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Biltmore Estate Restaurants Guide

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If you are planning a trip and wondering which Biltmore Estate Restaurants you should eat at, this post is for you!

Biltmore Estate Restaurants

Biltmore Estate Restaurants

Having just visited the Biltmore for 3 days back in April, I’m happy to report that there are loads of tasty options when considering where to eat here. From the Stable Cafe in the House to the Village Social located in the Village Hotel and little places to grab a snack, there’s something for every palate! Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to try every restaurant on this trip. So, if I am lucky enough to visit again in the future, then I will return to this post and update with additional reviews.

I’ll start this guide by mentioning how big the portion sizes are here. We started out ordering our own entrees, but were splitting them by the end of the trip as we kept having leftovers. So, just something to keep in mind.

Stable Cafe for Luminere Dinner

I figured I might as well start with the restaurant located in the basement of the House – Stable Cafe! This is literally where the stables were located when the house was lived in! We ate here twice during our trip. Our first meal here was for dinner during Luminere. We enjoyed some fresh salads for the mains. The chicken was a little dry on my salad, but overall it was a good dish. I really enjoyed my special mocktail here for Luminere. It sweet, but the ginger cut it nicely.

The real star here was the desserts though! My husband got the Blueberry Mousse Cake. It was a good combination of sweet and tart with the lemon-passionfruit cremeux. I got the Raspberry Parline Profiterole and was thrilled with it. Once again, it was the perfect combination of sweet and tart with the raspberries cutting the sweet chocolate. This meal was the perfect way to begin our Luminere evening.

Stable Cafe Lunch

After touring the house, we enjoyed lunch the next day here as well. We split The Appalachian Sampler (pictured in the blog image above) and had more than enough food for the two of us. We enjoyed trying the seasonal Ancho Chili Blueberry Barbeque sauce with the chicken and pulled pork. I would love to try other seasonal sauces in the future. Again, the chicken was a touch dry, but the sauces really helped. The pulled pork was so flavorful it didn’t really need the sauces.

The smoked baby carrots were simple but tasty. We also loved the truffle mac and cheese. The potato salad looked like mashed potatoes but tasted as it should. My husband enjoyed the house pickled vegetables. We also tried the blackberry lemonade and strawberry lemonade. They were fine, but I think I would get something else next time. We ended the meal by splitting the Toffee Fudge Cake, which was amazing! It was rich and chocolatey! I loved it.

Cedric’s Tavern

Moving over to Antler Hill Village, we enjoyed lunch upon arrival at Cedric’s Tavern. My husband ordered the Tavern Rueben and was pleased with it. It was a good combination of flavors and a great value for the $20 charged. I selected the Lobster Roll, which had a shocking amount of lobster (1/2 pound) on it! I truly enjoyed it, but it was too much food for me. We both left this meal with a box of leftovers. We ended up finishing them later that night in the hotel room. I think it’s worth noting that the dessert menu posted online was out of date when we visited.

Village Social – Breakfast

We had a breakfast package that allowed us to enjoy breakfast both mornings of our trip at the Village Social, which I highly recommend. I absolutely loved the Pecan Waffles I ate both mornings. On the second morning, my husband and I actually split an order of the waffles and an order of biscuits and gravy. This restaurant is fantastic because they will physically split your dishes on two separate plates for you! So, that was super helpful! Although, I see that the online menu now lists a Blueberry Waffle instead of the Pecan. I’m sure it’s great too!

One thing to note: There was a 25 minute wait for a table for two people here on Saturday morning, versus no wait on Friday morning. So, maybe send someone ahead to get on the waitlist on the weekends.

Village Social – Dinner

This was our last dinner here and it was really good. We split the Fried Chicken. The chicken was good and moist with the added hot honey (although, not really spicy). The smashed red skin potatoes were good too. I even ate some of the estate pickled coleslaw! Overall, it was a good dish that I don’t regret eating.

I was tickled to be able to get the Luminere mocktail Nightfall here again. My husband got a coconut mocktail that was tasty. For dessert, I got a strawberry rhubarb crumble with vanilla ice cream. I was pleased to see that it didn’t contain an artificial red strawberry slush, but was kind of natural red/brown. I was also happy that I could actually taste the tart rhubarb. It was a good dessert. My husband enjoyed a cake, but we can’t recall what it was. Unfortunately, they don’t have the dessert menu posted online.

The Creamery

One of the last places we stopped at on our visit was The Creamery, located in the Village. I got an amazing banana pudding milkshake! My husband got an orange creamsicle float that was pretty good. We also grabbed a pastry for the road. I got the mixed berry and he got ham/cheese. Both of those were really tasty, even hours later when we ate them at home after a long drive.

