Famous for an evolving menu that blends the traditional with the exotic, The Gamekeeper features a selection of perfectly prepared game plus a range of continental and American entrees.
Acclaimed chef and owner Ken Gordon brings tremendous warmth and skill to the table treating you more as friends than guests. You'll experience a meal to remember that includes fine wines, decadent desserts, and a generous serving of personal attention. You'll leave happy and impressed with a desire to return soon!
Safety precautions
- Surfaces sanitized between seatings
- Common areas deep cleaned daily
- Digital, disposable or sanitized menu provided
- Sanitizer or wipes provided for customers
- Limited number of seated diners
- Distancing maintained in common areas
- Extra space between tables
- Waitstaff wear masks
- Diners must wear masks unless eating or drinking
- Sick staff prohibited in the workplace
- Staff temperature check required
- Diner temperature check required
Popular dishes
Bison
grilled bison hanging tenderloin* with horseradish green onion sour cream
38 reviews
Elk
grilled elk denver leg* with shiitake thyme jus
28 reviews
Emu
grilled emu fan filet* with sun-dried tomato thyme jus
26 reviews
Love the food and service! Wish it could be a little more quiet or be seated in a more private spot. Overall excellent experience every time we visit!
Tender and delicious bison steak. Mixed grill starter was also very tasty. You won't be disappointed.
A really neat experience all round. Look forward to returning soon!
Could not have been any better! The service, from valet to servers, bar tenders was outstanding. They all went out of their way to make us feel special as it was our 51st anniversary. we had the sampler plate emu medium rare, tooth fish, bread pudding, IPA beers and margaritas. seating was at a bar table with outstanding view of beautiful mountain sunset. this will definitely be an annual affair
My husband and I saw an advertisement for the GameKeeper. We decided to give it a try. They did not disappoint. It was a WOW! From the moment we got out of the car to leaving...it all was a wonderful experience. The ambiance, the food, and the exceptional service. Maddy was our waitress and she was outstanding. We ordered the Mixed Meat for the appetizer, Elk and the Emu for entrees. We did not leave hungry. We even got a dessert to split and we couldn't finish it. As we were leaving and standing on the deck, we had the special treat of watching a deer by the creek below. We will definitely be back.
A fantastic restaurant for special occasions. They serve meats that aren’t available anywhere else near here. Emu, Bison, and elk to name a few. The service was excellent at every level. The ambiance would have been five stars if it had been quieter, as the setting is lovely. But there was a little too much noise from people talking.
Lovely dinner. The duck was fantastic!
Excellent service and food as always.
The food was delicious and service excellent. We return frequently when in the area.
Wonder food, service and ambiance! We will absolutely be back the next time we’re in the area. Absolutely wonderful experience!
Had dinner here following our engagement. Everyone was so kind, and took the time to make us feel special on such a memorable day...not to mention the food was excellent! We hope to celebrate many anniversaries here in the future.
Everything was excellent, the service, the drinks, and the food just melted in your mouth. I highly recommend, especially on special occasions.
I can’t recommend this restaurant enough. The service was wonderful, the food was incredible and the drinks were delicious. Even for those who aren’t meat eaters, I got the fish and my mind was blown. Do not pass this place up!
Everything from bar to table was perfect
A must visit if you’re in the area. Service is wonderful and the dining experience was perfect. Cocktails were amazing and my wine was from an area winery. Both my husbands entree and mine were prepared perfectly. The vegetables were a little saltier than I prefer but still very good. Even though our reservation was late we did not feel rushed and we were even give a desert ‘on the house’ because we had to wait a few extra minutes on our entrees. I will definitely visit again!
Gamekeeper remains our favorite restaurant in the high country. It never disappoints!
Second time eating at Gamekeeper - first time was absolutely superb. This time was not. My dinner (duck breast, vegies, potatoes) was good but lukewarm. My husband got the antelope bolognese - his dish was hot and quite good. According to the menu, it was "Game Bolognese - Hearty antelope bolognese ". During the explanation of the dish, the wait staff mentioned that the antelope was mixed with ground beef so the menu was a bit misleading. Desserts were amazing! Will definitely try again but we were disappointed in this experience.
