Heartwood Southwest Virginia's Artisan Gateway

We went here for breakfast on Sunday and got the Farmers breakfast (eggs, bacon, biscuit and gravy, home fries, and grits). Let me tell you this was one of the best breakfast I've ever had. The bacon was so perfectly cooked and I could have eaten a million of their biscuits and gravy. Really cool place and they get their coffee from zazzyz coffee house where the beans are roasted on site so their coffee is fantastic as well. This place is not to miss and their staff is great!

Come for Sunday Brunch and you get to choose from both breakfast and lunch menus.

We all had lunch, big, fresh salad. Pimento cheese with a nice kick Great burger.

Locally roasted coffee and craft beers too.

Beautiful venue and a nice break on our road trip.

Arrived for Sunday brunch. Wonderful brunch and neat atmosphere. They did not have a large menu option but had everything I would expect. Food was very good, and they used ingredients from local farmers. I didn't particularly care for the corn grits that came with the Farmers Breakfast but there was so much that came with it that it didn't matter. Will return on my next trip to Abingdon durning the evening when they have live music.

Have been here several times and loved it each time. Love the atmosphere and the food. The only downside is the pricing but for the food, it's mostly worth it.

Love the store and looking through the artwork. Would love to be closer but even with the distance, enjoy this place every time.

While on a day trip from Boone, I had bookmarked this as a must see while in Abingdon. I had planned on doing some shopping for gifts to send to family and friends. I was really interested in the local food products but the variety was very limited and nothing unusual. The did have many lovely craft items but the foods, soaps and personal care items are things I have seen all through my cross country road trip and far from unique. I had also planned to have a meal at the restaurant but they had closed at 3 (on a Saturday). I may return for dinner and music on a Thursday night if I'm in the area but probably wouldn't make the trip solely to visit here again. On a positive note, I was greeted warmly and there is a lot of information available for southwest Virginia.

The restaurant here is very good, and decently priced. Creative menu. Free hushpuppies w/honey-cinnamon butter!
Update: I think I've been here 3 times now--one consistent problem I have is that they don't have their most recent menu online, so I get excited to try something and it's not there. :(
But the interesting item I found this time was a corn cole slaw. Really good!
Fried green tomatoes, however, not the best.

Found this place by mistake. We were on the drive home from visiting Asheville, NC when our daughter started getting fussy from being in the carseat for so long. I saw the sign for this place but had no idea what it was. Figured it was some conference center by the name but it likely has a bathroom and a parking lot for the kid to walk around.. Took the exit and after a few minutes thought I went the wrong way since all I saw was a community college.

Once we saw the sign and eventually the building, we parked and went in. Now thought maybe it was going to be a little visitor's center. We were surprised to find a large eating area, some nice shops, and a friendly greeter. What was going to be a 20 minute stop turned into a 2 hour stop, which included eating some great food there. I had the lamb burger (yummy) and wife had the grassfed beef burger (also delicious). The fries were very good, too. I wanted to take the leftover fries but decided against it. Finished off with some pie and ice cream. I'm not a dessert guy but I could have this everyday.

We didn't get to explore the entire center. If we ever come down this way again, we will make it a point to stop in. Would've liked to try out the coffee and wine bar but I'm sure the troopers wouldn't appreciate me driving their highways after that. Saw a couple of women with their bikes so there must be a nice trail nearby. It's a beautiful building and worth a rest stop if you are heading down the highway.

The 5 stars are for our entire experience tonight. The building is beautiful with lots of wood and glass, very airy and light-filled. The art on display is magnificent though pricey. So it felt like going through a museum of area artisans. This was the season's first Thursday night jam. We didn't know what to expect. Maybe four or five groups took the stage during the evening. Some of the audience was seated on chairs and others, like us sat at tables for dinner. I'd looked at the menu ahead of time and wondered what I'd order as a vegetarian. I ended up with a large spinach salad with cheese and no meat. The waiter was super attentive. Prices were really low, esp considering we dined and listened to music and even danced. A great taste of the local music scene.

This was one of the highlights of my visit to Appalachian Virginia. I loved every minute of my time here.

We came during a torrential downpour, so Heartwood was rather empty, but it should be filled to capacity on calmer days.

Heartwood is a one-stop shop for all things relating to Appalachia-music, arts, crafts, literature, and even food! There is no denying the touristy nature of this cultural center, but it's still worthwhile for all of the things I'm about to discuss.

First, you will never experience such farm-fresh and delicious food in any other part of Virginia unless you pay an arm and a leg. I am firmly convinced of this. We came on Sunday, just in time for live music performances and their Sunday brunch buffet. For $18.95, you get "farm-to-fork" food that is simply prepared but so delightful to the palate.

The eggs, prepared at an omelet station, any way you like, were unlike anything I've had in my life. My fiance and I agreed that we didn't really need salt or pepper-it was just good on its own. The mill grits were the best, best, best I've ever had, and I loved the smoother consistency. I usually favor savory foods, but the sweet carrots (dressed in some butter, cinnamon mixture) were amazing. I had to get a second serving. The green bean casserole and mashed potatoes were also magnificent. I am so glad I didn't have to wait until Thanksgiving to satisfy my craving for all those popular holiday sides/down home cooking. Love. I'm really happy that the chef let the fresh ingredients speak for themselves and seasoned them just right.

The lovely couple performing bluegrass songs on that Sunday morning, Bill and Maggie Anderson, also helped to make our visit more enjoyable. I bought their CD from Heartwood's expansive gift shop later on.

The center's gift shop carries everything from homemade bath products to rocking chairs to quilts to country music CDs to Appalachian coffee. There is something for everyone in the gift shop, regardless of his or her interests. This is arguably one of the best places to buy souvenirs or gifts for others. Though there may be a mark-up, the convenience of it and the artfully displayed selections make the prices reasonable in my eyes. All the items for sale are proudly made in the Appalachian region, the artisan's name and location displayed wherever his or her crafts are sold.

I cannot thank Tom N enough for finding this place as it greatly enriched our visit to Southwest Virginia, and I cannot think of a better way to spend our morning in Abingdon.

A beautiful space with a restaurant that, unfortunately, has a very long way to go.

Pros:
Good service
Clean bathrooms

Cons:
Food is extremely subpar
Rotten lettuce on the side salad
Bland and tepid quiche that had little to none of the veggies listed on it's description

It's sad that the state invested so much time and money into a center that is pretty much deserted.