We stayed at the inn, so we definitely had breakfast and also chose to eat dinner there one night. The food was very good and cooked perfectly. The staff were friendly. We loved the quiet and slower pace atmosphere. We needed a nice getaway and good food and Red Rocker Inn delivered. We would highly recommend.
Frankie N.
We were unaware of the change in ownership going in, being that our last visit was approximately 4 years ago. That being said, we could tell something was different from the time we arrived. Although the restaurant was not that busy for a Saturday evening, we were left waiting in the lobby for a good 10-15 mins before being greeted by anyone. Once seated we were surprised to see open tables all around. The smell of home cooked meals and biscuits that before made our mouths water was absent, which was a true disappointment and a sign for things to come. They were out of several items on the menu, to which the waitress stated "they need to update it". However there were no specials or items that needed to be added to the menu, leaving us limited options. The food we selected ranged from unseasoned to over salted, the biscuits were not fully cooked and assumably from the freezer. The filet my significant other chose was burnt on the outside and rare inside (he ordered med rare). We had been craving the experience we first had with the Red Rocker Inn for a long time, only to be completely disappointed by the changes implemented since our last visit. We now understand why the tables were empty.
Chelcea F.
I kknew rri had new owners, didn't think they could be worse than old ones, but, i was wrong. I was very upset with my stay. I fealt unimportant and didn't make me feel welcomed. Food was great and I believe man's name was Dave, he's the only reason I'm not giving u one star. He was helpful and did everything in his power to make our stay better. I wished I would have heard about the MONTE VISTA first, they had a kind staff and had great food. Treating employees like people help too
Jason Luck
Lovely accommodations, delicious food.
Service: 5
Lee Smith
For many many reasons, we had not been to the Red Rocker for close to a year because it had just gone downhill. We would go there at least 2x a month, so we decided to give it a try again on Friday and we were very pleasantly surprised. The service was fine, but the food was excellent. The salmon was cooked to perfection, the mashed potatoes had a wonderful, creamy quality to them, and the seasonal vegetables were not cooked to the point where they were absolute mush. They still had a little bit of crunch to them. It was delicious.One suggestion…..the website is not accurate as far as the menu. One of our favorite desserts was always the peanut butter pie. It still shows it on the website, yet we were told they no longer have it. There are some other discrepancies as well. To prevent people from being disappointed, I think it would be helpful to have the menu updated on the website.We will go back again.
Service: 4
M E.
My wife and I ordered the so called Angus Filet Mignon medium rare, it was grey and overcooked. Since we had already waited almost an hour for our meal and the waitress never came back to check to see how our meal was we decided to eat the overcooked beef, NOT "Filet Mignon" as they claimed it to be. When our waitress finally came back we told her that was the worst meal we had ever eaten ,she said she would tell them and nobody ever came out to address it so we left. I messaged the Red Rocker Inn to get back to me so we could address the matter and they never responded. We had dined as well as stayed at the Red Rocker INN several times in the past and really enjoyed it. Not sure if it was lack of wait staff, or the NEW ownership, but we will not be going to the Red Rocker Inn ever again. MJB
April Emery
We stayed in the Elizabeth's Attic suite and enjoyed our stay! We loved the charm of the Inn and our room (we had a gas fireplace and large soaker tub ??). The food was amazing (they even had gluten-free options!). Giving it 4-stars because the location felt a little strange, being in the middle of a neighborhood. The location of the Inn is within walking distance of downtown Black Mountain.Walkability: A 5-10 minute walk (depending on your walking speed) to downtown Black Mountain. You can park your car at the Inn and not have to use it until the day you check-out.
