About Us

Located in the heart of the Historic District in downtown Abingdon, Rain Restaurant & Bar has been on the forefront of Abingdon’s dining scene since opening its doors in the fall of 2010. Privately owned and operated by Owner/Executive Chef Ben Carroll, the restaurant’s primary goal is to deliver a high-quality, well-prepared meal while providing excellent service and southern hospitality to all of our guests. The sleek, modern building is decorated extensively with artwork from local Abingdon artists Shawn Crookshank and D.R. Mullins. The custom-made pinewood bar is accentuated by a spectacular, hand carved wooden shelf sculpture that was designed and created by master woodworker and Abingdon native, Ben Smith. Whether you’re looking for a casual night out with friends, a romantic evening, or a relaxing summer night on the patio, you are certain to find the atmosphere perfect for any occasion. Experience Rain for yourself and see why it has become a must visit culinary destination while in Abingdon, VA.

Led by Chef Carroll, the kitchen works to highlight and showcase the excellent local and regional produce and products available to the people of Southwest Virginia. He has close ties with many area farmers and frequents Abingdon’s farmer’s market to source high quality ingredients. “When you start out with impeccable ingredients the job of the cook becomes easy.”  “It’s more a question of finding the best application for what’s available during the seasons and then getting out of the way and letting the ingredients shine.” This approach allows the kitchen to construct “simple, thoughtful dishes that are creative, but still presented in a way that is familiar and approachable for the average diner.”

As a young man growing up in Abingdon, Chef Carroll worked in several of the area’s most popular local restaurants. Over the years he saw the need for a different type of restaurant that didn’t exist in Abingdon at that time.  One that would provide what he felt was missing. “I noticed that most of the area’s restaurants at that time were corporate or franchised.  Even the independent restaurants were serving dated and unexciting food. No one was doing anything different or trying to push the boundaries even a little bit, and no one was truly capitalizing on the tremendous resources available to us in this region. I thought there was a real opportunity for a new type of friendly neighborhood restaurant to be very successful.”

“When I opened Rain I envisioned a gathering place for locals and friends, an exciting dining spot for tourists and travelers, a fun, casual place where you could always count on getting great food and outstanding service at a fair price, but without the pretentiousness that some associate with the really high-end restaurants….and I think we have achieved that.”