Old Rock Cafe

medina’s across the street seemed overwhelmed by the lunch crowd so we came out and went across the street to old rock.
apparently this is the designated restaurant of chimney rock park?
food is standard diner food. i am a big sucker for pretentious farm-​to-​table stuff and the genericness of the menu here really drove me nuts.
i tried the green tomatoes and the chef salad. tomatoes lack flavor and texture. the salad is standard but hearty.
no complaint tho. the normie life suits me.
service was really really really really polite. i actually think ppl working here are literally adorable

Old Rock Café definitely exceeded my expectations. One doesn’t expect a lot from a restaurant that is included in a state park brochure, but in this case the state park was backing a pretty awesome one!
Old Rock is on Main Street of downtown Chimney Rock. It is located right at the entrance of Chimney Rock State Park, and is situated along the Rocky Broad River. The whole downtown area is charming and quaint, and Old Rock Café is no exception. They have some seating inside, but the real trick, if the weather is nice, is to sit outside on the back deck. You are surrounded by mountains on all sides, have a great view of Chimney Rock, and you can watch the flow of the Rocky Broad River.
The food was also very good. Again, I wasn’t expecting much when I ordered my burger and chips. I can’t remember the exact name, but it was basically a burger All the Way (Mustard, Chili, Slaw, and Onions). The meat on the burger was very tender and it was a quality beef. They raise a lot of cattle in the area, so it might have actually been local. The chili was also thick and flavorful. Really ended up being a great burger. The chips were okay, but after trying the sweet potato fries, I think that is what I would go with on my next trip. Also, I would definitely order the ranch as a dipping sauce.
The service was great. They were packed on the Sunday after Christmas, but the service did not suffer. They were very friendly and our food came out quickly. The prices were reasonable, especially for being right outside of a state park.
I would highly recommend this restaurant to anyone going up towards Chimney Rock. It is a good place to grab lunch before heading up the mountain to the state park. It is also a good area for the kids to play along the river. Awesome location, good food, and good service. You can’t go wrong.

The food was good. Enjoyed sitting out on the deck. Service was a little slow and they never brought me my fried pickles… Everyone has an off day once in awhile… I’d still recommend coming here after spending a few hours hiking at Chimney Rock State Park

This is an order at the counter and they will bring you your food restaurant. My food was ready very quickly and was delivered with a smile. The Reuben was the perfect ratio of meat to sauerkraut to cheese. I sat out on the deck to enjoy the view of the river walk path. Quick service and tasty food, just what I needed after walking the trails at Chimney Rock!