Service: 5
Randall Leifheit
The Red Rocker Inn is a beautiful Inn. Unfortunately, we cannot say that the stay was as nice. Our stay was on a Sunday night, so no dinner service was available. They did have out chocolate chip (awful store bought) cookies for a late-night snack. When we retired for the night, we found our room (Music Room on first floor) extremely cold. I went to the check in desk and pressed the “Ring for Service” button, but no one responded. I then called the owners phone and was only able to leave a voice message. Again, no reply. Our room had no heat coming into it at all and that night we were very uncomfortable due to it being cold in the room. We had every blanket on the bed, to no avail at keeping us warm. The next morning the owners didn’t even acknowledge our problem until check out. They said that housekeeping should have had a space heater in the room as they knew of the problem. They didn’t even mention why no one was available during our stay to assist us. We traveled with friends who stayed in a room next to ours. They did have a space heater and were told not to run it with anything else in the room. It would blow a breaker. I’m glad they didn’t as no one would have been available to reset it.As for breakfast, coffee was served after 8:00am, one pot for the entire breakfast room. Several tables tried to get coffee but none came. The food was just okay except for the hash brown casserole which no one at our table could finish.We stay at Bed and Breakfast Inns often. We’ve never had an experience like this, the hosts were distant and not very friendly. The reviews for the Red Rocker Inn looked great and we were excited about the stay. They must have been for the previous owners as the new ones lacked the warmth and experience to run an inn. We reached out to the owners before writing this review by sending an email about our experience, and did not receive any response.Rooms: Nice 19th century inn. Only problem is no heat or ac in the ground floor rooms. We spent a frigid night as the owner forgot about giving us a space heater before they left the premises
Service: 1
Martha Spencer
Very enjoyable. Beautiful ambiance, courteous, friendly server and delicious food.
Deb M.
We found this place by accident. Great experience overall, plan to go back when we are in the area. Definitely recommend!!
The Red Rocker Inn is a beautiful Inn. Unfortunately, we cannot say that the stay was as nice. Our stay was on a Sunday night, so no dinner service was available. They did have out chocolate chip (awful store bought) cookies for a late-night snack. When we retired for the night, we found our room (Music Room on first floor) extremely cold. I went to the check in desk and pressed the "Ring for Service" button, but no one responded. I then called the owners phone and was only able to leave a voice message. Again, no reply. Our room had no heat coming into it at all and that night we were very uncomfortable due to it being cold in the room. We had every blanket on the bed, to no avail at keeping us warm. The next morning the owners didn't even acknowledge our problem until check out. They said that housekeeping should have had a space heater in the room as they knew of the problem. They didn't even mention why no one was available during our stay to assist us. We traveled with friends who stayed in a room next to ours. They did have a space heater and were told not to run it with anything else in the room. It would blow a breaker. I'm glad they didn't as no one would have been available to reset it. As for breakfast, coffee was served after 8:00am, one pot for the entire breakfast room. Several tables tried to get coffee but none came. The food was just okay except for the hash brown casserole which no one at our table could finish. We stay at Bed and Breakfast Inns often. We've never had an experience like this, the hosts were distant and not very friendly. The reviews for the Red Rocker Inn looked great and we were excited about the stay. They must have been for the previous owners as the new ones lacked the warmth and experience to run an inn. We reached out to the owners before writing this review by sending an email about our experience, and did not receive any response.
