The 10 Best Downtown Asheville Restaurants - Tripadvisor
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Downtown Asheville Restaurants & Cuisine | Asheville, NC's Official Travel Site
Personally, we appreciate that Limones sits on a quiet downtown side street. You will want to make advanced reservations. We could never pick out one or two of the best BBQ restaurants in Asheville. North Carolina is famous for its BBQ. Their North Asheville location is always jumping, and they offer indoor and outdoor seating. This location also has a parking lot. You cannot go wrong with their BBQ and hearty sides. You cannot beat those sunset views over the mountains.
They serve lighter fare including sandwiches and salads and are cheaper than their other restaurant, Sunset Terrace. Even though the bars are not quite situated on an actual rooftop, we consider The Omni Grove Park Inn as housing the best rooftop restaurants in Asheville, NC.
Sunset Terrace is a stellar high-end Asheville restaurant. We daintily annihilate their scallops and steak. Please just remember that the Grove Park Inn is a luxury resort hotel.
Most of the year, parking is free for the first few hours in their lots and Vanderbilt parking garage. For the holidays, you will have to pay a hefty self-park or valet fee.
Fair warning, too: you will have trouble deciding what to eat here. You will most likely over-order and want to eat it all. We always have leftovers. Gypsy Queen, along with Plant and Laughing Seed, is also one of the best Asheville restaurants for both vegan and gluten-free food.
For Mezze, order grape leaves, hummus, and a mixture of fried Brussels sprouts and cauliflower. For entrees, choose from rice bowls, gyros, platters, and wraps. We recommend dining at Gyspy Queen for lunch. Order at the counter and grab a seat — inside or out. Gypsy Queen is located near Green Tea Sushi, just on the outskirts of downtown Asheville over the bridge that passes by the Asheville silo. We promise: the food is delicious and the staff is incredibly accommodating and friendly.
Find plenty of parking. Nine Mile is a vegetarian-friendly restaurant with Caribbean-inspired pasta and rice dishes. For Asheville restaurants, Nine Mile has one of the largest menu keys for gluten-free, vegetarian, vegan, nuts, dairy-free, and honey.
Nine Mile does not take reservations, and they will grow extremely busy no matter what time you arrive. With some luck, you might catch them at the right time, and we promise: the wait is worth it. Nine Mile runs on the spicier side, but they can accommodate dishes. Their pasta and seafood are delicious. Nine Mile also only serves wine and beer.
Montford is also one of the most unique Asheville neighborhoods for architecture, Riverside Cemetery , and Shakespeare in the Park. One of the first fancier restaurants in downtown Asheville that we ate at before moving to AVL , Posana is always jumping. Unique to Asheville, Posana has a dedicated gluten-free kitchen. This is perfect for our Celiac husband.
Almost all of their menu is gluten-free with the exception of a few labeled cocktails and drinks those bitters, man. Posana is the absolute best restaurant in Asheville for celebrations. They serve local and contemporary American cuisine. Think gluten-free desserts, appetizers, and meaty entrees. The executive chef and co-owner graduated from The Culinary Institute of America. Posana has a large patio and looks out over Pack Square, which is full of interesting happenings.
This is Asheville, after all. Recently, the owners also started nearby District 42 , a lounge, and Bargello , casual fine dining at Kimpton Hotel Arras. If you are looking for one of the best restaurants in downtown Asheville serving up French comfort food, head to Bouchon. One of our newsletter subscribers mentioned that she reserves dinner at Bouchon for every single one of her Asheville visits. We can see why. One of the coziest fine dining Asheville restaurants , sit inside their intimate, warm, and dimly lit space or enjoy the outdoor patio.
Bouchon has some of the strongest and most delicious cocktails in town, and of course, you have to order classy French wine with dinner. Here at Uncorked Asheville, we always get asked for the best Asheville restaurants near or at breweries. Although Wicked Weed is indeed a tourist spot, you still have to go here.
One of the absolute best restaurants for breakfast in West Asheville, Sunny Point Cafe is both a visitor and local favorite. The weekends will see lines around West Asheville, and the weekdays tend to be just as busy. Sunny Point posts wait times near where you order. Sunny Point Cafe serves all three meals on most days, but we especially love them for breakfast and lunch. Choose from Southern classics like chicken and waffles, fried green tomatoes, and shrimp and grits. Sunny Point Cafe also has French toast, hotcakes, avocado toast, candied bacon, and breakfast burritos.
They offer gluten-free bread and vegan options and serve up large portions with local libations. West AVL is also known for its shops, bars, vibrant murals , and shopping scene. Be sure to read our complete West Asheville guide before going. The northern part of the city houses many of the best restaurants in Asheville, NC, and Taco Temple proves it. They feature the most delicious tacos around. Taco Temple is your go-to for milled corn tortillas, tortas, and tamales — with gluten-free and vegan options.
