Mystic Grill - They know we love it!
- Robin Alexander
- 4 hours ago
- 4 min read
I started watching Vampire Diaries a few years ago a year or so after the series ended. After that, I got my oldest hooked on the series, so as we started our travels, stopping in Mystic Falls was a necessity.
We didn't get a lot of time in Covinginton, GA (where most of Vampire Diaires was filmed), but our first stop was Mystic Grill for dinner.
Thoughts on the Restaurant
Outside looks EXACTLY like it does in the show and it is like being in the show (very, very cool). The green building, the awning, the tables outside, the streetlight - it gives you the feel of the show the minute you park.
When you walk inside, the restaurant itself is block off so that people can't just walk through it. We were seated at a table near the door, and it was the perfect spot to look around. Admittedly, inside looks quite a bit different from the show (the inside of the restaurant was filmed on a studio set and not in location), and the Mystic Grill itself was opened in honor of the show. When we visited, it was largely decorated for Harry Potter, which I found surprising, but there was still quite a few Vampire Diaries memorabilia around. And the bathroom? I couldn't even guess how many fans signed the walls and stalls.
Downstairs, the alley looks exactly like it did the show, and there's a fun little gift shop with some more memorbilia for fans to check out. And don't forget to pick up a blood bag - they taste pretty good!
ATMOSPHERE: 10 STARS
Okay, back upstairs for the meal...
Our Dinner
The menu isn't large, but has a little bit of something for everyone - whether you're into hamburgers, pasta, seafood, appetizers, or soup, you can find an option or two to choose from. More importantly, the food is really good (and we'll talk desserts in just a second).
Both my daughters ordered the fried chicken mac & cheese.
It was cavatappi noodles (corkscrew-like elbows), fried chicken, bacon, and a cheddar bechamel sauce. It also looked like it had a little bit of shredded cheese on top.
They had a little bit different opinions of the food (my youngest is VERY picky and my oldest is not). My 13-year-old thought it was a little spicy and would've preferred just the mac and cheese without the chicken. My oldest said it wasn't super cheesy but said that wasn't a bad thing - she said she wouldn't want it super cheesy - but she also said it wasn't dry, so in her opinion it was a happy medium. My youngest said she would choose something else next time, my oldest said she would definitely have it again.
My oldest gave it a 9/10 stars, my youngest gave it a 6/10 stars.
My husband had Blackened Shrimp Pasta Alfredo made with fettuccini alfredo, gulf shrimp, roasted tomatoes, and alfredo sauce.
My husband enjoyed the black shrimp alfredo. He did say it had a slight cajun spice and was slightly less creamy than he would have liked (drier than he's used to). The shrimp was large and was delicious. He said it was 10/10 stars and he would definitely order it again.
I had the bacon and cheese burger with winder fries. It was a 10 oz patty, crispy bacon, tomato, lettace, onion, and pickle.
I enjoyed every bite. The burger was seasoned perfectly with just a little bit of cajun bite (very subtle), and the fries were perfect (no ketchup needed). I rate it 10/10 stars, and would definitely order it again should we go back.
While my husband and youngest daughter both order fountain drinks, my oldest and I opted for the strawberry slush drink with sounvenir glass. SOOOOO good!
Dessert
Do NOT leave without having Damon's Dirty Chocolate Cake. It's dense chocolate cake layered with chocolate mousse and topped with chocolate chips. It is (ahem) do die for. So rich, so good, I couldn't quite finish it but oh, I wanted too. I could have order a few more of those to take with us. Amazing! FIVE SHINING STARS
If chocolate isn't your thing, my husband had the pecan pie. His mother used to make pecan pie, so he's very picky about it, but gave this one an 8/10.
Service
Our waiter was fantastic. He was very friendly, actually came down to the gift shop to get my daughter and I when I food arrived, and talked to us about the actors he'd met over the years (spoiler: he met most of them). Not only did he give us great service, but he was fun to talk to. He earned every bit of his tip, and we hope to see him again should we go back. 10/10 stars
VALUE FOR MONEY
It was a touch expensive so if we return to Covington (we hope to), we wouldn't choose to eat there more than one night of our stay. The experience and the food balances out the cost, but still, keep it in mind should you ever go, especially if you are budget-minded. $$-$$$/$$$$
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