Allenberry Resort Inn & Playhouse

Restaurant only: Wow. Is the horrible food because the place is for sale? We come every Christmas for a family party. How sad it was for us to see a tradition go downhill. Food was never the best but tasty enough to enjoy the evening around pleasant surroundings. But this year… Food was blah… Ran out before we were finished. No one was there when we came in for seconds so we ended up carving the cold meat by ourselves. Sad sad sad. DONT WASTE YOUR MONEY. If you can, go for the show only.

We ventured to Allenberry for my cousin’s wedding a few weekends ago. I am aware that the place is currently up for sale, which may account for some of the things that weren’t so appealing. However, I did read the previous reviews and there seems to be a general consensus that the food /​service /​rooms are not up to par. Here’s my take on our overnight stay:
Pros: In general, the staff were extremely friendly and accommodating. This would include the wait staff and bartender at the wedding reception, the bartender (post-​reception) and especially the waitress at the continental breakfast the next morning. She really went above and beyond — getting me iced tea when there was only water and coffee available for breakfast and finding us some bottles of water for our 3-​hour trip back home. I will add she was the only waitress handing all of the tables for breakfast.
The place itself is cute and rustic, we had a nice time at the wedding, which was outside, and the reception. The atmosphere was cute, and they had a lighted patio, with candles burning
lights in the trees, etc. The appetizers and dinner (buffet style) were overall good. My only complaint was the roast beef, which was undercooked for my liking, but I gave it to my husband, who gladly ate it. I did not try their ‘famous’ stick buns, because I’m not much of a sweats person, but everyone told me they were delicious.
Cons: At check-​in, the receptionist was not unfriendly, which is the best thing I can say about her. She didn’t give us a receipt for the remainder of our bill for the room. She gave us our room keys and tried to send us on our way. I’m like, «Whoa, we’ve never been here before. Where is our room?!» Allenberry sits on a huge plot of land, with a trout streams, a playhouse, several cottages and lodges, restaurants, etc. I mean, how the heck would we know where we were going. She did explain where our lodge was in comparison to where we were parked and said we could pull our vehicle up in front of the building to unload. Not wanting to lose our parking spot, I asked how far of a walk it was… could we reasonably carry our bags from the car to the building? She had no idea, no clue how far it was. (Don’t you work here?) Well, it turns out it was literally the closest building to where we parked, a 1-​minute walk.
The other downfall, is that the rooms are in serious need of repairs and updating. My parents stayed in the same lodge as us, but on the first floor. We were on the second. The rooms are cute and quaint, and I don’t mind the rustic feel. However, there were some issues. My parents room had a problem with the toilet, and the maintenance man had to come back 3 times. He told them that he couldn’t pick up parts until Monday… well, so what? We’d be gone by then. Our room was okay, there was a nice sized tv and the bed was comfortable. However, the water temp in the shower was totally wacky and the outlets needed changed. For example, we couldn’t plug our cell phone chargers in the outlets because the chargers were too heavy and simply fell out of the outlets. Also, there weren’t enough outlets. I had to unplug the lamp or tv to plug in my hair dryer, etc.
Overall, my biggest concern was that my cousin and his wife’s wedding was a success, which it was. The outdoor wedding was beautiful and the reception was nice as well. I think the biggest issue is that Allenberry needs a lot of upkeep and maintenance, which is difficult, since it is such a big resort. Maybe new management would be a nice change.

Awful food. No trained chef would ever serve this food. Cold and low quality food. Catfish, chicken Marsala, canned tomato soup and peas were terrible. Eat elsewhere before seeing a show. The sticky buns just aren’t that good anymore either.

First I have to say I love to cook and this review is based on my foodie pallet. I will never go here again. We went with a large group from the USAWC and paid $ 80 per couple for a very bad buffet. My expectations were not high as I know that local people do not go here to eat. I can’t say that I have ever seen a big bowl of mushy marshmallow (yes) salad served at any restaurant. This belongs a Chuck E Cheese or some kid oriented menu but adult dining… Really? There was also a bowl of heavily dressed (read sopping) Caesar salad and coleslaw covered in liquid. The crab cakes had almost no crab and the pork loin was hard and dry. The salmon was nice and the roast beef wonderful. Mashed potatoes were horrible. The vegetables were nothing but frozen boiled veggies soaking in liquid. Where is their chef?
The grounds are lovely! I am sure the theater is really fun. Lots of wedding events going on. Our banquet room was nice and the staff was adequate.
Walking into the restaurant was a cheap whiteboard with neon sloppy writing announcing where all the various groups were located. With all the really nice and cute chalkboards out there these days why would you use a messy whiteboard to announce a wedding party? This place totally misses the mark on being upscale and interesting but with a just a few changes could really be nice. They should start with a new chef.