Devour overflowing tacos; we suggest ordering at least 2 per person. You know you want the chips and guacamole too. They even serve margaritas and cocktails. Order at the small window first. If you are looking for the most local and budget-friendly places to eat in Asheville, Taco Temple is it. One of the best seafood restaurants in Asheville, choose from oysters, shrimp cocktail, mussels, and clams.
Find twists on classic drinks. We highly suggest making advanced reservations here. We enjoy sitting outside on the covered patio. Our favorite mix-ins with tuna and salmon proteins include carrots, mango, roe, cucumber, avocado, seaweed salad, fried garlic, and scallion.
Yum Sushi is also one of the fastest places to eat in Asheville on this list and makes for great takeout. Green Tea Sushi is another one of the best sushi restaurants in Asheville. Glass Onion is a classy but still more casual Asheville fine dining option. We highly suggest making reservations, especially for an evening out. Glass Onion is incredibly accomodating to food intolerance and allergies.
They have a plethora of GF options, too. Weaverville is a great option to beat the bustle of downtown Asheville. Head to Twisted Laurel for cocktails after dinner or WagBar for craft beer with the pooches. Instead of Weaverville, you could also drive minutes east of Asheville to some of our favorite Black Mountain restaurants.
Black Mountain has breweries, a meadery, and a distillery. One of our favorite Asheville Indian restaurants , Mela offers large portions of North and South Indian-inspired cuisine. You can find vegan and gluten-free options, too. We tend to order takeout from Mela. A second fabulous Indian and Pakistani Asheville takeout option, we devour Biryani Express their menu is listed on the takeout apps like Takeout Central. One of our all-time favorite Asian fusion restaurants in Asheville, Red Ginger Dimsum and Tapas is home to dumplings and sushi.
Choose from fried rice, every type of delicious dumpling, Asian pancakes, bento boxes, summer rolls, and vegan, vegetarian, and gluten-free options. You will want to order plates per person and because they are Asian tapas, you may also share across the table.
For downtown Asheville restaurants, Red Ginger is at the heart of it all. We usually park behind this area in the Coxe Ave. Tired of generic Asheville travel itineraries? Experience Asheville like a local with our free Asheville Favorites checklist, including restaurants, breweries, and hiking.
Plus, get local updates — including events and hidden gems — straight to your inbox. Sign up here. A Hawaiian restaurant, Rosabees cooks up delicious poke, rice, and noodle dishes. If you are lucky, you might catch an Indonesian-inspired dish or Filipino lumpia. Dine on delicacies like octopus, and pick from spicy seafood dishes. RosaBees also labels items containing gluten. Pair your tropical meal with an equally refreshing dessert or cocktail.
This is a great off-the-beaten-path RAD Asheville dining option , but we still recommend making reservations. Or, drive a few minutes away to Bottle Riot, a gorgeous Asheville wine bar. The atmosphere is colorful, serene, and delicious.
We actually love their Saturday and Sunday brunch , and they are also one of our favorite Asheville lunch spots. One of the new downtown Asheville restaurants that opened in , Asheville Proper is your proper steakhouse.
Located in the historic Grove Arcade , they invited us out for a pre-opening, media night dinner. Um, speakeasy cocktails and delicious steaks with fresh sides?! Yes, please.
Similar to the nearby Battery Park Book Exchange , they serve literary cocktails. We love Biltmore in all its touristy glory. In fact, we are annual passholders. We devour their in-house pickles, Lusty Monk mustard, seasonal cocktails, fish and chips, and sandwiches. Another delicious Biltmore property restaurant, Stable Cafe is also a must. This is the perfect stop if you are spending all day touring Biltmore or looking for a fun kid-friendly Asheville restaurant.
Typically, you would want to visit the Biltmore House first, peruse the gardens, and then grab lunch at Stable Cafe.
Afterward, beeline it for the Biltmore Winery. Grab our suggested Biltmore itinerary here. Stable Cafe is also perfect if you are looking for family-friendly things to do at Biltmore. Head to the River Arts District for one of the absolute best Asheville restaurants and coziest ambiances. The Bull And Beggar is perfect for special occasions and fine dining. If you are a meat lover, this RAD restaurant will speak volumes to you — pun intended with the book bar upfront.
If you are a vegan or veggie, though, this might not be the absolute best choice for you. We highly recommend making advanced dining reservations. The Bull And Beggar also has heated outdoor seating. Our go-to for pizza restaurants in Asheville , Asheville Pizza and Brewing is the best.
They have multiple locations across North, South, and downtown Asheville. We love their stout coconut blends and ambers. The Merrimon location boasts of a movie theater where they play the oldies but goodies and now brand new movies. Find an arcade and play area for the littles too.
The Merrimon location has two free parking lots. For Coxe Ave. One of the first Asheville restaurants that we ever ate at before moving here, Laughing Seed Cafe is a delicious vegan and vegetarian downtown Asheville restaurant. They also have fantastic gluten-free options. Laughing Seed Cafe is also the perfect Asheville takeout spot for the holidays — think pies, sauces, and meals for the entire family. For one of the more popular downtown Asheville restaurants on the fancier side — and where people go before concerts or for brunch — Chestnut is sleek and trendy.
