Alpen Restaurant Bar - BANNER ELK

I was mostly impressed by the patio ambiance. The grounds of the hotel/restaurant are so pretty and they spread seeds around dinner time to lure in the local deer. There about 10 deer and two babies that were completely adorable to watch. It was kind of like dinner and a show. Our server was incredibly friendly and helpful with the menu. The food was pretty good; nothing completely spectacular. I asked the server what she recommended and one item she suggested was the local Alpen pecan trout. I tried a little bit of everyone's food and I thought my N.C. trout was the best item. It was a nice, mild, flaky white fish. The pecans and honey were a perfect addition to the flavor. I liked the crab bisque; not too heavy. Everyone else enjoyed their food also. It was a little pricey, but I would go back if we head to Beech Mountain again.

Environment was ok, clean and great care attention from the staff. I didn't like that the wine we ordered was not opened at the table. Food was ok, nothing exceptional.

We raced to find a place still open while the town was closing down this summer night and thankfully found Alpen. Sat on the patio while a band played on the lawn and enjoyed every moment. Ate the prime rib special and the wine special and since we took the server's advice on every item we didn't go wrong. Magnificent view on a perfect evening after an exhausting hike made for a memorable evening. I'd go back to Beech mountain just to go back here.

If I were rating this restaurant on food quality alone, I would give a 1-star rating. However the saving grace here was the atmosphere and service. The service by our waitress Haylei was phenomenal, but the food was terrible. My fiance and I went for what we expected to be a somewhat elevated dining experience. She ordered the pecan crusted trout(Touted as the guest favorite) with rice pilaf and broccoli at a price point of $26. The fish was bland and it appeared as though hard, crushed pecans had just been thrown on top as an afterthought. The rice pilaf was reminiscent of something scooped from a pan in the elementary school cafeteria. We had attempted to look at the menu prior to arriving but were unable to because the restaurant requires you to make an account in order to even view their dinner menu... Overall, we would go back for a drink, but nothing besides that.

Food and drinks were quite mediocre. Service was good. We were first sat at a table that wasn't level. Not just a little off, but so unlevel I was afraid to sit a drink on it. We asked to be moved and were accommodated. I ordered a Manhattan that came in a rocks glass with so much ice and vermouth that I couldn't drink it. The calamari appetizer was soggy and not hot. My wife and daughters ordered the pecan trout. It was OK, but quite greasy and too sweet. My prime rib was over cooked, and the sweet potato dry. My son's grilled chicken breast and pasta looked pretty terrible. The chicken was way over cooked and dry, as was the pasta. The broccoli was way over cooked and soggy. The chocolate sundae was plainly average, but the crème brûlée was pretty decent. Wine was meh.