Climbing is not just about climbing–we all know it. A big trip doesn’t feel complete without at least one night of ordering a delicious beverage, cozying up at a little table elbow-to-elbow with your best friends, and talking and laughing until the stars come out. Here are some of my favorite spots to indulge in a little post-crag luxury (or pre-crag hangout) in the Red River Gorge.
If you’re wondering when to visit the Red and check out all of these awesome places, refer to our older article on sun-chasing.
Your head writer jamming with the homies at Miguel’s one lovely night in October
**Cover photo is of Velo crag nearing sunset, snapped by our head editor (and my partner) Tomo
Miguel’s Pizza
Of course, Miguel’s had to make an appearance in this article. If you’re climbing or hiking in the Red River Gorge, there’s a good chance you’re camping here. If you’re lodged in a local cabin or at a different campsite, you can still always stop by Miguel’s just to enjoy the energy and the restaurant.
Miguel’s campground in late spring, as pictured by Tomo
Miguel’s serves superb coffee in the morning (generally until 2pm), breakfast from 7-11am, and pizza for the rest of the afternoon and evening. Their lunch and dinner menu also includes build-your-own sandwiches and bowls that you can customize to your heart’s content. The bowls are my personal favorite thing to order; I usually stock them with rice and beans, tofu, spinach, and a house-made herbal sauce. You also can find a huge variety of local craft beer at Miguel’s, both in cans and on draft, and excellent draft kombucha.
A vegan half-pizza that I ordered from Miguel’s last spring with spinach and mushrooms. Miguel’s has a super accomodating menu, including non-dairy cheese, three different gluten free crusts, and the most diverse toppings list I have ever seen
On warmer days, enjoy the sunshine by sharing a long picnic table just outside with dozens of fellow travelers who are passing through the area. On chilly evenings, gather around the almost-nightly bonfire that springs up just beyond the picnic tables.
The Daniel Boone Coffee Shop
Daniel Boone is a one-stop-shop for all sorts of experiences. Just outside, you’ll find a charming little lending library where people can rehome their pre-loved books. I scooped up a random thriller last fall and donated it back when I was done. Outdoor speakers humming laid-back tunes will accompany your book browsing and beckon you inside, along with the aroma of mellow espresso. If you make a left after entering, you’ll see a huge array of art, apparel, beverages, and more for sale from local craftspeople. The line often winds all the way through this retail section on busy days, sometimes even reaching the opposite wall and doubling back towards the front door. If you enjoy commotion and community, visit on a weekend. Order your coffee on a weekday morning for a quieter atmosphere.
A classic DBCS avocado toast with fresh tomatoes and everything seasoning (you can also get crunchy onions on this dish)
You can find coffee (of course), vegan pastries, hot food, and even specialty cocktails at Daniel Boone. They have some of my favorite cortados–at least partially because their cortado cups are so darn cute.
Tomo with my cortado (and a medium latte for scale)
The interior seating is cozy and welcoming, accented by warm string lights, exposed wood, and local paintings and photography. If you venture to the back of the main seating room, you’ll find a doorway to an airy but homey sunroom with high-top tables and deep booths. I wrote a big chunk of my creative writing senior thesis right in this room. It’s also the cover photo of this article. If you want to explore further, a little door in the back left corner leads to a breezy outdoor patio with inviting picnic tables.
If you’re staying at Miguel’s, make a right out of the parking lot. Daniel Boone will be on your left in about two minutes.
Hop’s
Hop’s is a charming farm-to-table restaurant six minutes from Miguel’s on Route 11. The seating is entirely outdoors, and when it starts to get chilly, the covered porch lights up with tall, flaming space heaters. A colorful draft list written on a chalkboard hangs just inside the entryway, and paper copies of the menu are sheathed in a box just to the left. Since Hop’s is farm-to-table and uses a lot of local ingredients, this menu is subject to change season to season, and even day to day.
Hop’s has a high-quality and varied draft list, exemplified here by Tomo drinking a delicious beer on a cool March evening
Like most of the restaurants in the area, you order at the front counter. There’s always at least one vegan option, and on many days, there are several. One of the best menus I’ve seen at Hop’s included a vegan chili and a vegan grilled cheese (I ordered both and dipped the latter in the former). They also make delicious curry.
Rockhouse
Rockhouse is truly the place to gather, celebrate, and be merry. On busy nights, their indoor seating, their patio, their recently-constructed outdoor seating deck, and the makeshift overflow parking in the grassy ditch across the road all fill to the brim. Their indoor seating is all in one room that is plastered wall-to-wall with maps and photography, and their outdoor seating is just as intimate and cozy.
Like many other gathering places in the Red River Gorge, Rockhouse boasts a huge collection of local art. Mapmakers, jewelry makers, painters, photographers, and more all sell their wares at Rockhouse. I always find myself gawking at the handmade earrings while I wait in line to order two veggie burgers and two sides of fries.
Springtime flowers blooming from an upcycled Ale8 bottle at Rockhouse
Since I’m recommending it to you, this place of course has great vegan options. My personal favorites are a hefty burrito that you can add tofu or tempeh to and a thick, super-savory veggie burger with tons of crisp toppings (the pickles are my favorite).
Bonus: the Lee County Rec Center
There isn’t much to eat at the Lee County Rec Center if you have dietary restrictions, but it is a wonderful place to hang out. The Rec Center has a fully-equipped gym for conditioning, a shower, a small bouldering gym furnished with a moonboard, and–interestingly enough–a bowling alley. Many of the climbers that live at and around Miguel’s will congregate here on rainy days to move their bodies and spend time with friends.
Tomo lookin cool at the Rec Center’s bouldering wall
Day passes (and even monthly memberships) are super affordable, and purchasing them is a great way to support the local community near the crags that you love so dearly.
Conclusions
The infrastructure of the Red River Gorge is designed to support love and community. Sit at Daniel Boone for seven hours, sing songs around the Miguel’s campfire until the moon is high in the sky, and fill a huge table at Rockhouse with everybody you know. There are so many places for a drink and a bite in this big valley, and all of them want you to have a good time while you’re there. Next time you’re at the Red, support one of these local businesses by, of course, treating yourself.
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