we stayed at the allenberry resort & playhouse — gotta say — 1963 wants their hotel back!!! The staff could care less when you check in, no one is around if you need anything in the evening or through the night (we had to go out and by a toilet plunger because no one was around to help us out). The rooms are horrendously old with peeling wallpaper, filthy rugs, stains on the 1960 bedspreads. They charge a good penny for a stay at this place — ABSOLUTELY NOT WORTH IT!!!

This place was terrible! My family went there for a Thanksgiving dinner buffet and we were disappointed! !! Food was really bad. Poor presentation, poor food, poor atmosphere! I paid $ 32 per person and walked away dissatisfied. Never again will I go there for any occasion! Old Country Buffet was better and Fire Mountain was better. I’ve atevat many places and this was one ofnthe worst. I felt ripped off. The food was not worth the price!!! Never again!

Truly unique experience — from the show to the bar all the way to the breakfast buffet.
This is the kind of place folks remember for the good times and lovely people met during their stay.
Accommodations, theater, dining and tons of outdoor recreation options.

On a recent trip to visit family and friends, a large group of us ventured to the Allenberry Resort for what we hoped would be an enjoyable brunch and opportunity to spend time together before parting ways. Unfortunately, we experienced several challenges in achieving this desire along the way.
Unfamiliar with this particular restaurant, I wasn’t sure what to expect. Given the expensive nature of the brunch prices though, I anticipated a plentiful spread with which to stuff myself silly before a particularly long road journey ahead. This turned out to be far from the case. Upon being seated, we ordered our drinks. My request for orange juice was met with a pause, and a «I think I can do that».. . Really? There might not be orange juice for brunch? This should have tipped me off about how the rest of the meal was to go. Our waitress was about to walk away when we explained it was our first visit, where was the brunch? Could we go at any time? A bit of direction would have been much appreciated.
We made our way to the brunch set up in a separate room down the hall. On rounding the corner, I was filled with confusion. This was it? A mediocre selection of food was displayed before me. Having yet to eat anything that day, I ventured to the breakfast selections. A cheese omelet, some french toast, a sticky bun, and a small piece of ham adorned my plate on this initial trip. The omelet was cold and disintegrated in my mouth. The french toast and sticky bun were hardened from their time in and under heaters. The ham wasn’t half bad, but my piece was so small it left me wanting for more. To top it off, my orange juice was warm on delivery and there was no milk or cream available for the coffee ordered. On a second trip to the buffet, having exhausted the breakfast selection (which may I point out at this time lacked bacon, sausage, and many other breakfast staples) I began aimlessly wandering around to find something light to eat as a lunch option. Meatballs, mashed potatoes, spicy fish, and a couple other options far too heavy for a morning meal were present. I picked at these and began to feel guilty for eating so little at this expensive meal I was treated to. I could go on about how the salad was wilted and the meatballs jelly like.. . but I think you are beginning to get the idea.
Slowly, one by one we trickled out of the restaurant, hungry, somewhat upset, but mostly incredulous at our time there.
I have not stayed at the inn nor witnessed the live theater. As merely a visitor to the area trying out this place for the first time, I cannot say I had an enjoyable experience nor felt welcomed as a first time customer.

Came with a church group for a «matinée» performance of «Smoke on the Mountain.» The cast was excellent. They even greeted all the patrons as they were leaving the theater, which was a nice touch.
As the other reviewer noted, lunch (buffet style) was plentiful and delicious.
The production was excellent. All seats in the theater are unobstructed, and there is not a bad seat in the house (~28 rows). We sat row 10 center – perfect!
What I was not able to determine was anything about the accommodations. We liked our outing so much that we do plan a return visit for one of the overnight packages. After that, I will post an updated review.

After just attending a murder mystery weekend there, I can’t begin to say enough about the amazing experience provided by Allenberry. The staff’s service was absolutely incredible. The food was both delicious and plentiful (to put it mildly)! The accommodations were very comfortable, clean, and inviting. The murder mystery itself was challenging and performed by a first-​rate troupe of actors who kept the entire audience engaged and highly entertained. I can’t wait to go back in another year!