Biltmore Estate Restaurants

As I stated above, this is not an exhaustive look at all of the restaurants on property. Rather, it’s an overview of where we’ve eaten so far. If I make a return trip, I will come back and update this post with more locations – like the Dairy Bar or The Dining Room at the Inn. So, where do you enjoy eating when visiting The Biltmore Estate?

Village Hotel on Biltmore Estate Review

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Last month, my husband and I were able to stay two nights at the fabulous Village Hotel on Biltmore Estate! Today, I am giving my review of that experience.

Village Hotel on Biltmore Estate

Village Hotel on Biltmore Estate

There are two hotels on the Biltmore Estate property. The Village Hotel on Biltmore Estate is the more moderate resort with slightly cheaper rates than The Inn. Located in the Antler Hill Village, it gives you easy walking access to the shopping and dining there. It also makes it super convenient to visit the House and Gardens since you are staying on property.

Village King Bed

We booked a king sized bed room for this trip and enjoyed having the huge bed! The mattress and bedding was super comfy. I was also impressed with how quiet our stay was. No complaints about noise here. The room itself is nice without being too much. It takes a basic hotel room and adds some little touches to upgrade the experience.

The bathroom is really nice. There’s a huge shower that is great for relaxing in. The sink is outside the bathroom, allowing two people to get ready in the morning. There’s also a mini refrigerator in the room. A microwave is located in the lobby.

Overall, this room provided a very comfortable two night stay for us.

Village Hotel on Biltmore Estate Location

This hotel is perfect for visiting The Biltmore. There’s a complimentary shuttle bus that takes you over to the house/gardens. However, there’s also free parking. We chose to drive around the estate instead of waiting for the shuttle. It was nice to not have to traverse Asheville while visiting though. Also, I was pleased with the amount of parking available. When we came back to the Hotel after 10 PM after Luminere, there was still plenty of parking available.

This hotel is technically located in the Antler Hill Village. That makes it a great option for folks wanting to enjoy the Village’s dining, shopping, and activities. Village Social is the restaurant located on the second floor of the hotel. We enjoyed breakfast here both mornings and dinner once. It was so convenient and tasty!

Hotel Package

While you can simply book a stay here, the Biltmore also offers various package deals. We booked the Estate Escape Offer Package. This included breakfast at Village Social both mornings as well as length of stay tickets to the Biltmore House. I highly recommend booking any of the packages the includes breakfast. I also highly suggest you try the Pecan Waffles at the Village Social.

Although, I will note that Saturday morning had a 25 minute wait for breakfast. Friday morning had no wait. So, maybe head down to get on the waitlist early if you are visiting on the weekend.

Also, the tickets with the package allowed us to visit the House at our leisure. That meant that we didn’t have to make a reservation at the house and could go in whenever. That was nice.

Pros

  • Nice accommodations – This hotel is a very relaxing resort in the mountains of North Carolina. What’s not to like?
  • Location – It’s located in the Village and is walking distance to everything it offers. Plus, it makes visiting the Biltmore House and Gardens easy.
  • Peaceful – This was one of the quietest hotels I’ve ever stayed in. It was awesome.
  • Book a breakfast package – I like that you can book a package to prepay for breakfast and it’s convenient to eat in the hotel.
  • Comfortable – It’s easy to get a good night’s rest here. The bed is very comfy.
  • Cookie/Wine Hour – There’s a Wine Social from 5-6 PM and Cookie Hour from 8-9 PM in the lobby. We enjoyed those on Friday night and then spent some time sitting at the firepit.

Cons

  • Pricey – While this was cheaper than staying at the Inn, it wasn’t a cheap trip. You can definitely stay somewhere cheaper off property.
  • Few hooks – I know this is random and tiny. However, I would like more hooks for towels in the bathroom and a coat rack in the room for jackets/hats/purses.

Should you stay at the Village Hotel on Biltmore Estate?

I really enjoyed our stay here and wouldn’t hesitate to recommend it to other folks. If you can afford it and want to visit the Biltmore, this is a great way to do it. Have you ever stayed here?

Biltmore Luminere Guide

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Having just experienced the Biltmore Luminere nighttime event, I thought I would post a guide to help others plan their trip.

Biltmore Luminere

Biltmore Luminere

For those who don’t know the Biltmore Luminere is the Estate’s newest add-on experience. Unlike other events, this is a nighttime lights and projections experience. It includes a projection show on the house and additional lighting/projections in the gardens. They advertise the event starting at $60, but most nights are a good bit more expensive. A ticket to the event allows you entry to the grounds and shops starting at 4:30 PM too.

Special Foods

You have the option to order a picnic to enjoy on the lawn. However, the Stable Cafe also has a special menu for the event. We opted to eat at the Stable Cafe. Not knowing what to expect, I made a dining reservation for 6 PM. We were seated promptly and we probably didn’t even need the reservation. However, I could see it being useful on a busier night.

