We ate a couple of times here at this icon of Boone Restaurants.
1972 Blowing Rock Rd.
Boone, NC 28607
828-264-4433
Hours:
Sun -> Fri 4:00 pm until…
Sat 4:00 pm until …
Ray: I had the 7-Pepper Ribeye (10 oz) with baked potato, salad bar, and soup. The ribeye was cooked just as I ordered and very tasty. Very tender with just the right amount of fat. The 7 pepper seasoning added just the right spiciness. No steak sauce required here!
Tom: I had the Beef Kabob and it was great. The steak melted in my mouth–six delicious morsels, separated by slices of red onions and green peppers, the veggies cooked until they almost caramelized. All of it was moist and with a bit of tang–very good.
I chose the rice pilaf, nicely prepared, fluffy, not mushy (like the packaged stuff you can buy at the Teeter), and not hard or dry (like my lame attempt at home when I did not have a box of the mushy mix). And how did you find your baked potato?
Ray: I moved my steak and there it was! Seriously, the baked potato was cooked correctly and also tasty, unlike many these days.
Tom: It’s a good thing we did not order an appetizer–I thought my foot long kabob looked a it lite but that, the soup, and the salad bar trip was more than enough. Quality and enough quantity.
Ray: How unlike you–the quintessential porker!
Tom: Big word for you, guy. What was your take on the salad bar?
Ray: My “take” was great–I took a lot! The salad bar, although not huge, was well kept with very fresh items. The Italian dressing was likewise quite good.
Tom: Yeah, and the caviar was a nice touch. The rolls were soft and tasty as well.
Ray: The soup of the day was French onion, although it was “make it yourself”, meaning the soup is in
a large tureen and the diner must add their own croutons and cheese to taste. This made it a bit different from what you would normally think of as French onion soup, but it was still pretty good.
Tom: Yeah, and it was mildly rich, not a lot of zing to it. The sprinkle on cheese just was not the same as the stringy-cheese-and-scissors you get at Pepper’s. but, Okay.
Ray: Befitting the good food here, the plates and flatware are a notch above what you will usually find in Boone. The interior of Peddler is based around the dark paneling and wooden chairs, tables, and booths. The decor calls to mind steak houses of old. For those who want a bit brighter dining area, Peddler has a few tables up front in a solarium. The walls are decorated with faux hanging plants and country art prints. During our visit there was light classical music playing.
Tom: This is definitely one of the finest dining experiences in Boone, and has a decades-old reputation for quality. I liked them cutting your ribeye on a cart at the table. The Peddler reminds you that only restaurants can obtain prime-rated beef.
Ray: Our visit to Peddler this time was quite a good experience in almost every way. The veggies were fresh, the soup tasty, and the steak quite good. However, Peddler can be hit or miss. I’ve been here on two other occasions before our review, once about a year ago and once a couple of years ago. On those occasions, I wasn’t as satisfied, because my steaks were either too fatty or too tough. Hopefully, those problems are behind Peddler.
Tom: Yes, I remember that night. Maybe that was just an anomaly. This is certainly the place for special nights. Not real cheap but not excessively pricey.
Ray: Yep, I would recommend Peddler as a great place to go on those special occasions. It’s not an everyday place (at least on my budget), but it is worth the extra cost for a special event.
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