Elkhorn Inn & Theater

I stayed at the Elkhorn Inn in May of last year for a special party weekend. Dan and Elisse Clark were fantastic hosts! They were especially helpful in assisting me with my concerns about my broken leg. Chef Dan went out of his way to accommodate me, and created a special, delicious, and memorable dinner party that will not be forgotten! I had a Private Bath Guest Room on the second floor, and it was lovely– decorated with art and a pretty vintage quilt, and a cool, old-​fashioned claw-​foot bathtub, too! This is not the first time I’ve stayed at the inn; I also stayed there in 2004 after they first opened, so this was really like «coming home», and it was so nice to be able to come back. I’m looking forward to returning again this fall. Because the inn is pet-​friendly, on my first stay I was able to bring my cat, too, which was great. I highly recommend this charming Inn as a destination which has adventure, fantastic food, and, of course, the beautiful mountains!

We stayed here while driving through the Appalachians on our honeymoon. We arrived late and Dan was nice enough to offer us some delicious soup that he had prepared earlier. He sat down with us and we had a very nice conversation with him. However, when we got into the room, we found NUMEROUS active spider webs, and even found an eight-​legged guest in the sheets. It seemed that the room had not been slept in or kept for quite some time. As a result, we did not sleep at all. Trains audible and frequent, but as we live near trains, it personally was not the deal breaker; however, the condition of the room was. May be fine for some of the outdoorsmen who frequent the area, but was not the bed and breakfast we had hoped for on our honeymoon.

The Elkhorn is a one in a million place: warm, relaxing, affordable and quirky and features incredible food by Chef Dan. After a tough day of working in the area it was a great relief to come back to a warm fire and a delicious meal. What’s most surprising is that it’s pretty much the only game in town, but is a place I’d choose first even if there was a lot of competition. If there’s a drawback, it’s that it’s directly across from the train tracks and they are very busy. But choose a room on the far side of the inn and you’ll be ok. If I’m back in McDowell County, I’ll be staying at Elkhorn again.

It is difficult to find gracious lodging and a good meal in McDowell County, WV. The Elkhorn Inn is the exception. It’s an oasis of comfort. I’ve traveled a lot through West Virginia. Chef Dan is the greatest chef south of Charleston. It’s worth staying at the Elkorn just for the meal. The artwork Elisse has placed around the inn is at a level of quality of a Park Slope gallery. It’s worth a visit just for the art.
Highly recommended!