Bistros, trattorias and the everyday rooms where Asheville actually eats.
Bistros, trattorias, taverns and neighbourhood rooms: the mid-tier places where Asheville actually eats.
Tupelo Honey opened on College Street in downtown Asheville in 2000. The original location of the regional Southern chain, the room locals still send.
Signature: Fried chicken biscuit, Shrimp and grits, Sweet potato pancakes
Order: The fried chicken biscuit with sausage gravy, plus the sweet potato pancakes for brunch.
Tip: Book on the operator's reservation page; weekend brunch waits run 60-90 minutes without one.
Early Girl Eatery on Wall Street in Asheville opened in 2001 as the downtown Southern farm-to-table benchmark. Editor pick on TableJourney with hours.
Signature: Sweet potato hash, Stone-ground grits, Pimento cheese omelet
Order: The sweet potato hash with two eggs, plus a side of stone-ground grits.
Tip: Walk-in only. Arrive at 08:00 or after 14:00 to skip the weekend queue.
Meherwan Irani's Chai Pani won the 2022 James Beard Outstanding Restaurant award. Moved May 2024 to 32 Banks Ave (South Slope). Indian street snacks, thalis.
Signature: Sloppy Jai, Kale pakoras, Bhel puri
Order: The Sloppy Jai (Indian sloppy joe with Punjabi spice) and a plate of kale pakoras.
Tip: Walk-in lunches Mon-Fri are fastest; weekend dinners run 60-90 minutes without a reservation.
Botiwalla by Chai Pani on Battery Park Avenue is Meherwan Irani's tribute to the late-night sigri (grill) cart culture of India. Counter-service kababs.
Signature: Chicken tikka kabab roll, Bombay grilled cheese, Lamb seekh kabab
Order: The chicken tikka kabab roll with mint chutney, plus the Bombay grilled cheese.
Tip: Order at the counter, take a seat. The 697 Haywood Road sister room is the West Asheville extension.
Hugo Ramirez's Limones on Eagle Street in Asheville opened in 2004 as a Mexican and Californian-inflected room. Editor pick on TableJourney with hours.
Signature: Mole poblano, Esquites, Carnitas tacos
Order: The mole poblano served over chicken, plus an order of esquites for the table.
Tip: Book on OpenTable; bar seats first-come from 17:00. Closed Mondays.
All Souls Pizza in the River Arts District has run wood-fired pies on Clingman Avenue since 2013. Daily-changing seasonal pies, a large patio with kitchen.
Signature: Seasonal pies, Daily salads, Soft serve
Order: Whatever the seasonal pie of the week is, plus the soft serve for dessert.
Tip: Walk-in only; arrive at opening or after 20:30 for the easiest seats. Closed Mondays.
Anthony Cerrato's Strada Italiano on Broadway Street in Asheville runs Piemonte, Tuscan, Campanian, Pugliese and Sicilian recipes alongside Italian-American.
Signature: Hand-tossed pizzas, Scratch-made pastas, Italian-American classics
Order: Whatever pasta is on the daily-cut sheet, plus a glass off the Italian biodynamic list.
Tip: Book on Resy. The rooftop Social Lounge upstairs takes walk-ins for cocktails and pizza late.
White Duck Taco's downtown Asheville location on Biltmore Avenue runs globally inspired soft tacos: Korean bulgogi, Bangkok shrimp, jerk chicken, smoked duck.
Signature: Korean bulgogi taco, Crispy fish taco, Bangkok shrimp taco
Order: Three tacos: the Korean bulgogi, the crispy fish and the Bangkok shrimp.
Tip: Order at the counter and take a seat. The Riverside Drive River Arts location is under reconstruction in 2025.
Farm Burger's downtown Asheville room on Patton Avenue, just off Pack Square, runs Hickory Nut Gap grassfed burgers, order-at-the-counter format, since 2014.
Signature: Grassfed cheeseburger, Farm fries, Buttermilk fried chicken sandwich
Order: A double cheeseburger with farm fries; build-your-own with the No 5 (oxtail marmalade) is the move.
