The Inn of the Patriots

I couldn’t bring myself to write this review back when I visited as I truly believe «Chef Marti» truly thinks he has a wonderful establishment and that people are really enjoying themselves. I can only guess how many complaints Groupon got about this totally misrepresented «vacation spot». Did you notice all the «funny» votes on the five star reviews? That’s because they were no doubt written by Marti or his wife. We expected a sumptuous «White House» dinner the night we spent there (does anyone REALLY stay both nights?). We were told that due to the Groupon the place was filling up very quickly so we better book right away. We did, and when we showed up for the weekend NOBODY was there except «Chef Marti», his wife and child. Yes, he’s a kind man, we just believe he’s delusional and highly doubt he ever made White House clearance. Then again, look at who some of our presidents have been. Back to dinner, we asked Marti what was on the menu for the evening and he answered «oh, we don’t have a restaurant here, we’ll give you a list of those within driving distance». Huh? NO RESTAURANT? We ended up driving 25 minutes to a pizza café in Shelby. A group of bridesmaids were having a blast at the table next to us and we started a chat. They asked what brought us to Shelby, they all grew up there and knew almost everyone there. They were hysterical about Inn of the Patriots. They said they never heard of it or of Grover, NC. When we got back to the Inn there was a middle aged couple rocking away on the porch. I said «well, I guess the crowd is showing up!». The woman answered, «what crowd, until you arrived nobody else was here». I then asked if they had a clue about breakfast and she said «we’re not hanging around long enough to find out, we’re leaving in a few minutes. What on earth brought YOU here?» Told her about the Groupon and she said «yeah, same situation here». There was a very sweet black lady who prepared breakfast. A nice yogurt parfait, some pancakes.. .and a breakfast meat she called sausage (I was sure it was SPAM). My husband refused to taste it, I couldn’t stop myself. There were no chocolate strawberries, no winery tours — not even a tour of the backyard Revolutionary (?) war camp. That was quite a site to behold. I’m betting that camp has been there since the Revolutionary war. All in all, quite the experience! We did have a lot of fun telling folks about our special Groupon trip — that’s something to be said, yes?

We visited Inn of the Patriots in June for the weekend. The Inn itself was charming, quaint and full of history. We stayed in the Nature room which was decorated with several tree limbs and featured soft sounds of running water. Unfortunately, we didn’t realize that our room did not come with a private bath until shortly before our check in date. However, the shared bathroom was always clean and offered adequate privacy. The mattress in our room was uncomfortable and a cold wind blew on us from the overhead window at night. Chef Marty was full of character and gave hour long history lessons during breakfast which were somewhat lengthy and difficult to follow, although we appreciated his passion for his craft. The first morning, breakfast was made by Chef Marty himself and left something to be desired. The oatmeal was gooey. The egg casserole lacked flavor, and sausages were very greasy. However, the second morning, breakfast was prepared by one of Chef Marty’s assistants, a young, African-​American woman (who’s name I cannot recall), and the meal was quite delicious. She made red velvet waffles with cream cheese syrup. Who does that?! The sides were very good as well. I wouldn’t be upset if he hired her full time.
Chef Marty was extremely informative about the area and offered an extensive list of attractions which was very helpful. The deal offered free tastings to two wineries both of which we enjoyed and a free appetizer at Ni Fen Bistro which quickly became one of our favorite restaurants in NC. :Sidebar we revisited Ni Fen this past weekend and it is still amazing!: Overall, we enjoyed our weekend, but are unlikely to return.

Marti and Stormy have created one of the most unique experiences I’ve had in my many travels from Arizona to Massachusetts and many places in between! Their hospitality is unmatched and the culinary and historical presentations are inspiring. Marti is a master at humbly serving guests and helping to create a relaxing mood for a perfect stay. He lives up to his reputation from having served many presidents and world leaders at the White House and Camp David.
As I am recently married I picked up many quality cooking tips to use in preparing meals for my family and to have an inside look at Marti’s culinary methods are a once in a lifetime treat (although I hope to return soon and learn more).
We slept well and enjoyed our stay in the Nature and Earth room. As we are both artists, all of the creative touches in the room were appreciated and enjoyed. We also had many relaxing moments in the rocking chairs on the front porch watching the cars drive by in this small town.
Thanks Marti and Stormy for your inspiration and for taking care of us on our fun North Carolina vacation!

I had a great stay at The Inn of the Patriots. I stayed in the Colonel Cleaveland Room and it was very spacious and clean. The bed was extremely comfortable. The Inn has some amazing items sprinkled in different rooms. It was very interesting to see all of the items and all of the article about Chef Marti. He has done a lot for the community! Marti was a real gentleman with some amazing stories, which he loved to share. Breakfast was great and creative. Marti is a true Master Chef!
The grounds had some very interesting setups which Marti uses for military recreation purposes. He took us to a great winery, The Baker Buffalo Creek Winery. We enjoyed the wine, but more so the company of Charles — the owner and winemaker.
A great stay and I will be sure to stay there again!!!

We genuinely enjoyed our stay at the Inn of the Patriots. I give it 5 stars and recommend you make the trip to Grover, NC if you are: 1.) a history buff, 2.) a food lover or aspiring chef interested in hearing the inside scoop on DC-​big wigs from a White House Sous chef/​Executive Chef at Camp David, or 3.) a couple simply wanting a weekend getaway alone (we celebrated our 1^st Anniversary and it was perfect).
It’s the people that make or break a business. Mention their names in nearly every restaurant or winery and you get the impression that everyone knows Marti and Stormy. They support regional businesses with their spot-​on recommendations, helping to bolster the economy. Marti also has chicken coop and grows produce and herbs on their property. If he expands the farm, Marti and Stormy will need help with production, and the hope is it would provide a job to someone else locally.
I can understand that folks have different tastes, but we enjoy all the things that this place exemplifies… supporting our veterans, taking the time to remember history of our country, learning new things, cooking together, meeting new people, trying new foods, and exploring the area for hidden gems (the scuppernog from Ann Edwards at Baker Buffalo Creek Winery, feeling the wood grain on a non-​reproduction Brown Bess musket at Kings Mountain battlefield, the crispy jalepenos at Sushi Dojo). That’s just us… and we loved it. Thank you Marti and Stormy!

