In this entry I'll comment on the restaurants my family ate at in Lake Lure, North Carolina last week (March 21-25, 2006). Before going to Lake Lure I tried to read about Lake Lure restaurants online and found very little information. Perhaps someone will find these brief comments helpful.
Point of View Restaurant
Highway 64 at Buffalo Shoals Road (near the dam), Lake Lure, NC.
We each got the twice-a-week special of mountain trout for $13.95. The trout filets were large and covered with sliced almonds. Delicious. Meals came with a tossed salad and a choice of baked potato, spaghetti marinara, rice pilaf, or… linguini, I think. The waitress ground fresh and tasty black pepper onto our salads at the table. My Coke glass didn't hold very much, was mostly ice, and cost $1.75. The tables were too close together which made simple movements, like removing our coats, difficult without hitting people at adjacent tables.
Larkins on the Lake
Highway 64 at the intersection with highway 9, Lake Lure.
Most of us got the prime rib, which was around $21. The food was good but expensive. I found the room hot and stuffy.
Lake Lure Inn and Spa
Highway 64 across from the Lake Lure beach.
The Lake Lure Inn was built in the 1920s. The lobby is filled with interesting art, antiques, portraits, and several coin-operated music machines. M.J.'s is the name of the dining room, which is elegant with white linen tablecloths and white cloth napkins. Our waitress, Laura, was friendly, fun, and efficient. She answered most of our questions about Lake Lure, "Dirty Dancing", and the 2006 Home and Garden Dream Home. The lunch buffet was only $6.95 ($9.95 on Sunday). We ate there twice. The first day's buffet had spinach salad, Caesar salad, beef and vegetable soup, cooked broccoli and cauliflower, rolls, chicken pot pie, sliced turkey, sausage casserole (my favorite), cobbler, chocolate brownies with whipped cream, and other dishes I don't recall. The second day's buffet had tossed salad, potato salad, cream of mushroom soup, rolls, macaroni and cheese, corn on the cob, Brussels sprouts in cream sauce, buttered carrots, chicken tenders, meatloaf, lemon cobbler, chocolate brownies with whipped cream, and other dishes. This was my favorite restaurant of our trip, and a real bargain at $6.95.
Lakeside Pizza
2594 Memorial Highway (64) in Lake Lure somewhere along the stretch between Larkins and the Lake Lure Inn.
This place didn't look like much from the outside but the food was good. They offered pizzas, several pasta dishes, and hot subs. We got two 14-inch pizzas for five people and had four slices left over. Our appetites had been partially sated by an appetizer of garlic knots, which were tasty balls of pizza dough filled with cheese. I don't recall the prices except that additional pizza toppings were $1.35 each. I remember that because we looked at a menu for La Strada (near the Lake Lure Inn) and noticed that La Strada charged $1.95 for each additional pizza topping.
Bayfront Bar & Grill
Highway 64 at the intersection with highway 9, Lake Lure (downstairs in the same building with Larkins on the Lake).
This bar and restaurant was crowded, noisy, and had slow service. The hamburgers ranged from $7 to $10. Hamburgers came with a small salad or coleslaw or French fries. My hamburger was overcooked and one edge of the patty was burned black and hard. My father got the French onion soup and said it was excellent.
Laura's House
Highway 64 in Chimney Rock just west of Lake Lure.
We arrived at Laura's House on Friday evening before 6:00, eagerly anticipating the home-style catfish, fried chicken, meatloaf, and vegetables for which the restaurant is known. We went in, rang the bell to be seated, and rang the bell again. Finally a man came out and told us they closed at 5:00. We were disappointed and did not understand why a restaurant in a tourist town would close at 5:00 on Friday, even in the off season.