Tip: Counter service. Order pickup ahead online; counter line moves fast.
Sunny Point Café on Haywood Road in West Asheville opened in 2003 as a family-owned breakfast and lunch room with an on-site production garden.
Signature: Huevos rancheros, Buttermilk biscuits, Shrimp and grits
Order: The huevos rancheros, or the buttermilk biscuit and sausage gravy plate.
Tip: Daily 08:30-14:00. Walk-in only; weekends wait 60-90 minutes after 10:00. The patio takes the queue first.
Jason and Carolyn Roy's Biscuit Head opened the West Asheville flagship on Haywood Road in 2013. Cathead biscuits with a jam-bar of house preserves, hot.
Signature: Cathead biscuit, Mimosa biscuit french toast, Fried green tomatoes
Order: The Mimosa Fried Chicken biscuit (sweet potato butter, sriracha slaw, poached egg).
Tip: Walk-in counter service. Open Mon-Fri 08:00-14:00; weekend lines spill out the door from 09:30.
Botiwalla's second Asheville location on Haywood Road in West Asheville opened in 2022. Editor pick on TableJourney with hours and the must-order plate.
Signature: Chicken tikka roll, Lamb seekh kabab, Cheese kulcha
Order: The chicken tikka kabab roll, the cheese kulcha, and a Bombay grilled cheese.
Tip: Counter service. Patio takes walk-ins, easier than the Battery Park location for weekend evenings.
Rosetta Star's Rosetta's Kitchen on North Lexington Avenue in downtown Asheville has run vegan and vegetarian comfort food since 2002. Editor pick.
Signature: Peace burger, Mac and cheese, Veggie reuben
Order: The Peace Burger with mac and cheese on the side, or the veggie reuben at lunch.
Tip: Counter service. Cash and card both fine; The Buchi Bar in the building serves Buchi kombucha on tap, natural wine and the full Rosetta's vegan menu.
Ashleigh Shanti's Good Hot Fish opened January 2024 upstairs at Burial Beer's South Slope campus (Buxton at Collier) as a Black Appalachian fish fry counter.
Signature: Fried catfish basket, Hush puppies, Slaw dog
Order: The fried catfish basket with hush puppies and Carolina mustard sauce.
Tip: Order at the counter, take your basket downstairs to Burial's beer garden. Limited indoor seating upstairs.
Asheville Brewing Company on Coxe Avenue opened in 1998 as the city's third-oldest brewery. The pizza-and-beer brewpub format with one of downtown's largest.
Signature: House pizzas, Burgers, House lagers and ales
Order: A Ninja Porter or Shiva IPA with a Mom's Garden pizza.
Tip: Counter service. Family-friendly; the Coxe Avenue patio takes the overflow on warm evenings.
Twisted Crepe on Haywood Street in downtown Asheville runs sweet and savoury French-style crepes, buckwheat galettes and breakfast plates in a small downtown.
Signature: Savoury ham and Gruyère crepe, Strawberry Nutella crepe, Buckwheat galette
Order: A savoury ham and Gruyère galette for breakfast, plus a strawberry-Nutella crepe to share.
Tip: Walk-in. Closed Wednesdays. Weekend brunch waits 15-30 minutes after 10:00.
Mela Indian on North Lexington Avenue in Asheville has been the downtown go-to for regional Indian cooking since 2007. Lunch buffet weekdays, full menu.
Signature: Lamb vindaloo, Chicken tikka masala, Vegetable thali
Order: The lamb vindaloo with garlic naan; the lunch buffet on weekdays is one of Asheville's best deals.
Tip: Book on the operator site for dinner. The lunch buffet runs 11:30-14:30 Mon-Sat.
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.
Signature: Buxton fried chicken, Hot honey biscuit, Chicken sandwich
Order: The hot honey chicken sandwich with a side of slaw.
Tip: Counter service inside S and W Market. Grab a seat upstairs at the bar or take it to go.