reservations, however when we arrived, we were informed that we would be ""taken care of as soon as possible, but our wait would be longer than expected"" Which turned into 45 minutes. We learned later on, that some ""special clientele"" had arrived unexpectedly and of course we were bumped back. The waiter was somewhat attentive, however seemed distracted and uninterested. This would soon turn in to the least of our worries. After we ate, which I must say the food was delicious - we all started to feel sick to our stomachs. Unfortunately, for us the bathrooms were only for one person at a time. We had not even left yet, and all of us 'lost' our dinners. I will spare you the details. Pros: Cozy restaurant- food was good while it lasted Cons: Service, lack of reservation keeping, bathrooms are ""one seaters"" more

The Gamekeeper has been my favorite restaurant for years, and yes- I always call for reservations. I have eaten there on many occasions and for many different celebrations. The food and the service is always amazing. The staff is friendly, jovial and ready to help with any wine pairing or ingredient giving. They know their food , their spirits, and their customer. Each menu item is a spendid tribute to the chefs' love of the areas traditional cuisine, combined with their own incredible artistic interpretation, making the dinner guest often express awe as their plates are served. The ambience is comfortably, rustic and relaxing - like coming to a friends mountain home for a fun, rejuvenating night of good food, wine and conversation. It makes you feel as if you may have stepped into back into a less frantic time period; you can really unwind and take away an incredible feeling of relaxation right along with your leftovers and your full, happy tummy. Pros: The food, the wine , the staff , the ambience Cons: that we can't go more often more

After my first visit to The Gamekeeper in 2001, I've become a regular. The food is consistently excellent, and the service is outstanding. Desserts are all exquisite. If you are in the area, you cannot pass this up! Yes, reservations are a good idea - I am surprised that a previous reviewer expected to be seated at the best restaurant in the State without one! The building is a cabin originally built 50+ years ago. In no way could anyone mistake it for a trailer. (I think perhaps the previous reviewer missed their exit. They certainly missed an excellent dinning experience). The cabin atmosphere is carried throughout the restaurant, including a raging fire in the winter. Modern and sometimes whimsical accents enliven the mood. The servers are professional, and know the history of the building, the restaurant, and even where each menu item originated, and what wines to pair it with. Superb restaurant. Oh, and I can't even describe the view! Pros: Exquisite Cuisine, excellent atmosphere, professional and personal service Cons: None whatsoever! more

I don't know what other reviews are talking about when they say it's a 'dump'. They must have forgotten they were in the mountains and eating at an 80 year old house. Some people are never happy and have to complain about everything. Pros: Food, ambience, service more

Attended a rehearsal dinner here over the weekend. There were about 100 people which was WAY too many. it was tough to move around. I agree with the other reviews. Certainly not the nicest looking restaurant, but then again - it's Blowing Rock. There's something to be said about the charming hard woods, low ceilings, fire place. The food was wonderful. I chose a halibut wrapped around a creamy crab filling - just delicious! Also, they had tasty mozzeralla and tomatoes that were very fresh. I would have loved to try something more ""Gamey"" but i enjoyed it. The bartenders were rude - probably college students - no personality. Pros: Blowing Rock Ambience, fresh food Cons: bartenders, hard to find, limited parking more

My husband and I were on vacation in Boone in July of 2007. We decided to try this restaurant because the menu online looked fabulous and upscale. When we got there, it was a DUMP. I mean a literal dump. It looks like someone put a mobile home up 20 feet in the air and tried to pass it off as a restaurant and cover it up with some half way nice looking deck. It was NOT busy. There were maybe 15 people total in the whole place. We did not make reservations, and when we told them this, they acted as if we were stupid. We stood around and stood around until enough people were consulted about us ""not making reservations"". It was like we were an inconvienence to them!!. And the food is not cheap! Anyone who would come into MY restaurant willing to pay at minimum $50.00 a meal, would get top notch service. And not snubbed like we were for ""not having reservations"". I have had better service at a Self Serve gas station. Pros: Absolutely Nothing Cons: Everything. more

The Gamekeeper is the best restaurant in the high country, hands down!.. The Gamekeeper is a find with a great view,great food and great wine at a reasonable price..The most unique and creative menu I've seen in quite a while..i will be back Pros: View, Food, wine prices Cons: it's tucked away but that's a good thing more