#35 of 31 Boone Restaurants

Wild Craft Eatery

See all photos (27 Photos)
Wild Craft Eatery -- Local Cafe Prioritizing Sustainability
Written by: Brittany Mendez
Local Expert's Rating:
4.5 / 5
The Bottom Line:

Wild Craft Eatery is a cozy dining spot located in the heart of Boone, NC. It's hard to miss this place with its barn-like structure and large open porch. Dine here when you're not quite sure what you're in the mood for, but know you want something hot, fresh, and local. 

- The SmokyMountains.com Local Expert Team

Boone, North Carolina is a charming mountain town that is home of Appalachian State University and is best known as a gateway town to some of the best locations in the Appalachian Mountains. And after a busy day exploring hiking trails, one great place to fill up and relax is at Wild Craft Eatery.

You will find Wild Craft Eatery right in downtown Boone, NC along the bustling King St. Only, where most of the buildings along this throughway feature an older brick design or more modern apartment style, this cafe uniquely sits apart from the rest as a barn-like building featuring an attached covered patio. It does have its own dedicated parking.

As its name suggests, Wild Craft Eatery is a place that focuses on the quality of the food and the artisan way of showcasing it. This is likewise reflected in the interior and patio environments where their food gets served. The interior features soft greens and yellows with live plants and extended booths perfect for a morning coffee. The outdoor patio features a covered sitting area looking out over King St. and several popular historic commercial buildings.

Wild Craft Eatery prides itself on focusing on a holistic culinary mission. When it comes to their food, they choose to prioritize wholesome and fresh ingredients they have sourced from local farmers and similar producers such as loaves of bread from Stick Boy Bakery in Asheville,. When it comes to take-out packaging, they only use styrofoam-free, plastic-free, and fully biodegradable products.

There are four distinct menus at Wild Craft Eatery: Breakfast, Dinner, Kids, and Drink Menus. There is not a solitary theme across these menus, but rather the chefs here have chosen to incorporate favorite dishes and cocktails from around the world. Among these menus, popular items include: 

Mushroom Gouda Burger
Not to be confused with a portabella mushroom burger, this is a thick beef burger sourced from a local ranching outfit. It comes grilled to your temperature choice and topped with bacon, grilled crimini mushrooms, caramelized onions, gouda, lettuce, and tomato along with honey mustard and sriracha mayo. You can substitute the beef for a veggie beyond burger and the fresh baked roll for a gluten-free bun.

Sweet Potato Enchilada
Of course, you don’t have to substitute proteins to enjoy a delicious vegetarian dish at Wild Craft Eatery. This savory dish features grilled sweet potatoes and red peppers with caramelized onions and mushrooms. It comes served with cheddar cheese, enchilada sauce, sour cream, mango salsa, and walnuts.

Garam Masala Yellow Curry
Like we said, this place features a truly global cuisine list; making it a good place to go when you want a savory Asian-inspired noodle dish. Wild Craft Eatery’s yellow curry comes simmered with broccoli, red peppers, peas, carrots, and yams — many of these ingredients are sourced from local farms. It also comes served with purple cabbage, pineapple, peanut, and jasmine rice.

If you are bringing the family, then you’ll be sure to appreciate the nice array of kid-approved menu items available at Wild Craft Eatery. Dishes on their For the Kids menu include a black bean and cheddar nachos, grilled cheese, and simple but delicious beans, rice, and cheese for those with sensitive stomachs.

Insider Tips:
-This is one of if not THE best spot to go if you or members of your party are vegetarian or vegan. Not only do they have a long list of dishes that feature easy vegetarian, vegan, and even gluten-free substitutions, there are likewise plenty of dishes that are designed from the start as fully veggie-friendly.
-Plan for a wait. Wild Craft Eatery offers delicious foods to eat, tasty drinks to sip on, and a comfortable environment to enjoy, but the service here is not fast. Food is cooked to order and the popularity of this place combined with its small kitchen means that the wait for the food to hit your table tends to run longer than average. We recommend not going here if you are in a rush.