Regional Italian, trattoria$$downtown
Anthony Cerrato's Strada Italiano on Broadway Street in Asheville runs Piemonte, Tuscan, Campanian, Pugliese and Sicilian recipes alongside Italian-American.
Signature: Hand-tossed pizzas, Scratch-made pastas, Italian-American classics
Order: Whatever pasta is on the daily-cut sheet, plus a glass off the Italian biodynamic list.
Tip: Book on Resy. The rooftop Social Lounge upstairs takes walk-ins for cocktails and pizza late.
Tacos, globally inspired$downtown
White Duck Taco's downtown Asheville location on Biltmore Avenue runs globally inspired soft tacos: Korean bulgogi, Bangkok shrimp, jerk chicken, smoked duck.
Signature: Korean bulgogi taco, Crispy fish taco, Bangkok shrimp taco
Order: Three tacos: the Korean bulgogi, the crispy fish and the Bangkok shrimp.
Tip: Order at the counter and take a seat. The Riverside Drive River Arts location is under reconstruction in 2025.
Grassfed burgers, farm-to-table$$downtown
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.
Southern comfort, breakfast and lunch$$west-asheville
Sunny Point Café on Haywood Road in West Asheville opened in 2003 as a family-owned breakfast and lunch room with an on-site production garden.
Signature: Huevos rancheros, Buttermilk biscuits, Shrimp and grits
Order: The huevos rancheros, or the buttermilk biscuit and sausage gravy plate.
Tip: Daily 08:30-14:00. Walk-in only; weekends wait 60-90 minutes after 10:00. The patio takes the queue first.
Cathead biscuits, Southern breakfast$$west-asheville
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.
Indian kababs and street grills$$west-asheville
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.