Mark Booth
Walkability: Great location to Black Mountain...2 minute walk
Service: 4
Malinda Martin
I very rarely write any reviews, but feel like I must because I have always liked the Red Rocker Inn. This was a repeat visit to the restaurant. We did not stay at the Inn.The last time we visited was around June 2022.On October 27, 2023 we arrived 20 minutes early for 5 pm dinner reservations for three. We walked to the front porch/entrance (one of us using a walking cane and help of another person; we did not see any handicap parking spaces). I would imagine there were some, but we didn’t find them. When we got to the front porch area, there were 3 young women putting out Fall themed decorations, one of whom was talking loudly and smoking a cigarette while also doing the decorations. One of the young girls said that they were asked to do the decorations and they had no idea what they were doing. We went to the hostess station and stood there for quite a bit before one of the young people doing decorations came in and spoke to a couple who apparently were staying in the Inn. Even though we were all standing together, no one spoke to us. Finally, the same young woman spoke to us and told us that she had told the waitress that we were there. She said they weren’t quite ready for us and we went outside to sit on the porch. The whole situation was chaotic and disorganized and very concerning and caused me to strongly consider going somewhere else.At 5:15 the waitress came outside and found us and said she had thought we weren’t coming. She then said she had just been told we were there. Again, disorganized and troubling that there was poor communication. Savannah was the only waitress working that evening. She did a good job. She was friendly and attentive. Several items on the menu were not available. Biscuits were good but one was still cold. Savannah brought more when we asked for them. Overall the food was fair and not what we expecting. About half of the portion of trout had an overpowering charred taste, the rice was nothing special at all. Broccoli was fine. Coffee after dinner was good. Apple butter was great.I write all this to say that I felt like we were at a place that was in the process of opening up for the first time and everything was just having the finishing touches put on, and using untrained help. Definitely not a well running operation at all.Black Mountain is one of my favorite places in NC and I want to come again to the Red Rocker restaurant. Hopefully things will smooth out.
Service: 5
George Gain
My wife and I went there to celebrate my in laws Anniversary. The service was fantastic, and Savannah was the only waitress in our area. She was prompt, polite, and even laughed at our jokes. Did a great job serving us. The food was really good. Enjoyed my pork chop. It was perfectly cooked. Everyone in our dinner was each as happy with their order as I was. Wine selection was really good. Prices were fair, and you got a lot for your money. I highly recommend this restaurant. Didn't spend the night, but I could only imagine it would be great too. Owners are really nice people.Nearby activities: A lot of activities near by.Walkability: You can walk safelyFood & drinks: Food and drinks were very good.Noteworthy details: This place is really cool. You get a warm feeling being there.
Service: 5
J. C.
My wife and I had a wonderful time at the Red Rocker Inn this past weekend. Mike & Katy were such fine hosts. Dinner was superb. The pork chop special is the best I've ever had...anywhere! Will be back soon!Rooms: Quaint and comfortableWalkability: Lots to do in downtown Black Mountain within walking distance of the Inn.Food & drinks: Delicious breakfast & dinner!
We stayed at the inn, so we definitely had breakfast and also chose to eat dinner there one night. The food was very good and cooked perfectly. The staff were friendly. We loved the quiet and slower pace atmosphere. We needed a nice getaway and good food and Red Rocker Inn delivered. We would highly recommend.
We were unaware of the change in ownership going in, being that our last visit was approximately 4 years ago. That being said, we could tell something was different from the time we arrived. Although the restaurant was not that busy for a Saturday evening, we were left waiting in the lobby for a good 10-15 mins before being greeted by anyone. Once seated we were surprised to see open tables all around. The smell of home cooked meals and biscuits that before made our mouths water was absent, which was a true disappointment and a sign for things to come. They were out of several items on the menu, to which the waitress stated "they need to update it". However there were no specials or items that needed to be added to the menu, leaving us limited options. The food we selected ranged from unseasoned to over salted, the biscuits were not fully cooked and assumably from the freezer. The filet my significant other chose was burnt on the outside and rare inside (he ordered med rare). We had been craving the experience we first had with the Red Rocker Inn for a long time, only to be completely disappointed by the changes implemented since our last visit. We now understand why the tables were empty.
I kknew rri had new owners, didn't think they could be worse than old ones, but, i was wrong. I was very upset with my stay. I fealt unimportant and didn't make me feel welcomed. Food was great and I believe man's name was Dave, he's the only reason I'm not giving u one star. He was helpful and did everything in his power to make our stay better. I wished I would have heard about the MONTE VISTA first, they had a kind staff and had great food. Treating employees like people help too
Lovely accommodations, delicious food.
