Hellbender Bed & Beverage — Restaurant in Blowing Rock

Hellbender Bed and Beverage is a unique spot to stay and eat in Blowing Rock, with a fabulous location to the cute downtown area; everything is walkable from Hellbender We stayed there for two nights and got breakfast and drinks. Their drinks are INCREDIBLE! They offer a really nice cocktail list with some creative drinks that are flavorful and strong--and reasonably priced at $12-14. The bartender also will make you whatever you want, and she was great about asking whether I wanted my Cosmo on the sweeter side or tart side, and made sure to ask us what our preferred alcohol brand was. Really great service from the bar.

Guests get complimentary smoothies and coffee that is out by 8 am everyday. Smoothies are made to order and I hadn't planned to get one, but saw someone else enjoying one and it looked good. Wow, the chocolate peanut butter one was so good! I definitely recommend their smoothies. Also, their biscuits are SO TASTY! And they are filling! I thought it was going to be a tiny biscuit, but it was huge and fluffy and must have had at least two eggs worth of scrambled eggs on there. Very good and very reasonably priced. Definitely come here for breakfast biscuits!

For staying here--well, it is cute and quaint, with wooden floors that aren't level, but lacks some comforts. The bed was comfortable, but the pillows are flat, so if you drive to stay here, I recommend bringing your own pillow. We stayed here on a Saturday and a Sunday and I'm glad we got the two nights experience because Saturday, other guests were incredibly loud (the problem with it being a bed and beverage...) and the thin walls of the old house meant that we could hear every word and could even hear people snoring in the neighboring rooms. However, it was a different situation on Sunday night--noisy guests were gone and it was blissfully quiet to sleep. Room 3, where we stayed, is directly over the bar and kitchen area, so is probably louder than most and we could hear dishes being moved around below. If there is another room available, rent that instead of room 3! The bathroom needs some additional insulation and a space heater or wall radiator--it was so cold because the only heat was in the bedroom, which didn't make it into the bathroom. Also, the water in the shower never got hot--it was lukewarm at best. We thought maybe it was because of the time of day showering, but showering midday and early morning didn't seem to make a difference for the water temperature. If you stay here in the summer, this probably won't matter as much. If you are a light sleeper or care about your water temperature, I recommend checking out another place to stay in...

First, I understood that when traveling with dogs, it can be hard to find spaces that are top notch. With that said, I really wanted to love this place. We arrived on a chilly rainy afternoon, the Inn had a rustic, mountain pub vibe with a roaring fire in the bar, staff was very friendly. It’s an old building, so we expected there to be some age to the property. Floors are slanted, ceilings low, wash room is separate from the bathroom, all things that come with an old building and add charm.

We had our 2 small dogs with us. So, we booked room 7, on the top floor, has a separate seating area from the bedroom and a back door that leads to a small area at the rear of the property so the pups can have a place to go potty. All great when traveling with dogs and needing to have take out when weather doesn’t permit patio dining. The bed was very comfortable with plenty of pillows. Room also has a sound machine which is a nice touch.

Sadly, the space just didn’t feel clean. In the sitting room, throw blanket, sofa and throw pillows were stained and smelled as though they had never been cleaned. Throw rug in the living room was filthy. TV in the sitting room wouldn’t show a picture, only sound. Room does have a Kuerig which is standard these days. However, coffee & real sugar was not stocked nor did they have anything to stir in creamer and sugar. Wine glasses were in the room, however they were very dusty. I think management could definitely do better on cleaning and preparing the room for new guests.

Whether you are traveling with or without dogs, be aware that room 7 has a definite barnyard scent. We have stayed in many dog friendly properties that have been very clean. So, it can be done.

Overall, fair for the price. But likely would...

We came to The New Public on a Saturday evening, after the dinner rush. We were seated promptly, and the seating was comfortably cushioned (though the table was a bit wobbly thanks to what I suspect is original hardwood flooring -- nothing a folded paper napkin couldn't fix). Alysha was our server and was very courteous and attentive. I had the Swedish meatballs and the Brunswick stew, both of which were excellent! My wife had the shrimp and grits and gave it an A. I would recommend The New Public highly! EDIT: Changing from 5 to 4 stars ... After our fantastic dinner, we came back for brunch the next day. The food was great again: the Eggs Sardou and the Chesapeake omelette were hits. However, the restaurant had somehow run out of the morning's special even though we arrived shortly after brunch hours started. (Maybe I read the hours wrong?) The service was also significantly slower despite the fact they seemed less than half full. No offer to refill water or coffee while we waited 30 minutes or so for our food to come. Still rating 4 stars because the food is great, and based on our great service during our first visit, we figure the slowness this morning...