Restaurants near Watauga Village Shopping Center

The Gamekeeper- you won't regret this evening if you are able to score a reservation. A gem of a spot nestled in the Boone/Blowing Rock/Banner Elk area. Don't be scared away by the "game" vibe. Even if this is not your favorite type of cuisine- you will be able to find something not too wild. There's aways an excellent fish dish, delicious salads and soups as well as all the game dishes. Pro tip: there's a bar area and an outdoor seating area that are first come, first served and the outdoor area is weather permitting.

The food was phenomenal, and the portions were large. Our server I think was a manager but service was exquisite.

The Beacon- great locally-owned place in Boone. You cannot go wrong with any item on the menu! In addition, you will love the art-work, the roaring fireplace on a cold night and occasional musicians providing the music for the night. Favorites- the bolognese, any fish special, Korean meatballs, the chicken dish. The bartender always crafts excellent cocktails- so be patient if it takes a few more minutes than you expect.

We arrived early to our reservation and were politely greeted by the host who told us our table would be ready soon. After a short wait we were seated at 8 on the dot and they offered to take my winter coat for me which was perfect. We were quickly greeted by our outstanding waitress Bella. We went on Valentine’s Day so the menu was limited but everything that we ordered was phenomenal and came out at the perfect times, not too quick but also not no long that we felt like we were waiting for our food. The presentation on all of the dishes was amazing and every aspect of the dishes were prepared perfectly. The food was pricy but it was all worth it as it was truly a high end dining experience that still felt accessible. The crust of one of the desserts was a bit hard to eat with a spoon but that’s just me being incredibly picky since there’s nothing else bad to say about Embers. I’ve never been to the hotel but the restaurant is enough of an experience to justify going. I also appreciated that there was guest parking so close to the hotel. All of the staff that I interacted with throughout the night were professional, kind, and more than welcoming. Once again thank you to Bella for taking care of us, it was an absolute pleasure and you were very knowledgeable about all of the dishes.

This is a quaint Italian treasure. It was our first time visiting this restaurant but it will not be our last.