Service: 5
For many many reasons, we had not been to the Red Rocker for close to a year because it had just gone downhill. We would go there at least 2x a month, so we decided to give it a try again on Friday and we were very pleasantly surprised. The service was fine, but the food was excellent. The salmon was cooked to perfection, the mashed potatoes had a wonderful, creamy quality to them, and the seasonal vegetables were not cooked to the point where they were absolute mush. They still had a little bit of crunch to them. It was delicious.One suggestion…..the website is not accurate as far as the menu. One of our favorite desserts was always the peanut butter pie. It still shows it on the website, yet we were told they no longer have it. There are some other discrepancies as well. To prevent people from being disappointed, I think it would be helpful to have the menu updated on the website.We will go back again.
Service: 4
My wife and I ordered the so called Angus Filet Mignon medium rare, it was grey and overcooked. Since we had already waited almost an hour for our meal and the waitress never came back to check to see how our meal was we decided to eat the overcooked beef, NOT "Filet Mignon" as they claimed it to be. When our waitress finally came back we told her that was the worst meal we had ever eaten ,she said she would tell them and nobody ever came out to address it so we left. I messaged the Red Rocker Inn to get back to me so we could address the matter and they never responded. We had dined as well as stayed at the Red Rocker INN several times in the past and really enjoyed it. Not sure if it was lack of wait staff, or the NEW ownership, but we will not be going to the Red Rocker Inn ever again. MJB
We stayed in the Elizabeth's Attic suite and enjoyed our stay! We loved the charm of the Inn and our room (we had a gas fireplace and large soaker tub ??). The food was amazing (they even had gluten-free options!). Giving it 4-stars because the location felt a little strange, being in the middle of a neighborhood. The location of the Inn is within walking distance of downtown Black Mountain.Walkability: A 5-10 minute walk (depending on your walking speed) to downtown Black Mountain. You can park your car at the Inn and not have to use it until the day you check-out.
Service: 5
The Red Rocker Inn is a beautiful Inn. Unfortunately, we cannot say that the stay was as nice. Our stay was on a Sunday night, so no dinner service was available. They did have out chocolate chip (awful store bought) cookies for a late-night snack. When we retired for the night, we found our room (Music Room on first floor) extremely cold. I went to the check in desk and pressed the “Ring for Service” button, but no one responded. I then called the owners phone and was only able to leave a voice message. Again, no reply. Our room had no heat coming into it at all and that night we were very uncomfortable due to it being cold in the room. We had every blanket on the bed, to no avail at keeping us warm. The next morning the owners didn’t even acknowledge our problem until check out. They said that housekeeping should have had a space heater in the room as they knew of the problem. They didn’t even mention why no one was available during our stay to assist us. We traveled with friends who stayed in a room next to ours. They did have a space heater and were told not to run it with anything else in the room. It would blow a breaker. I’m glad they didn’t as no one would have been available to reset it.As for breakfast, coffee was served after 8:00am, one pot for the entire breakfast room. Several tables tried to get coffee but none came. The food was just okay except for the hash brown casserole which no one at our table could finish.We stay at Bed and Breakfast Inns often. We’ve never had an experience like this, the hosts were distant and not very friendly. The reviews for the Red Rocker Inn looked great and we were excited about the stay. They must have been for the previous owners as the new ones lacked the warmth and experience to run an inn. We reached out to the owners before writing this review by sending an email about our experience, and did not receive any response.Rooms: Nice 19th century inn. Only problem is no heat or ac in the ground floor rooms. We spent a frigid night as the owner forgot about giving us a space heater before they left the premises
Service: 1
Very enjoyable. Beautiful ambiance, courteous, friendly server and delicious food.
We found this place by accident. Great experience overall, plan to go back when we are in the area. Definitely recommend!!
