The Gamekeeper

This place is absolutely amazing! The food is incredible--local fish and game, beautiful presentation--the plate was a work of art and the service was the best. What could be better than an old stone cottage on the side of a mountain in North Carolina in October. The fireplace was gorgeous, the view spectacular! Best dining experience ever!

Been dinning her for 4 years and have had great food, service and a beautiful view

What am incredible experience! From the valet service attendants, the smiling, accommodating hostesses, to the patient, knowledgeable server who likes to educate his clientele on the amazing array of game and wine selections, I just cannot say thank you enough. Not even counting the impeccable food that arrived at our table from the first course to the last... it was phenomenal! We had taken our senior parents there while vacationing and their traditional needs were met with no judgments at all. Everyone was completely satisfied beyond measure. Great job Gamekeeper team!

Excellent food, staff and service!! Beautiful restaurant. Been a client since the begining. However noise level can be overwhelming and unreasonable if loud tables are present. Acoustics in the restaurant can't handle it. Can ruin an otherwise exceptional experience.

We went for my birthday and it was amazing! The elk was so tender it nearly melted in my mouth! Dessert martinis were delicious!

We love it here. Food is always delicious. Every bite. Start to finish.

One of the best dining experience I have had. Oyster appetizer, Emu & Duck entrees, as well as GK bread pudding dessert are all 5 stars! An added bonus of the best wait staff - knowledgeable with excellent recommendations for us!

Food, service and atmosphere were all incredible! Highly recommend!

Everything about our experience was fabulous!
Our waiter, a young App grad, was amazing.
His name starts with J, but I can't remember. He was excellent.

2nd visit and still enjoyed. Could have been the long drive and my desire to get some rest, but I thought the pace of service and attentiveness could be improved.

We’ve been going to the game keeper for many years and as always we were not disappointed.

As usual a nice experience

Excellent all around! We ordered lamb and vegetable plate. Both perfectly prepared and delicious! Well worth the winding road from Valle Crucis!

We eat at the Gamekeeper every year when we visit Boone. We have NEVER been disappointed!!

Fabulous Food, great venue ... we had a great time!!!

From the valet to the desert, it was a great experience. We had the oysters, Red salad, Bison and Emu, followed by apple crisp and regular coffee....the meat melted in my mouth, the oysters didn’t have an oyster flavor and the sriracha like sauce gave them a nice kick. The waitress was kind and explained the menu. It was a really good experience.

Excellent food and service. Valet parking wonderful and setting relaxing with nice music!!

The Gamekeeper is a special place with a menu you can’t find anywhere else. I had the Emu and my wife had Elk. So glad we were adventurous. Both dishes were excellent. And the service from Jess and the entire staff was top notch. It was a wonderful evening all around.

Not your typical food. Very interesting, very tasty. Presentation was awesome.

Best visit yet! The escargot was incredible and the trout amazing. Our waiter, Tanner, was perfect!

Our server seemed more interested in how great he was than making our experience great. We were there to celebrate an important birthday and he did not even mention it. I know he had other tables but there were long periods when we did not even see him including having to wait for the check. We were disappointed in his service which we have not found to be true there in the past.

Amazing food and wonderful atmosphere! It’s our favorite place to eat in the world! Can’t get food like this anywhere else!

We had a lovely evening and food was amazing. The selection was quite unique and we had Emu, Bison and Escargot. All of which was delicious. The space is not very big and you need reservations. The ambiance on the inside of the restaurant was delightful and the staff including the valet were top notch.

Loved it so much, we extended our weekend just to eat here again. The duck was the best entree I have ever had. The bartenders were super cool. Get there early and enjoy the ambience.

My husband and I took our daughter out for dinner for Parents’ weekend at App St. We had a wonderful meal!!

One of the best meals I have ever eaten. Outstanding!!!

Amazing views, service, and food. Highly recommend.

The food was interesting and well-prepared, and the atmosphere in the restaurant was intimate and fun at the same time. We will be back!

Excellent service, awesome food! The setting is just wonderful.

We loved The Gamekeeper. The food was fantastic and the atmosphere romantic. Will definitely go ahead. This is a must if you are in the area!

A good selection of game meat. Perfectly prepared and nicely served. Starter was excellent. Dessert was delicious. Service was very good. Views from restaurant were beautiful. Drive to and from the restaurant can be tricky. Very windy and narrow road. Well worth the trip.

unique experience. We enjoyed the restaurant, the bar and the food.

One of the best dining experiences imaginable. It is one of a kind. Everything about the restaurant has a unique quality from the atmosphere (nestled in the mountains) to the food (there was elk, bison, boar, and rabbit among other more traditional items. They don't call it The Gamekeeper for nothing). The entrees are not inexpensive, but gave 5-stars on value because you can't put a price on how virtually magical the place is.

Everything was delicious and they treated me extra-special for my birthday. Would highly recommend the bread pudding and the cobbler for dessert.

The food at The Gamekeeper was phenomenal, and I can't say enough good things about our waiter, Ryan. He was very knowledgeable, and his recommendations were perfect. Thank you for a great experience.

Excellent dinning experience as always! Thank you!

The best of the best in the High Country. The atmosphere was terrific and our server was top notch. It was the finest restaurant I have ever eaten at in my life and I cannot wait to go back. Had bison for the first time in my life and will get it again. Incredible salads and outstanding wine selection. The veggies are to die for and come with most every meal. We were a party of six and everyone of us highly recommend this establishment.

Stayed at Yonahlossee just down the road, which is within walking distance to the Game Keeper. We will be back.

Food and service were excellent. The only small issue was a loud group behind us who had a little too much to drink. One man even knocked over a tray with glasses and food; glasses splintered everywhere and the food splashed over the floor. He didn’t even apologize.

It was great. Will definitely be returning!

We have dined at The Gamekeeper for years now. It was our favorite local restaurant. Several years ago the food quality declined and the prices went up, and we stopped going. We decided to try it again recently and thought it was back to its high standards. Food was excellent.