Went for our Anniversary and had a great time. Service was great and the atmosphere was awesome. The grilled meat smell when you walk in is the best! Could give you a little more for your money but the food was delicious. Would definitely visit again for dinner.
The atmosphere is cozy and inviting. The servers were knowledgeable, professional, and friendly. The food was beautifully-prepared, and wonderfully-presented. The menu is small but diverse, and well accommodated us and our 8 year old son. The wine menu— also small, was very diverse, and covered all tastes. I stress the menus being small because I enjoy a smaller menu— it’s easier to navigate, and easier to make selections. You’ll never feel limited by the size of their menu, and you’ll never be disappointed in any selection. As a professional chef/restaurateur of almost 30 years, I highly recommend The Gamekeeper.
Wonderful service and food. Highly recommended
The service here is the best you will ever have. From the valet parking attendant to the host, server and runners, everyone was friendly and probably smiling behind their masks! I requested a special table, and they made sure it was available.
Came here out of town with my girlfriend for our third anniversary. The staff were incredibly welcoming and COVID-aware (masks, temperature checks, distant tables). The waitstaff were knowledgeable about the menu and were able to make excellent recommendations (try the bison short rib if they have it, fyi) and were able to make additional restaurant recommendations for us out of towners. As a bonus, they left us a happy anniversary sign on our table, and all the staff were aware of the occasion and gave us well wishes. Overall, an incredible experience with delicious food, amazing staff and an unique ambience tucked away in the NC high country.
we splurged for the individual igloo outside as the deck is not yet open. The food was wonderful, and Harmony provided stellar service. As I know she was also helping patrons inside, it was impressive. We will certainly go back to celebrate when we are in the area.
Birthday dinner at this special place. Had the Bison on mashed with vegetables. Fabulous flavor. Service was right on target. Called ahead for the valet, so our car was on it's way. Nice touch. Loved the geodes for outside dining. Will try them next time. Be back VERY soon!
We loved our dinner at Gamekeeper! Everything about it was wonderful! The food was excellent and we all tried something different. The service and atmosphere were enjoyable as well. They have really nice craft cocktails and a good wine list for pairing with the meal. We can’t wait to come back!!
This was my third time going to The Gamekeeper, and every time is outstanding! The food is amazing and service is top notch. This is one favorite restaurants!
Great food! Great service! Great restaurant!
Every meal is delicious, never been disappointed ! Dinner was wonderful! It was a cold night and so impressed valet had car ready before we came down for it, thank you!
Amazing food and service was excellent. Highly recommended!
Each time we go to the Gamekeeper we try something different. As always we were not disappointed. Everything was cooked to perfection. Going to go back soon.
Everything was wonderful. This was our 5th time at GameKeeper. It did not disappoint. Will definitely be back.
We all 10 enjoyed the experience and the food! Service was excellent the entire time! We will return.
Amazing food. Great service.
Great place. A little hard to find in the dark! We were late because we got lost but everyone there could not have been nicer. We were a little wound up from finding our way there but it didn’t take long before we were made to feel right at home. The evening was lovely and the food delicious and service outstanding!
The Gamekeeper definitely has game! Fantastic atmosphere, outstanding service and phenomenal food. The chef and staff went above and beyond to accommodate my dietary restrictions. The emu and elk were delicious and the Bison was my favorite. They have an awesome drink menu and a fabulous wine selection. This was the best meal we have had in a very long time. We will return when we go back to North Carolina for sure!
Anniversary
The Gamekeeper was fabulous. The food was inspired - we loved the mixed grill and the Osso Bucco. The wait staff are friendly, knowledgeable and attentive. Also, of all the restaurants we have been to recently, I was most impressed with how they have distanced everyone due to COVID. Creative and they are definitely keeping everyone safe. Couldn't give them a higher rating. We will be back!
We have been to the Gamekeeper multiple times and will continue to come here. Totally outstanding in every area. Best restraunt in this area by far.
This was a really great experience. All of the staff were exceptionally friendly and attentive. The food was amazing and the atmosphere was very laid back.
Food was fabulous and services was even better.
FAQs
The Gamekeeper is rated 4.9 stars by 2422 OpenTable diners.
Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable. Due to local restrictions, this restaurant may not be accepting reservations at the moment.