831 West King Street
Boone (828) 263-917 Hours:
Lunch: Tues- Sat 11 AM -> 3 PM
Supper: Wed - Sat 5 PM -> 9 PM
We have eaten lunch at the Vidalia on a couple of occasions. This review is a combination of those experiences.
Tom: On our second visit, at least, we were served an appetizer of a small slide each of sweet cornbread with an interesting dip. The dip was creamy with tomato and some kind of pimento-like cheese base. Whatever. Anyway, it was tasty and a nice touch.
Ray: I had one of the Blue Plate Specials, Fried Pork Chop with mashed potatoes and salad ($7.95). The salad was very good, especially considering we ate here in the depths of winter. It consisted of cucumbers, tomatoes, and carrots, all over a crisp bed of lettuce, and topped off with a Texas Pete vinaigrette dressing (a specialty of the house). The dressing was unique, and for a spice hound like me, great! The mashed potatoes were the lightly mashed type, with skins still present. They were ok, but a bit bland for such a nice restaurant. Finally, the pork chop was only ok. It had a hard breaded crust that covered a quite tough pork chop. A big disappointment, especially since I’ve had better pork chops at a local restaurant which is much less expensive. All this was washed down by a few good glasses of tea ($1.95) which had a good balance of sweetness and tea bite.
Tom: I got the soup of the day for an appetizer–a corn soup with a small piece of Texas toast. The soup was fine, with cut corn, carrots, celery in a cream soup base.
For an entree I chose the special–meat loaf with two sides. I got string beans and fried okra. The meat was excellent–not your school cafeteria stuff! It was covered with a tangy sauce and sliced stewed tomatoes. Really surprisingly good! The okra was, well, okra. What can I say? It was not greasy and was… okra. The beans were Ok but I could not say if they were crisp so much as a bit tough? Not sure.
But the meat loaf … mmmmm!
Ray: The service was quick and courteous, with my order arriving correctly.
Tom: And how did you find the decor?
Ray: Well, I looked up and there it was!
As one would expect, The atmosphere here has changed a bit since the Outback Kate’s days. The day we dined here, there was a mix of opera and big band music playing lightly in the background. The tables and booths are comfy and clean. There are now some driftwood sculptures hanging from the ceiling, along with some modern-type smeary art on the walls, and lace curtains on the windows. A nice accent was the fresh flowers on the tables.
The food here was served on nice but simple china, accompanied by some of the best flatwear we have seen in town.
Tom: You’re just disappointed there are not paintings of big-eyed dogs playing poker! At least the apparently pricey art has no prices shown. I guess if you have to ask…
So, waddya think?
Ray: While the service here was good, and the atmosphere was nice and relaxing, the food at Vidalia did not measure up to my expectations. Bland mashed potatoes and a tough chop all contributed to my rating of this restaurant. However, perhaps I just encountered a bad meal.
Tom: Yeah, it was Ok and certainly someplace new to try if you are downtown, but there are better choices around town.
Ray: I would guardedly recommend Vidalia. It didn’t really turn me on, but it also was far from the worst place we have eaten.
GPS Coordinates
Lat: 36° 13.196′
Lon: 81° 41.208′
Menu (prices may change)
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