We explored the gardens and conservatory prior to dinner. Unfortunately, it was a hot April day (mid/upper 80’s) and we didn’t want anything too heavy to eat. So, we ordered salads with the dressing on the side and added some chicken. They were good, fresh salads. They were perfect for the heat we had just endured. The cornbread croutons were especially good in my salad. I also enjoyed a few candied walnuts from my husband’s salad. I also ordered the event special mocktail – the Nightfall. It was a great mix of flavors, but the ginger was definitely noticeable. So, if you don’t like ginger, it might not be for you.

Then, we ordered some desserts. My husband got the Blueberry Mousse Cake. It was a light, airy dessert that was the perfect combination of blueberries and passionfruit. We both really enjoyed it. I got the Raspberry Praline Profiterole. I loved the combination of hazelnut, chocolate, and raspberry. It was a great way to kick off the event.

Biltmore House Show

Typically, the house projection show is shown three times a night. The exact times can be found on the site. On the night we went, it was shown at 8:45, 9:15, and 9:45. Lasting 15 minutes, the show is a look at the history of the estate and the Vanderbilt family who owns it. It was a touching tribute honoring the history of the location. I particularly enjoyed the projections depicting life in the home. Overall, it was entertaining and informative. Although, I don’t know that children would enjoy this show as it’s a little dry with all of its facts.

Garden Illuminations

In addition to the house projection show, you can walk around the gardens to see some beautiful lighting effects! I highly recommend walking around the gardens beforehand in the daylight to understand the layout of the land and to appreciate it more. I loved the projection show on the trees the most. Also, don’t miss the lighting in the conservatory either. It was beautiful! We really enjoyed walking around and looking at the different projections. It helped that it was a nice night out as well.

Tips

  • Purchase tickets early – We waited to purchase tickets until we knew the weather forecast. Unfortunately, they raised the prices $15-20 per person per night at the end of the month prior (end of March for April)!
  • Bring a blanket or chairs – You watch the house projection show on the front lawn. We enjoyed sitting on a picnic blanket as it allowed to us watch the sun go down and then watch the show. Also, sitting on the ground was more comfortable than sitting on hard concrete for a parade or standing for fireworks at the theme parks!
  • Arrive early – We arrived around 4:30 and enjoyed walking around before it got crowded. In fact, we were able to browse mostly empty stores prior to dinner. It was so nice to look at stuff without crowds for once.
  • Watch a later projection show – If you want to view the house show without any crowds, go for one of the later shows. We walked by during the last showing and it was practically empty! There was a chance of a rain that night, so we watched the first showing. However, if I ever go back, I will probably watch a later showing and walk the gardens first.
  • Take your time – If you are lucky enough to visit on a night with good weather, it’s so nice to just walk around in nature. It’s definitely one of the more relaxing nighttime projection events I’ve attended.
  • See the grounds in the daytime – They have done a great job with the lighting and I think knowing what the area looks like normally makes you appreciate it that much more.

Is the Biltmore Luminere worth it?

Again, I think value is subjective. However, I thought the price charged was worth the experience. From low crowds for the stores and gardens prior to the projection show, to the lighting and show itself, it made for a great date night. I wouldn’t hesitate to go again. So, have you experienced the Biltmore Luminere?

A Look Back at 2025

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Since it’s the last day of the year, I thought I’d post a look back at 2025!

A Look Back at 2025

A Look Back at 2025

Well, back in 2024, I said that I wasn’t sure where 2025 would take me. However, I hinted at a bucket list trip to kick off the new year. That trip was to New York City with my husband! From there on, the year was filled with several last minute trips. I don’t particularly care for last minute trips and prefer to be more intentional with my trips. However, that’s just how some years go! In 2025, I managed to take 9 trips! Granted, several of those were quick 24-48 hour weekend trips. Nonetheless, I felt like I traveled too much in the first half of the year (6 trips) and slowed way down in the second half (3 trips). I also got sick in October and that lasted until late November (Covid that turned into bronchitis). So, that also slowed me down. I’m currently looking to plan some trips in 2026, just trying to narrow down my options. Here’s a look at where I’ve been in 2025 though.

New York at Christmas

My 2025 started with a bang! My husband and I visited NYC in early January to experience it at Christmas! I finally got to see the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree in person! I also go to see the Rockettes perform! It was a quick 48 hours trip, but it’s one I think about often. I hope I get to return to NYC at Christmastime again someday.

Dollywood by Myself

In March, I made a real last minute trip to Dollywood… by myself! You see, I’m not much of a driver. It tends to cause me a lot of stress. So, this was the first trip I’ve taken where I drove myself! I knew if I made a plan too far in advance, then I might chicken out. I booked my room a week or so out and then didn’t tell anyone except for my husband just in case I didn’t do it. Ha! I surprised my mom by sending her pictures of my room and she was absolutely shocked that I drove myself. It sounds crazy, but I am proud of the progress I’ve made to overcome my driving anxiety.