The Inn of the Patriots was a great addition to our getaway weekend. We felt spoiled by an amazing staff and inventive chef. Chefs Kim and Marti really know how to make you feel welcome and their historical knowledge of the town and the presidency were fascinating to listen to. Definitely recommend this place, take the tour and if you’re lucky enough to be there for dinner, treat yourself!

I took my girlfriend here for her birthday on Independence Day weekend and we had a fantastic time! The recommendations from Marti for places to visit in the area, the tour of the inn/​museum, the beer class: all wonderful! I highly recommend this to anyone. They made it a very special and personal birthday for my girlfriend too! Wishing her happy birthday as we came in, writing her name out on the cake; she didn’t know what to do with herself.

Certified Executive Chef Martin CJ Mongiello runs the show at The Inn of the Patriots. Marti was a White House Sous Chef and the Executive Chef of Camp David. He gives a fun tour of the The Inn/​Museum and was my favorite part of our one-​night stay in Grover.
Since I was looking for a place to stay near Greenville, I settled on The Inn of the Patriots due to a LivingSocial offer. Nearly everyone that stays at the inn has a voucher. I honestly can’t imagine paying full price. Everyone was very friendly and the inn appeared clean. Unfortunately, our mattress resembled the quality of a rollaway cot. I think this bothered me more than my girlfriend, but my top requirement for a hotel or inn is a very comfortable mattress. I expect a mattress just as, if not more comfortable than my bed at home.
There are display cases scattered throughout the house, and it was very interesting to look at all of the artifacts that Marti has collected throughout his career. Unfortunately, the historical artifacts take second stage to gift items. The basement (part of the «museum») and the first floor are covered with items for sale, mostly related to American history. Frankly, it’s very tacky. I was given the impression that they were trying to make money off of me any way they can – they even offer a $ 35 car wash in the driveway. On the plus side, the wifi is free!
We received baklava in our room upon checkin and a free bottle of water. The baklava was good, though a little too nutty for my liking. The next morning, we played a game of croquet on the front lawn and then went to the breakfast table to eat with the other guests. Breakfast was very good, especially the potatoes! Marti explained many of the dishes and then we moved on to the tour, which started in the backyard. The tour was fun and interesting – you could tell Marti has given it a thousand times.
When booking, make sure to note that a couple of the rooms share a bathroom with the owners. Since I booked from the reservations page without looking intently at the rooms page, I unknowingly selected a room that had a shared bathroom. The rooms with shared bathrooms are clearly denoted on the website. The shared bathroom is small, but clean.
I opted not to do the cooking class, but I did notice that the class takes place in what can be a crowded kitchen (depending on how many others are in the class).
Overall, it was a mixed experience. Perhaps with some professional decorators and new mattresses, The Inn of the Patriots could be a treasure in the NC backcountry. Due to the friendliness of the owners and staff, I am giving the inn a generous three star rating.

This was a repeat trip for us, and we were again treated as honored guests here. Great food, great service, eye-​popping décor! Central location to day trips to Charlotte or Greenville. The comforts of home nestled within a place that still feels like «an escape.» Celebrated a belated anniversary with this trip.

Before you buy that Groupon/​LivingSocial…
I purchased a 2-​night getaway for my in-​laws as a Christmas gift here. The voucher included 2 nights at the inn, tickets to the Presidential Culinary museum, a tour of a local vineyard for tour, breakfast for tour, an autographed cookbook and breakfast for two each morning.
When my in-​laws told me about their experience, I was so disappointed. While the website states on the homepage, «private bathrooms available» the room they were given was not and a bathroom was shared with the owner & family. I realize this is a mainstay of b&b’s, but I think inquiring whether they had wanted a private bathroom upon reservation would have been considerate (even if requiring an additional cost.) During the night, the roof began leaking and trash cans had to be places throughout the bedroom to catch the drips. There were no chocolate covered strawberries, but leftover birthday cake was offered instead. They were not given the winery tour, tickets to museum or cookbook.
I should add that my in-​laws are very quiet and humble people, so they didn’t raise a big fuss about the situation while they were there or ask for the parts of the package they were not given.
They did say the breakfast was excellent. So there’s that. They actually only stayed one of the 2 nights they were so disappointed in the amenities.
My husband later called and spoke to the proprietor because we were so disappointed with our parent’s stay. He was very kind but basically tried to «explain» everything that had happened — he did eventually apologize for their bad experience and offered for them or us to come back for another weekend on the house. My in-​laws opted not to, and I can’t say I blame them. I was appreciative that the owner was willing to allow them a chance to come back and stay again– I am always appreciative of someone who does try to right a situation after a wrong. That is why I have given it a 2-​star rating instead a 1-​star rating. His handling of the situation made the difference there.
I truly hope others go and experience something better, and I hope that this was a once in a lifetime fluke. But I didn’t do my homework before buying the Groupon (I didn’t consult Unilocal) and I might have thought twice if there was a review like mine up. Then again, that’s half the fun of a Groupon getaway — you never quite know what you are going to get!