Don't overlook Embers for dinner in Blowing Rock

Embers | Blowing Rock A modern hotel restaurant with a rooftop terrace and a menu worth lingering over

The basics: Located inside a hotel in downtown Blowing Rock, within easy walking distance of Main Street. Shareable plates and entrées. Wine by the glass $10–12, beer on tap $9.

What it is: Embers doesn't have the old Blowing Rock character. It opened in 2024, and it’s new and deliberately modern, with a clean, chic interior that feels more like something you'd find in Charlotte than a small mountain town. That's not a knock. Sometimes you want a nice room, good food and a wine list that doesn't require a lot of explanation. And the location can’t be beat.

What to order: Start with the goat cheese croquettes — fried goat cheese done right, crispy outside and creamy inside, the kind of thing that disappears fast. The beet salad is light and elegantly plated, though the beets are thinly sliced so don't expect a heavy starter. The short rib in a red wine gravy is the move for an entrée — tender, served with excellent fried potatoes that hold their own. Drinks are reasonably priced.

Good to know: There's an outside terrace where you can take a drink and look out over a bit of downtown Blowing Rock — particularly pleasant in warm weather. There’s a drink window outside, too. The location makes it an easy first or last stop on a downtown evening.

The move: If you want a proper dinner in Blowing Rock without the noise and wait of the more established spots, Embers is a good call. Modern, relaxed, and better than it needs to be for a hotel restaurant.