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Why go to your average, run-of-the-mill eatery when you can enjoy a high-quality meal made from fresh, organic ingredients at a local farm-to-table restaurant? At farm-to-table restaurants, chefs pride themselves locally sourced ingredients from farmer’s markets or even farms just down the road.

This dining experience cuts out the middleman and makes for an healthy, organic meal that doesn’t harm the environment. Hickory, part of the Lenoir-Hickory-Morganton metropolitan area, is rich with delicious, all-natural dining options that taste great and leave you feeling good about helping the environment. If you’re looking for things to do in Hickory North Carolina, below is a list of the top organic and farm-to-table restaurants in Hickory NC.

Highland Avenue has gained regional and national praise for its farm-to-table, locally sourced foods, with MSN naming them one of the Fifty-One Best Farm-To-Table Restaurants in America. Located on the second floor of the renovated Holler Hosiery Mill, the restaurant pays tribute to the city’s rich manufacturing history while focusing on Appalachian cuisine including trout, oysters and shrimp, homemade pastas and breads, chicken pot pie, and filet mignon. Address: 883 Highland Avenue SE Phone: 828-267-9800

Café Rule & Wine Bar is an upscale restaurant that offers the best in fine dining. Patrons can expect fresh flavors, locally sourced cuisine, and exquisite wine pairings in a relaxed and refreshingly casual setting. Address: 242 11th Ave NE Phone: 828-324-2005

The Fresh Depot specializes in great sandwiches on fresh made breads – including sourdough, wheat, rye, cinnamon bread and rolls – along with farm-to-table dishes. They source their veggies and beef from local farmers using organic practices. Beef is from grass-fed, pasture-raised cattle. Baked goods are fresh and made daily. Address: 220 Union Square NW Phone: 828-322-5111

Burger Fi launched in 2011 from dissatisfaction with what was happening in the burger market at the time. Thus, the all natural Black Angus CEO Burger was born. Certified American Angus burgers are free of antibiotics, hormones, and steroids. Patrons can eat happily knowing that the restaurant’s motto is: “Better people. Better to animals. Better to the environment.” The restaurant also offers hand-cut French fries, frozen custard, and natural sugar cane sodas. Address: 1854 Catawba Valley Blvd SE Phone: 828-324-9583

Bistro127 is proud to use local grown, raised, and caught ingredients by local NC farmers that share their commitment to serving high quality food. Menu items include omelets, crepes, salads, gourmet brick oven pizzas, organic salads, tapas, seafood, steak, and more – all made with natural and organic ingredients. Patrons can sit at the Al Forno Bar and watch their pizza being made in a wood fired brick oven during lunch and dinner. Address: 2039 N Center ST Phone: 828-328-3432

Crescent Moon Café offers deli fresh vegan and gluten-free options, with over 25 rotating draft microbrews. Patrons can enjoy the relaxed atmosphere of a dimly lit, modern pub conveniently open until 2 AM on weekends. Address: 256 1^st Ave NW Phone: 828-322-1456

Hickory is conveniently located near one of the best gated communities near Asheville NC, our Coves Mountain River Club. At The Coves, residents enjoy their own farm-to-table experience and plant their own fruits, vegetables, herbs, and flowers in Isabel’s Garden.

Set along the Johns River, the manicured dividers between the garden plots make for an English-style atmosphere. Peppers, tomatoes, peppers, radishes, watermelon and greens are among the popular fruits and vegetables grown in Isabel’s nutrient rich soil. Flowers commonly grown in the garden include sunflowers, daffodils, tulips, lilies, and various mountain wildflowers. Herbs such as rosemary, sage, mint, and oregano are also easy to grow in Isabel’s Garden.

Residents can test their talents at winemaking in Evelyn’s Vineyard, a riverside vineyard with craftsman-style trellises that divide the opened grassed lanes. Grapes are successfully grown in the North Carolina foothills because they need fewer chilly nights and thrive on the summer heat. People love the spectacular mountain views, friendly community atmosphere, first classes amenities – and healthy foodies can rest easy knowing a wide selection of delicious, homegrown fare is just a short drive away.

If you’re exploring the area for the first time, ask for our 70 page complimentary Western North Carolina Visitor’s Guide which provides more information about living in the foothills.