6 soul food spots in Downtown, editor-picked by TableJourney. All of Downtown's food · All soul food in Asheville.

Early Girl Eatery ★ 4.4

8 Wall St, Asheville, NC 28801

Early Girl Eatery on Wall Street in Asheville opened in 2001 and has been the downtown Southern breakfast benchmark since.

Tip: Walk-in only. Arrive at 08:00 or after 14:00 to skip the weekend queue.

Early Girl Eatery ★ 4.4

8 Wall St, Asheville, NC 28801

Early Girl Eatery on Wall Street in Asheville opened in 2001 as the downtown Southern farm-to-table benchmark.

Tip: Walk-in only. Arrive at 08:00 or after 14:00 to skip the weekend queue.

Buxton Chicken Palace ★ 4.3

56 Patton Ave, Asheville, NC 28801

Buxton Chicken Palace inside the S and W Market in Asheville is the Elliott Moss and Meherwan Irani spinoff dedicated to the Bon Appetit-anointed Buxton Hall.

Tip: Counter service inside S and W Market. Grab a seat upstairs at the bar or take it to go.

Buxton Chicken Palace ★ 4.3

56 Patton Ave, Asheville, NC 28801

Buxton Chicken Palace inside the S and W Market in Asheville is the Elliott Moss and Meherwan Irani spinoff dedicated to the Bon Appetit-anointed Buxton Hall.

Tip: Counter service inside S and W Market. Grab a seat upstairs at the bar or take it to go.

Tupelo Honey Southern Kitchen and Bar ★ 4.2

12 College St, Asheville, NC 28801

Tupelo Honey opened on College Street in downtown Asheville in 2000 as an eclectic Southern cafe. The original location of what is now a regional chain.

Tip: Book on the operator's reservation page; weekend brunch waits run 60-90 minutes without one.

Tupelo Honey Southern Kitchen and Bar ★ 4.2

12 College St, Asheville, NC 28801

Tupelo Honey opened on College Street in downtown Asheville in 2000. The original location of the regional Southern chain, the room locals still send.

Tip: Book on the operator's reservation page; weekend brunch waits run 60-90 minutes without one.