Louise's Rock House Restaurant — Restaurant in Spruce Pine

I always say, "If you're looking for perfect, stay home". My wife and I enjoyed a beautiful drive up to the Linville Community. We decided to eat at Famous Louise's Rock House Restaurant before going on to Linville Falls and the Gorge. Our server, Tonia, was most helpful in our selection and answered all our questions about the food in which we were interested. Our focus was on the items made there, and at her suggestion, we ordered the pot roast, whipped potatoes(yes with gravy), a cheeseburger(patties made there), and crispy fries. The pot roast was outstanding, just like momma used to make... no kidding! The whipped potatoes were consistent with a few lumps still in them(I happen to like them that way otherwise they would be creamed potatoes, right?) And the gravy from the pot roast was definitely the pièce de résistance. The hand patted cheeseburger was cooked to perfection and very tasty. It was a little small with regard to the delicious bun on which it was served. I ordered it with lettuce, tomato, and pickle - they were all fresh. I'm some what of a freedom fry connoisseur(aren't we all) and I ordered mine crispy - you know, crispy on the outside smooth and consistent on the inside and piping hot. They were perfect! I didn't like the ketchup served in old dispensers but at least the contents were the same as the label and it tasted fresh. We were very fortunate, and may I say Blessed, to have met the owner of the restaurant, Shirley. We told her we had noticed the folks at a larger table beside us had 3 pies boxed and ready to go when they left... so we were definitely interested in the pies. Well, Miss Shirley makes the pies there... she suggested we try the Rhubarb and Strawberry pie. She told us the Rhubarb was from her garden, so we selected "that" pie. It was still warm! Oh my... the crust was light and flaky with just the right contrast of Rhubarb and Strawberries. My goodness... they fought back and forth over our taste buds trying to claim ultimate recognition but in the end, the resulting balance of flavor was - to-die-for - yummmmm. Was our experience perfect? No... remember, if you want perfect, stay home: there's no place like home when it comes to food, family, and fellowship. I was a bit surprised by the cost of the soda drinks with a 1 refill limit so I ordered water and my wife ordered tea(half/half)... no limits on the refills for water and tea. The water was good, fresh, and cold and the iced tea(we recommend half/half) was delicious too. So, in your travels, if your trip takes you near the Linville Community, and you find yourself a little on the hungry side, please consider Miss Shirley's Momma's place: Famous Louise's Rock House Restaurant. I'm sure you'll enjoy the food... the service... and the fellowship. They're good folk there in that restaurant and they serve some good vittles too!!! Our next trip to Miss Louise's will be for breakfast. I can only imagine how good that meal will be after the delicious "lupper"(for the non-southerners... that meal between lunch and supper) of home-cooked pot roast with whipped potatoes and gravy! Yes, it was our first visit there but certainly not our last. Thank you Shirley and thank you Tonia... the service and suggestions...

We always like to go to local restaurants over chain restaurants so we tried this one after a day of snow tubing in the area. The place was nearly empty yet we waited a good 5 minutes while three employees walked by us and said nothing while we stood at the door waiting to be greeted. Once we were seated, 5 of us were forced to sit at a 4 top because they claimed Covid rules prevented them from putting two tables together. The daily special was Salisbury Steak. Not something I usually order, but we were eating locally and it was their “special of the day” so I thought I would try it. It was horrible. The “steak” was a spongy patty that was half the size of the palm of my hand with clear brownish gravy on top. It and everything else on my plate tasted like it was scooped out of a Hungry Man TV dinner tray. Very disappointing. My son had a cheeseburger, which he enjoyed. And my daughter had a grilled cheese that looked pretty good. The kids meals came with apple sauce that appeared homemade, which was surprising given the previously-frozen quality of everything else on the table. For these reasons I gave the place 3 stars instead of one. We decided to take home a whole apple pie, which we were told are homemade by the owners. The pie looked good and smelled good, but the apples were very undercooked, which really ruined the whole thing. I would sum up this place as...

HORRIBLE! We were doomed from the start. The hostess sat our family at a table near the door. We asked to sit away from the door as it is cold every time it opens. She said it was the only table that would sit 5 people unless we wanted to squeeze into a 4 top. We asked if we could push two tables together. She said "I would rather not"! Mind you - it was not busy in there and there were plenty of empty tables, not to mention they did have another table pushed together for another group. We unhappily sat by the door. The waitress came over with no greeting and just wanted to know if we were ready to order. She was very rude and condescending toward my mother during the ordering process. When she brought our drinks, she threw the straws in the middle of the table. She must have forgot her personality when she got ready for work that day. The food was Just OK. When we checked out, the hostess wanted to know how everything was - we said it was ok except for the seating arrangements. She said "I am sorry but I did not want to push two tables together". What a hardship that would have been! We told her we would not be back - she did not care and had nothing to say about anything! My family nor I will ever go there again! Such a shame! A very easy request and they could not accommodate it! I am shocked they are even open with...