River House Restaurant

We had the pleasure of staying at the Inn and dining with the lovely and elegant proprietress Gayle Winston.  Usually the restaurant is closed Mon and Tue but luckily Gayle happens to be a gourmet cook herself in addition to the two chefs she employs. We had a refreshing chilled tomato soup to start, then a light and crisp organic green salad, followed by a mouthwatering goat cheese soufflé and finished with a rich and creamy chocolate custard.  The selection of wine and spirits is also top-notch. There are often artists, musicians and academics who come to visit or for the popular Sunday salons which makes the conversation and experience one of a kind. I would highly recommend River House Inn and restaurant if you can make it out that way.

My wife and I were looking for a new, nice place to eat in the Ashe County area.  The River House looked like it fit the bill.  When you arrive you get a chance to sit on the front porch, relax and enjoy a drink while the your order is taken.  The kitchen starts working on your order and when it gets close to ready you are invited to come into the dining room.  All very nice and relaxed.  The problem comes with the acoustics of the dining room.  Normal conversations are just not possible as the din from other diners is just overwhelming.  We could not hear without shouting across the table to each other, thus adding to the din.  The food was excellent, the service was very good, but an important part of dining is being able to talk to your partner.  If you just want to sit there and look at each other this place is great, just don't plan on a conversation.

Wow - you wouldnt believe this place would exist in the middle of the woods....Basically a converted old farm house into a 5 star restaurant with full bar and a nice view of the New River.  You will not find a better meal within 50 miles of this place.  Menu is smallish, but only because everything done is fresh.  I had the Duck last night, and it was amazingly tender and moist, and the desert was awesome....  Well done...
TIP:  Call for directions, do NOT follow what your GPS says unless you like driving on single lane unpaved mountain roads :)