8304 Valley Boulevard
Blowing Rock, NC 28605
(US Highway 321 Bypass
Blowing Rock)(828) 295-3651
We ate lunch here one rainy fall day. Online
Ray: Woodlands’ slogan is “Eat in the Rough” and they mean it! The tables are all picnic-type tables (albeit with solid, not multiple plank, tops), the glasses are jars, the plates are paper, and the utensils are plastic. Downstairs where we sat (the no smoking area) the decorations consisted of various sports posters, all the way from football to NASCAR. There was no music playing downstairs, but there was a huge, first-generation projection TV that had seen better days tuned to CNN. My only complaint about the atmosphere was that the first table we sat down at was very sticky, all over. Moving solved this problem.
Tom: I don’t really care for jars–I wish that restaurants would drop this gimmick. They sort of leak..
Ray: But you drool anyway!
Tom: Well, that’s right, but still-give me a real glass. The TV was kind of lousy and I really did not enjoy eating while watching Bush sign a bill prohibiting partial birth abortions! Where’s the remote??!!!
What I really did not like, though, was entering through the smoking section. It is unavoidable because the bar is there, I suppose, but I don’t like the second hand smoke. And, how does somebody who is handicapped get down to the non-smoking section? I did spot a door in the kitchen but that’s not a very dignified entry.
But, enough griping–how was your meal?
Ray: I had the chopped pork bbq plate ($5.95 normally, $1 less from 11 AM -> 2 PM, when we ate) which comes with baked beans, 1/4 of an ear of corn, choice of mayonnaise or vinegar slaw, and choice of hot or mild cornbread, and sweet tea to drink ($1.25). I chose vinegar slaw and hot cornbread. The pork was excellent! Very tasty, quite lean, and there was a nice selection of bbq sauces on each table to allow the customer to spice the bbq to their liking. The baked beans were ok, but not spectacular. I felt that they could have used some more onions. The corn was not that good… it was cooked beyond done, to the point of being dry. The vinegar slaw, on the other hand, was very good, with the taste of the cabbage nicely balanced by the vinegar. The hot
cornbread was also quite good, but like the corn, a bit too dry. For those not familiar with hot cornbread, it consists of regular cornbread (not that nasty sweet cornbread some places serve!) chock full of jalapeno pepper slices. Ummmmm, good! Finally the tea was also good, although a
little on the sweet side for me. I like to taste a bit more of the bitterness of the tea itself.
Tom: I had the same–I wanted to experience their main specialty like you did. I felt about the same way as you did, enjoying that cornbread with jalapenos, too, but some with less than cast iron stomachs may not like it. Your description of the corn was generous–I have seen better corn used for livestock feed! But then I grow my own Silver Queen in the summer so I know what fresh corn is like.
Ray: I thought the service was good but I know you were disappointed to not be disappointed!
Tom: Yes– I had heard rumors of poor service and cold food a couple of years ago, but we found the service to be prompt and courteous, with only a few minutes passing between us placing our orders and receiving them. Our tea glasses were likewise kept full, and we were given a large take-away cup full of tea on leaving, a nice touch.
Ray: Yeah, but why didn’t they bring us cups to take the already full glasses of tea we had? What’s that all about?
Tom: So, waddya think overall?
Ray: Woodlands is a great place to get a tasty, filling meal in a relaxed atmosphere for a very reasonable price. Woodlands’ portions are well sized and the service is prompt and courteous. While the corn and cornbread could use some work, these were minor distractions during an otherwise very tasty meal indeed.
Tom: So, that’s two pig-pickin’ thumbs up!
GPS Coordinates
Lat: 36° 07.559′
Lon: 81° 40.284′
Menu (prices may change)
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