Enable JavaScript to run this app.
Skip to main content
OpenTable logo
  1. Home
  2. United States
  3. Asheville / Western North Carolina
  4. Boone / Banner Elk
  5. Boone
Red Onion Cafe, Boone, NC
Red Onion Cafe, Boone, NC
Red Onion Cafe, Boone, NC
Red Onion Cafe, Boone, NC
Red Onion Cafe, Boone, NC

Red Onion Cafe

3.9
3.9
563 Reviews
$30 and under
Contemporary American
227 Hardin St., Boone, NC 28607

Make a reservation

2 people
7:00 PM
Booked 5 times today

About this restaurant

  • Neighborhood gem
  • Great for outdoor dining
  • Gluten-free-friendly
A Boone Restaurant Offering Food to Feel Good About. One of the classic restaurants in Boone NC, the Red Onion Café opens daily at 11am and serves continuously into the evening. Across from Appalachian State University on Highway 321 near downtown Boone, the restaurant offers convenient dining for Appalachian football and basketball games and other campus events. The Red Onion Café is unique among Boone restaurants, offering a menu stocked with one-of-a-kind items such as the Artichoke Dip appetizer, our famous blond brownie - the Horace Cookie, weekly dinner specials, vegetarian meals, lunch specials, pasta, pizza, salads, a large children's menu and homemade desserts.

Additional information

  • Dining style
    Casual Dining
  • Price
    $30 and under
  • Cuisines
    Contemporary American
  • Hours of operation
    Daily 11:00 am–9:00 pm
  • Phone number
  • Payment options
    AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Dress code
    Smart Casual
  • Neighborhood
    Boone
  • Parking details
    Appalcart (local bus, free of charge)<br />Boone Taxi (828-266-3860
  • Additional
    Takeout

What 563 people are saying

Red Onion Cafe reviews from people who’ve dined at this restaurant. Based on recent rating.

Overall ratings and reviews

Reviews can only be made by diners who have eaten at this restaurant

3.9
3.9 based on recent ratings
  • 3.8Food
  • 4.3Service
  • 3.5Ambience
  • 3.6Value

NoiseModerate

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews
Red Onion Cafe boasts a "great location in downtown Boone" with a "large menu" offering "lots of options for everyone." Diners appreciate the "great service" and commend dishes like the "Low Country Salmon" and "French Onion Soup." While some experiences vary, the "nice atmosphere" and "prompt service" remain consistent highlights.
563 Reviews
  1. Emily VIP

    Nashville2 reviews

    3.0

    Dined on April 5, 2025

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 2
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 2
    I’ve always loved Red Onion Cafe, so it was a sad thing to visit recently to find it’s gone downhill so much. The service was lovely, but the food was just not good. Bits of the ceiling fell on our table, and we had to ask for fresh appetizer plates when the entire first stack of plates was dirty. The spinach artichoke dip was pretty good, but the Asian salad was mostly just iceberg lettuce and a cup of soy sauce. It was hard to tell if the Bloody Mary even had alcohol in it. Overall, a disappointing experience.

    Is this helpful?

  2. LESLIE

    Charleston6 reviews

    3.0

    Dined on April 4, 2025

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 2
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 4
    We were really excited to be going there. Menu looked good. Reviews looked good. The food was not good - 3 kale salad was spinach and arugula. Bitter dressing. Apps came with dinner so you would have to pick which one you wanted to eat hot - and which one lukewarm. The entrees were both mediocre … but our waitress was cute.

    Is this helpful?

  3. Lynn

    Washington DC10 reviews

    2.0

    Dined on April 4, 2025

    1. Overall 2
    2. Food 2
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 1
    Asked to change tables because of a large party. Waited 15 minutes for any kind of service. Food took half an hour to serve. Zucchini was ridiculous. No, I meant to write ridiculous. Waitress was extremely overworked but professional. Not going back.

    Is this helpful?

  4. James VIP

    Western NC16 reviews

    4.0

    Dined on March 29, 2025

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 3
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 4
    Normally, Red Onion has the best french onion. Not today! Very weak broth and a small amount of cheese. Chicken salad was delicious!

    Is this helpful?

  5. JaneE

    Greensboro4 reviews

    3.0

    Dined on March 22, 2025

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 2
    3. Service 3
    4. Ambience 3
    First visit. 4 diners. 2 ordered pasta dinners and both plated and served cold or room temperature. Reheated in microwave and served. Only: apologies ! What was the right thing to have done? Never reheat…a fresh plated meal should have been offered and served. Maybe offer discount on meal or complimentary dessert.

    Is this helpful?

  6. KKjester

    Jacksonville4 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on March 17, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    Service was great. Food was great. Cajun salmon, and crème brûlée was good. Nice place. The only issue was another customer was so drunk and loud, but that wasn’t the restaurants fault at all. He finally left and it was a lot quieter, and pleasant.

    Is this helpful?

  7. Pam

    Charlotte104 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on December 30, 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    The kitchen was a bit slow tonight, but service from Beck was attentive and the food was great as usual. The French Onion Soup gets a gold star. It's never salty, always delicious with oohy gooey cheese. My partner loved the fish tacos.

    Is this helpful?

  8. Tracy

    Greensboro6 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on December 28, 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Food was awesome as usual. Their Low Country Salmon is one of my favorite dishes on the planet. It is so good!!

    Is this helpful?

  9. Hayley

    Charleston1 review

    3.0

    Dined on December 23, 2024

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 3
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 3
    I had been here previously but this time was not as good. The food was average, which is probably to be expected with a college town. The chicken was not quality for my blackened chicken sandwich. My father in laws French onion soup tasted like burnt cheese and smelled like ramen. Finally, my husbands salmon was very small and not amazing. I unfortunately will not be coming back.

    Is this helpful?

  10. Barbara

    Raleigh13 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on December 9, 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    The food was delicious. The menu had unique dishes.

    Is this helpful?

FAQs

Red Onion Cafe offers takeout which you can order by calling the restaurant at (828) 264-5470.

Red Onion Cafe is rated 3.9 stars by 563 OpenTable diners.

Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable.

Make a reservation

2 people
7:00 PM
Booked 5 times today
Google Map for Red Onion Cafe

227 Hardin St., Boone, NC 28607

Additional information

  • Neighborhood
    Boone
  • Hours of operation
    Daily 11:00 am–9:00 pm
  • Price
    $30 and under
  • Cuisines
    Contemporary American
  • Dining style
    Casual Dining
  • Dress code
    Smart Casual
  • Parking details
    Appalcart (local bus, free of charge)<br />Boone Taxi (828-266-3860
  • Payment options
    AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Additional
    Takeout
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use
  • Cookies and Interest-Based Ads
  • Cookie Preferences
Copyright © 2025 OpenTable, Inc. 1 Montgomery St Ste 500, San Francisco CA 94104 - All rights reserved.
OpenTable is part of Booking Holdings, the world leader in online travel and related services.
Booking Logo
Priceline Logo
KAYAK Logo
Agoda Logo
OpenTable Logo