Talk about a diamond in the rough.
One of the great restaurants in Virginia has a very strange name and is located in an even stranger place. It is the Cat and Owl Steak and Seafood Restaurant in Covington. Well, not really Covington, but close enough. It’s actually in Low Moor, between Covington and Clifton Forge, but this place serves serious food.
I stumbled on this out-of-the-way Dining Mecca a number of years ago when I was hunting in Alleghany County. A friend mentioned the Cat and Owl Restaurant and recommended it highly. Several months later, a group of us had rented Cliff View Inn, north of Covington, and decided to go out to eat on New Years Eve. I called and made reservations for 10 and we had a terrific experience. The service was excellent, the ambience was perfect and the food was extraordinary.
As the name suggests, Cat and Owl Steak and Seafood Restaurant is both a steak and seafood joint. That evening, I went out on the limb and ordered the Seafood Platter and it was as good as you’ll get in the best restaurants in Nags Head. Several others ordered steaks and all gave their dishes a big thumbs up. One of the Cat and Owl specialties is Grilled Prime Rib. They slow cook a prime rib, then cut off a nice slab and finish it over a charcoal flame. Unbelievably good, but who in the world would open a restaurant like this in a place like Low Moor, population 258?
Well, back in 1970, two area men, Buddy Proffitt and Henry Dew bought an old home beside the railroad tracks in Low Moor and restored it into a restaurant. They figured that if you cooked good food and gave good service, you would succeed, no matter the location. With a railroad theme (C&O), they called their restaurant “Cat and Owl.”
Bruce Proffitt, Buddy’s son, helped establish the business and later purchased it from his father. Henry’s son, Scott, joined Bruce in 1981 and after took over management of the kitchen. Together, Bruce and Scott have over 50 years experience at this location and it shows.
Many of my CvilleBuzz readers will be out and about traveling over the holidays, and if you find yourself on I-64 near Covington, I urge that you stop by Cat and Owl and have dinner.
The restaurant is located just off Exit 21, about 2 miles east of Covington. The GPS address is 110 Karnes Street, Covington, but it’s really Low Moor.
If you need directions or reservations, call Bruce or Scott at 540-862-5808. They are really nice people and they serve really good food.
