Best restaurant on the AT?

[The Phoenix]

This is one is tough to answer for a number of reasons... but simply put... when you reflect on meals you've had in a trail town during an AT hike (weekend, section, thru, whatever)... who's your top dog?

I only ask, because as I piece together a few details of my upcoming trip, my mouth has begun to water thinking of a few...

A list of a few that I am fond of...

1) Cellar Restaurant in Blacksburg, VA... the pizza hit the spot, fun college atmosphere, pretty women all around the joint, and a local picked up the tab!
2) Jesse's Steak and Seafood in Hanover, NH... I met up with a buddy from HS who was on campus early for rugby. He and his teammates took me out for a big juicy steak at this place. Not cheap, but as a hungry hiker... I was in paradise.
3) Home Place Restaurant in Catawba, VA... I thought I died and went to heaven the first time I came here. It had been non-stop raining and that good ole country food hit the spot. I'll be sure to visit in a few weeks.
4) White House Landing, 100 Mile Wilderness, ME... I've heard a few naysayers talking about rudeness or this & that... frankly I couldn't care less. That burger is massive, juicy, and divine.

I'd have to dig through my old notes to think of others. I remember eating at some great little spots in Vermont/NH. I'm blanking on the names.

I ate at 3 restaurants in Pearisburg, VA and each and every meal was bought for me by a local. Those 3 meals will always stick out to me. The whole entire time I heard how terrible Pearisburg was... and then I got there and it was one random act of kindness after another... Trail Angels in every direction. One place was called "La Baranca"... I'm blanking on the other two spots.

Anyhow... if you have any hidden gems or suggestions... fire away.

[Slo-go'en]

Not exactly a restaurant, but Mountain Harbor B+B has the best breakfast on the trial, hands down.
If you make it down to Gatlinburg, the Smoky Mountain brewery has great steaks and craft beer.
I wasn't all the impressed with the Home Place. I guess I just wasn't hungry enough at the time. Still, worth the effort to go there.
Worst Chinese was in Pearisburg. At least not in mid afternoon since they won't put out any fresh food until dinner.

[Venchka]

Not fancy. Simple home cooking. Extremely budget friendly.
The Smoky Mountain Diner on the Trail in Hot Springs, NC.
Don't forget some pie.

Wayne


Sent from somewhere around here.

[rafe]

South Mtn. Inn (Maryland) was probably one of the fanciest meals I've had within 0.1 miles of the AT.

[Lone Wolf]

http://www.minggardenwbo.com/
for chinese

[rafe]

The communal, vegetarian meals at Sunnybank Inn (Hot Springs) were fabulous. And I'm not a vegetarian.

[The Phoenix]

http://www.minggardenwbo.com/
for chinese

I have done some serious damage here.

[Lone Wolf]

Shaws. back when Keith and Pat ran it

[mikec]

Lou's Restaurant and Bakery in Hanover, NH.

[Sarcasm the elf]

Best thing I ever ate on the trail was a Tombstone pizza at Mountain Crossings. I was hungry, it was a day with light feezing rain, and I had no idea that they had installed an oven since the last time I had been there. It was probably also before 10:00am, but that's beside the point.

Was it objectively the best restaurant? Nope, but I'm sticking to my answer.

[The Phoenix]

I wasn't all the impressed with the Home Place. I guess I just wasn't hungry enough at the time. Still, worth the effort to go there.

It's all subjective... Go in a restaurant after being beat like a drum by Mother Nature... if they served some Hot Pockets & Spaghettios, it would taste like heaven.

Being from the CT/NY/NJ area, I have been spoiled with top notch Italian food & delis, so by normal standards, Domino's is somewhere between putrid and terrible... yet when I'm trudging through mud & mosquitoes, suddenly, it taste like Massimo Bottura was in that kitchen at the Domino's in Franklin, NC.

[evyck da fleet]

Best Breakfast: Mountain Harbor B&B
Best Lunch: Ming's Chinese
Best Dinner:forget the name but it was in Hanover and supposedly had one of the 10 best burgers in the US so I had to try it
Best Other: forget the name again but there was a bakery/cafe in DWG that I frequented a few times. Can't beat cannolis (sp?) on the trail.
Best trail magic meal: Church hostel in Waynesboro. After a second consecutive 25 mile day in the rain my feet were burning and I wanted to get to town to take a day off. At the hostel, I was about to ask if I could use my stove to heat up some Ramen noodles for dinner because I couldn't bear the thought of putting my shoes back on and walking to Ming's when whoever was in charge for the evening walked in with pizzas for all the hikers that night. So another thank you to the church in Waynesboro.

[doritotex]

Chinese AYCE in Waynesboro. Crab legs, sushi.....

[joshuasdad]

Fine Dining: Old South Mountain Inn in Maryland (though I ate there for a wedding reception, not while hiking).
Best Breakfast: Mountain Harbor
Best Breakfast/Dinner Value: Aquone Cabins (NC) and The Cabin in Maine
Best Burger: Bascom Lodge on Mt. Greylock (the fine dining chef for dinner cooked the burgers for lunch)
Best Casual Food: Three Little Pigs (VA)
Best Bars: I wanted to say the Doyle, but Blue Blaze Cafe (Damascus, VA) edges it out.
Best Themed: AT Cafe in Millinocket

[rafe]

Hey, I remember The Three Little Pigs. Cloverdale, right? That was a good meal for sure.

[joshuasdad]

Cloverdale, yes. BBQ is pretty good, but they fry things very very well -- fried oreos and ice cream...yum...! Beer selection is great too -- I had a nice Saison there last visit. They also have entertainment for the kids (a "Pig Pen" plus a roll the pigs game on the table.

[Cobble]

+1 AT Cafe
+1 Mings

[peakbagger]

There was a white water rafting outfitter outside of Erwin on the other side of the interstate that had a large lodge with barbeque on the river outside of town. We were sectioning and happened by it by chance. They had AYCE barbeque one day when we stopped. We were section hiking but still had a hikers appetite. We stopped by two years in row while in the area or driving by. It was worth a 50 mile detour.This was 10 years plus years ago.

[chiefduffy]

Fat Buddy's in Franklin(I think that was the name). A breakfast extravaganza. Smokey Mtn Diner in Hot Springs runs a close second. Also, AT Cafe in Millinocket.

[Starchild]

So many to chose from, all foods are better on the trail, even gas station pizza.

Hitting a Mexican restaurant in IIRC Parrisburg on Cinco de Mayo for lunch was a really good time, the Chinese buffet for dinner was unremarkable and a disappointment.

AT Deli stop in NY is one of those magical places which are a lot bigger inside then on the outside, excellent pizza, and really a convenence stop for hikers and commuters alike.

The Bar at the Doyal has excellent food, and has that tendency to hold on to hikers just long enough that they grab a room for the night, that place is haunted and that one of the jokes the ghosts play on hikers.

Mt Harbor has a great breakfast, I got free leftovers there, and the leftovers were over the top.

While staying at Woods Hole Hostel Nellie took us to a Korean Restaurant, where they served us family style, they brought out dish after dish to pass around till we were full, each different.


The Toymakers (Falls Village, CT), some yummy 'nuevo' style sammys. Also the Yellow Deli in Rutland VT. Add beer, a wider selection of foods, a looser atmosphere and live entertainment and then you get the Gypsee Joint in Great Barrington MA