All waste is composted, to-go containers and straws are compostable, bikes are used for delivery, and interior elements were made locally from reclaimed wood and metals. Everything on the menu is made fresh from scratch, using locally sourced organic ingredients whenever possible, with excellent coffee from Fair Trade companies. Everything we ate there was bursting with flavor. The downtown Asheville restaurant recently reopened after remodeling, and their locations on Merrimon Ave and Hendersonville Rd remain as popular as ever.
With a focus on locally-sourced farm-to-table fare, this hip West Asheville hotspot offers an expansive outdoor patio that deserves serious consideration for your new favorite hangout spot.
After you grab a table, inside or out, go to the counter and order from their ever-evolving seasonal menu, which includes a full bar with craft cocktails, local beers, and natural and organic wines. Their menu includes an array of soups, salads, sandwiches, bowls, and plates to choose from. Mary went with the delicious Trout Melt, which features seared NC trout, swiss cheese, a tasty caper anchovy tapenade, and garlic mayo on sourdough bread.
I went with an Asian-influenced Pork Belly Bowl, which included coconut lime rice, furikake, mushrooms, kimchi, cucumbers, and fish sauce Ponzu, all topped with a fried egg. You can also order it as a Buddha Bowl, which features fried tofu and is vegan-friendly.
While their food is uniformly fantastic, the outdoor patio and general vibe is what separates Haywood Common from other restaurants in Asheville. It presents a compelling argument for West Asheville as a region on the rise. One of the more recent additions to the Asheville NC food scene, Jargon Restaurant opened in a historic building in West Asheville in We were too tired to try their craft cocktails, and too full for dessert, but we will definitely be back.
This was partly due to their quality ingredients, the retro-hip vibe of their restaurants, and family-friendly branding see: mascot Mel O. Mushroom, cartoon fairies and dragons, etc. Their colorful, hippie-fied style made them a perfect fit for Asheville, with their Broadway St location near Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College opening in Their hand-tossed, stone-baked pizzas are obviously the star attraction on the menu, with favorites such as the Backyard BBQ, Kosmic Karma, and the House Special.
Born and raised in a carniverous North Georgia family, I would have never imagined loving vegan food. Opened in by Leslie Armstrong, Alan Berger, and chef Jason Sellers, Plant was the restaurant that changed my mind, emerging as one of our favorite places to eat in Asheville. The tiny open kitchen has just 13 tables and 47 seats, though there is also a seasonal patio.
But the intimate setting and sleek decor makes it a great place for a romantic dinner in Asheville. Located in the heart of the Historic Pack Square area, the casually elegant Posana ranks among the best Asheville NC restaurants in terms of fine dining. Formerly the President of the Asheville Independent Restaurants Association, his eco-conscious Contemporary American Cuisine attracts an older, more mature crowd than other eateries on this list.
His menu is a model of creative simplicity. Their original downtown Asheville location, which opened in , remains as popular as ever today, despite a dramatic increase in local competition. The previous occupants shuttered their greasy spoon after chest-high waters flooded the place.
This unassuming BBQ joint has blown up considerably and changed owners in the last 15 years, thanks in part to several high-profile visits by the Obamas. Open just 5 hours a day, 5 days a week, the quirky little restaurant now attracts up to 1, people a day.
Travel Channel featured their famously decadent Hogzilla sandwich with bacon, bratwurst, pulled pork, and pepper jack cheese on Food Paradise. But most folks wisely go for their Half- and Full-rack Ribs plates, which are available in four or more flavors that rotate regularly. Well-Bred Bakery became one of our favorite restaurants near Asheville NC in , after we dined at their location in downtown Weaverville.
So we were delighted to discover that they have locations in Biltmore Village and the Grove Arcade as well. The Biltmore Village was their second location, and offers a lot more outdoor space in a lovely courtyard patio surrounded by colorful flowers in the warmer months. Although the menus vary by location, each offers an expansive array of sweet and savory options, including gourmet quiches and sandwiches, locally roasted coffees, perfect pastries, and scrumptious cookies, cakes, and pies.
The company was co-founded in by two Asheville families who moved to Delaware for a few years, then came back to witness a boom in progressive thought and craft beer culture. Wicked Weed initially offered 25 unique draft beers, but became known for their thick, hoppy, sour beers. They soon opened the first sour beer-dedicated taproom in the Blue Ridge Mountains , the Funkatorium, and began to distribute beer throughout the Southeast. Today their original location features a full restaurant, downstairs beer bar, bottle shop, and the original barrel brewery.
We encourage anyone who loves the Blue Ridge region to learn about the Leave No Trace principles of responsible environmental stewardship. Stay on marked trails, take only pictures, pack out your trash, and be considerate of others who share the trails and parks you explore.
Remember that waterfalls and rocky summits can be dangerous. Never try to climb waterfalls or get close to a ledge to get a selfie. Bret grew up camping and hiking in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Georgia and North Carolina with his parents, and the couple both spent childhood summers on the water with their grandparents.
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