200 Southgate Drive
Boone, NC 28607
*Disclaimer: We were not paid for this review. All opinions are our own and based on our personal experience. Your experience may be different.
Coyote Kitchen, a fantastic local cafe in the Boone area, is the perfect choice for anyone craving Mexican fare. It's not too often that we find a Mexican restaurant offering both gluten-free and vegan options. Allergies or not, the food is all around fantastic.
Thy offer so many wonderful options for guests with allergies and staff is willing to review ingredients and offer substitutions. It's a wonderful choice for tourists with food allergies, and anyone else seeking great Mexican food and fantastic service.
Update: They now also operate as a Taproom, so you can enjoy a few drinks and comforting pub style appetizers and entrees. A variety of cocktails, spirits, spirit flights, and pub food like wings and burgers (black bean vegan as well as regular) are available.
The menu at Coyote Kitchen includes all the standard Mexican favorites: burritos, burrito bowls, tacos, and salads. They use a dedicated fryer for gluten-free items, so cross contamination is less of a risk. Now those avoiding gluten can finally eat fried foods out like everyone else!
Coyote also caters to vegan diets. There are many substitutions you can make (tofu for the meat, vegan mayo and sauces) and staples like rice and beans are vegan. If you prefer meat, they use hormone and antibiotic-free beef and chicken, which is much healthier.
For starters, the chips and salsa platter (includes 4 delicious salsa dips) and homemade French fries are excellent choices. I would definitely order both again.
The Mesa Verde Bowl (beans, coconut rice, onions, fried sweet potatoes, grilled squash, vegan mayo, mushrooms, corn, scallions, grilled zucchini, and sauteed spinach) was absolutely delicious. As you can see, the bowls are stuffed with all different types of healthy veggies.
They also have no problems making substitutions if you can't have or do not like a particular ingredient or sauce.
There are lots of diverse bowls featuring chorizo sausage, chicken, salmon, and tempeh. Tacos, burgers, burritos, boats, salads, and soups round out the menu.
Staff was very helpful at going over gluten-free/vegan options on the menu. They seemed to be well-trained in allergies and ingredients used in various entrees and apps. They even made sure all sauces were safe. Very friendly and knowledgeable staff. Dining at Coyote Kitchen was a pleasure.
The dining room is very small and a bit cramped, however, the decor is clean and bright. Adding a few unique touches would be something to consider in the future as the setting is a bit bland in my opinion. It seems locals sure do love this restaurant! After tasting a variety of the dishes, I can see why it is so popular!
Coyote Kitchen is the perfect choice for locals and tourists seeking a great Southwestern meal. Whether you are a meat eater, vegetarian, vegan, or avoiding gluten, you are sure to love the tasty appetizers and range of entree choices.
