Today Ken and I drove over to Boone, North Carolina. We dodged two (2) rock slides and were able to cruise right into Boone, but boy did we take the ‘scenic route’ with the winding two lane roads, through lots of mountain towns with views of the rivers, boaters and rafters. Thank You GPS!!!
Anyway, on our way through the town of Boone to our hotel, we were checking out the local restaurants. You don’t stay in business in a tourist/college town if you’re not good… so we were looking for either seafood (my fav) or BBQ Ribs (Ken’s fav).
We saw several local restaurants and once we got to the hotel and check in, asked the front desk about the local favorites. Of course, it really is what you are in the mood for and tonight, it ended up being Ribs! And the restaurant we chose was Bandana’s Bar B Que…
Bandana’s Bar-B-Que & Grill is a casual dining restaurant with a full menu, specializing in wood-smoked Bar-B-Que. Bandana’s serves great Southern style Bar-B-Que and more. They use a unique blend of locally sourced wood to smoke their meats on the premises. We tried their Rib and Rib Platter as they had such a selection of ribs and Bar-B-Q and we were having a hard time deciding so we decided to try the Rib & Rib combination platter and are so glad that we did. It is a rib lover’s dream come true!
The Rib and Rib combo was Baby Back Ribs and St. Louis Ribs. The Baby Back Ribs had a sauce on them which was exceptional and the St. Louis Ribs were dry rubbed. They were both excellent but both Ken and I leaned toward the St. Louis Ribs. We were able to put our own sauce on them and the ribs were more meatier…yum yum!
We had the classic beans and slaw with our meal and the whole dish was excellent. I would recommend Bandana’s to anyone who is in the Boone, North Carolina area and looking for some good que…this is definitely the place. We may even try them out tomorrow for lunch…the slow-smoked chopped Bar-B-Que sandwich served on a large toasted bun sounded excellent. Of course, we will have to have slaw and beans with our meal to make it complete.
On Sunday morning, we didn’t get up in time for breakfast at the hotel, so we headed out in search of a good brunch. The gentleman at the front desk recommended a restaurant that was similar to Cracker Barrell but when we got there, there was such a wait that we decided to go out and search for another restaurant. Now it is raining and we do not know this area at all and when we see Troy’s 105 Diner, we whip in via the exit…and are we glad that we did.
Troy’s 105 Diner is something you would find on Guy Fieri’s Diners, Drive in and Dives. The place was a classic 50′s – 60′s diner with Elvis records on the wall, jukebox and a menu to match. We enjoyed a wonderful breakfast of French Toast, Pancakes, Eggs, Bacon and coffee. We were ready for this wonderful meal too.
If you’re ever in Boone and need a breakfast recommendation, definitely try Troy’s 105 Diner located at 1286 Highway 105, Boone, NC 28607-7804 – (828) 265-1344?
