The Phoenix
12-08-2015, 17:52
Jumping from thread to thread, but as promised in my last post (http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/showthread.php/115610-Rating-my-town-experiences-on-my-section-hike), I was planning to add a few more reviews... (also see this list of favorite AT restaurants (http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/showthread.php/114487-Best-restaurant-on-the-AT) for many more options...
MI RANCHO (Waynesboro, VA): Yes, I betrayed my inner thru-hiker, neglecting the urge to go into Ming's and eat like a gluttonous bear awakening from a long hibernation... I opted to go to Mi Rancho instead. Traditions and over-consumption be damned... I made a good decision. While this may not win any awards for "Best Mexican" in the USA... it's still pretty freakin' good! The prices can't be beat, the authenticity of Mexican for Appalachian VA can't be beat, and the atmosphere + service are both rock solid. I've been here twice now during AT hikes and both times I left satisfied. This could be my hiker appetite speaking, but in terms of bang-for-buck... this is one of the best Mexican establishments I've been to... outside of maybe Red Iguana in Salt Lake City & a few dive joints in Arizona & CA... this is right up there.
If you don't want to gorge yourself at Mings... this place is a nice cheap alternative.
Bottom Line: 8.5/10
SPELUNKER's FROZEN CUSTARD and CAVERN BURGERS (Front Royal, VA): Fast food look, high quality family taste! This place really hit the spot. My stomach could write poetry about the burger I consumed in this little local joint, but I'll spare you all. The moral of this story is... if you're hiking thru Front Royal... hit Spelunker's! It's a great spot to take care of all the cravings you have while hiking on the trail.
They have a daily special, which features a ton of food, even by our standards, for $5-7... tough to beat.
Bottom Line: 9.5/10
WILDWOOD GRILL (Fontana Dam, NC): I started runnin' (hiking) with a great group of people while trekkin thru the Great Smoky Mountains, and we decided to spend a day at the Fontana Resort. Naturally, that day turned into 2.5 days at the village... it was awesome! The main restaurant was undergoing renovations, and thus, the Grill was the one show in town. It worked.
I could talk about the burger and wings I consumed here all day, but since y'all don't want to read it and I have things to do, I'll be brief... the Wildwoodie Burger with double meat & ghostpepper cheese was one of the best things I've ever tasted. Sure, hiking several hundred miles probably factors in... but really... this thing was outrageously good!
Then, as a self proclaimed "Chili-head", this place advertised some dangerously hot buffalo wings. I am always extremely skeptical when a menu highlights wings as daunting, not for the faint of heart, etc... good marketing?... sure. Bite to support the bark?... rarely. Well... this place backs it up! Those dragon breath's wings are still on my mind... they hurt so good! All 4 of us decided we were going to consume a few of these bad boys and it was quite the show!
Pizza and everything else was also pretty good... Service was friendly & accommodating.
Bottom Line: 10/10
Rivers End (Bryson City, NC): Great pub food at a fair price for the touristy location. I had the "trout cake" sandwich which was pretty awesome, great tatter-tots, great pizza, and a hiker's sized dessert! The waitresses were very sweet, offering our friend who was hours behind us a free drink and burger... as he made it in moments before they closed!
I always bypassed this place in the past, fearing steep prices for mediocrity... that hunch was dead wrong. Great spot, will visit again down the road.
Bottom Line: 8.5/10
More coming... but thinking about food has got me hungry... time to prepare supper.:D
I'll finish up with a few more reviews tonight
MI RANCHO (Waynesboro, VA): Yes, I betrayed my inner thru-hiker, neglecting the urge to go into Ming's and eat like a gluttonous bear awakening from a long hibernation... I opted to go to Mi Rancho instead. Traditions and over-consumption be damned... I made a good decision. While this may not win any awards for "Best Mexican" in the USA... it's still pretty freakin' good! The prices can't be beat, the authenticity of Mexican for Appalachian VA can't be beat, and the atmosphere + service are both rock solid. I've been here twice now during AT hikes and both times I left satisfied. This could be my hiker appetite speaking, but in terms of bang-for-buck... this is one of the best Mexican establishments I've been to... outside of maybe Red Iguana in Salt Lake City & a few dive joints in Arizona & CA... this is right up there.
If you don't want to gorge yourself at Mings... this place is a nice cheap alternative.
Bottom Line: 8.5/10
SPELUNKER's FROZEN CUSTARD and CAVERN BURGERS (Front Royal, VA): Fast food look, high quality family taste! This place really hit the spot. My stomach could write poetry about the burger I consumed in this little local joint, but I'll spare you all. The moral of this story is... if you're hiking thru Front Royal... hit Spelunker's! It's a great spot to take care of all the cravings you have while hiking on the trail.
They have a daily special, which features a ton of food, even by our standards, for $5-7... tough to beat.
Bottom Line: 9.5/10
WILDWOOD GRILL (Fontana Dam, NC): I started runnin' (hiking) with a great group of people while trekkin thru the Great Smoky Mountains, and we decided to spend a day at the Fontana Resort. Naturally, that day turned into 2.5 days at the village... it was awesome! The main restaurant was undergoing renovations, and thus, the Grill was the one show in town. It worked.
I could talk about the burger and wings I consumed here all day, but since y'all don't want to read it and I have things to do, I'll be brief... the Wildwoodie Burger with double meat & ghostpepper cheese was one of the best things I've ever tasted. Sure, hiking several hundred miles probably factors in... but really... this thing was outrageously good!
Then, as a self proclaimed "Chili-head", this place advertised some dangerously hot buffalo wings. I am always extremely skeptical when a menu highlights wings as daunting, not for the faint of heart, etc... good marketing?... sure. Bite to support the bark?... rarely. Well... this place backs it up! Those dragon breath's wings are still on my mind... they hurt so good! All 4 of us decided we were going to consume a few of these bad boys and it was quite the show!
Pizza and everything else was also pretty good... Service was friendly & accommodating.
Bottom Line: 10/10
Rivers End (Bryson City, NC): Great pub food at a fair price for the touristy location. I had the "trout cake" sandwich which was pretty awesome, great tatter-tots, great pizza, and a hiker's sized dessert! The waitresses were very sweet, offering our friend who was hours behind us a free drink and burger... as he made it in moments before they closed!
I always bypassed this place in the past, fearing steep prices for mediocrity... that hunch was dead wrong. Great spot, will visit again down the road.
Bottom Line: 8.5/10
More coming... but thinking about food has got me hungry... time to prepare supper.:D
I'll finish up with a few more reviews tonight