Restaurantji Recommends
The Red Rocker Inn is a beautiful Inn. Unfortunately, we cannot say that the stay was as nice. Our stay was on a Sunday night, so no dinner service was available. They did have out chocolate chip (awful store bought) cookies for a late-night snack. When we retired for the night, we found our room (Music Room on first floor) extremely cold. I went to the check in desk and pressed the "Ring for Service" button, but no one responded. I then called the owners phone and was only able to leave a voice message. Again, no reply. Our room had no heat coming into it at all and that night we were very uncomfortable due to it being cold in the room. We had every blanket on the bed, to no avail at keeping us warm. The next morning the owners didn't even acknowledge our problem until check out. They said that housekeeping should have had a space heater in the room as they knew of the problem. They didn't even mention why no one was available during our stay to assist us. We traveled with friends who stayed in a room next to ours. They did have a space heater and were told not to run it with anything else in the room. It would blow a breaker. I'm glad they didn't as no one would have been available to reset it. As for breakfast, coffee was served after 8:00am, one pot for the entire breakfast room. Several tables tried to get coffee but none came. The food was just okay except for the hash brown casserole which no one at our table could finish. We stay at Bed and Breakfast Inns often. We've never had an experience like this, the hosts were distant and not very friendly. The reviews for the Red Rocker Inn looked great and we were excited about the stay. They must have been for the previous owners as the new ones lacked the warmth and experience to run an inn. We reached out to the owners before writing this review by sending an email about our experience, and did not receive any response.
Walkability: Great location to Black Mountain...2 minute walk
Service: 4
I very rarely write any reviews, but feel like I must because I have always liked the Red Rocker Inn. This was a repeat visit to the restaurant. We did not stay at the Inn.The last time we visited was around June 2022.On October 27, 2023 we arrived 20 minutes early for 5 pm dinner reservations for three. We walked to the front porch/entrance (one of us using a walking cane and help of another person; we did not see any handicap parking spaces). I would imagine there were some, but we didn’t find them. When we got to the front porch area, there were 3 young women putting out Fall themed decorations, one of whom was talking loudly and smoking a cigarette while also doing the decorations. One of the young girls said that they were asked to do the decorations and they had no idea what they were doing. We went to the hostess station and stood there for quite a bit before one of the young people doing decorations came in and spoke to a couple who apparently were staying in the Inn. Even though we were all standing together, no one spoke to us. Finally, the same young woman spoke to us and told us that she had told the waitress that we were there. She said they weren’t quite ready for us and we went outside to sit on the porch. The whole situation was chaotic and disorganized and very concerning and caused me to strongly consider going somewhere else.At 5:15 the waitress came outside and found us and said she had thought we weren’t coming. She then said she had just been told we were there. Again, disorganized and troubling that there was poor communication. Savannah was the only waitress working that evening. She did a good job. She was friendly and attentive. Several items on the menu were not available. Biscuits were good but one was still cold. Savannah brought more when we asked for them. Overall the food was fair and not what we expecting. About half of the portion of trout had an overpowering charred taste, the rice was nothing special at all. Broccoli was fine. Coffee after dinner was good. Apple butter was great.I write all this to say that I felt like we were at a place that was in the process of opening up for the first time and everything was just having the finishing touches put on, and using untrained help. Definitely not a well running operation at all.Black Mountain is one of my favorite places in NC and I want to come again to the Red Rocker restaurant. Hopefully things will smooth out.
Service: 5
My wife and I went there to celebrate my in laws Anniversary. The service was fantastic, and Savannah was the only waitress in our area. She was prompt, polite, and even laughed at our jokes. Did a great job serving us. The food was really good. Enjoyed my pork chop. It was perfectly cooked. Everyone in our dinner was each as happy with their order as I was. Wine selection was really good. Prices were fair, and you got a lot for your money. I highly recommend this restaurant. Didn't spend the night, but I could only imagine it would be great too. Owners are really nice people.Nearby activities: A lot of activities near by.Walkability: You can walk safelyFood & drinks: Food and drinks were very good.Noteworthy details: This place is really cool. You get a warm feeling being there.
Service: 5
My wife and I had a wonderful time at the Red Rocker Inn this past weekend. Mike & Katy were such fine hosts. Dinner was superb. The pork chop special is the best I've ever had...anywhere! Will be back soon!Rooms: Quaint and comfortableWalkability: Lots to do in downtown Black Mountain within walking distance of the Inn.Food & drinks: Delicious breakfast & dinner!
Service: 5