The Beach

The first trip my mom and I ever took after my dad died was to Myrtle Beach. That was in 2013. However, we hadn’t returned to the beach since then. When we were attempting to nail down a spring trip, I suggested returning to MB and my mom liked the idea. We ended up spending a few days in Myrtle and then a night in Charleston. It was a nice trip that I’m glad we took together.

Epic Universe

Yet another last minute trip happened at the beginning of May. I got to visit Epic Universe for park previews before its official opening! I can’t believe I got to experience a park before it officially opened to the public. It’s a real pinch me moment. It was so surreal and I’m glad I had the time and funds to make it happen.

Return to Tweetsie

The first theme park I ever visited was Tweetsie Railroad! I visited with my aunt and cousins as a child, but hadn’t returned. I kept talking about returning as an adult, but it wasn’t until May of this year that I finally did it. My husband and I took a real last minute weekend trip down to Boone, NC and visited this park. It was neat to re-create photos from my childhood and to see how things are going now. I hope I can return someday to experience its Halloween and Christmas events.

I Met Bob Gurr

In September, I took a whirlwind trip to California. While there, I got to meet former Disney Imagineer and Disney Legend, Bob Gurr! Talk about another pinch me moment. I still can’t believe that happened either. However, I am so thankful I was able to meet him and see his home. During that trip, I also got to eat at Tam O’Shanter, a Walt Disney favorite. Then, I went down to Anaheim to visit Disneyland for Halloween again. It was a tiring trip made worse by a flight diversion to Charlotte at the end. Anyways, I’m not sure I have it in me for another West Coast trip anytime soon.

Looking Ahead to 2026

I always like to give a little preview of what’s to come in the new year in these posts. However, as of this writing, I don’t have it figured out yet. Traveling has gotten much harder for my mom. She now requires lots of breaks and we will probably stick to driving distance trips. It’s all pretty new, so we are still figuring it out.

Although, I did renew my Dollywood pass for 2026 and upgraded to a Diamond pass for the first time! So, there should be at least 1 or 2 trips there next year.

Where do you plan on visiting in 2026? Where do you think I should go?

Graystone Lodge Boone Review

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Back in May, my husband and I spent the night at the Graystone Lodge in Boone, North Carolina. Seeing as how there’s not too many reviews on it, I thought I would post one.

Graystone Lodge

Graystone Lodge

When my husband and I visited Tweetsie Railroad back in May, we opted to spend a night at the Graystone Lodge in Boone. It’s a recently refurbished and re-branded hotel in the Choice Hotels chain. It’s a part of their Ascend Hotel Collection, signaling it’s a touch nicer than some of their other hotels.

King Bedroom

We spent the night in one of their King rooms. We loved having a huge bed to spend the night in! I was impressed with the refreshed room. The lighted picture of the mountains on the headboard was a nice touch! It felt authentic to the area.

The room was more than sufficient for our one night stay. The bed was ok, not the best or the worst. The sheets were a little scratchy on my skin, but nothing too bad. I appreciated how quiet the room was, as that’s not always the case in hotels.

The best part was probably the free breakfast! I loved the selection of bagels and donuts from a local bakery! They even had biscuits and gravy! I will often skip a free hotel breakfast, but this one is worthwhile!

Pros

  • Had hot water – Some hotels have just warm water. Not here. You can get legitimately hot water here.
  • Nicely decorated – We enjoyed the subtle decorations about the hotel that really suited the area.
  • Beekman toiletries – I was thrilled to discover the Beekman 1802 shampoo, conditioner, and body wash in the bathroom. It’s a nicer brand that I was tickled to try and made for a luxuriating experience.
  • Great breakfast – It’s nice when a hotel comes with a free breakfast. This is one of the better ones. I love that they get bagels and breads from a local bakery.
  • Recently refurbished – I didn’t notice anything broken or in dis-repair. Everything looked well done.

Cons

  • Water can get too hot quickly – While I appreciate the hot water, it did get too hot a little quick. So, be careful.
  • Sheets were scratchy – I have sensitive skin and had just shaved my legs that day. I found the sheets to feel a little scratchy on my legs in particular. It may be just me though. Also, it didn’t keep me from sleeping.
  • Small sink counter – If you are someone who needs a big bathroom sink to spread out, that will be a problem here. If you don’t require much space, then you should be good.

Is the Graystone Lodge worth it?

We paid $190.77 for the night we stayed. I think it was totally worth that amount, especially if you think about how much breakfast can cost. I enjoyed my stay here, but I might also look at other options in the area if I visit Tweetsie again. So, have you ever stayed here?